Would you kill him?
Whitetail Deer
I posted a similar thread about this buck last year in October. With the whitetail seasons open or about to open, thought it would be fun to hash it out again.
Would you kill this buck assuming the facts/suppositions below?
*Multiple years of trail camera pictures strongly suggest he's a 4 year old
**Big farm, surrounded by big farms. Low hunter density. His favored area appears to be smack dab in the middle of the farm. I don't believe he spends much daylight time off this farm
***Biggest antlered deer on the farm
***I'm not sure he grew a lot from 2013. I'll post a 2013 pic in the post below
I would. The only question that matters is "would you"?
If you would be happy with him then take him....any buck taken with bow is a trophy!
I'll head this one off at the pass Jack. . . .
I'm not soliciting responses to help me decide. I'm just curious what other hunters would do. I understand it's regional, and hunter dependent
Some would kill him in a heartbeat. . .
Some would pass. . .
I bet the passers would be Midwestern guys, or guys with quality ground to hunt. . .
Bake
If you want to shoot a nice buck, yes. If you want to shoot him at his realized potential, no. Your variables favor waiting if the latter is your goal.
Is a frog's butt watertight?
Tough one. I have 4 or 5 his size or bigger with a bow. He is a nice trophy scoring in the low 140's in my opinion. I'm a midwesterner. I would lean toward passing, but I also am well aware that trail camera photos make bucks look smaller often times. If I thought he'd push 150 I might shoot.
He would be a great trophy this year and perhaps even a better one next year.
The one caveat, is I want to hunt this year. If he is the biggest buck I have a chance of seeing, and I am passing him, why should I even bother hunting? Most areas have "out of area" bucks show up in the rut, and if many frequented this farm, then I'd pass and hope for one of them big strangers to come by. If I usually didn't get stranger deer to show up, I might shoot him.
Tough call and a great buck.
To answer your question...I can't answer it, lol. I'm just not sure.
Shootist. . . he's the biggest racked buck. There's one or two older than him on the farm, stranger bucks frequently cruise through, sometimes spending the whole month of November on the farm. . . . And then there's a couple more bucks his age presumably, but smaller
Bake
I would shoot that deer 100%......hard enough to get one that size in range even if you are on the farm he lives on so if the opportunity arises, he's going down.
Great Deer! He has put on some decent antler length but I think its safe to say he is at least 4. I hope you get him!
I'd kill him!! Not much thought needed on that one.
I am curious to know if you would Bake? Or is it gonna be a "game time decision"?
Yep. I'm in central Ohio and have access to some good ground, Bucks like that are not behind every tree no matter where you hunt. I have a few on the wall that size or bigger, but I'll take that buck every year. Good luck with him Bake.
He's mature,he's a upper percentile trophy for the area,your in a two buck State......
If it was me and he wasn't busted up I would shoot him this year.It's a good moisture year he may pack on some inches and surprise you.
I flat don't have bucks like that in my part of PA. Wish I did, but its just not the norm.
That buck has great height. Agree on the 4.5 age as well
I likely would not kill him.
Not because I wouldn't want to but because I would likely screw it up somehow and he'd run away.
Knowing where you are and growing up 90 miles NE of you I'd shoot him in a heartbeat down there
Yes. Yup. Affirmative. Oui.
A lot of factors could go into yes or no but if he gives me a good opportunity then I would say yes. I'd be happy anytime with a deer of that size. He looks like he would provide plenty of food for my family.
I would pass so my daughter in the stand next to me could shoot it. If she's not there I'd shoot it.
Biggest deer on the farm and its hunt him or stay at home. I would hunt him. Where I hunt on my property in NE Oklahoma he's borderline. It would have to be a game time decision.
I would, but as pointed out by others, a lot of factors probably need to go into it. Bottom line is that if YOU are happy with it, shoot it! No need for others to consent or pat you on the back.
Not sure what the point would be on waiting. 140 or better were I am would likely be dead at first oppurtunity. But then again we dont have big tracts of private land for them to hide on in the southern part of New England.
I wouldn't hesitate one second to shoot him.
I would be shooting myself.
Don't assume that even though the above buck is the biggest, that he's the only one worth chasing.
This buck is older, and I have history with him back to 2011, and if I made a hit list, he'd be #1 on it. Especially after a gimme 22 yard miss on him last year
Not as pretty but I would let the string go on buck no. 2
Bake,
If he's your biggest buck on the farm, I would absolutely take the shot when it presented itself.
