What is your hunting philosophy?

[frassettor]

I was reading Mike Mittens article in TBM about hunting Trophy bucks, and was curious what my fellow Tradgangers are doing this upcoming deer season.


A. Tropy Bucks only
B. Quality deer management
C. Any deer, they are all trophys.
D. Other

[leatherneck]

Actually, A & B go together in my book. Good quality deer management supports having big bucks. Got to let the little ones go to get bigguns. You also have to keep the doe population at bey as well. We like to try to keep our farm at around a 3 to 1 ratio if we can. 2 to 1 would be nice but 3 to 1 is more realistic. My 2cents anyhow.

Mike

[Don Stokes]

I don't have enough acreage for QDM, but I still let the young bucks walk and shoot does for the freezer. The does taste better to me, so I don't shoot a buck unless I want his antlers, or unless the freezer's empty!

[Whip]

I agree with Mike, and that's what I do with my hunting.  But there is another reason as well.  Letting the smaller bucks walk keeps my buck tag in my pocket and extends my hunting season.  

A number of years ago I had just started a new job and knew my hunting time would be limited that year.  With an out of State trip planned that would cut in even more, I dropped the string on a little basket rack buck on opening day.  At first I was pleased with myself, but I was done buck hunting for the year.  Worst bow season I ever had.

[Morning Star]

Looks like I fall into the "other" category.

I usually find myself killing a few Does or more each year. Not because I have a deep seated belief in QDM, but because I just enjoy killing and the entire process, gut'n, drag'n, all of it.  Killing a bunch of Does has made me a better hunter and filled my freezer with good food.
I also feel it's important to keep herd numbers at a reasonable balance.  No sense in there being so many that they're always getting greased on the roads.  Lots of people get hurt in the process.  I had to care for a person who was killed in a motorcyle vs. deer a couple years back.  That'll give ya different outlook on high herd numbers.

As far as bucks, I live in Iowa so the opportunity to come across an older deer is there.  I don't really consider myself a hard core trophy guy, but I do try to wait for a good'n as long as I can.  Having antlerless tags in my pocket also helps knowing I don't have to kill a buck for just for meat.
In the end I never know what buck I'll take home until I see him though.  Usually try to kill nice heavy 2 y/o or something bigger.   I've gone some years and not shot a buck either.  All I know is I'm have'n fun.  Make it what ya want, that's the important part.
People shouldn't get to wrapped up in big deer IMO.  A good portion of the time the real difference in killing them is just the area you have available to hunt.  Nothing more nothing less.

[Raven]

I let the younger bucks walk. But all other deer are heading for the icebox.        COME ON FALL!!!!

 Raven >>>>------->

[La. bowhunter]

I fall into the other category as I feel that B and C go together. I feel that any deer shot with trad gear is a trophy but dont need nearly all of the deer that I could kill in a season so after I shoot a couple for the freezer I start hunting for bigger bucks. Now with that said we dont have really big bucks down here so I am not after a monster but I do hunt in some states that do have big bucks and will be a little more picky there but not too picky as I feel like Morning Star I like the whole killin, guttin, draggin experience so I guess I am a trophy hunter for a little while after the freezer is full.

[BEN]

I have passed on a couple small bucks during the first month or so......however, once the rut comes and goes, I'll take any buck that gets close enough. My "low" range is just nothing below an 8pt before the rut......after that, anything goes. I hunt heavily presssured public land and work alot of hours----I enjoy backstraps too much to let too many deer pass. Any doe is fair game at any time! The more venison in my freezer at season's end is just that much less beef I have to buy for my family's needs.......

Ben

[Steve H.]

I love the trophy bucks I love the meat but I voted "Other" as my #1 goal is hunting for experiences.  Plus, the World is a LOT bigger than just "deer"!

[joevan125]

After i kill a few deer i will start hunting a goodn.

[longbowben]

Only shooting trophy buck.And some management Does.Cant shoot a trophy buck if you take them to early.  

