rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
Yep can technically shoot 6 bucks/yr where I am. Way more than that if they offer and you buy more permits.
1 gun, 1 bow .... and 4 buttons! Lol
1 gun, 1 bow .... and 4 buttons! Lol
The "Un-Hit List"
- Thread starter roymunson
- Start date
BenAllgood
5 year old buck +
Are they having ample sightings of bucks? I think it's a sound strategy where the hunters have the shot opportunities on numerous bucks in different age classes. When their shot opportunities are limited because they're not seeing bucks in multiple age classes, asking them to pass on one of them may end up not working out so well. They have to be able to see them to pass them. Getting a neighborhood to the point of having numerous bucks in different age classes is the hardest step.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
This is a great point that has come to light at my WI property. The neighbors are reporting seeing very few deer this fall. We are seeing 8-30 deer per sit with many age classes of bucks available. At what point do the neighbors start to just shoot whatever they see because they're seeing so few (I'm not convinced that wasn't already the case...but it seems a lot more likely now)?
I agree - back in the 90’s when the 3 point antler restriction went into effect - it took maybe five years to start seeing a real difference and it shouldnt have taken but a couple of years. I think the reason for that was by far the majority of the hunting population had never passed a buck in their life. I was 40 years old and never passed a buck. The biggest buck I had ever shot was a 12” wide, 2.5 yr old seven point. I think everyone went from shooting spikes and forkhorns to shooting anything barely legal. It took several years for folks to start seeing some two and three year old bucks - mainly those spikes and forkhorns that were now not legal became 8 pts their second year. I began shooting basket racked 7 and 8 pts where I had never seen one before. As we saw more small 8 pts, we felt better about passing them because we also felt like we might see another. After five or six years, we actually started seeing a few 3 yr old bucks - and it snowballed from there.
PatinPA
5 year old buck +
I can't keep my own dad from shooting the first legal buck that walks up. How am I supposed to talk the neighbors into it? Twenty doe run past him and he wants to shoot the little 5 point standing there. It used to bother me but now I just think shoot whatever makes you happy. I would love to do it but I'm the small acreage neighbor. I have a solid 10 on camera that's probably only 2 1/2 this year. Would love to see him make it but the chances of me seeing him next year even if he makes it is slim to none.
What I saw happen at the farm I hunt was that the 3 biggest landowners on that side of the road just naturally agreed to shooting only mature bucks right from the start.
They controlled just enough property,IMO, that they had many bucks spilling over onto other properties. Then most of those other properties quit shooting young bucks because now they knew “what could be”.
Today, they probably have about 2500 contiguous acres with most people passing 1 and 2 year olds.
They never had a meeting. It was all just talking with each other and sharing info.
They controlled just enough property,IMO, that they had many bucks spilling over onto other properties. Then most of those other properties quit shooting young bucks because now they knew “what could be”.
Today, they probably have about 2500 contiguous acres with most people passing 1 and 2 year olds.
They never had a meeting. It was all just talking with each other and sharing info.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Placed an order:
White Mulberry
Smooth Sumac
Staghorn Sumac
American Elderberry
Black Elderberry
Choke Cherry
American Plum
Bittnefelder Apple
Common Apple
Siberian Crab
I'll also throw a bunch of Hedge Apples into the strip.
I only ordered packets of each, no bulk. I figure it will be enough to see what works and what doesn't. $60 experiment. I doubt I'll fence it, but I'll probably put up an exclusion cage of some sort.
White Mulberry
Smooth Sumac
Staghorn Sumac
American Elderberry
Black Elderberry
Choke Cherry
American Plum
Bittnefelder Apple
Common Apple
Siberian Crab
I'll also throw a bunch of Hedge Apples into the strip.
I only ordered packets of each, no bulk. I figure it will be enough to see what works and what doesn't. $60 experiment. I doubt I'll fence it, but I'll probably put up an exclusion cage of some sort.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
This.
We had a neighbor shoot a buck yesterday that another neighbor had called and more or less informed him that "we'd like to see that one live"
That's absolutely not what I'm talking about. The neighbor dictating what he wanted shot has 27 acres and the guy who did the shooting hunts about 350. You're not going to TELL other people how to do it. But, a conversation can be had, and maybe an understanding.
gunther89
5 year old buck +
My cousin printed off all the pics of 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5+ year old bucks and put them on a poster for all the Amish neighbors to see. Labeled the 3.5 yr olds as next year shooters. Idk if it that helped or not but the Amish seems to let those bucks go and our top 2 3.5 yr old bucks survived gun season. My cousin always tells them if they want meat, shoot a doe.
