[DigMe]

When you are hunting and you come across a buck that is definitely mature but sort of in that place in which you're not sure if he's got some growing to do or not how do you personally make the decision? Do you have a rule-of-thumb? Do you just go with your gut? I've come across a deer on our land that is not at all a bad 10 pointer for this area but I'm not sure if he's as mature as he could be or not. I was really studying him from concealment this morning and trying to make the call on whether to pull the trigger. Ultimately I decided to give him another year (if someone else doesn't take him). Although if I see him again this season I plan on doing some more close looking. I wish I had some better binocs!

My thought process as I was looking was, "Is that back bowed enough? Is that belly saggy enough? I don't know." I didn't have enough time to get beyond that and take a good look at his head structure, which I didn't have a lot of chances to see since he had it bent over most of the time.

Anyway...I'd like to hear what you do in these situations.

bc

[Kingcreek]

We are limited to 2 antlered deer per year. (resident archery is unlimited antlerless) so any decent buck is a dead #1 and then I get much more selective for #2. and it also depends on how much meat is in the freezer and how late it is in the season. sorry, that probably doesn't help you much.

[jeepmor]

If it's legal, you shoot it. I personally don't see enough deer, let alone bucks to be choosy. And the terrain is such that they can hide well, so I shoot when it's legal and offers a sound shot. Out in Eastern Oregon, you can be more selective and see much further. In the rainforests, you're happy to see anything sometimes because the vegetation is so dense.

jeepmor

[NailGun]

I usually try to get an "any deer" license, then shoot the first deer that walks by and is big enough to justify cutting up. But then, I am not a "sportsman", I hunt for the freezer. :) When we lived in WI, we didn't shoot the deer that ran around in circles. :D

[USMC - Retired]

Spoiled here in Geogia. We get ten doe tags and two buck tags. I tend to let any buck that would not end up on the wall walk. I can fill the freezer with does and if I happen to see a wall hanger then I'll fill a buck tag.

[DigMe]

In my part of the state we can only bag 1 buck (and zero does) with rifle (you can add a mutated deer with a spike antler if you come across one too but how often does that happen?) so while I do want to put it in the freezer I also want to make the most of my one buck!

I appreciate the perspective everyone...maybe I do need to come back down to the ground this isn't exactly the King Ranch I'm running.

bc

[bclark1]

Most people around where I hunt go by spread outside the ears. I let a whole lot of smaller guys go. My thought goes back to "Is this guy worth six-or-seven hundred dollars, by the time the meat's processed and he's mounted?" That makes it easy to keep my finger off the trigger usually. I'm fine shooting does if all I want is meat.

[uk roe hunter]

I have poor open land to hunt deer on, if i see a buck then i take it, unless it is one of this years. i will take big bucks or little bucks. i prefer to leave the big ones til after the rut, but beggars can't be choosers.

steve