me, I just want a clean kill and a good hunt.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Then again, it doesn't hurt me to pass on a shot. I am old enough that I don't feel such a need to kill and fat enough that I'm not that hungry.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

It sounds like with the pressure you are dealing with I would fill your tag with any legal buck. Not that a big buck won't get bumped by you but more than Likely they have found a good spot to hole up and become nocturnal. I'm not a horn hunter. Mainly just a meat hunter. So I shoot as many does as I can because nothing eats as good as a nice mature doe. Better than any mature buck. Do you have doe tags? You could always fill a doe tag and keep the buck tag just in case. Thats what I do on my property. In my state doe tags are pretty much unlimited. So I kill a lot of does and we are still over run with deer. Getting to be a reL problem. Just hit one on Christmas Eve with my truck.

I hunt for meat, not antlers. I'm very happy with a younger deer in the freezer. They usually taste better. Antlers are merely a bonus.

Sage advice given to me decades ago by a wise old timer.

Murphy

I would suggest harvesting the first legal deer that comes by. And then you can wait out a big buck...I have friends that let the smaller bucks go and they all say a bigger buck will come by later if there is one there. I myself just hunt driven game style so I have to rely on others experience. (But I might suggest some game cameras and see what is actually in there.) Best of Luck.

This has never worked for me either. I will tag the first buck I see.

If it is a one deer per season state, I'd tag the first one I saw. If it was a two or more state, I'd tag the first one and hold out as the season wore on. Toward the end of season, I'd go back to the tag the first deer scheme.

I only see deer every couple of years now. I can count the bucks I've seen the last 28 years (hunting) on my fingers with room to spare.

So, if we can, we take whatever comes along. In MN, we have areas of "intensive harvest", "wildlife management" and "restrictions". What one can take varies by the year and the region you select.

That said, I'd sure like a nice set of antlers for the wall. If I were in an area where such critters dwelt, I'd sure be tempted to go about getting one.

But, back to the point, I have never seen a bigger buck following a spike. Does, yep but not other bucks.

FWIW

I would say it is all about the quality of the hunt, but really it is all about the quality of the hunt for me, so long as I am ultimately successful and get what I set out for ;). But I can hunt big country and get out 30 days or more in a season. If I had a weekend ... I would have no qualms or regrets at taking first available meat and hope for the best.

Here in Indiana we get one buck per year. Multiple does, the number depending on the county. This year, I lite a doe pass on opening morning, thinking a buck was following her. She ended up being the only deer I had a shot on all year! I resolved to shoot the. First thing that walks by next year! I've eaten older bucks and yearling does, the younger ones don't give as much meat, but they sure are tasty! My biggest was a good sized 9 pointer and I was thrilled to get it. I'd love to get a big rack, but it'd rather have a freezer full of meat!

If I hunted your area I'd take the first shootable deer.