How do you hunt? Any self imposed rules?

[Adjam5]

Many hunters place self imposed rules on themselves when they hunt. Some places have the rules all made up for you with antler restrictions.

What limits do you set for yourself or others that hunt your land?

I won't shoot spikes and a fork horn should be wide to be considered, does are to be taken whenever a shot is presented. Provided you have tags. Small does first, under 80lbs. Then up in size backwards from small to largest. The 80lbs is the trigger weight that will put the does into estrus and allow them to have a healthy winter. Under that weight, they will struggle the winter and will not be bred. QDM seminar info. Deer have no clue that there are scientists stalking them.

I hunt 2 areas, one is bow only(suburban) and anything goes. The other is a gun/bow/muzzle area that a 3 on one side rule set by NYSDEC. But ,I always had a no spike rule if you have shot ANY buck bigger than a spike before. Spikes for 1st deer are OK.

[MUDRUNNER]

We don't have any restrictions on any of the properties I hunt on.Generally my choice is to pass on any buck that I think is 1 1/2 or younger and any doe is fair game.Come December,if I don't have meat in the freezer then I probably would take a younger buck,but so far that hasn't been the case, and every 1 1/2 old buck has gotten a free pass from me for the past 5 years.

[buckee]

The regs say we can shoot 2 bucks, or, 1 buck and 1 doe. We are allowed a 3rd deer if we go to the mainland hunting, because the provincial limit is 3 deer, but the Vancouver Island bag limit is only 2 deer.

We have imposed a few restrictions on ourselves over the years.

1 - Some years we all agree to shoot 1 doe and 1 buck, just to keep the ratio looking good.(kind of a self imposed, earn a buck thing)

2 - We always pass on small deer, and try our best to go for mature animals.

3 - If we run across a really nice mature genetically inferior buck, like a really nice 2x2, with no brows, we gladly take it out of the herd, to make room for better genetics to take hold.

4 - we try not to beat each other up, if we make mistakes, in out own rules

5 - We also try not to over hunt any one area at any given time. I'd rather hunt relaxed animals, than spooky ones, any day of the week.

[dodge4x4]

Well obviously, don't miss. . . don't fall outta the treestand . . . and don't let anyone smoke aroudn your stands. Haha.

As for antlers, pretty much we don't shoot the little bucks. . .in order to let them grow more for next year. However, when it gets down to the last day or two of whatever season(s) the tags are for we pretty much shoot anything for meat (spikes, buttons, etc.)

Usually also, we will ALL shoot the first nice doe that walks in front of us simply for meat before sport. Basically just not a doe that looks like she lost her spots yesterday, y'know.

[rhine16]

With a bow:

My dad and I will usually shoot one doe a year, as long as we haven't killed a buck already that year.

As of right now we will shoot the first legal buck(4 points) that presents a shot.

After one is in the bag, you have to shoot one that is mature.

For gun:

No does because we do that with the bow.

Bucks have to either be a cull or something that you are very proud to harvest. For me, I need around 120" of antler and it to be mature.

[Guest bigalt78]

i dont know why but with me i shoot anything. ill shoot deer with spots on it still all the way up to nice bucks. but the only time i really limit myself is during rut. but any other time i throw out a hundred pounds of corn and let the first thing that walks by have it no matter what the size. i have shot deer that have weighed about 50 or 60 pounds. but i have also shot two nice bucks one of them was very nice. In ohio we're allowed seven deer and i reach that all the time.

[Michiganbowhunter_SQ2]

during gun season antler size doesn't matter, as long as it has a decent body size i'll take a shot. i stay away from fawns and buttons bucks...but if a spike or fork horn has a good body, i'll go for it.

for bow season, i have passed on some small deer and passed on a little 6 point last year. i am pretty picky with my bow (guess thats why i haven't taken anything with it yet)

[125py]

i shoot does until about the last week of October and then start shooting does around Christmas until the end or season (mid January).

I will obviously shoot bucks all season IF I think they will gross a minimum of 135"

[Tominator]

Depends on where I hunt. When I'm lucky enough to tag along with Ohiobucks, it's any doe and mature bucks only. Mature buck probably ought to score at least 130" or so, preferably higher.

If I'm not on that land with Tom, it's hopefully a Pope and Young caliber deer that I shoot for.

[johnf]

My standards are about to change.

The place I used to hunt you could shoot 2 bucks and 2 doe with fire arms or up to 4 doe with archery with a 4 deer total. The place I'm at now is 1 buck and 2 doe or 2 buck and 1 doe, but the doe can only be shot on certain days with firearms. I'm primarily a meat hunter and my standards were shoot doe and if a wall hanger came by shoot him. I've passed on dozens of small legal buck, but with these regs, I'll probibly be shooting the first legal deer that presents a shot.

I have passed on 2 yearling doe this year. Our winters are mild and anything without spots will more than likely live to see another year . I would rather get a mature doe and if I have to wait till one comes by me at bow range then so be it.

[wtnhunt]

My self imposed rule was at one time for 3.5 year old or older bucks, and mature does only, but realistically now there are just too many hunters in this area and those hunters have no limits, the quality of deer I used to see I just dont see anymore. Last year I did pass up a beautiful ear width young 7 pointer with the muzzleloader. The deer was practically under me and I opted to shoot him with the sony instead of the tc. Afraid this year, I might have a bit harder time letting one like that walk, as it got whacked up the road during our rifle season, and those antlers now rest on the hood of a old broke down bronco along with antlers from a few other bucks I had passed up.

