Passing on small bucks-opinion.

Here are my thoughts:

In Ont, we get 1 tag, additional tags are available in some WMU's, but I haven't gotten one the last 3 years (phone system sucks @ss).

The only reason I try to get additional tags is to allow me to hunt the WHOLE season...from the 1st day to the last (been in a tree more than once on New Years Eve).

I will not shoot more than 1 deer/ year...I don't NEED the meat, but I love it.

Personal choice...I don't shoot does, lots of other local guys shoot does and fawns.

I will shoot a cull buck if I didn't harvest a deer in the previous year...But I am always after a mature buck, and don't mind eating tag soup for a year, to get that chance.

You can't shoot a BIG buck if you shoot all the little ones. ;)
 
I like to encourage and or trick the people I'm hunting with into shooting small bucks early so every buck opportunity is mine after that. Everyone knows that the big one shows up after you fill your buck tag, so it's best to stay close to them after that.:) The big bucks have out-lived several seasons of small buck shooters and are relatively safe from them.
The doe-only hunters are also good for opening gates, packing big lunches, buying gas and helping you drag your buck out of the biggest hellhole you can find.
 
I shoot the first one I see. Big antlers are a plus but it's not that important to me right now
 
Yes, I have to agree with making the season as long as possible.

I started bow hunting last year to get an extra 2 months of hunting in. Didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I do. Nothing wrong with sitting in your stand eating a sandwich and watching the deer.
 
beefman said:
Here are my thoughts:

In Ont, we get 1 tag, additional tags are available in some WMU's, but I haven't gotten one the last 3 years (phone system sucks @ss).

The only reason I try to get additional tags is to allow me to hunt the WHOLE season...from the 1st day to the last (been in a tree more than once on New Years Eve).

I will not shoot more than 1 deer/ year...I don't NEED the meat, but I love it.

Personal choice...I don't shoot does, lots of other local guys shoot does and fawns.

I will shoot a cull buck if I didn't harvest a deer in the previous year...But I am always after a mature buck, and don't mind eating tag soup for a year, to get that chance.

You can't shoot a BIG buck if you shoot all the little ones. ;)
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Tag soup sounds good with lots of Onions LOL
 
My goal is to shoot a record class buck in the last hour of the last day of the season. Sometimes it doesn't work. Well ..... actually ........ it has never worked. But I have shot quite a few meat deer in the last afternoon of the last day of the season. Now that the kids are gone, one deer is all we need, but 2 is not too much.

I love hunting and venison. Multiple tags usually mean one "non-trophy" shot for meat early in the season once it's cool enough to make meat handling easy, and save all the other tags for hunting as much as I can. I use the search for record horns as a good reason to not shoot all kinds of ordinary deer until the last day when I may shoot another meat animal. I probably pass on 20-40 legitimate shots in any given season. Our tradition is to hang unused tags on the Christmas tree. There are usually several.
 
In my younger years when raising a family I would shoot any and as many as I legally could, a big buck was a bonus but primary goal was meat. Most of the deer I took were decent as we had a 4 point minimum regulation for many years. For at least 10 years I have chosen not to shoot does or small bucks which in my mind is 155 min for whitetails and 165 for Mulies, lots of years the tags don't get filled and thats ok by me get out lots and see lots of deer. I have nothing against someone hunting for meat or whatever reason as long as its legal and don't feel one choice is better than the other just an individuals choice of how to enjoy the season.
 
I hunt for meat and almost every hunt I have to walk away empty handed from an animal that's not legal for one reason or another. Buying meat @$5-$25/kg beats up the family budget. If it's legal and within range it's down.
 
 
Dogleg said:
I can't help thinkin' we're not all on the same page here.
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I would say that's normal, and it's a good thing. We've got trophy hunters, we've got meat hunters, we've got people taking does to thin a herd, we've got people "managing" a local herd to grow out some trophy bucks, we've got noobs (me) who are happy to get a deer, but will probably have different goals in the years go come etc... It's all good! BTW, rthook - those are some beautiful bucks!
 
dreamwaters said:
I would say that's normal, and it's a good thing. We've got trophy hunters, we've got meat hunters, we've got people taking does to thin a herd, we've got people "managing" a local herd to grow out some trophy bucks, we've got noobs (me) who are happy to get a deer, but will probably have different goals in the years go come etc... It's all good! BTW, rthook - those are some beautiful bucks!
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That's why I don't tell people what to shoot and what to leave. There's a lot of both young and mature bucks that would make a lot of people happy, and yet are never going to amount to much. I'd personally rather see someone shoot them than a up and comer but my opinion doesn't matter. Do what you want, whatever makes you happy. Don't be surprised if you change your opinion several times during your hunting career.:)
 
Dogleg said:
Couple nice ones in there, but mostly that's what we let go. I can't help thinkin' we're not all on the same page here.
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We're not in the same Province...that's why. ;)

An average whitetail buck in most areas of Sask., would be ALOT bigger than their Eastern relatives.

I know guys that have hunted for 15+ years and have only shot 1 small buck...most have not even seen one bigger than 110" B&C.
 
Considering the deer we actually see..is about 1% of the deer..that actually live in the area..doesn't make a difference one way or the other.
I am not a fan of deer so, I give my meat away..my kids will eat it..so generally I will only shoot for bone.
 
beefman said:
We're not in the same Province...that's why. ;)

An average whitetail buck in most areas of Sask., would be ALOT bigger than their Eastern relatives.

I know guys that have hunted for 15+ years and have only shot 1 small buck...most have not even seen one bigger than 110" B&C.
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Wonder why that is?;)
 
In NW Ontario when you buy a deer tag over the counter the first one is a buck tag only . Additional tags can be purchased but are antlerless deer only.....up to a total of seven tags .
I usually buy two additional antlerless tags each season but won't shoot a doe until the last week as I believe that if you have does around eventually the big boys will come sniffing around .
During most of the season I won't shoot a buck unless it is bigger/different than what I already have(shot in the previous years) .. on the last week I'm sometimes less picky, but have "hung my tag on the Christmas tree" once in a while .
As we make a lot of sausage we usually fill our tags the last week .
We hunt with others that shoot whatever so we are not going without fresh deer steaks.
 
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