Trophy Quest?
03-01-2008, 10:14 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 579
RE: Trophy Quest?
ORIGINAL: GregH
Attention, attention!!! [:-] [:-]
Guys, this is scripture that is actually written in the deer hunters bible. It's gospel!!
I had to learn this the hard way myself. There are many hunters that swear that there are no big bucks on their land, but there are, you just have to be patient and wait for one. Now remember, the number of sightings per season may be very low, but they are there. Typical sightings in an average area in the midwest may be from 0-3 per season. That is why a hunter wanting to tag a big mature buck must be willing to eat tag soup.
Good job Hunter 59
ORIGINAL: Hunter_59
I don't mind eating tag soup at all! After I started letting the small bucks walk I started "seeing" the big boys. They were there all the time but I would shoot the first buck to walk by and never laid eyes on them. I hunt public ground and have hunted the same spot for several years. I've seen several 150"-170" bucks over the years and due to my working tokill one of them have ate my tag at the end of the season. However, my hunting isdefinately more exciting than it ever was, whether I kill or not!
It seemsthat most of the hunters around me also shoot the first deer to walk by because for the last few years, right when therut kicks in, I have the place to myself. I'm usually the onlyvehicle in the parking lot! I've walked outat times in October and come across otherhunters loading up small bucks and does. They are exstatic, as they should be, tokill any whitetail. I congratulate them and then they are off. Thenas November rolls around thehunting gets serious with very few hunters left to worry about! Tag soup's not all bad!
I don't mind eating tag soup at all! After I started letting the small bucks walk I started "seeing" the big boys. They were there all the time but I would shoot the first buck to walk by and never laid eyes on them. I hunt public ground and have hunted the same spot for several years. I've seen several 150"-170" bucks over the years and due to my working tokill one of them have ate my tag at the end of the season. However, my hunting isdefinately more exciting than it ever was, whether I kill or not!
It seemsthat most of the hunters around me also shoot the first deer to walk by because for the last few years, right when therut kicks in, I have the place to myself. I'm usually the onlyvehicle in the parking lot! I've walked outat times in October and come across otherhunters loading up small bucks and does. They are exstatic, as they should be, tokill any whitetail. I congratulate them and then they are off. Thenas November rolls around thehunting gets serious with very few hunters left to worry about! Tag soup's not all bad!
Guys, this is scripture that is actually written in the deer hunters bible. It's gospel!!
I had to learn this the hard way myself. There are many hunters that swear that there are no big bucks on their land, but there are, you just have to be patient and wait for one. Now remember, the number of sightings per season may be very low, but they are there. Typical sightings in an average area in the midwest may be from 0-3 per season. That is why a hunter wanting to tag a big mature buck must be willing to eat tag soup.
Good job Hunter 59
03-01-2008, 12:21 PM
#13
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: Trophy Quest?
ORIGINAL: Hunter_59
Thanks Greg, but I don't claim to know any more than any other deer hunter that has "matured" into the sport. I believe it's a natural progression that some, not all,of us go through. I've killed numerous does and small bucks in my time afield, and was very excited with every one of them. As time went by, and seeing someof the big bucks people were bringing in, I decided Ineeded a paradigm shift in the way that I attacked my deer hunting.As soon as I made the "commitment" to let the small ones walk, things took a turn for the better!It's hard toend the season empty handed when all of your hunting buds are showing pictures of their bucks.Your hunting "prowess" can take ahit for awhile, which may be why it's hard for somehunters to let them walk. Once you start bringing in the more mature bucks over the years, you gain a new respect from other hunters, if that is what you're looking for.
Thanks Greg, but I don't claim to know any more than any other deer hunter that has "matured" into the sport. I believe it's a natural progression that some, not all,of us go through. I've killed numerous does and small bucks in my time afield, and was very excited with every one of them. As time went by, and seeing someof the big bucks people were bringing in, I decided Ineeded a paradigm shift in the way that I attacked my deer hunting.As soon as I made the "commitment" to let the small ones walk, things took a turn for the better!It's hard toend the season empty handed when all of your hunting buds are showing pictures of their bucks.Your hunting "prowess" can take ahit for awhile, which may be why it's hard for somehunters to let them walk. Once you start bringing in the more mature bucks over the years, you gain a new respect from other hunters, if that is what you're looking for.
03-01-2008, 12:37 PM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: S. Illinois
Posts: 1,325
RE: Trophy Quest?
i have eaten tag soup many times! That is perfectly fine with me. I would much rather let a 135" buck walk inorder to shoot a 140inch plus 4.5 yr old. Plus, now that i have a trail camera and have seen all the 140-160 class bucks on the properties that i hunt, then why in the world would i settle for anything less. Who cares if i kill a buck every year.....i dont just want a buck i want "the" buck
03-01-2008, 02:03 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,465
RE: Trophy Quest?
ORIGINAL: MN/Kyle
x2
ORIGINAL: rybohunter
I do. Yes, I did that this season. I don't need to shoot a small buck just for the sake of doing so, I can get plenty of meat from doe tags.
I do. Yes, I did that this season. I don't need to shoot a small buck just for the sake of doing so, I can get plenty of meat from doe tags.
03-01-2008, 02:58 PM
#18
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
RE: Trophy Quest?
Every year I let many legal bucks pass, here in IL any buck is legal. We also can shoot does, so if I want meat I take a doe and wait for that trophy. Also a resident tag anywhere is cheap, so let's not kid ourselves about eating a tag......as a non-res you may lower your standards, or try to fill that tag for some meat, but even so, if im hunting out of state, its not for meat, its for a trophy. I can get all the meat in my home state. So even a pricey tag, I'm not going to go out west to shoot a 4x4 250" elk, I'll go home empty handed, with a tag in hand. Same with elk or any other specie, I'd take a doe if I wanted the meat, maybe last evening of an elk hunt I'd take a cow., etc...
03-02-2008, 11:54 AM
#20
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Morgan County, IL
Posts: 1,073
RE: Trophy Quest?
I pass on young bucks, but not for the hopes of them making it through a fewmore years of other hunters, natural predators, drought, traffic, harsh winters, etc. I do it because I have confidence in putting myself near a large buck that is alive RIGHT NOW.
I have been known to lower my standards on occasion, though.
I have been known to lower my standards on occasion, though.