XMan
Does one even need to ask ?
why wouldn't you shoot ?
this "age" thing is ridiculous .... if the rack is what you want, shoot. if its meat you want, shoot.
if he's not got a big enough rack or isn't what you want, don't shoot
simple
me? I'd shoot, I don't care if he's 1.5 years old or 27.5
Archery95 is correct . . . :)
I don't need someone to make my decision, or need approval of whatever the decision will be.
And for the record, I don't really know whether I'll shoot him. I'm not gonna say I won't shoot, nor that I definitely will. . . .
I'll let the circumstances dictate my decision, if I ever see him. . . .
I'd really like to see him after a good acorn year (which we haven't had since 2011, but this may be the year), and a little wetter summer, but if he walks by in the November and my heart is thumping, and that little bastard on my shoulder is yelling at me to shoot. . . I'll probably kill him. Or attempt it :)
Who knows?! He may die of EHD in the next week. He may be dead already. Maybe he tried to cross the creek last week when it was out of it's banks and roaring, and he drowned? Who knows?
Thanks for the responses. Keep them coming, I'm mostly just curious about other's responses
Bake
if you can you should, he may follow a doe right to a gun hunter one door over tonight. food for thought, i've let them walk and payed for it.
I would shoot any mature deer anywhere unless restricted by something other than myself (landowner only wants certain animal shot, etc.).
No hesitation what so ever!!
I'd fling an arrow at either one of those deer. Good luck Bake!
Looking through your kill photos I dont see any that you have killed that compare to him, so you better shoot him.
If the buck in those photos offered me a shot, - yes, I would shoot him. Well, it might be shoot at him, but you get the idea.
I like the way he looks, he's mature enough for me, he is made mostly of meat and would make a nice European mount.
Definitely worthy. If he presents the ham, I would blast it.
For the one who doesn't shoot that deer if the opportunity comes deserves to eat tag soup for that year. You must have some really kick ass deer running your area to pass up on that kind of deer. If it's not challenging enough for you I'd siping gets you spook him by yelling at him or busting out of your blind and then try and kill him another day.
For the one who doesn't shoot that deer if the opportunity comes deserves to eat tag soup for that year. You must have some really kick ass deer running your area to pass up on that kind of deer. If it's not challenging enough for you I'd siping gets you spook him by yelling at him or busting out of your blind and then try and kill him another day.
Yes..... All day, everyday and twice on Sunday!!!!
Yes sir I would kill him!
Simple
Looking at my kill photos, I have killed nothing... :^) So yes I would shoot him.
looks pretty fat, should be good burger meat, so yeah, I'd take him...
I would try to kill the second buck. The first buck put on a good deal of antler since last year, I would want to see what he will be next year.
"if you can you should, he may follow a doe right to a gun hunter one door over tonight. food for thought, i've let them walk and payed for it."
I've let them walk and payed for it and I've let them walk and reaped the reward. One thing is for sure they will never be any bigger than they are when you shoot them.
It's gut instinct for me. If I saw him and he took my breath away....
I'd try and take HIS away! It's only happened to me twice. If I have to look him over and try to start counting tines and guessing length, then he's probably not a shooter.
My guess for this buck, I'd likely have the bow off the hanger and my eyes trying to spot that moment in time where the buck has no idea that I'm there as I pull back the string.
iowaPete
Since he'd likely be the biggest buck shot in Massachusetts for all of 2014, you bet I'd shoot!
Wouldn't hesitate. Absolutely.
Would want to see him in hard antler in full daylight before deciding. If it appeared he'd net over 150, then yes I'd shoot him, on your farm. Otherwise, no he'd get a pass in favor of pursuing one of the older, lower-scoring bucks.
You stated that you thought he was 4yrs old this year & didn't think he gained much from last year.
Even still, I would let him walk this year as a 4yr old. Hopefully he stays in the middle of the farm;>)
I would shoot it and be very proud to take a buck like that, everybody's perspectives are different so only you can answer that. Good luck this season
I would go hunting and enjoy my time in the woods. If this deer came by there's a chance I would shoot him and a chance I wouldn't. Depends on how I'm feeling that day. The bottom line is I would enjoy my time in the tree.
I think one thing you are forgetting is this idea you can shoot him at anytime you wish (with bow).
In all honesty, unless you are one lucky guy and have him coming to a feeder regularly - you should shoot him.
