# Buck size



## ND decoy (Feb 1, 2003)

This is the longest week of the year for me. Nothing gets me more excited than deer hunting. For me I go into the field with a minimum size that I am willing to shoot (or close to it). On the ranch that we hunt on we have a size restriction, nothing smaller than a 4x4 and ears width or better. For me I go little farther, I try for a 150 class whitetail. But this year I have a muley buck so I am not sure of what size to be looking for. I have good idea of what I am looking for just don't have a number. This is only the second muley tag that I have ever had so I don't have many deer that I have shot to compare it to. I arrowed one about 15 years ago that went 168. But that was a long time ago.

So my question is do you go into the field with pre set goal or do you shot at the first buck that you see?

Now the honesty question, how strict are you with yourself? The moment that a buck gets up in front of you does the pre set goal go out the window and you say the hell with it and drill him?

As far as trophy management goes I am all for it but I don't sit a rag on a guy for the choices that he makes. It can be tough to judge a running deer and the deer could be bigger than any deer that they have shot before. (The guys that rag on people about deer size are my favorite kind of idiot. You can spot them at every deer camp preaching about how much they know about deer hunting and before you know it your thinking to yourself this guys an idiot.)

So what are you intending to shoot this year and what do you think you'll shoot?

Have a good deer season.


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## Invector (Jan 13, 2006)

I'd like to add please dont shoot at birds one the field with your deer rifles you dont know when they will be decs. Just about every other year I get my decs shot at by some deer hunter. Many many years ago my dad had a head blown off one of his decs while we were in it. So know what your shooting at. :beer:


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I passed on a nice 4 x 4 this weekend in MN that was at 40 yards!!! Very tough to do, but hopefully it is well worth it, we'll see.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

I think people get so tied up with antler size they stop "hunting" and start "window shopping." I'll take what I can get because when backstraps are sizzling on the grill, no one can tell how big the rack was. :wink:


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

I myself am looking for a deer with a spread of outside the ears or close to the ears (16" roughly). That would be a good 3 year old deer or older. I am looking for a high rack with long tynes and mass.

This deer I just decribed would be about 130 class or bigger.

But I would shoot a doe before I would shoot a basket rack or fork horn. Because I love the taste of back straps!!!!


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## holmsvc (Nov 26, 2003)

Duckslayer100 said:


> I think people get so tied up with antler size they stop "hunting" and start "window shopping." I'll take what I can get because when backstraps are sizzling on the grill, no one can tell how big the rack was. :wink:


I get a couple doe tags so that I can window shop for my buck.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Like holm stated......I get enough doe tags that I can window shop!


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

In line with others here, my wife and I shoot a whitetail does to fill the freezer then spend the rest of the season "window shopping" for bucks (whitetail or muley). In both cases, we are looking for mature bucks with a spread outside the ears and a well developed rack.


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## ND decoy (Feb 1, 2003)

I also take a doe for my meat so I can look for a big buck.

I also agree that many guys get caught up in big buck fever (I'm one of them) but for me it's about setting a goal and reaching it. I like to set a couple of goals for myself. First of all I try to shoot a buck that is bigger than any deer that I have shot. That one is not set in stone but that is my ultimite goal. If I can't do that my set in stone rule is to shoot a buck that was bigger than last years buck. This rule for me is unbreakable. Last year I could only hunt the opening weekend and I passed up 17 bucks that were to small. I did see 2 bucks that were bigger than any deer that I have shot before. One of them I couldn't get within half a mile of him and the other one disappered on me when I made my move. So this year I have no previouse deer to compare him to.

It's true that you can't eat the antlers but you can make soup out of them.


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## thegoosemaster (Feb 2, 2006)

I shoot fawns........And i like it.

i also would shoot ne deer that walked by me. one of these times its gonna be a nice buck though.


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## Mud15 (Sep 24, 2004)

I have not shot a buck yet...Finally got a buck tag this year for SD and im stoked! Im not gonna be too picky but im not gonna shooot any little basket rack. When i see him in the scope ill know if hes the right one. Its a gamble though....passs on one and you might not see another.


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## M*F (Nov 3, 2006)

Antlers are the icing. I just want to take my buck on my terms and have a blast with the hunt.


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## outdoorguy (Nov 17, 2006)

Passed on a nice 5x5 opening morning at about 9:00. Saw a buck earlier that morning when it was too dark to shoot that we think was considerably bigger, just not quite enought sun to tell. Not pulling the trigger on the second one was probably one of the hardest things to do, but if you have to second guess yourself opening morning it's probably not big enough.


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

thegoosemaster said:


> I shoot fawns........And i like it.
> 
> i also would shoot ne deer that walked by me. one of these times its gonna be a nice buck though.


Is the I shoot fawns thread making a comeback???


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