2023 deer season regrets…

[SwampCat]

KS had a "left over tag" for a while where a guy could shoot 2 bucks. I didn't like it for the exact same reason that Turkey did like it. I shot a smaller than I wanted buck to scratch that itch, then hunted the rest of the season for a trophy. Just like Turkey my 2nd tag was usually eaten. What I didn't like was that it encouraged me to shoot younger than I wanted bucks and I feel it hurt trophy management.


Now for the flip side about making hunting fun for the family. SwampCat, my kids always looked at trailcam pics or deer in a pasture and said "big enough for you to shoot dad?". I always gave an honest answer which 99% of the time was no. BUT... when they and their friends hunt ANYTHING is fair game. Absolutely no hit lists, no savers, no expectations. Grab a granddaughter and her best friend, plop them down in a stand and have them shoot the first deer they see. Hoop and hollar, clean it and cook it's tenderloins right then and there, take pics and show them to the best friends mom, pop a bottle of carbonated grape juice (looks like wine) and share a toast with them. You'd be surprised how quickly antlers don't matter any more.

I agree. But the problem is the grand daughters have heard from the day they were born about passing this buck and that buck and we have two shooters this year - they have heard it all their hunting life. This is the first year I have heard the two oldest - 14 and 12 - act like they were getting bored - talking about not seeing any deer. Well, they were seeing deer - just not THE deer. I told both of them when I hunted with them to kill what they wanted - and then we would see a buck and they would say “not big enough”.

I had six bucks I would have shot on my home 300 acres and 62 acres six miles away. We saw one of those bucks - and my 12 yr old grand daughter killed it. I have food plots, I bait, we hunt with a crossbow, we have sixty days of firearm season - according to many on this forum, we should have cleaned those six bucks out the first week of crossbow season sitting on a corn pile. We hunted with a crossbow, a compound bow, a ml, and a mg - and we saw one of those bucks. I got pictures of all the remaining five after season ended - so none of the neighbors got them either.

The point being, this trophy buck syndrome is ingrained in them. It was in me, too - but I started kind of wondering about it a few years ago, and then my son made mention of it this year - how it just wasnt as exciting as it used to be. I fear these girls, with so much to do in their lives, are going to drift away from wanting to go deer hunting because it is now becoming boring because they have the big buck syndrome

 

[Catscratch]

I agree. But the problem is the grand daughters have heard from the day they were born about passing this buck and that buck and we have two shooters this year - they have heard it all their hunting life. This is the first year I have heard the two oldest - 14 and 12 - act like they were getting bored - talking about not seeing any deer. Well, they were seeing deer - just not THE deer. I told both of them when I hunted with them to kill what they wanted - and then we would see a buck and they would say “not big enough”.

I had six bucks I would have shot on my home 300 acres and 62 acres six miles away. We saw one of those bucks - and my 12 yr old grand daughter killed it. I have food plots, I bait, we hunt with a crossbow, we have sixty days of firearm season - according to many on this forum, we should have cleaned those six bucks out the first week of crossbow season sitting on a corn pile. We hunted with a crossbow, a compound bow, a ml, and a mg - and we saw one of those bucks. I got pictures of all the remaining five after season ended - so none of the neighbors got them either.

The point being, this trophy buck syndrome is ingrained in them. It was in me, too - but I started kind of wondering about it a few years ago, and then my son made mention of it this year - how it just wasnt as exciting as it used to be. I fear these girls, with so much to do in their lives, are going to drift away from wanting to go deer hunting because it is now becoming boring because they have the big buck syndrome

Can I ask how many times the 12 and 14 yr old have connected on a deer in their lives? Have they shot a bunch or are their numbers relatively low?

Even though they are ingrained to hunt big bucks I still think that attitude can change if you include their friends and make any kill a big celebration. We live on our land and my kids see deer every day. They don't get real excited about does and young bucks in the yard plots until a friend calls and they get to take them on a hunt, then it's game on and party time.