[waiting4fall]

This is a great summary of my bowhunting philosophy, for anyone interested.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyGKf9x-ia8&feature=channel_page

[rastaman]

The county i live in is total qdm so i have no choice on that....but i love shooting does, and we can take several if we so choose!  

[KentuckyTJ]

I'm hunting two different farms. One is trophy buck only due to well managed herd. The other needs many does shot so the does are on the menu.

[Brian Krebs]

I really hunt for the shot. I do try and take a nice buck if the opportunity shows itself; but getting a close shot that I feel confidant about is way more important.

 I think hunting for trophy bucks is fun; and I have gone that route. I will if I spot one while hunting. But I eat. I like deer meat. And generally we have one tag per year.

 I am really wondering what 'quality deer management' means.
  It seems like Texas is trying to grow cattle with antlers...I am not sure that is the same for other 'QDM' programs.

 Personally I would rather see a big wild buck that has survived many hunting seasons because of its wariness -  over a big rack buck at a feeder that is only big- because the stupid errors it made as a prey animal were ignored; and it was allowed to live until it gets to 'trophy size'.

 Any deer can be a trophy. I have found that people that cheated in some way or another to kill a bunch of deer - lose the desire that is almost like the the gleam in a childs eye to those that try for years to get ANY deer.

 Where I am I can shoot whitetails or mulies on my deer tag. There are hybrids; part whitetail and part mulie; and they tend not to be so thrifty; and eat up resources for 'purebred' deer.
 So - I take them when I can - I hunt them specifically.

 When I see ranches where fawns are hand fed; and people gunning down the same fawns after a lifetime of living worry free... its just not what I would expect of the happy hunting grounds on the other side of life....[not my personal  version of heaven].

[straitera]

B. Easy enough not to pull the trigger on young deer. In Texas we have parameters re spikes & yearlings. If everyone follows the same rules, by culling does & passing marginal bucks, next year's animals quickly grow bigger & smarter. Balanced buck/doe ratio offers best chance for larger heads.

[Doug A]

I voted C any deer is a trophy to me.

I also agree with Brian.  I would much rather have a chance to shoot a wary and wild buck than one that is accustomed to breakfast at 7:30 am and dinner at 4:30 pm.  I have had exactly this experience in NJ and PA.  I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to take both of my bucks on heavily hunted public land in both states.  

My biggest buck came right after the antler restrictions were implemented in PA, so he survived a few years of the "if it's brown, it's down" guys.

[IronCreekArcher]

I would love to hunt for trophy or even mature animals for that matter but our state DNR does their best to keep the number of animals older than 1 1/2 old to a minimum.  We are mostly left with yearlings, young does and a small sprinkle of 1 1/2 old bucks.  Luck plays the largest part in Michigan deer seasons anymore...

[leatherneck]

Keep in mind folks,QDM doesn't mean feeders and bottle feeding. I guess I'm guilty of feeding cause I hunt an oak ridge or the outskirts of a 350 acre corn field. Maybe even the trails leading from the 200+ acres of clover the farmer planted. But QDM is more than just feeding a deer. It's managing the herd. Shooting does when needed(which is every year), letting smaller ones walk, etc. I don't care where you hunt, a buck doesn't learn to avoid people when it's born. Those weary swamp bucks people talk about have probably come acrossed a hunter or two in their lives. And trophy hunting is fun! Whip said it right when he said it keeps him in the woods longer. We only get 1 buck tag and several does. If I shot the first buck that walked by I'd be done the first day! Every deer I shoot with a trad bow is a trophy to me. But when it comes to bucks, the biggger the better.IMO>

I got to go now, it's time to feed my deer in the pen. He should be about a 150" by deer season!LOL just a little fun fellows.

Mike

[J-dog]

Not many mature guys walking around here on Gamelands - there are a few - some are just myth. But I like shootin and any legal deer goes. Like to kill bucks but really no difference in a cowhorn and a doe.

J