Heck, you may only get one shot at him during his entire life.
We all know bucks in the 150ish range are very rare in bow range.
You waited and I think he's in the window where I would definitely shoot him.
Plus, it sounds like this is the extended range of size on your place.
Pull the trigger and show us pics!
That's a good point Sage, and I certainly don't mean to sound certain that I even CAN kill him, and I certainly haven't forgotten that. The question was meant more "Would you kill him, IF you saw him?"
I did see this buck in 2012, and could have had a shot at that time, but passed. In 2013 I studiously avoided hunting what I thought was his favored area, because #1 I was hunting a different buck in a different area, and #2 I didn't want to be tempted on a buck I was pretty confident was only 3 years old.
I absolutely would.
Even if I did have 10 150+" on the wall.
You can always chase for bigger. Honestly, bucks who I have history with like this mean 10x MORE than a buck who all I did was happen to be in right place, right time.
pass if my farm had older age class bucks like deer number 2 i would wait until he was starting to decline number 2 would be my target buck
Seeing how I've never hunted whitetails..... yeah, looks like a good one to start with.... =D
I definitely would
I am surprised no one else questioned your statement
"**I'm not sure he grew a lot from 2013. I'll post a 2013 pic in the post below"
Judging just from the pics, it looks to me like he grew quite a lot, if that's the same buck.
He's haunting me. . . .
Saw him at 80 yards on Saturday morning, headed in. Little early morning wind swirl got me. He got nervous and left.
Then I was at full draw on him this morning. Different stand. Different wind. He got down wind on me before I could get a shot through the brush, and either got a whiff of me, or smelled my walk in trail. Stopped 2 feet shy of a shooting lane on the way in, and out. Couldn't get it done.
Damn
In my home state, I would be proud to put my tag on him.
I leave for Kansas later this week. In Kansas, it would depend on what else I am seeing on the trail cameras.
In a heartbeat. That goes for every picture above.
He looks magnificent... Good luck Bake
Bake
It seems you've found the answer to your own question.....
I'm hoping you kill him. I like that buck. And yes, I would shoot him, given the chance.
Good luck Bake, I guess you made your decision, can't say I blame you, he is a stud.
He made the choice easy :). More impressive in person by far
Thought so...lol
Good luck!!!
Where I hunt......quicker than a goat can fart !
In the velvet pics it was iffy, in the hard horned pic...YUPP!
I hunt public land only.
Without even thinking about it. I would shoot it if it were only ½ that big...
I don't know if I would kill him, but I would have fun trying!
I would give it my best shot!! Good luck getting him in range again.
Is he a dominant buck, likely to have a harem? Have any of your other neighbors mentioned him (i.e., is he spending time off your place? Sounds like he sticks pretty close to your place, so if it were me I'd do a little QM, let him pass the genes on this year, smack one of the older smaller-racked bucks. At age 4 his antlers should get bigger, all other things being equal.
shoot the young tender ones, leave him for breeding.
Hope the next post by bake is "I killed him"
Actually I was kind of hoping he killed that other one, and would then invite me down to go ahead and shoot that one from the original post. I guess Bake actually shooting the original one would be a consolation prize. Ha.
Just shot him at 1:10 pm. Pretty sure single lunged him. Had to find this thread to kill time. Having a hard time staying in this tree
Waiting is always the hardest. Patience is your friend.
Good luck on the track and anxious to see this guy on the ground
I would. Where do we meet?
keep us posted bake! awaiting the good results!
I'll post some more pics in a few days
Way to go Bake! He's a dandy.
Cool! Congrats!
You know they're the one you wanted when you walk up to them they get bigger instead of smaller.
That one looks like it gets bigger..... great job.
Great buck Bake ! So......I guess it's over for the rest of us.......?
Great news! Love it when a target buck goes down!
You'll never know if it could have gotten bigger, but that is a dandy buck - congrats!
Thanks everyone. Heres a teaser pic. going to be a few days until I can get the full story up
Thanks again
Way to go! No ground shrinkage on on that stud! Congrats
wow, congratulations Bake, glad to see you got that buck, super super super deer, agree with Jack, definitely no ground shrinkage.
AWESOME!! very cool how you had the thread going beforehand and got him!
And to the original question, yes I too would have tried to tag him!
Good job. Very difficult to target a specific buck. I had a similar buck outsmart me last night, not easy to kill those grown up deer....
Yahoo! Looking forward to the story!
