Shot Opportunites at Legal Bucks?

Since I stopped shooting yearling(probably 6-7 years ago) I average one buck every three years. They have all been 2.5. I have only had a chance at one good buck in 12 years. It makes for a lot of sits with no action(6 week riffle season). I am very close to going back to shooting yearlings. With all the habitat work and money I have put into this place it has become discouraging to continue to shoot nothing while the neighbors shoot every buck they see. I am a meat hunter so I think it is time to start hunting meat again.
 
Since I stopped shooting yearling(probably 6-7 years ago) I average one buck every three years. They have all been 2.5. I have only had a chance at one good buck in 12 years. It makes for a lot of sits with no action(6 week riffle season). I am very close to going back to shooting yearlings. With all the habitat work and money I have put into this place it has become discouraging to continue to shoot nothing while the neighbors shoot every buck they see. I am a meat hunter so I think it is time to start hunting meat again.

My wife and I passed on yearling bucks for 5 to six years when we had more deer. I was more into trophy hunting at that point. Now, my wife and I agree that we like to eat venison from a deer that is less than 2 years old. We know how to process it and produce great table fare. Besides, I do not really need another head mount or trophy deer. Sure I will shoot one if it comes along, but I can be happy with a yearling buck or no deer if someone else in the family gets some venison.
I think of Mark who posted he has gone 12 years without a deer. I could never do that with what I pay in taxes and the effort I put into foodplots and management.
Heck, waiting 12 years to shoot a deer and I just might not ever kill another at age 60!
 
just finished day 1 this year. rain, saw 13 bucks, passed 7, blew my chance on a 140 as my quiver nocks scraped the stand drawing. Last year I hunted 14 days, bow/gun and looked at 130 bucks, not taking any.

That is why I unhook the quiver from the bow now. I used to catch my arrows on everything.

Good Luck, keep us posted!
 
Here in MI a legal buck in my area is a deer with at least 3" antlers on one side, they have some APRs in different areas but it's a spike with 3" where I live. During bow season I would say I have 5-10 opportunities at a legal buck and probably a few less during rifle season. We have gone to shooting the most mature bucks we have, actually the last couple years I have shot younger bucks that have been wounded.
 
HAAAA>...... Last time I shot at a buck on our farm in OTC??

2002 baby... Yep. I can remember it clearly. 12 frickin years since I have shot a buck on our land.

I am beginning to wonder if I stink that bad. I have run out of theories.

But I never give up. Take a week of my vacation every May and spend it on the land planting plots, and doing a laundry list of items in hopes this is THE year I am back on the board. And many weekends through the late spring and summer making trips doing maintanence on all sorts of things out there. Not much fishing gets done any more.

Maybe you have posted your land and info/aerial already? If not could you start a seperate thread?
Ottertail County correct? I cannot figure out why you wouldn't see a few 2.5-3.5 bucks??

One of the best counties in the state and you have good cover and food correct?? I'd love to see you get feedback from all the guys on here??
 
3 bucks inside 30 yards so far this year, and 2 in my recurve range of 20 yards and closer. Believe all were 2.5 year olds. My yearlings have been scarce this year. I have rough luck in firearms season as I sit my same food sources that have bullet proof access and exit, and the bucks rarely show themselves. My last 3 sits have resulted in no deer seen. I am so afraid of bumping deer to the neighbors I can't get myself to dive into the woods. But the process has been working for me as this is my best year for bucks close to date.

Muzzle loader season is where I get to smiling. Food is the low hole in my bucket and I have plenty for the low deer numbers. They come from quite a ways when the snow piles and the temps drop. Sat one night last muzzy and had 26 deer with 2 bucks over 3.5 in one plot, and a buddy sat another and had 22 deer with one 3.5+ come in, plus several smaller bucks.

The above question really needs to be qualified with acres hunted and hunters per acre or per 40 or something.
 
I usually average 4 or 5 shooters a year on our property.
 
In SE MN I usually average having 20 bucks in shooting range between bow and gun seasons. Usually most of them are yearlings, a handful of opportunities at 2.5's and then at least one opportunity at an older buck. The hunting has improved in our area since APR's were put in place a few years back. I split my hunting time between my 40 acre property and properties owned by friends/neighbors. Last year my dad and I each killed 4.5 year olds on my 40 acre property, so we had a pretty good year. Even though it goes against what I read some places, we spend a lot of time hunting field edges since they draw in every doe in the area. I'm paranoid to go into the woods unless the conditions are perfect since it's easy to push deer off our property. Our property sets up really well to easily access the field edges without being spotted, so I can watch the same dozen does feed in front of me every night and wait for a big one to show up. The older bucks haven't showed up for me yet this year, but I know it's just a matter of time.
 
my mn land: 1 opportunity total in 7 years with rifle. 3 opportunities in 7 years with bow (2 were spikes).

Wi: rifle i probably average 1 opportunity but only hunt 2 days. bow: probably about 10 opportunities per year.
 
Northern Pa. - 3 points to a side is legal. I passed on 2 legal bucks last bow season. I missed on a nice 3 yr. old 8 pt. when my bow hit a limb on release! 12 yds. That sucked. Most years I get 1 - 3 opps. in bow season, 1 or 2 in gun season.
 
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