Shoot or Pass?

[David Conder]

This is one you can’t pass

 

[rjtfroggy]

In Ct. you take him because if you don't the next guy will. Most would consider him ready to go.
Personally, I did years ago then started taking does only, they were outnumbering bucks 9-10 to 1.
Edit to add, you can't eat horns, they don't even make soup.

 

[DocDoc]

You don't want those horn genes passed on.

 

[Dgd6mm]

It depends if I want meat. I'm not a horn hunter, tho he is little on the body size.

 

[dryhumor]

I don’t hunt for for anything but meat, he’s really all that’s been on my property. Him and a spike, and I figure he’s atleast older than the spike

Hard choice. That old adage “if I don’t shoot him, someone else will” always seems to cross everyone’s mind when they try and decide to shoot or not. I shoot does for meat- they eat better. Bucks with screwy racks or obvious genetic shortcomings are next. Bigger bucks get a pass, so they can breed and pass along genes.

That said, if I want or need meat, I’ll shoot the heaviest deer I see regardless.

 

[mmcu]

That youngster is very smalll body-wise, but has some serious potential.

I'd let him walk and hope that I had the opportunity to see him in the coming years.

 

[Jrjones]

I hunt for meat and like horns too but it just doesn’t always happen. Hunter population plays a big role. Yup… as he walks across the fence line to the neighbors property you feel good and think to yourself “ man he’ll be a nice buck next y. . .” *booommm*!!! Now the decent one hanging around is gone. Shoot what makes you happy and enjoy the meat. They are all beautiful.

 

[varmintshooter]

Why do you guys refer to antlers as horns. Horns are permanent. Shoot it if it makes you happy.

 

[Dgd6mm]

The property i used to hunt in S.C. had a Hunt.Club that butted up to it, no fences. It was 8 point or better on that Hunt Club. Man we shot some nice bucks during the rut and some nice does. We shot a lot of deer they had on camera.

 

[True Grit]

If the neighbors shot them all there wouldn't be any older deer.

 

[JPB3]

OP that's an easy pass -- for me. Everyone is different though