 

[T-Max]

On the last day of the late doe season I managed to shoot the biggest oldest doe I have probably ever shot. Let me tell you about EXCITEMENT! I think one can have expectations for a trophy buck and pass everything else along the way. We need to put more emphasis on the hunt itself and not necessarily the result.

I've shared some pictures on here of a once-in-a-lifetime buck I have chased for a couple of years now. I obviously didn't get him again this year and I passed a couple of 150" bucks at close range during the pursuit. No regrets. I was pumped to put a tag on that fat old doe. Now seeing my #1 walking around after all seasons are closed gives me this tickle in my stomach imagining what next year could bring. We have big habitat plans in the works and chasing a deer like this has brought me and my father closer than ever before! And we were very close to start with! That is where the excitement should be. People who are new to hunting, whether kids or older folks picking up the sport have no idea when to be excited. They rely on us veteran hunters and read our body language. It is up to us to show them when and how to be excited. Like Cat said, if we make a big deal out of it, they will think it is a big deal. Because it is. This sport is exciting. Every bit of it.

 

[Mortenson]

I agree with the sentiment that every deer harvest is special. I can pass up a hundred does and bucks, and then on the given day or the right moment when it's time to take a doe, all a sudden I get nervous just like every time before, going back to my first deer. Even in a big mature buck family, I'm surprised young children aren't getting excited more. Not to sting SwampCat at all, but I think in a group of granddaughters, you have to assume one or two might drift from the sport anyhow. I think that's natural. Be happy if you can retain some of them.

 

[SwampCat]

Can I ask how many times the 12 and 14 yr old have connected on a deer in their lives? Have they shot a bunch or are their numbers relatively low?

Even though they are ingrained to hunt big bucks I still think that attitude can change if you include their friends and make any kill a big celebration. We live on our land and my kids see deer every day. They don't get real excited about does and young bucks in the yard plots until a friend calls and they get to take them on a hunt, then it's game on and party time.

I am just taking a guess - but would say maybe eight or ten deer apiece. We dont ever let them kill more than two - including does. Both have killed a couple of bucks in the mid 130 to 140 range - and this in an area where the average 5 yr old buck scores 110 - according to g&f data.

I like the idea - I will ask them if they have any friends that might want to give hunting a try.

 

[SwampCat]

I agree with the sentiment that every deer harvest is special. I can pass up a hundred does and bucks, and then on the given day or the right moment when it's time to take a doe, all a sudden I get nervous just like every time before, going back to my first deer. Even in a big mature buck family, I'm surprised young children aren't getting excited more. Not to sting SwampCat at all, but I think in a group of granddaughters, you have to assume one or two might drift from the sport anyhow. I think that's natural. Be happy if you can retain some of them.

I have no doubt - it wont surprise me if none of the five are deer hunting past 18 yrs old.

 

[Catscratch]

I am just taking a guess - but would say maybe eight or ten deer apiece. We dont ever let them kill more than two - including does. Both have killed a couple of bucks in the mid 130 to 140 range - and this in an area where the average 5 yr old buck scores 110 - according to g&f data.

I like the idea - I will ask them if they have any friends that might want to give hunting a try.

That's great that they've gotten to be so successful at such a young age! Congrats to you for creating that opportunity. The only suggestion I have is to make if fun for reasons other than antlers. In my experience the best way to do that is to include friends and celebrate the experience and not the antlers. Good luck and I hope you come up with a happy resolution!

 

[TreeStander]

I sat out on our plot probably 25 days from Oct 1 to Jan 1st. We too had some dandy bucks right up until gun season. The deer ( both bucks and does ) went nocturnal in early October. I passed up deer in bow season because temps were too warm. Our acorn crop was unprecedented. Our original plan was to fill three doe tags and then tag a buck that was 6 points or better. We filled one doe tag, and an archery tag. That was it. Could have shot more in Oct but we didn't. The bit of wisdom, "Never pass up on the first day what you would shoot on the last day" hits home after the season. Truthfully, I am just thankful I can still hunt with my boys, serve Venison on special occasions, and make Venison sausage. There is always next year.

 

[jsasker007]

Huh ? It was that bad ? What county ?

