Guest splitg2 Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 I was wondering what is the youngest buck you will shoot on a non QDM land area. Laster i went after 2.5 This year i am going after 3.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 2.5 for me.None of the properties I hunt are QDM, so sometimes 2.5 is tough to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Goals here change from year to year depending on what I know is around, and I honestly cannot yet say this year what I am after. Used to be a great area here with few hunters and plenty of deer, but seems our secret got out and now there are way too many hunters hunting on top of us and the overall deer numbers are way down as well as big buck(mature deer) sightings being way down. For probably 5 years or so I was after 3.5 year old and older bucks, and I managed to take a few. Past two years(2006-2007 season and 2007-2008 season) dropped my standards and took a 2.5 year old buck in each of those seasons, the previous year before those seasons(2005-2006) passed up several 2.5 year olds and went without killing a buck. Should have been some 3.5 year olds around here in the 2006 season, however I know the guys hunting on the properties around us are killing anything they see "brown its down mentality", man just up the road had more than just a few deer that I had earlier passed up hanging in the tree out by the road to confirm that. I did see one nice mature buck(3.5 year old) a few times in the 2006-2007 season, but never got a good shot opportunity on him before the rifle season opened, and never saw him during the rifle season. Got a few trail cam pics of a 3.5 year old tall tine 8 pointer last year during the peak of the rut, but we never saw him during daylight. Not sure yet this year what I am after, not really seeing much buck activity on our property, hopefully that will change when some of this corn on the other side of the river from us starts getting harvested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegz70 Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 I think alot of that depends on the property and what your goals are. I know that the property I hunt on is wayyyyy to small to try and manage what I am harvesting. If it is large-bodied with headgear I wont think twice about shooting a 2 year old deer. However, If I had my own dream property I would say 4.5-5.5 Y.O. and Lots of does harvested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTDOORLIFE3 Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 3.5 by doing so allows deer to reach closer to maturity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Pretty much go by rack size and guess at age after he's down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 First of all a trophy buck is in the eye of the beholder. Since I get to spend more time in the woods than most hunters I try to go for 4.5 year old or older bucks but I have been known to shoot 3.5 year old bucks that were carrying nice racks for their age. Sometimes you only have a split second to make a decision. Last year I killed 2 bucks in MS. A 3.5 year old and a 5.5 year old. The rack on the 3.5 year old buck (8 point) scored higher than the 5.5 year old buck (9 point). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Bowhunter14 Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 i go by rack size... i would probably shooting nothing smaller than a 6 point... only been hunting a few years but i would like to see the deer where i hunt get somewhat big, so unless it has 6 points i aint shooting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoorsmen1 Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Im only 17 years old, and I wont shoot anything less than a 6. unless its something really crazy and nontypical or just somethin that doesnt need to be out there. Its all about what you feel like doin. ****, 2 years ago i shot a spike just because it stood in the same exact spot for almost 30 minutes, and that was a trophy to me. But around the house im gettin more leaniant(sp) because our property butts up to game lands, and they shoot everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOYTnMUZZYboy Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I agree with Rhino, 4 to 4.5 is about the yougest I like to shoot. You gotta let em go to let em grow. We take our deer manageing just as serious as we take our deer hunting. Sometimes its not easy to watch a decent buck walk by at 15 yards and not pick up the bow. But it deff pays off in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Pretty much go by rack size and guess at age after he's down. Gotta agree with Tom here. For the October bow season a buck that is not P&Y will safely walk past me. In the November gun season I hunt public land with my family members. I'm still looking for a 130 class deer or better on opening day. If I haven't harvested a buck by the second day of gun season I would take a doe or any decent buck (100 class). Big deer are few and far between on the public land I hunt and it sure is nice to have a deer hanging at deer camp. As of last year I try to avoid shooting all 1.5 year old bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 For a "non-QDM" buck, 5.5 years. But, as part of our trophy management plan (note that I didn't call it QDM) we try to shoot any buck, regardless of age, without brow tines, any buck 2.5 years old or older that doesn't have at least 8 points, and any buck 3.5 years old or older that won't score at least 130. