I will be the first to admit that there has been a few years that I have passed on smaller bucks only to end up getting skunked.
One of the best was December 13'th about 20 years ago. I climbed into my stand after telling my wife I would shoot the fork horn if he showed up because it was getting late in the season. Sure enough, he shows up and presents a really nice broadside shot... so I draw my bow back and was at full draw when suddenly he starts acting funny and the hair on his back stands straight up. Then I see a nice 8 pointer about 60 yards away making a bee line for the corn pile. The fork horn runs off and the 8 pointer walks up to the tree behind the corn pile and pokes his head out and grabs a mouthful of corn, then snaps his head up to watch me while he eats it, he did that 3 times before finally ducking behind the tree and walking straight away from me keeping the tree between us the whole time. On the way home a doe came out of the ditch and stuck her head right in front of my bumper. No damage to the meat so I at least had venison that year.... But I had to listen to my wife for a whole year asking me why I had to spend the money on the new bow when I kill more deer with my vehicles than my bows.
Matrix 310 ~ Hawke XB30 Pro SR ~ TT~Plano 36" All Weather Tactical Hard Case.
Danny Miller Top Mount Quiver.
Strings by Boo ~ nchunterkw ~ 8ptbuk
Jeremiah 29:13
I really feel for you guys on the forum who live in places where your hunting is made even more difficult because you only get one deer. Do I shoot it or not? Shoot or not! Shoot it or not!!!!
That would drive me nuts. It hard enough to find decent bucks much less decide whether you will see a better one later.
I guess hunting with your car is one way around that...
You just need to invest in one of those large welded up Texas deer bumpers to limit the body work...
Last year I got a spike buck with my 310, but a few days before that I totaled my Silverado when a huge 10 point decided to play chicken with me.
It was a 2000 2 wheel drive in mint condition with 74k miles and no rust that I bought for 4000.00. I drove it for 2 years and the insurance company gave me 4023.00 when I totaled it. I scraped up another 1000.00 and bought a 2003 4 wheel drive candy apple red Silverado step side short box with lots of chrome and no rust for 5k. This one has a brush guard on it and I bought some deer whistles which I have not installed. My lab was afraid to ride in the other one I had and I am wondering if it was because of the deer whistles?
Matrix 310 ~ Hawke XB30 Pro SR ~ TT~Plano 36" All Weather Tactical Hard Case.
Danny Miller Top Mount Quiver.
Strings by Boo ~ nchunterkw ~ 8ptbuk
Jeremiah 29:13
I enjoy watching deer of all sizes and wildlife of all varieties so much that I am always making excuses not to shoot, whether it's deer or turkeys, bucks or does. Last year I didn't tag a buck during bow season but I witnessed some absolutely amazing incidents because I passed up previous opportunities. I saw a fight between two bucks over a doe that was so intense it sounded like a bomb went off in the woods. I seriously thought the bigger buck was going to kill the smaller one. He certainly fought like he wanted that other buck dead. Think of a street fight where one guy just keeps pummeling the other guys face into pavement to the point where you start to feel ill just watching it. I never would have seen that if I had shot one of those bucks I passed up. Time in the woods is priceless. Eating tag soup isn't all that bad.
I get a little interaction like that but where I hunt is thick and mainly a travel corridor. I almost never get to sit and watch mature deer. They tend to move through quickly headed for deeper cover. I do enjoy it when I get one out there that just wants to wander around and eat. It makes the time go by a lot better. For me hunting is hours of sitting and listening followed by seconds of "do or don't". For my large family, I hunt to fill the freezer. We eat no beef pretty much all year if I get enough Venison. For me that it 3-4 southern deer. Not those tanks like they have in Ohio and the Midwest. As my kids move out I will probably get more selective as our food needs go down and my hunting skills will get better too
I do realize how fortunate I am to be living in whitetail heaven. I have lived and hunted deer in south Louisiana and was amazed at the difference in the size of the deer and even the size of the deer tracks down there. Whenever I scouted, it seemed all I saw were tiny fawn tracks. Haha. I hit a mature doe once down there with the boat trailer and it bounced off it like a squirrel would have. No damage at all.
I am a meat hunter. I won't pass on a deer in the early season that I would be glad to shoot on the last day of the season. Lol
A touch of frost has heightened your awareness and your heart steadily beats in anticipation. Your senses are suddenly alert to the movement on the forest floor and you realize that the moment of truth is at hand.
bellerivercrossbowhunter wrote:I am a meat hunter. I won't pass on a deer in the early season that I would be glad to shoot on the last day of the season. Lol
....likewise, I just have not seen anything!
Anthony
In a tough situation and wonder where God is; ...the Teacher is always quiet during the test.
Here in Missouri I get my landowner tags (free) I get 2 antlerless 2 any deer tags,
and on my landowner firearms I get 1 any deer tag, and if I fill that tag I can go buy more antlerless tags for $7.00, so I pretty much fill my freezer every year, But so far this year I have not got a dadburn thing, the weather is supposed to drop tomorrow eve. so I got my fingers crossed.
Dave
I AM A MEAT HUNTER
2010 equinox,
known as doe bow
vixenmaster custom string
swacker bhs, 2/1/4" cut 120 grn.
xx75 Easton 2219,s
firebolt arrows
S5 pads
if it ain't broke don't fix it
be safe in all you do
see ya in the woods
<-------<
I'm a landowner in Missouri too and between archery and firearms tags I get a total of (7). I haven't seen a lot of deer but a couple of the few I have seen committed suicide and I have tagged two. My problem now is freezer space. We just split a head of beef with three other couples and with two deer (one big and one not so big) we're at capacity. Firearms season is only a little over a week away. This is probably my very favorite problem.
Man must be nice. Very stingy here in Ontario. One deer seal per person really stinks....
A touch of frost has heightened your awareness and your heart steadily beats in anticipation. Your senses are suddenly alert to the movement on the forest floor and you realize that the moment of truth is at hand.
bellerivercrossbowhunter wrote:Man must be nice. Very stingy here in Ontario. One deer seal per person really stinks....
WE have room here for one more in Missouri,
Come on down
Dave
2010 equinox,
known as doe bow
vixenmaster custom string
swacker bhs, 2/1/4" cut 120 grn.
xx75 Easton 2219,s
firebolt arrows
S5 pads
if it ain't broke don't fix it
be safe in all you do
see ya in the woods
<-------<
Anthony and anyone else with a NJ license, head down rt. 287 to Middlesex County Parks Dept on River Rd.
Get yourself a park permit and you have tons of land to hunt with an ABUNDANCE, as in a sheet load, of deer to turn into stew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Been hunting here on my farms for over 55 years, more deer than ever.
If you want the two dollar tour let me know.
GGC wrote:Anthony and anyone else with a NJ license, head down rt. 287 to Middlesex County Parks Dept on River Rd.
Get yourself a park permit and you have tons of land to hunt with an ABUNDANCE, as in a sheet load, of deer to turn into stew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Been hunting here on my farms for over 55 years, more deer than ever.
If you want the two dollar tour let me know.
....Just left you a PM GGC.
Anthony
In a tough situation and wonder where God is; ...the Teacher is always quiet during the test.
