buckeye

A mature buck is a mature buck.... I never said a buck has to be XXX inches big to be mature. A racks size is relative to where it is from.

If you reread this post it was about placing the blameon ourselves rather than something else if we don't fill our tag. Not about you or anyone else shooting a mature buck with a big set of antlers.

GMMAT

Scott....

There's so many things wrong with this....I don't know where to begin. If I want to shoot "A" mature buck, this year....I'll do it.

If I don't shoot "THE" mature buck.....it'll be because he isn't there....or he doesn't offer me the shot opportunity.

I'm not going to compromise my standards to shoot "A" mature buck. This is exactly what I was talking about. I could shoot a 3.5yr old deer this year, I would think. But if THE mature buck I'm after (and I've let it be known the one Im after) isn't taken by me....well....you know.

And if you'll reread...you'll see what everyone else does. You've got a burr up your ass where I'm concerned....and you'll pick any nit to try and make me look the fool.

Why?

buckeye

I never suggested you do this...... I am not sure where you are coming from here....

As I said the whole purpose of this thread was to see if any other guys / gals here also felt that people place the blame of not filling their tag on an animal to their standards elsewhere rather than on themselves.

Like I said in 2005 I didn't fill my tag... I had many opportunities at decent bucks in 05and I know full well there were good mature bucks in the area (from stand sightings and even a couple I videoed out of my stand) I just did not get it done. I was almost in the right setup to capitalize a few different times but never closed the deal. Whose fault was it, the whitetail's that didn't cooperate or mine????

100% my fault.


I will tell you even thought I failed at filling my tag I have some of my fondest memories and best lessons learned from that 2005 bowseason. I failed at filling my tag but my season was a huge success.


I'm not sure what you are getting at with the beginning of this quote. As for the second question......

A lot of your posts are very arrogant and cockyand for some unknown reason I let some of them get under my skin. Although, I do not try to make you "look the fool".

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GMMAT

Let me ask you a question, Scott....since I'm still learning. If I told you I spent thesame amount ofquality time on stand that you did back in '05...in my '07 (upcoming season)......and I DIDN'T see a buck bigger than the one I shot, last year. Would it still be my fault if I didn't tag one? I know we hear "I can't kill what isn't there" a LOT. I'm aware of that. But....every once in a while....it's true. YES....there are mature deer in my woods. I know that, but not "the" deer that many might think. As much as I hunt.....and as little as I hunt some places.....I just think I know my woods.

My "gut" tells me there's abuck out in my woods that I'd be proud to harvest. I already know, though....that I'm doe hunting, this year. If I get that buck, this year....BONUS.

Because of the approach "I" have chosen, THIS year....."I" will take all the blame if I don't get the big boy. But.....I can tell you with ALL sincerity....I hunted and scouted hard, last year. I put the time in. When I tell you I don't think there are large racked bucks (abundant)in these woods.....or larger racked bucks than the one I shot, last year......I don't know why one would choose not to believe me.

I trust what you've told me about your season 100%. I wasn't there. You were.

Good luck, this year.

buckeye

Let me ask you this.... You always say you want to take the biggest deer in your woods, if the buck you shot last year was the biggest deer in your woods last fall.... Why would this years have to be bigger? It should only have to be the biggest one currently available to hunt?

I never said or implied that I did not believe the buck you shot last year was the biggest one running around your hunting area. I would be foolish to say as I have no idea... I only asked how you knew it was the biggest.

I have shot the biggest whitetail that I saw during a particularseason a few times.... But I cannot say for sure it was the biggest one in my woods each of those years. I can only say for certain that they were the biggest ones that I had seen.

BigTiny

I have not been hunting long enough to have any good excuses, thanks for the tip!

AR Bowhunter

Dang, I thought I was the only one that could start something like this here!

Success is in the eyes of the beholder.

HuntingBry

I think I finally undersand the Buckeye's point. It's not so much that everyone should be shooting big bucks, it's that if you don't shoot one, just say "I didn't put a buck I wanted to shoot in front of me" not "oh, I saw plenty of 120"s, but I wanted a 130." Bottom line if that's the case you didn't put a 130 in front of you.

Am I right here?

Germ

I think so

Kind of like me saying I did not make the NBA because of my height. Well no because of desire, I did not have it.

Same thing you either put the time in to shoot what you want. If you did not get it done, so be it. I been there before and I will be there again. What is funny is I tend to learn the most for those seasons. I feel you have to have them to become better, so you know how not to have them

buckeye

You are 100% spot on with what I was trying to say!

Very nice and worth repeating.... [8D]