BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

ginkgo72 · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 52 Location: Midwest

I guy I know shot this mule deer buck. It is his first one and is getting it mounted for his wall. Is there a push in your area to let the little ones walk?

Hiker · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 1316 Location: Colorado

Congrats to your friend on getting his first mulie and a 4x4 to boot. I love to see people get their first deer. :thumbsup1: When it comes to passing smaller bucks, to each their own. If it's legal and someone wants to shoot a spike or a small forky, go for it. I personally like the challenge of holding out for a mature buck. Sometimes I end up eating tag soup but that OK by me. IMO, when hunters kill the younger bucks it takes some of the pressure off of the older, more mature bucks.

MyDixieWrecked · Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 12

but you cant kill the big ones when you are skinnin the little ones. although after open few days i would have shot that buck. here in wa its 3point or better i dont shoot 2x3 and ill pass on smaller 3points but then again im just gettin into huntin mulies and im still tryin to find the real big ones

hellomcfly · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 131 Location: Denver Colorado

I typically just try to shoot a better buck than the previous year. This year i got a buck that's gonna be hard for me to beat next year..... unless i draw a tag in a trophy area. It also depends on how many days i get in the field. This year i spent 3 days in the field and i would've shot any thing with bone on his head by the third day. It just happens i got lucky and shot a buck that was the size i wanted

Alamosa · Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 124 Location: Southern Colorado

In SE Colo not too much opinion on size.
There is a bigger push to take the whitetails and let the mulies walk.
The whitetails seem to be taking over.

TheGreatwhitehunter · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 219 Location: Colorado

Totally agree the whitetails are pushing mulies out of east in some areas I like to hunt whitetails myself but they do hurt the mulies range when intermixed for to long.

Hoss · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:45 am Post subject:

That does look like it would have been a decent deer in a few years so its too bad people don't pass on those but if it gets your blood pumping and you are personally pleased with the animal go ahead and harvest it.

It does bother me when people shoot a small buck just to shoot a buck when they don't even do anything with the antlers anyway. You might as well manage the doe population.

I would personally rather go without a buck for a year than shoot one that size but I hunt on private land where I have some chance of growing the bucks I want to.

Don Fischer · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2078 Location: Antelope, Ore

Welcome to the site Hoss.

Hiker · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 1316 Location: Colorado

Don Fischer wrote: Welcome to the site Hoss.
+1

Hoss · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:17 pm Post subject:

Glad to be here!

numbnutz · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 154 Location: portland,oregon

personaly i dont shoot any deer unless its atleast a 3x3, but thats just me, my dad is the same way, he will wait to shoot a little one till last day

Hoss · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject:

I hope people are looking at more than the points when judging deer. When you just look at points, you just might be taking out the best young bucks that could grow to be trophies. I would encourage people to take a mature 3 point even if it stood next to a yearling four point.

Going even further, I know of a certain 2 point buck that is at least 4 years old. He is extremely tall but narrow and would be a buck I would be glad to take. Not only would I be taking a mature deer, I would be improving the gene pool.

numbnutz · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 154 Location: portland,oregon

Hoss wrote: I hope people are looking at more than the points when judging deer. When you just look at points, you just might be taking out the best young bucks that could grow to be trophies. I would encourage people to take a mature 3 point even if it stood next to a yearling four point.

Going even further, I know of a certain 2 point buck that is at least 4 years old. He is extremely tall but narrow and would be a buck I would be glad to take. Not only would I be taking a mature deer, I would be improving the gene pool.

thats kinda what i meant, i will shoot a mature deer but atleast a 3x3, in years past when i statred hunting i shot anything with horns but now only mature deer

Wapiti Wacker · Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 50 Location: IDAHO

I like to hold out for mature bucks,but have and will again shoot a smaller one for the meat,as far as your buddy goes trophies are a personal thing more power to him. :thumbsup1:

WesternHunter · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 685 Location: Western USA

Back in the old days, no one would have cared. Did we have a problem with deer or trophy bucks becoming extinct then? No, we did not, and we had much more hunters back then too. Todays hunters are way to over concerened with size and trophy status. Let one like that go and he may or may not survive to become a good trophy, for someone who is just after a trophy. You just don't know what would have become of him. To each his own I suppose. Personally I would have taken that buck if I was out, seen it , and had a clean shot at it.