Shoot - Don't Shoot

[deadeye]

For many of us it sometimes comes down to do I shoot this buck or let it walk. This is a personal or camp decision and I'm in no way judging anyone's choice when it comes to what they shoot provided it's legal. We keep it quite simple, shoot does or big bucks.  Not hard fast rules regarding what is a big buck. I do have a couple sets of antlers in the cabin labeled "Shoot" - "Don't Shoot" to provide some visual guidance but there are not penalties for shooting a "Don't Shoot" buck. I know the decision to shoot or not can happen very fast and not always under ideal conditions. The trail camera photos below demonstrate how different a buck looks depending on the angle and stance. I hope that I will have to make this decision sometime this season.

If this is all I saw of this buck, I would probably shoot it as it appears to have a pretty good rack


Same buck as above but seeing it head probably puts it in the don't shoot category


Side view of this one puts it close to the shoot category but a little hard to tell


Same buck as the last picture and now I would most likely shoot it.


This third buck is so close to camera that the antler on this side actually appears larger than it actually is.
A different view would be required to help determine if it's a Shoot or Don't shoot buck

[snow1]

Pass for the wall,eatin? nice fat doe let the rascal go. D.E. no girth,2-3 yr old?my take...

I had issue's with this guy,close but no cigar,first instink,"whack him",moved on as I knew "bullwinkle was in the area.

[Leech~~]

For many of us it sometimes comes down to do I shoot this buck or let it walk. This is a personal or camp decision and I'm in no way judging anyone's choice when it comes to what they shoot provided it's legal. We keep it quite simple, shoot does or big bucks.  Not hard fast rules regarding what is a big buck. I do have a couple sets of antlers in the cabin labeled "Shoot" - "Don't Shoot" to provide some visual guidance but there are not penalties for shooting a "Don't Shoot" buck. I know the decision to shoot or not can happen very fast and not always under ideal conditions. The trail camera photos below demonstrate how different a buck looks depending on the angle and stance. I hope that I will have to make this decision sometime this season.

If this is all I saw of this buck, I would probably shoot it as it appears to have a pretty good rack

It's sounds like you have a pretty good chunk of land where you can do some management. 
If it were my land the rules would be.
1)Kids first deer.  2)Someone needs meat. 3)Wall. 
Wall racks are always shooters, not many need meat to live any more and they can always shoot a Doe for that.
Kids building memory's are the keys to hunting's future. 

[Steve-o]

Yes, what Leech said, and adding to it...

4) If its bigger than your previous best buck, take your liberty.

5) You have wonderful opportunities up there, DE, for you and your guests.  If you want to shoot a 10 pointer, you have to pass on an 8.

It is nice to see you care mostly that folks have a good experience when they come to visit your deer camp, DE.  That mean different things to different folks.

I know some pride themselves on shooting mature bucks - 5 or 6 years, etc.  Hunting on public land in the Chippewa National Forest, as I have for most of my life, I can count on one hand the number of mature 5/6 year old deer I have even seen - let alone tagged. 

[glenn57]

Steve I you stay outta my Forrest. whereabouts are you at up there.

[Steve-o]

Longville/Remer area.   Danged tough woods to hunt.

Buck-brush in the old growth can be so thick that deer can be invisible 50 yards away.
Lots of logging up there too and the clear-cut sections grow up so thick with poplars that those spots are unhuntable for 20 years.
And there is no shortage of tamarack swamps for all the mature bucks to retreat into.

I get a kick out of reading the hunting articles that tell you to locate the food sources and bedding areas and set up on the trails leading between them.  In big woods like those...  its ALL bedding and food plots.

There have been more than a few seasons up there where if you wanted to tag a deer, you'd better shoot the first one you see, because you might not see another one.

I love it.

[glenn57]

Dakids hunts around remer. I'm an hour north of remer. Not far from bowstring lake  and even closer to our resident iowegain.

[Steve-o]

Dakids hunts around remer. I'm an hour north of remer. Not far from bowstring lake  and even closer to our resident iowegain.

P.S.  I posted that "Warning" thread in the Trapping forum for Dakids' benefit, but I was happy to see you jumped all over it.   

[glenn57]

Dakids hunts around remer. I'm an hour north of remer. Not far from bowstring lake  and even closer to our resident iowegain.

P.S.  I posted that "Warning" thread in the Trapping forum for Dakids' benefit, but I was happy to see you jumped all over it.   

[Leech~~]

Longville/Remer area.   Danged tough woods to hunt.

Buck-brush in the old growth can be so thick that deer can be invisible 50 yards away.
Lots of logging up there too and the clear-cut sections grow up so thick with poplars that those spots are unhuntable for 20 years.
And there is no shortage of tamarack swamps for all the mature bucks to retreat into.

I get a kick out of reading the hunting articles that tell you to locate the food sources and bedding areas and set up on the trails leading between them.  In big woods like those...  its ALL bedding and food plots.

There have been more than a few seasons up there where if you wanted to tag a deer, you'd better shoot the first one you see, because you might not see another one.

I love it.

Sounds about the same as the Paul Bunyan.  We have been chased around those woods by logging for more then 30 years.   

[LPS]

My program is if it looks good to eat I shoot it.  I have waited for nice bucks many times and paid off once in a while.  I respect the whole wait till they get big if there are enough deer so you can shoot a doe or something else.  Deer camp is not near as fun to most if they don't get to shoot a deer.  They are all trophys!  Although shooting one isn't as important as it used to be. 

[deadeye]

Leech~~, snow1,
You guys correct.  I didn't mention it but kids and old folks can shoot whatever they want. Also included in that group are those who may not have ever shot a deer.  I'd like to say I taught my grandson well. Ok, his dad had a lot to do with it as well. He is a bit spoiled and waits for the really big one. Most of you remember he was rewarded last year with a really big buck. He was 14 at the time and it was his 5th year of hunting. It was the first season where he was pretty much on his own. 

 

[snow1]

D.E. wow,now that's a dandy buck,young lad is spoiled D.E. your setup up there tells me you have more racks than "famous daves"....just sayin...

[LPS]

LOL  that is one heck of a deer.  Good for him. 

[dakids]

Good thread.  I dont think I would shoot them on Deadeye's land.   On the state land i would probably drop the hammer.