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegz70 Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 2 years ago i shot a spike just because it stood in the same exact spot for almost 30 minutes, and that was a trophy to me. I have to admit.....I did the same thing. I promised my GF I wouldn't shoot a yearling and I watched this deer directly under my stand for 5 minutes and its like I went CRAZY legged...LOL! Needless to say she ate very well and the GF didnt know it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clrj3514 Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 we dont manage our land. were in 2 huntin clubs where the deer has to have a fork in his horns so if he meets that standard he's mine. i dont really have the caliber deer u guys have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elnor Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Our family land is managed via QDM principles. As such, we try to shoot does for eating (up to our management goal) and only kill mature bucks. Our "mature" standard last year was 3.5+ years old, but frankly some of my family members had trouble with aging-on-the-hoof. So this year our standard will be 3.5+ yrs old, or if you can't figure that out, require "antler spread outside his extended ears" to make things simpler (saw a great article in NAW correlating that measure to age class, so there is some scientific basis to it, more so than to # of points anyway). I'd really like to get everybody to the 4.5+ yrs old based on body characteritics asap, but we're taking baby steps here... As for my results: Last year I filled four antlerless tags and one buck tag. Plenty of tasty venison and one new mount, I can handle that. This year I'm after "the one that got away" last fall. I saw him and had not one, but two muzzleloader malfunctions that cost me shots. Then my mother saw him later in rifle season, but couldn't get a shot. We have taken to calling him "The Horse" because of his tremendous body size. I aged him as at least 4.5, probably 5.5+, last fall, so if this old boy's still around come fall 2008, he definitely qualifies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 personally if I held out for a 4.5 yr old I may darn well never kill a buck where I hunt in my entire lifetime. While I like to try and kill atleast a nice 2 yr old if a legal yearling walks out (have to be atleast 6pt in PA) he's probably going to get it, unless it's very early in the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 biggest deer on my hunting area is usually only 2.5 years old, maybe 3.5 at times but that's rare. my whole family hunts and knows what's there. therefore i usually go after 2.5 yr old deer. wish i could go after a 5.5 yr old deer that's reached it's peak, but you can't hunt what's not there. some day everyone will stop shooting younger deer....hopefully. lol that's the only way i'll get a bigger buck. - Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Well, last year I shot my first antlered buck out west; a broken up 4x4 300lb. hog that was past his prime, probably 9 1/2 or 10 1/2 years of age. On public land, I'll shoot the first branch antlered buck I see, but on private, if I know there's bigger bucks in the area, I'll hold off and see what else comes in. This year though, I kind of have my heart set on a certain buck in the area, a monster 6x6 whitetail that's probably 6 1/2 years old. It's going to be interesting, chasing him on public land with a longbow! Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born4it Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 I'll only shoot a buck if I think he's 3.5 years old. Having said that, I shot a 2.5 yr. old about 3 years ago that was a split brow 10 pt I thought was a 3.5. I need to talk to the neighbors about maybe starting a QDM plan, but right now they shoot about everything. Take care, Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest remington88 Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 this is my second year of bow hunting and i hunted about 12 years with a rifle and had never shot a buck missed one buck 3 years ago with a rifle but last year i passed up a 6 point that i coulda shot about a hundred diffent times he even put his head between my steps of my stand and laid his head there for about 10 minutes and i passed up a 135 inch seven point at 25 yards and a 146 inch 8 point at 30 yards all i could have easily shot i guess the point is if i dont get excited about the deer i dont shoot it unless if it was a cull deer then i would take to get it outta the herd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 Frankly, I like to wait until they are beginning to limp from arthritic leg and hip joints. If they are sway-backed and losing hair, toothless, and with all of their ribs showing, that is the perfect buck to shoot. I really don't want to shoot any buck that has not reached its full potential. Of course the meat generally is something the dog would walk away from but at least I'll know that no buck has been shot before its time. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 I was wondering what is the youngest buck you will shoot on a non QDM land area. Laster i went after 2.5 This year i am going after 3.5 How can you know for sure? How can anyone know for sure unless you have extensive knowledge of the deer in your area like Rhino does or some of the "pros" like the Kisky's? Personally, if the rack is big enough, he's getting shot. Typically, if his rack is big, that's a 3 year old deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.