Mille Lacs. Area 157. Right across the road from my land is thousands of acres of management/refuge. I saw 8-10 deer everyday during the summer when I take my dogs out but everything really just shut off once season started here. Strange thing is that I saw more deer scrapes this year than any other year.

 

[Catscratch]

Mille Lacs. Area 157. Right across the road from my land is thousands of acres of management/refuge. I saw 8-10 deer everyday during the summer when I take my dogs out but everything really just shut off once season started here. Strange thing is that I saw more deer scrapes this year than any other year.

I've got to say that's pretty discouraging. I'd probably take up grouse, bear, duck, or even snipe hunting.

 

[jsasker007]

I've got to say that's pretty discouraging. I'd probably take up grouse, bear, duck, or even snipe hunting.

Sitting in my ground blinds that each had 1 side ripped to hell by the black bears was annoying. Guess which way the wind was coming from most of the time.

 

[Thomasc19]

I agree. But the problem is the grand daughters have heard from the day they were born about passing this buck and that buck and we have two shooters this year - they have heard it all their hunting life. This is the first year I have heard the two oldest - 14 and 12 - act like they were getting bored - talking about not seeing any deer. Well, they were seeing deer - just not THE deer. I told both of them when I hunted with them to kill what they wanted - and then we would see a buck and they would say “not big enough”.

I had six bucks I would have shot on my home 300 acres and 62 acres six miles away. We saw one of those bucks - and my 12 yr old grand daughter killed it. I have food plots, I bait, we hunt with a crossbow, we have sixty days of firearm season - according to many on this forum, we should have cleaned those six bucks out the first week of crossbow season sitting on a corn pile. We hunted with a crossbow, a compound bow, a ml, and a mg - and we saw one of those bucks. I got pictures of all the remaining five after season ended - so none of the neighbors got them either.

The point being, this trophy buck syndrome is ingrained in them. It was in me, too - but I started kind of wondering about it a few years ago, and then my son made mention of it this year - how it just wasnt as exciting as it used to be. I fear these girls, with so much to do in their lives, are going to drift away from wanting to go deer hunting because it is now becoming boring because they have the big buck syndrome

I know where you're coming from - tough to get people in the perfect situations to love being in the outdoors - it's a fine line between too challenging and too easy

I would recommend trying to change the challenge from getting a monster buck to getting one with a traditional bow or something a bit more challenging if you haven't already, just to keep the focus not on the antlers but on the way you go about it-more practice looking forward to the hunt than the hunt itself

Hope they stick with it!

 

[bueller]

Start measuring deer by number of points instead of inches. It becomes a fun challenge to target some of the bucks with odd numbers of points. I doubt that even many of us can check all the boxes for numbers 1-10.

 

[SD51555]

I regret what we - my family - has become as deer hunters. We have lost the excitement of deer hunting by targeting a few shooters - and when we see a deer, we almost immediately identify it as not the one we are after and immediately forget about the one we just saw. Even the 11 yr old grand daughters is spoiled. We are now big buck hunters - we are no longer deer hunters.

Thirty years ago, when my kids were teens - we got excited whenever we saw a deer - they were all potential targets. Not so anymore. We know each and every shooter buck - and when a deer shows and it is not the shooter buck - that deer is in the past. I think this big buck fanaticism is ruining our (my family’s) deer hunting excitement.

Me and my wife has not killed a deer in four years. We like to kill a deer. We like to track them. We like the camaraderie at the skinning pole. We enjoy processing deer - making sausage and canadian bacon and jerky and eating deer meat. We dont have enough does for everyone to kill one - because they are NEEDED for fawn production. We have a lot of bucks that will probably never be anything of quality - but yet we have become so engrossed with big buck hunting we have lost sight of all other aspects of the hunt itself

I am not really sure how or to what extent I am going to change our goals - but I want to instill some more excitement in our hunt.

I think visions of being on the cover of buckmaster magazine haunt lots of us. If we just work a little harder, spend a little more money, get a little more land, we can all have a crack at the north american non-typical whitetail record. That's what keeps most of the outdoor products hustlers in business. Magic seeds, magic weapons, magic scents, youtube videos that have been made hundreds of times already. All BS driven by very high expectations.

