Poll: Would you be happy shooting a 6 pointer?

[Gator]

If I shot yearling 6 pointers I would already be out of tags (3).

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I wouldn't shoot a young 6 pointer in MN (illegal here with APR's, but wouldn't do it anyway). We've had really good luck the last few years, so I'll wait for a 3.5 year old or older.

In WI I can't be too picky - the deer numbers in our area are down and we don't see very many deer. In that case I would be happy with the young 6 pointer - I'd rather shoot a young buck than a doe over there since the deer numbers are too low.

 

[sandbur]

So do u shoot or not shoot? Before I started with a bow it was more common for me to go a whole season without a seeing a buck vs seeing one.

Last year the answer was Yes and he was an 8 point yearling.

This year I do not know. It depends on if my daughters can get a deer or two first. Then I might pass.

Through about 45 years of hunting Mn. with bow and rifle, I would say I average about 1 or 2 shot opportunites on a buck per year. A few years there have been 4, and a few years there have been none.
I don't bow hunt as much as I used to. I will probably bow hunt 3 days in early Nov. and that is it.

 

[bueller]

Last year the answer was Yes and he was an 8 point yearling.

This year I do not know. It depends on if my daughters can get a deer or two first. Then I might pass.

Through about 45 years of hunting Mn. with bow and rifle, I would say I average about 1 or 2 shot opportunites on a buck per year. A few years there have been 4, and a few years there have been none.
I don't bow hunt as much as I used to. I will probably bow hunt 3 days in early Nov. and that is it.

8 point yearling, not bad. We debate whether some of our 6, 7, and 8 pointers are yearlings or 2.5 year olds.

 

[sandbur]

8 point yearling, not bad. We debate whether some of our 6, 7, and 8 pointers are yearlings or 2.5 year olds.

In the ag country where I live, we get some 8 point yearlings. There is an abundance of food around here during the bare ground periods. My wife shot an 8 point, 2.5 year old last fall. Very similar racks, but her deer was heavier and maybe slightly more inches.
In the northwoods, most yearlings are spikes and forks.

 

[bueller]

So I shot a busted up six pointer this morning. He was likely a 7 or 8 pointer with an intact rack but we still think he is a yearling. Sure I would have preferred a trophy buck but chances are slim in my neighborhood especially with the limited time I have. So I've got venison for the year and didn't have to harvest a doe to do so. I'm a happy with my six pointer. Especially first year on the new place and first rifle sit in the tower stand I slaved over building this summer.

 

[browndog]

Congrats bueller.

 

[scott44]

So I shot a busted up six pointer this morning. He was likely a 7 or 8 pointer with an intact rack but we still think he is a yearling. Sure I would have preferred a trophy buck but chances are slim in my neighborhood especially with the limited time I have. So I've got venison for the year and didn't have to harvest a doe to do so. I'm a happy with my six pointer. Especially first year on the new place and first rifle sit in the tower stand I slaved over building this summer.

Congrats!

 

[gwm]

Congrats bueller!

 

[chummer]

Congrats. For some of us any buck is a trophy. He will make a nice base line for your new property.

 

[Bill]

Never thought about this from the side of not having a high population. Faced with what some of you guys have, I think I'd smack a young buck over a doe also.

It would be easy for me to say I'd never shoot a 6 pointer when I see one on every sit or two.
If I saw one every season or two I'd probably pee myself then shoot him.

 

[bueller]

Never thought about this from the side of not having a high population. Faced with what some of you guys have, I think I'd smack a young buck over a doe also.

It would be easy for me to say I'd never shoot a 6 pointer when I see one on every sit or two.
If I saw one every season or two I'd probably pee myself then shoot him.

Bill, for some perspective. We have three hunters in our gun camp and any buck is fair game. In the last 10 years we have never had two hunters harvest a buck in the same season. And more than 50% of the years nobody gets a buck.

Bow hunting is a bit better and we are graduating towards setting the bar at 2.5's and up.

 

[sandbur]

Never thought about this from the side of not having a high population. Faced with what some of you guys have, I think I'd smack a young buck over a doe also.

It would be easy for me to say I'd never shoot a 6 pointer when I see one on every sit or two.
If I saw one every season or two I'd probably pee myself then shoot him.

Bill- in my best years, i would have 4 shot opportunities at bucks during a combined bow and rifle seasons.

The last few years it has been one opportunity at a legal buck per year. I'm very happy with a yearling buck until the population rebounds where I can kill a doe and not feel guilty about it.

I saw 5 deer during season this year while hunting in the woods.. I could add 2 fawns that were standing by my pickup when I walked out at mid day to make 7 deer total.

Last year, believe I saw 6 deer total.

 

[Bill]

That would make getting out of bed early, hard to do.

I have just over 100 acres of timber in NJ. The buck situation sounds like what you guys deal with but we do have some does around.
Well, let me restate that. We do have some yearling bucks around in Sept but not many by the end of January. Each hunter can kill 5 or 6 bucks in NJ if they buy the extra tags.

In two years I've personally hunting it once. But I do "legally" bait for my son to tag a doe.

 

[Bill]

My uncle lives on 7 acres in belle meade, sick with deer.

I haven't been up that far north in years. "Other than on an interstate" But that area N of Princeton used to be some of the prettiest farms and Big timber I've seen in the state. Hopefully your uncle and the area wasn't swallowed up by the house farms.

 

[Tree Spud]

A hunting camp can have both. Youngsters, old, disabled get a pass on anything while others have a higher standard. If the concern is taking too many bucks then simply make camp a 1 buck /hunter/year rule.

We operate the same way. If you want to shoot a trophy, you have to pass on the smaller bucks and put your time in. In addition to letting the young, old, & disabled shoot what they want, we give away processed & wrapped venison to those that can no longer hunt. Have already given away about 125 lbs this year all processed & wrapped.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Bill- in my best years, i would have 4 shot opportunities at bucks during a combined bow and rifle seasons.

The last few years it has been one opportunity at a legal buck per year. I'm very happy with a yearling buck until the population rebounds where I can kill a doe and not feel guilty about it.

I saw 5 deer during season this year while hunting in the woods.. I could add 2 fawns that were standing by my pickup when I walked out at mid day to make 7 deer total.

Last year, believe I saw 6 deer total.

That is what I am seeing with my hunts of recent years, one or two chances all season. You need to take advantage of the one chance you get.

 

[sandbur]

That is what I am seeing with my hunts of recent years, one or two chances all season. You need to take advantage of the one chance you get.

I can remember sitting in a stand in Zone 1 during bow season. In a funnel in the woods and having 22 deer come by me in one night, five of which were bucks. That was many years ago, and now it takes me 3 seasons to see that many deer.

 

[TMIL]

http://www.northcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=5502

142-in 6 pointer. Wow! I'd be happy with THAT one!!!