Watching deer walk off your property with hopes of them growing another year only to hear them shot or hear or see of them being shot by the surrounding hunters has taken its toll on me when it comes to bucks and just not sure what will trip my trigger this year.

Fawns have always been off limits as well as nubbers, does with young fawns are off limits, and will still not shoot spikes or yearlings if I can help it.

[QDMAworks4me]

Our QDM rules

We have been managing for 8 years now with great results.

Our rules are:

-Nothing smaller than an eight point, we are herd managers not trophy hunters.

-We try to shoot 10 does per our 500 acres a year

-You are allowed one buck off the property a year, unless you get lucky enough to shoot one with a bow, but the second buck MUST be bigger than the first.

-ALL NYS hunting laws must be followed, no illegal tag sharing like many people in NY do and have even seen some people do it that are on here.

-Only family or families spouse can hunt our property no friends, we have other land that we take friends hunting if we want to take them

After we started following these rules what a huge difference in our hunting experience, everyone of us is on board with the rules and really enjoy what a difference it makes.

[Bowtech_archer07]

On any place we hunt, we say that bucks have to be outside their ears and usually at least an 8. Spikes and forkhorns are never considered and does have to be somewhat large. We try not to shoot yearlings, but sometimes it happens, it's just hard to judge. Also, any deer for your first deer is ok with us.

[lowcountry boy]

Anything legal for a first deer.

After that, 3.5 or older.

1-2 does harvested per buck.

From our observations, we have a pretty good sex ratio with our deer, and have seen a lot more shooters or near shooters. It makes your time in the stand much more enjoyable, and it will only get better. This works for us, because we hunt a fairly large tract with light pressure, I don't judge anyone as long as they follow the regulations and are doing it for the right reason.

[colescott1]

Not sure why, but I have more limits on how I hunt, rather than what I hunt.

I have no interest in bait, mineral licks, etc. Although I'd love to have some out to watch deer in my backyard, I'd feel it would lessen the "hunt" when I actually went out into the woods...they are there because I am providing them food.

I have no interest in some of the "houses" people hunt from, or even covered box blinds. Not sure why, but I like to think of the hunt as almost a test of endurance. Besides my own boredom and schedule, what is to keep me from comfortably sitting in a heated blind all day, almost knowing that sooner or later, a deer will walk by.

I dont hunt over food plots, however have no problem hunting over an existing agricultural field. (It's there for a completely different reason then to aid in the hunt).

I do like to play with calls, and every so often, do use a drag-rag.

All this being said, as long as its legal in one's area, I have no issues with any of this being done by hunters...just for some reason, I'm rather quirky.

[zippyswamp]

Our land is hunted and managed for the well of the land. We shoot the smaller does, and even thinking of taking doe fawns this year. We don't have a big chunk of land compaired to some, it's 180 acres with crop fields used for the farm. Yes we plant plenty of food plots for the animals, which helps take some stress of the wooded acrage.

As for the bucks we choose to hunt. We do our best to harvest only 3 1/2 year olds, but if it's big enough that you want to mount it, have at it. Every buck that comes off the land must be put on the wall, that's the rule. But it's easy to do with only 2 of us hunting it, and we are both on the some page.

We are getting some of our neighbors involved with management over the last years, to at least pass the 1 1/2 year old and shoot some does.

As you know, we here in WI have earn a buck in most DMU's this year, and I for one didn't think there were many deer, but with all of our years shooting does, there still is plenty to go around in most areas. But no matter how many we take, it will never be enough, because some just won't shoot does.

[Rhino]

Here at home our hunting club's buck harvest criteria is bucks must have at least a 14" inside spread or an 18" main beam. That basically protects all the 1 1/2 year old, 2 1/2 year old, and some 3 1/2 year old bucks. The fines are expensive for a buck that doesn't meet that criteria. $100/inch for members (first offense) and $200/inch for guest and 2nd offense members. For fine purposes everything is rounded off to the lower inch so a 13 1/2" spread buck counts as being an inch short provided it has less than 18" main beams.

I personally prefer to try to kill 4 1/2 year old or better bucks here at home but occasionally I have killed a 3 1/2 year old buck. So far I've never come close to not making our club's criteria with any of the bucks I've killed there though.

Where I hunt out of state in Kansas and Iowa the buck criteria is 140 class for 8 points, 145 class for 9 points, and 150 class for 10 points or better but those places are bowhunting only. With that sort of criteria I have to be real picky. Killing a buck that doesn't make it means I'd never get to hunt those places anymore. It really doesn't bother me to let lesser bucks walk there because I usually see some pretty big bucks that easily make the grade, especially since the land is never buck hunted with guns.

[unioncountyslayer]

NC regulations allow 4 bucks, which I think is ridiculous. Anyhow, I won't even draw back on a buck if it has less than 8 points and if they aren't "outside the ears". And if you hunt on my land, you abide by these restrictions, no exceptions other than possibly a first time youth hunter. I have seen pretty good success with growing bigger bucks by managing land this way, obviously. The problem in NC and SC is the buck limits and the mentality of a lot of old school hunters that "if it's brown it's down". I'm just doing my part to see bigger bucks on the land I hunt. To each his own.