BowBuilder

Ok guys question for you all. Shoot it, or let it go? Here is my delima: I hunt mostly public land...and pass up a lot of smaller deer. I'd like to think I am letting them grow up to be something bigger...but this may not be the case.My brother thinks I am nuts, and that I should not pass any deer up. He says its public land, and if you don't shot it, the next guy will. Plus...the hunting clubs run dogs for deer in my area [:@]and usually end up shooting most of what I pass up during bow season...from buttons, to spikes, to 6 -pointers on up. [:@][:@]So maybe he has a point...

I know I am going to keep on passing them up. (I do shoot one for meat..a doe preferably, but does are getting scarce in my area...if the big one is a no show.) Just wanted some input...

TJF

I hunt mostly private but it all gets hammered hard during rifle. A lot of bucks I have passed on get shot anyways. I still won't won't shot a young buck. Shot enough of them when I was younger and a few do make it. I just scout hard and try to get a nice one before rifle season. Once rifle season is over and if I still haven't got one with bow... I expand my area and scout ever chance I get when I am not hunting. I hunt ever chance I get. Persistance usually pays off.

Best advice... hunt for yourself. Don't worry what anyone else says. You will be happier in the end. What works for me or them isn't what is important. What works for you is. Goodluck on what ever you decide.

Tim

JoeRE

perfectly said

TJF

One other thing... if the deer are pressured hard which it sounds like in your case. Hunt farther in. Find the thickest, nastiest places that are over looked by others. Hunt all day if possible. Look for escape routes going into these places and hunt them when they deer first start feeling the pressure of other hunters.

Once the deer are really pressured... hunt the thick, nasty places themselves. All day hunts again are best if possible. The more you move in and out of these spots, the greater the chance to wreck them. The deer will move to other areas.

Best bet...

Scout right after hunting season is overin these thick nasty places. Learn as much as you can... food sources, water, trails, beds, rubs, scrapesand so on. You are not worried about scaring the deer at this time, which you will. You are on a mission to learn what these areas have to offer the next year. Look for places to get in these placeswith wind direction in mind to get in unscented. Also to get in unseen. Find likely spots to hang stands or use climber, blinds or natural blinds. You will get a jump start on where to be the following year once the deer are pressured. Don't hunt these areas until the deer are pressured!!!!!! It is a saftey haven for the deer under pressure. Don't wreck it by hunting it too early. Deer tend to follow the same patterns year after year... especially older bucks under pressure. You need to learn when, where and why to capitalize. Scouting will teach you this and make you a better hunter.

It is tough hunting but that much more rewarding when you are successful.

Tim

BowBuilder

Oh, that isn't a problem for me...I hunt what I want, with what I want. I've been laughed at for carrying my bow all muzzleloading season, and laughed at even more for carrying my bow during firearms season. But, I enjoy the experience more with a bow.

I think my initial post is just me venting about hunting deer with dogs.Its 2 in the morning, and I'm just trying to stay awake. Sorry guys...

BowBuilder

Actually, I have been doing something a little different...I hunt during bow season...Nobody seems to hunt the public land during bow season.

Imagine this...I have a few thousand acres of hunting land basically all to myself. It's great...at least until muzzleloading and firearms start...then look out...

Fieldmouse

If they run dogs, then you want to be in the middle where it is very thick. A big deer will out smart the dogs 9 times out of 10. I've watched it many of times. Those lazy hunters will send the dogs through and shoot does and smaller deer. After the hunt I've heard them say, did you see where the big boy went? Nobody did because he didn't come out. He only circled back into the thick stuff. I love to bow hunt those times. I will usually shoot any decent buck just to flaunt it in front of the lazy gun hunters later in the morning.

cardeer

Hunt your hunt no one else's

Talondale

I get that a lot on my property. My buddies say I'm wasting good opportunities by not shooting the small bucks that come under my stand knowing my neighbors will shoot them anyway. But to be honest they would bring me no pleasure to shoot, and if it pleases my neighbor to shoot them than I don't want to deprive him of his opportunity to enjoy a hunt just so I can regret having shot something smaller than I wanted just because I could. If I let him go past he MAY live to be a better class buck, or he MAY get shot by a neighbor. But if I kill him, it's CERTAIN that he won't get any bigger. I'll shoot does for meat and let the little guys walk.

BobCo19-65

Quality Management needs to start somewhere. And it sounds like you're doing your part. Congrats.