HuntingBry

Cougs, my post wasn't entirely directed at you, just more of a broad statement.

I'll be honest with you there is a 6 point I've got my eyes on this year that I will be tickled pink if I can take. He is at least 3.5 years old and wide and heavy. He makes the 16 inch 8 he's been hanging with look like a baby.

BowHunterJim

For my first deer every ill take anything

bloodcrick

my hats off to ya cougar good post and i think you nailed it when you said what makes YOU happy!! happy hunting my friend!! and you better make it to the get together this time in 2008.

_Dan

Exactly. A lot of people talk big in the off season.But, when the moment of truth arrives, the arrows start flying.

Like IL-Cornfed has said many times......most people want to kill amature buck, but don't want to make the sacrafices or have the will power to hold off on the young ones.

Paul L Mohr

Why does a deer have to be a trophy? Can't it just be a deer? I didn't get a trophy tag, I got a deer tag.

In my opinion QDM goes against the whole point behind hunting. I do it to control the population and reduce the damage they do to crops and cut down on vehicle collisions. The fact that they taste good doesn't hurt. I don't do it so I can pay 500 bucks to have one mounted on my wall so I can brag to my buddies about it. Or have my name put in a book.

I would rather have some guy take 4 small yearlings then have a bunch of people waiting around for the perfect "mature" deer to hang on their wall.

If that is what you want to do then that is fine, it is legal and all. If you want to mess up the whole deer harvest and tag issuing system feel free. Just don't tell me I have to do it or that I am messing up because I don't want to. They issue the tags so you will kill them, not sit and watch them walk by.

And I honestly think you would be better off sitting in your stand every day instead of just now and then right when season starts. That way the deer are used to you. The deer don't know what human smell is, they just know when something is different.

Paul

Copper31

I understand what you guys are saying about walking the walk but sometimes with all the talk about shooting the biggest buck and letting little ones go, a person may feel pressure to share the same points of view as others.But it is ok for a guy or a kid in this case to step back and rethink ones position.There is nothing wrong with changingpersonal goals.They don't have to be your goals. Believe it or not what people say on this forum will influencepeople into things that they might not normally do. That can be good or bad. It can ruin hunting for some.

GMMAT

I know I got to the point, last year, where I was feeling some pressure.

When I let go of that.....the floodgates burst open....and I had fun (and a modicum of success). I'm going into this season with no pressure. I'm not waiting for anything. I'm shooting EVERY slickhead that comes into range.....until I say "stop". If a buck I want comes by......bonus.

_Dan

Belive me, I was thinking this same thing while typing my last response.....it just never came out. I agree with that statement 100%.

NEW61375

What kind of sacrifices does one make to kill big deer? I have killed big/mature deer (for my area) and I did it the same way I kill other deer. I pattern the deer and try to predict their movements as best as possible, pick some good stands and watch the wind/weather. When the rut comes I watch the sign and try to predict some key areas bucks will be cruising more frequently and hopefully catch one of the bucks I have been seeing in the summer slipping and although I am not always successful I put myself in a position to be successful on those bigger deer. The only real sacrifice I see to hunting only big racked bucks (aka mature bucks) is being willing to only kill does (eating your buck tag/s)if that big boy you have been after gives you the slip for the entire season. Now there is nothing wrong with that if that is what you want to do but it doesn't necessarilymake a person some form of elite hunter because they pass smaller racked bucks.

Someone in IL might pass 130" deer up, that same hunter would be foolish to do that in Southeast VA or NC. Not that the bucksdon't getthat big herebut more so it takes them longer to get bigger.

Ifa hunterkills a 120"4 year old buck in VA and another hunter kills 160" 4 year old in IL, does that make the guy in IL a better hunter? Not necessarily it just means he killed a bigger buck based on antlerinches and too many hunters feel that the measure of the antler inchesequates to how the hunter measures up and I personally don't agree with that. I know too many great hunters (in my eyes) that are not trophy hunters but great hunters none the less to buy into that theory. Just my opinion.

GMMAT

And again....we're back to "location".