Canuck33

I have been practicing QDM for the past 5-6 years on the proprty I hunt and this year both my father and I were able to harvet 130-40 class bucks I let walk in years past, I have also seen others that i recognize only more mature just not connected. Don't forget as they get older the get smarter, just because you let one walk one year and dont see him the next doesn't mean he isn't there, you may get the reward next year, QDM doesn't happen overnight you start to see the most benefit a few years down the line, one things for sure a dead deer will never get bigger

LKNCHOPPERS

I guess I will have to let you know next year. I let 3 young bucks go this year, in hopes they will be better next year. Only problem is, I am not seeing any on my trail camera anymore only the does. Last time I saw the small 6 pointer on trail cam was the day before the gun season ended. I'll have to wait and see.

oldvt.bowhunter

Don"t want to open a can of worms, but... If you lived and hunted in Vt. you wouldn"t have asked that question. I have been hunting here for over forty years and you just don"t see that many bucks. I don"t know anyone who hunts here that lets a legal buck walk; as long as the shot is good.

buttonbuckmaster

oldvt, I'm on the opposite side of the fence on that one. Most of the deer I see (I'd guess 60 percent at one farm) are bucks. The ones I see are all runts, nice body size, otherwise healthy looking deer. Just puny racks. I haven't shot a buck there since 2004 and keep seeing the same size 60-70 inch racks. Maybe its genetics, I doubt its nutrition with all the crops here.[&:]I let them walk as 1 1/2 yo's...usually never to be seen again. Not much pressure on this parcel of ground, I honestly pretty much gave up on hunting it after I bought some ground of my own. I do shed hunt it every year. Good place to load up on 20 inchers

GregH

I passed on a 1 1/2 one year and the following year I went to take a look at him and thought he'd make P&Y. Well he was close, netted 122+.

More often what happens is that I see a decent buck one year and get him the next. The difference is that I never had a shot at him the first year.

125py

they found new home ranges.....natures way of preventing inbreeding

huntingson

None that I can say for sure. I really have no idea though.

There was one buck that gave us fits for 3 years. Combined, my dad and I drew on him 5 times and never got one shot. Then he disappeared. Probably gunned down. Oh well. That is the only one ever that I know was the same buck from year to year.

twildasin

I let a small 8 walk last year and he was real nice this year but I did not see him, my nephew had him coming in when I shot my buck and he spooked. Needless to say my nephew was pissed! I did have buck on pictures were I said I was gonna get that buck and I did. The one 8 on my wall put his nose all over my camera real cool pics. and I told my hunting buddy Im getting him for teasing me! [8D]

BTBowhunter

Two that I can be sure of. One that liked to crawl on his belly into a particular brushpile Passed him at 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 and killed him at 3 1/2
He was bedded in that same brushpile when I snuck into my stand 18 yards away. I had to wait 3+ hours for him to stand up and give me a shot.

The other was a really tall but narrow8 pointer that I passed at age 1 1/2. The next season I shot a mainframe8 that was really tall but narrow but he now had three stickers and a 4" droptine. I shot him fromthe same tree.

waiting_for_a_gift

I passed on a button one year, slam dunk opportunity on a fairly decent little deer. One of the very few times I've passed on any deer. Next year, from the same stand I got a nice yearling on a very lucky, exciting andrewarding hunt. Don't know if it was the same deer of course, but in principle.....