How Many Years Since Killing Your Last Deer?

[SwampCat]

It has been four years for me since I have killed a deer of any kind. Had a couple close calls with a target buck - but have not fired a shot. We have plenty of deer - probably see deer 90% of the hunts - just dont see the ones I want. Have plenty of does, but the fawn recruitment is extremely low and the neighbors have no reservations on the does, so we kill very few, if any.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Shot 1 this Fall. It had been 4 years since the last one before that. I am picky and haven't had a lot of time to hunt the last few years. Hopefully that trend will begin reversing, at least for the time aspect of it. I typically only archery hunt and for me hunting is more about the enjoyment of being outside relaxing and taking it all in. I am disappointed if I don't see any deer, but whether or not I put one in the back of the pickup doesn't really define success for me anymore. I thought about this just the other day. When I killed my buck this year, I was happy, but not overly excited about it. Probably the 2nd or 3rd largest deer I have killed in 40 years of hunting. I have said for quite a few years now that if I am not putting it on the wall (taxidermy) I am not going to kill it. Not opposed to shooting does at all just currently dont have a property where there is a surplus. Hopefully that will change moving forward as well, simply because I want to have enough deer around to allow kids to kill a few every year.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

5 years for me. I passed on some smaller bucks in archery and rifle season. I'm at the age where I'm after older, bigger bucks - and don't mind letting the younger, smaller ones walk. I did miss a big 8 pt. in archery season 5 years ago. Arrow hit a limb stub and deflected. My fault for not sawing off the shooting-lane limb all the way!!!

 

[Ikeman]

I ended a 2 year dry spell this season. Just before my hunting vacation in 2021, I blew an ankle out and lost my season. I hit what would have been my biggest buck in 2022 but never found him. Then, this year, I shot 2 bucks in 2 states in 3 days. Talk about a nice ending to a dry spell!


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[T-Max]

Killed a doe this year. 2020 was the last buck I killed. I was hesitant to shoot does due to fawn recruitment but now that I have the food source to give me time to study the deer, I can pick an old dry doe that is only tying up resources. It is a win win as I free up those resources and put meat in the freezer.


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[Turkish]

It has been four years for me since I have killed a deer of any kind. Had a couple close calls with a target buck - but have not fired a shot. We have plenty of deer - probably see deer 90% of the hunts - just dont see the ones I want. Have plenty of does, but the fawn recruitment is extremely low and the neighbors have no reservations on the does, so we kill very few, if any.

Man, i don’t know of anyone doing intentional, intelligent habitat work on as much acreage as you have in the ArkLaMiss that doesn’t have enough deer to kill a doe. That sucks.

In all seriousness, you may consider popping some does to satisfy your needs and give an honest assessment of how much worse it gets. I was in a similar spot some time ago on a lease where I do most of my hunting. Doe sightings were so few we held off on harvest. Now we shoot a few and things are no worse and I’m happier. They hadn’t become fewer, they’d just gotten harder to hunt in my situation.

 

[Buckly]

< 1

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I shot a mule deer in 2018. Last whitetail was 2017 I think (both in Montana). The last whitetail I killed in my home state was around 2008? Lots of opportunities just nothing I wanted to kill and I’ve had a pretty steady stash of elk in the freezer.

Fair chance next year that I’ll shoot a whitetail at home and a muley in CO.

 

[SwampCat]

Man, i don’t know of anyone doing intentional, intelligent habitat work on as much acreage as you have in the ArkLaMiss that doesn’t have enough deer to kill a doe. That sucks.

In all seriousness, you may consider popping some does to satisfy your needs and give an honest assessment of how much worse it gets. I was in a similar spot some time ago on a lease where I do most of my hunting. Doe sightings were so few we held off on harvest. Now we shoot a few and things are no worse and I’m happier. They hadn’t become fewer, they’d just gotten harder to hunt in my situation.

I have killed a few does for a few years ten years ago and we about ran out of deer. Been there, done that. 15 adjacent landowners and .4 fawns per doe is not a good combination. Two grand daughters each killed a doe this year. DIL killed a doe on my 62 acres. Wife and I hunted the 62 acres a few times and just never got an opportunity although we saw several deer.

 

[Turkish]

I have killed a few does for a few years ten years ago and we about ran out of deer. Been there, done that. 15 adjacent landowners and .4 fawns per doe is not a good combination. Two grand daughters each killed a doe this year. DIL killed a doe on my 62 acres. Wife and I hunted the 62 acres a few times and just never got an opportunity although we saw several deer.

I bet your exclusion cages look different than most!

 

[swat1018]

I kill 5-6 doe a year, all archery. Wife and I practically live on venison. I haven't shot a buck since 2019. My house if full of deer heads, and I'm about out of room. It's more of a game of seeing how old I can get them, rather than killing them, anymore. I had 1, maybe 2, I would have shot this year, but never worked out.

 

[Bill Loser]

Try to shoot 2 a year. For us, doesn't matter buck or doe. Horns taste like shit. We got our 2 this year, 1 horned doe, and 1 unhorned doe. Lots of deer here but would like more so noore doe, if I go back out bucks only.

 

[weekender21]

We fortunately have a high deer density, we live off of venison for our red meat source. My nine year old son and I each killed three deer this year (6 total). Our family of five will have the freezer cleaned out by mid season 24’!

I’m Just looking to shoot does or an old mature buck, my son is cleared hot for any buck for now.


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[Native Hunter]

61/365 = 0.16712329 years

 

[Baker]

Been 4 years since I shot a buck mostly cause I have more fun hunting with a video camera. Had one last year that upon further review was a good target. I passed him up thinking he was a 6 year old around 196-198. Having found one of his sheds this year turns out he was somewhere between 210-212. OOOps Nonetheless I think I have his age close and while he is down a bit this year he still is in the sweet spot age wise. Always next year.

I have guided some folks to great deer if that counts.

 

[PrairieShadow]

I normally shoot 3-4 deer a year as I pride myself on feeding my family only wild red meat. My son(6) doesn’t know you can get meat at the store.

This year our deer numbers were so abysmal that I didn’t even shoot a deer. My 6yr old did fill his mentored tag again this year back in Oct on a good doe though.

 

[sandbur]

61/365 = 0.16712329 years

Pretty similar for me.

We eat about 3 deer per year.

 

[weekender21]

It has been four years for me since I have killed a deer of any kind. Had a couple close calls with a target buck - but have not fired a shot. We have plenty of deer - probably see deer 90% of the hunts - just dont see the ones I want. Have plenty of does, but the fawn recruitment is extremely low and the neighbors have no reservations on the does, so we kill very few, if any.

Interesting situation with the neighbors, funny how things can be so different in different regions or neighborhoods. I’ve been trying to convince my neighbors to shoot does and most won’t do it. We’re in a 50+ deer per square mile county.


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[SD51555]

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[Turkish]

I generally kill a doe every year. I have a young son in his 2nd year as a hunter, so I’m guiding him mostly. 3 deer is a minimum for my household’s annual meat demand. Been 3 years since my last buck. My longest stretch ever.