NEW61375

P.S. Turning over a new leaf is easy during the off season. It's when that pesky little 5 or 6 pointer keeps coming by opening week at like 10 yards, looking directly away broadside. That's when "turning over a new leaf" meets "breaking the ice" and the undisciplined amongst us know how that meetingturns out.(SEE NEW61375 / 07-08 BOW CONTEST ENTRY).
Seriously though good luck.

GregH

I love this system...... no adding and calculating...... just SHOOT!![:-]

Schultzy

Vab you got what it takes! Its tough but once you let the 1st few 120 inchers by it comes a little easier after that! What makes it tough is when you see them same bucks hanging in your neighbors tree. Its happened to me countless times but thats what happens when you pass them up. Look at it this way, if you pass up that 120 incher and this same buck runs by your neighbor and he shoots him, you just saved the big guy from getting shot. He's yours now to hunt!

Vabowman

Wow, some good encouragement, thanks guys. I will say that this year looking back, I feel good about passing so many young bucks up, it was actually satisfying, I would rather shoot a doe than a small buck, that's just me, not downing anyone who does shoot em. I think I can fight the itch to shoot the basket racks, maybe not the does the first week, but it all depends where I hunt the first day next yr. I will remember these peices of advice, everyone made great statements, except bawana, I never get his stuff, over my head...LOL!!

IAhuntr

I gotta agree with the guys above, when a true shooter comes into range, there is no doubt about it. No sizing him up. It's instantly OMG and then immediately tend to the task at hand. If you find yourself questioning how big it is, 99.9% of the time it's not going to end up being what you were truly wanting to harvest when you walk up on him. You need to make a firm commitment to spending day upon day of letting deer walk. Not just one or two, but many.It isn't easy,especially if you live in an area wherebig deer are scarce.If you let a few yearlings go by for a few days but thenbecome impatient and shoot the next bigger buck that walks by, you will end up harvesting a buck that is below the goal that you actually had in mind. Most of us have been there. It may sound like a broken record, but you can't shoot a P&Y buck if you shoot a smaller one first.
Also, the most important piece of the puzzle you are putting together is hunting in an area where those bucks exist and call home. Do your summer scouting. If you are thorough and see no trulybig bucks before the season starts, it may be time for a new/better spot.

MichaelP

As most have said when you see one and go oh ^%^& then you know he is your boy. I think the leaf you are turning over is no different then when someone finally decides to stop shooting small bucks. Imagine that feeling when you let that first legal deer go and did not kill anything on that hunt. You go back to camp with a story and not a deer and I think it bruises the ego more than we would like. When you smack that first P&Y it will ease all the pain. As I have stated before I live in GA and we have the same problems that many on here "talk" about and I have a few P&Y on the wall. I also did not kill a buck for almost6 years during one stretch and I am only 28. When I made up my mind to only shoot deer that I would mount I also accepted what may come with that. I can assure you6 years is enough to make a man rethink his tactics, on the same hand the deer that fell first after those years 6 years was a deer we saw off and on for over 3. Good luck with your new found test and best of luck and if you ever get discouraged just think of my dumb@#^ and laugh. One other thing, does make for great stress relief.

Rory/MO

good luck!

Germ

Welcome to the darkside

I love the system also, here is mine

Nope=bow stays on hanger
Holy Mary Mother Of God = pull trigger

dukemichaels

I wish you good luck in your endeavor's VA...

This is a trick I use when field judging a deer's antler inches quickly.

Start with 90" (if it's a real good buck at least 3.5 yrs.) then add tine length of each tine you see (a rough guess).. next follow it up with the inside spread estimate.

It may sound stupid.. but it's quick.. and usually pretty accurate. If anything.. I'm usually under scoring the buck more than anything. But it's quick and can be done with bino's in well under a minute. For those buck's that don't give you that long.. shoot first and ask questions later.

Vabowman

Thanks guys for the advice, this is what I wanted to hear, no sugar and no negativity. I want to shoot better deer because they are here and it is a goal I have set for myself. I have only seen one buck with the bow in hand that would go P&Y. I know it is going to test me, it is going to bruise the ego as well, I will admitt to it, but I understand that to truly chase and harvest big bucks with the bow I need to let my ego go. I have had a goal for years now. 3 part goal. 1. kill a wallhanger with a shotgun= done that twice 2. Kill a big deer with the ML= gave up ML hunting all together. 3. Kill a P&Y buck with the bow. I have come close with one deer that I took a few yrs ago, but he wouldn't quite go. I am not a novice at deer hunting, but I know that hunting mature, big bucks can humble a man very quickly. Thanks guys and keep em coming!!