MichiganHunter Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Well last year I had my first year of really trying to do some QDM, I have killed 1 or 2 bucks every year since I first started hunting. In the 06 season I killed a 138in 8pt, the 07 season I got a 130in 10pt with my bow(first bow buck) and this year I just couldn't bring my self to shooting anything smaller than a 2.5 year old buck, I passed up 7 small bucks....buy 5 does weren't so lucks...lol:D, so how about you how many bucks did you pass if any? oh i've killed a 3,4,5,6,6,7,7,8,10,11....the 11 was small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 This year, I shot the first buck that presented a shot. 'Course, he scored 153 gross. Most years I pass up in the neighborhood of 10 to 20. Just depends on the rut and my available time to hunt. I remember one day in '07, I passed up about 8 bucks in one morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I let a 6 and 8 go as they showed real potential for next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorden Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Depends, I pass up a lot of little bucks every year. I've never a potential shooter walk in front of me on stand so I have never had to make that decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I passed up several this past season and ended up skunked for the first season in many. Without going back and counting I am sure I passed on at least a dozen different bucks between archery, ml, and rifle. Some of those I had opportunities on multiple times, would guess probably 60 percent were 1.5 year olds and the remainder 2.5 year olds and one 3.5 year old. At the beginning of our archery season I had 4 bucks together and one point or the other all got in range. During early rifle(November) I had 5 or 6 different bucks pushing does around the dried river bed in front of me and had opportunities on all of them. The only 3.5 year old buck that I saw was the one I decided that was after and I saw him twice for sure, possibly three times. Once with the ml at 225 yards away just a few minutes after getting in the stand during the week, he walked straight out to the scrape and never gave me a shot before he went into the brush. Was no mistaking the deer that afternoon as I could clearly see his spread, about a 17 inch spread which is a solid deer for these parts. Second time I saw him I let him walk despite having a pretty good shot opportunity with the .270 during our rifle season, it was very overcast and at the last few minutes of legal shooting light and at the distance he was at I was not 100 percent certain it was him, but I could very easily have taken the shot. He was in the same area I saw him during the ml season, however he was broadside for at least a minute. Body language said it was a mature deer and I told my daughter I thought it was him, she was looking through the binoculars and said she was not sure. The deer got his pic made at the scrape and after checking that cam a few days later it turned out that it was the deer I was after. Got quite a bit of good video though, and the wife and my oldest daughter each killed a deer so it was not like we had an empty freezer. This coming year should be a bit better, I know at least one of the 2.5 year olds I passed on multiple times made it through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Shooter Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Here in NC, I probably passed in the neighborhood of 20+ bucks, all within bow range. Made a bad shot on a 120 class 10 point, and couldn't get a shot off on a 140 class 9 point, these were in NC as well. In Ohio, I shot my buck on the first morning of my hunt and he came in at 110" and some change. Luckily I didn't have an opportunity at a larger one but I started Doe hunting after and changed up my tactics on hunting areas. I saw several smaller ones the rest of the week and had a very nice 8 point come by that my brother ended up killing the next day. Ever since my P&Y buck, I have set my standards to at least a 100" buck or nothing, hammer down on the Doe's though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layin on the smackdown Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I lost count...but then again, i never really started counting...:D All i can say is that i passed up on a pile of bucks...everything from buttons to a three and a half year old 8 that would have went in the mid 130's... Had encounters with two giants...of which one i missed judged how far he was (thought he was 35, ended up being 42) and shot about a quarter inch under neath the sweet spot...I ran into him walking in from the stand for lunch, so i didn't have any predetermined ranges figured out yet, and he was huge, so my perception was way off... The second one, i called in with a few snort wheeze calls, and on his way in, he got to about 65 yds, and hung up, then changed his mind entirely, and disapeared into never never land... Had encounters with a bunch of great up and comers...overall, it was a promising season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNhunterr Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Wow, you guys have hunting easy. In the 8 years I've been hunting I've seen only 1 buck, and that is the one I killed this last year. I went 5 years without shooting at a thing, or seeing/getting a shot at one for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Haven't killed a buck myself since 2004. I'm after 3 1/2 year deer or better. I've probably passed on a good 125 bucks in the last 4 years. Most of them 1 1/2 year bucks. But I've passed on at least one borderline P&Y deer each year. This year I let two mid-120-ish eights walk. I don't get to wound up over it. I have nothing to prove to anyone but me. I did take 2 doe for the freezer this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 This past year I passed up around 5 or so bucks. The last buck I passed up was a 2.5 yr old 4 pointer. It was the opening day of rifle season here in NY and I had the buck at close to 7 yards, perfectly broadside, and looking away for about 2 minutes! Unfortunately, my younger cousin shot it that afternoon about 100 yards away from where I saw it and still was sitting. It still had a better chance with me passing it up though. - Dan ........I should add that's all I hunted; weekends during bow season and then opening day of rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkV Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I passed alot of deer this year including some darn nice bucks, but shot my 162 gross at the end of the year, just when I was about to give up hope of seeing him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWSmith Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Other than the buck I missed with my Muzzleloader I passed on every other buck out there. I did however fill the freezer with 4 Does(though I gave some away to neighbors) with my Out of State hunts included. I was "Sir NannyWhacker" this past year:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2008 Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I shot a my first buck with a bow this year. He was tagged with an antlerless tag though with only 2 inch of antler on each side after getting hit by a car. Otherwise I have not even been lucky enough to see that many bucks from the stand. I saw 1 in 2004 when I first started. Other than that this year I spotted a spike buck, a bruiser which passed by fast, and the one I got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganHunter Posted April 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 This year, I shot the first buck that presented a shot. 'Course, he scored 153 gross. Thats kind of cheating......lol, killing the first deer to walk by...you should of let the little ones go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I have never really counted, but I am know its a bunch. Last buck I killed was in 2006 with my gun. But the last and ONLY buck I have EVER shot with a bow was in 2000. I have had bunch of opportunities since just not the bucks I am looking for. So I would hate to say what the number is but I know its a bunch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I passed a bunch because there were some 200 plus mulies we had seen. Here's one I passed at 27 yards and the one I took home for meat in the last few minutes near camp.Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 (edited) I pass a bunch due to our buck criteria here at home along with my personal criteria. I really don't care to kill a buck unless he's mature. Our club's buck criteria here in MS is set up to protect all the 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and some of the 3 1/2 year old bucks. I checked my hunting journal and excluding the bucks that didn't meet our MS club's criteria I passed up 13 that met it. 4 during bow season and 9 during gun season. They were all 8 points. I also passed up a couple of 3 1/2 year old bucks in IL during my bowhunt up there before I put a hole in the mature 140" 9 point I killed. The biggest buck I passed up in IL was a 125" 10 point that looked like a 3 1/2 year old buck to me. I passed up another 3 bucks in KS during my bowhunt there too. They were all in the 130 to 140 class range. I'm restricted to hunting 150 class minimum bucks at that place in KS though. BTW, I didn't kill a buck during the 2005 season and passed up a bunch that year too. I didn't regret passing up any of those deer. I was rewarded with 3 mature bucks here at home the following year. Can't say for sure if any of them were bucks I passed up the prior year but you never know. Edited April 15, 2009 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I hunt some good spots, so I pass on a lot of bucks that some guys wouldn't. I had one this year that was a nice 120's 8 point with only moderate mass that I passed on a few times. I use mass as my litmus test. I really like taking down big bucks, and don't feel good killing small ones, so it's fine by me not to take a buck every year. BTDT. I kill does regardless and eat like a king. HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zambo Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 First year in 10 that I did not shoot a buck. Started bow hunting 4 years ago and put the shotgun away for good. I have shot my share of 120 - 140 bucks. My last two with a bow were 160 and 150 so I decided to hold out for a 150 or larger. Only seen a couple but none in range. I had about 15 bucks in range I could have shot at, but none bigger than140 inches. This was the first year ever that I did not shoot a buck by choice. I am not disapointted at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sskybnd Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 sorry i shot at the only three i seen all year, missed a nice 8 with the muzzle loader,, and shot to spikes with the bow, being our land was just cut this year and it adjoins 3 other properties, there is realy no qdm around so i was just thankful to see what i seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I probably passed in the neighborhood of 5-10 bucks this year. None of them would have scored over 80 inches. The only deer that I saw that would score over that was a 125" 9 ptr with my muzzleloader and I shot him LOL . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach1 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I saw two bucks alive that were shooters for me, and I shot one with the muzzleloader...a 150 inch 8pt. The other I didn't have a shot at during shotgun season. I passed on a number of 1 1/2 yr old bucks this year. I've passed an uncountable number of 1 1/2 - 3 1/2 yr old bucks since 2000 when I shot my 174 inch 9pt with the bow. Since 2000, I've shot 4 bucks (includes the 9pt. and this past season's 8pt.) and all have been mature deer scoring 140+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I to shot the first buck I seen,he happened to be a respectful 10 point with a 15" spread,he was a good deer for the area I hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I kill my fair share, and pass on most. I have places to hunt to take deer that are small unmanageable places if i need to put meat in the freezer. Biggest i passed up this year was a ten that may have broke 100 inches, and quite a few 8's that were in the same range. Dan, you passin them up in the mid 130's!!!! Dude, you need to take me with you to clean up your scraps! :D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted April 19, 2009 Report Share Posted April 19, 2009 I think there last year I passed on around 20 some different bucks some of them that will be shooters next year and some that were this year. Just a bad year for me for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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