Angus 1895
5 year old buck +
Sounds more like Ranching free grazing animals. I have found “ letting them pass” eventually leads to training them to avoid being seen in range.
I’m feeling grateful, my neighbors either don’t hunt or despise hunting in the “ bottom land”.
I only have myself to control.
I’m feeling grateful, my neighbors either don’t hunt or despise hunting in the “ bottom land”.
I only have myself to control.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I kind of do the opposite. I text the neighbor and ask if he has any pics of bucks HE'D like to save. Of course I make no promises and they know that, but it's good communication in my opinion.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I just can’t wrap my head around the mentality that shooting anything besides a “trophy” will bring joy to the season.
Why does it have to have antlers to be able to shoot? If it isn’t going on the wall I’m not shooting it. I will make an exception for a wounded buck.
I get way more out of eating “buck tag” soup then I do shooting an immature buck. I have never heard of an area around me where the habitat and the deer herd wouldn’t benefit from removing a few does from the landscape.
I made a choice to pass on a 3 year old 7x5 typical Saturday night. He was feeding in a plot for about 20 min at 80 yards. I have two uncles that would perhaps think twice about shooting that deer but neither of them would actually pass it up.
It’s just the risk you take. I find that most people aren’t that great at hunting and the buck has a halfway decent chance for survival. The problem with my situation is it’s pretty dam easy to shoot deer over food in the late season up north.
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Why does it have to have antlers to be able to shoot? If it isn’t going on the wall I’m not shooting it. I will make an exception for a wounded buck.
I get way more out of eating “buck tag” soup then I do shooting an immature buck. I have never heard of an area around me where the habitat and the deer herd wouldn’t benefit from removing a few does from the landscape.
I made a choice to pass on a 3 year old 7x5 typical Saturday night. He was feeding in a plot for about 20 min at 80 yards. I have two uncles that would perhaps think twice about shooting that deer but neither of them would actually pass it up.
It’s just the risk you take. I find that most people aren’t that great at hunting and the buck has a halfway decent chance for survival. The problem with my situation is it’s pretty dam easy to shoot deer over food in the late season up north.
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S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
So what "conversation" would you have where the other hunting party did not feel you were telling them what to shoot or not shoot?
roymunson
5 year old buck +
But you're in a deer population issue area. Not the case.
We drone flew our piece saturday and were able to see some deer on adjoining. 50+ deer in about a 400 acre piece of ground. And that wasn't including the ones I'm sure we missed.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
I'd try to find a common ground in that "we all wanna kill bigger/older deer". Most people say yes, but the execution isn't always there. If we can get to that point in the conversation, I'd offer a way to get there.
Many don't know what's there or they don't know how to manage it. If they did, I think they'd be more likely to participate. If they choose not to, thats their call.
I don't agree with what my one acquaintance did when he told the neighbors "we want to see that deer get older". That deer got shot and the first thing the hunter did was say "Well, John Doe isn't gonna be the happiest, but I couldn't resist"
Telling someone what they can and cannot shoot is stupid. And not neighborly. BUT, offering to help with more is something different. I'll admit, I have more accountability because I hunt with other people who manage and have taught me how to manage. I've become more of a student of deer that way.
i can't imagine asking a neighboring landowner to pass up certain bucks, that just seems beyond rude to me. I'm fine with telling the neighbors what kind of bucks you are after and what types of bucks you pass up and maybe they would show some interest in doing the same.
If a neighbor printed off a no-shoot poster, those bucks would be my main targets for the year.
If a neighbor printed off a no-shoot poster, those bucks would be my main targets for the year.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
For sure - everyone’s piece of ground is different and hunters are different. Folks in my area consider does freezer fillers due to the efforts of our g&f a dozen years ago. “Balance the herd” they said. “Shoot your does down” to balance the herd. A lot of folks took them at their word. Now, with declining fawn recruitment numbers all across the south - and hunters treating does like squirrels - we are paying the price. It is a lot easier to shoot your does down than get them back. That is the position we are in. I understand there are areas with too many does - that would not ever happen here. I have 350 acres and we kill one or two does. There are eight folks that hunt my place at least a day or too. We would all like to kill a doe - but we realize the does are our the key to us having deer in the future. I have not killed a doe in maybe 8 years. I would go kill two or three today for hamburger and sausage if I thought we could spare them - but we cant.