I almost quit altogether over it. Thankfully, the herd was all but wiped off the map completely while that was going on. I was forced to adapt from dreams of monsters to emergency habitat improvements to keep the herd from collapsing. Can't say I saved the herd, but it did beat those unrealistic expectations out of my head. Now, my expectations are so low, even if I sit an entire weekend and don't see a deer, it's too hot, or the wind was so wrong I couldn't hunt, I'm still happy. Still beats being stuck in town.

 

[SwampCat]

My 14 yr old grand daughter (on left) insists on cleaning her own deer - even in a light rain.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

It’s an odd dynamic to have to cope with “failure”and still find success. But I don’t look at not punching a buck tag as failing. Contrarily, I succeeded in passing deer that didn’t need to be shot.
It’s a bit frustrating to see “trophy” hunting get a bad rap. The instant gratification we seem to expect is the main culprit in my mind. I went 20 years in between bucks. Kept getting just as fired up every season. Passed hundreds of bucks in that timeframe. Never really failed.

 

[SwampCat]

It’s an odd dynamic to have to cope with “failure”and still find success. But I don’t look at not punching a buck tag as failing. Contrarily, I succeeded in passing deer that didn’t need to be shot.
It’s a bit frustrating to see “trophy” hunting get a bad rap. The instant gratification we seem to expect is the main culprit in my mind. I went 20 years in between bucks. Kept getting just as fired up every season. Passed hundreds of bucks in that timeframe. Never really failed.

I think every place and everywhere is different. There are five or six people from three different families that hunt my land. I have 15 adjacent landowners. I cant go kill ten does like some folks talk about and have any deer left. We feel we can kill a couple of does. We went seven years without killing one doe to get where we are.

My family likes deer meat. We all have our preferred sausage blends, jerky, canadian bacon etc. We can deer meat. It takes dead deer to make sausage, jerky, canadian bacon, steaks, etc.

If I owned 700 acres, it would be easy. Most folks dont own 700 acres - we have to make do with less - often much less. I feel it is very important for my grand daughters to experience the entire hunt - including the processing. I would rather them not just take the easy way out and drop a deer off at the processor.

I am just saying there is a happy medium. I think we can kill a few more bucks and it will not jeopardize our trophy quality bucks. We can spend more time tracking, at the meat pole, processing, and pulling the trigger. This is not about instant gratification - this is about enjoyment. As pictured above - I have a grand daughter who loves to clean deer. She likes to run the grinder. She likes to stuff sausage. I have another one who is the best blood tracker I know - you dont do that without killing deer. In my world, there has to be dead deer (plural) to complete the experience - from stand time to table.

I just believe with a little knowledge, and a little common sense, you can have both - a freezer full of meat and a deer head or two on the wall.

 

[Thomasc19]

It’s an odd dynamic to have to cope with “failure”and still find success. But I don’t look at not punching a buck tag as failing. Contrarily, I succeeded in passing deer that didn’t need to be shot.
It’s a bit frustrating to see “trophy” hunting get a bad rap. The instant gratification we seem to expect is the main culprit in my mind. I went 20 years in between bucks. Kept getting just as fired up every season. Passed hundreds of bucks in that timeframe. Never really failed.

For trophy hunting getting a bad wrap-people will be unhappy when you shoot an old, "Trophy" Deer but also get upset when you shoot a younger deer. Do what really makes you happy and you will have a much smaller chance at "failing". If you're happy with just getting out in the woods as we all should be, you can't fail

 

[Native Hunter]

As Elvis said, "...regrets, I've had a few, but then again too few to mention..." I got the deer I wanted, at the place I wanted, and it even fell where I wanted. I did it MY WAY.......

 

[Angus 1895]

Not believing that I could calm a bull I jumped outta its bed enough to sneak into bow range.

Not believing I could call a bull in from several hundred yards away.

Not thumping that dink whitetail on my birthday.