How many 3 year olds do you pass?

[Harold Money jr]

Question for the consistent big buck killers, a little back ground first.
My son and I kill a couple 3 1/2's every year usually one apiece. We hunt East Tennessee and hunt an evening or two in bow season and Saturday in juvi, a few all day sits in muzzleloader and a day or two in rifle. We hunt thickets edges near hardwoods and terrain features like saddles, watch the wind and set up accordingly and pass on 10-15 1 1/2's and 5-6 2 1/2s a season but we don't usually pass on the 3 1/2yo bucks.
My question is how many 3 1/2yo bucks do y'all pass on to get to the 4 1/2+ Year old fully mature bucks? We are usually done hunting by thanksgiving as we've killed 4-5 deer total and have enough to eat. Are we stopping hunting too soon in the year? Does Dec. need more attention? What would y'all recommend we do different. Appreciate any advice.

 

[Kyboy]

I have never killed a "giant" but I have killed a few deer in the older class range. (2, 7+ one was 6) This year and the last is the first year I have started to keep tabs on everything. So far this year I have passed on 6 different 3.5 year old deer, all score in the low 120s-130ish. A healthy 3.5 deer will be very visible during daylight hours during the rut, I feel as if they breed the most does and travel the most. But in this part of the season a lot of them have been shot, which in my honest opinion gives us hunters the best chance to shoot a "giant" or an older class deer this week or first of December.

 

[Boll Weevil]

My question is how many 3 1/2yo bucks do y'all pass on to get to the 4 1/2+ Year old fully mature bucks?

All of them. We only kill bucks that are 5.5+

 

[vanleerbuckbuster]

My son and myself hunt almost exactly the same as you. Although we dont typically pass on a high end 2.5 as often as we probably should. At the same time our farm is only 30 acres so we are thankful for the bucks we're able to get. However it does seem that in our area. When we do kill a mature buck. It is typically Thanksgiving weekend through the first week in December

 

[BSK]

None. I hunt family property with 5 to 6 other hunters, and the only buck harvest rule is "No Yearlings." Most of the hunters will gladly shoot a 2 1/2. One other hunter and I hold out for 3 1/2+, but even then, late in the year, if I haven't killed anything, I will take a 2 1/2. Although, I'm not sure I would call myself a "consistent big buck killer." I usually kill a mature buck (4 1/2+) about every other year.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Im not a big buck killer but I try to give all 3 yr olds a pass. I did shoot one 3 years ago by mistake. In the past 5 years i have killed seven 4 1/2 yr olds or older. If you want them to get 4 1/2 or older it is simply your only option. I usually see 4-5 three olds a year, sometimes more. My teenage son is a different story!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Depends really. If I have a target buck that I know is around, I will try to kill that deer if I can, unless something else comes along that I didn't know was around. Good years I might pass a couple 3.5 year olds. Bad years like last year, I will not see a single one from a stand. Last year the only decent buck I had any encounters with was never while I was in a stand, and I never really had any shot opportunities I felt were ethical. We had zero trail cam pics of that deer, but I am pretty sure he was a 4.5 with a 20+ inch inside spread. I didn't kill a deer last year, but I didn't get to hunt nearly as much last year as I normally do.

 

[PWoody]

The property I hunt is 200 acres in middle tn with 4 of us hunting. Over twenty years, we've gone from nothing gets a pass to trying to shoot 3 year old bucks and have been successful doing that and have enjoyed ourselves immensely. The last 2 years a 4+ has been taken which has inspired us to pass some 3 year olds in the hopes we'll see 4+ bucks more consistently. The only real rule we have is 1 buck of choice. If it makes you happy, choot 'em. We generally only hunt maybe 4 two to three day periods every year so everyone doesn't always shoot something. Our success, ultimately, is going to depend greatly on who is hunting on neighboring properties and what they are shooting.

 

[Safari Hunt]

Hmmm. Lots of them when the wife was director of a daycare. As for deer, I'm looking for a mature buck with a good rack. The bigger, the better at this stage of life.

 

[Dumbluck]

A 3 year old is the holy grail of what not to shoot if you want to kill really big deer. Just because you pass them up doesn't mean they will make it though. I don't shoot any 3 year olds unless I make a mistake, which happens. But old mature deer are rare so you have to be willing to eat tag soup.

Late seasons for me is the best time to catch an old buck 5+. I have killed more big mature deer in December than any other month. And a lot of those deer I passed up years before when they were big 3 or 4 year olds.

 

[Headhunter]

For the most part I don't pay attention to age when it comes to bucks. I try to kill the buck with antlers that I like. Usually but not always, means the biggest antlers and I believe most of the time that means an older buck. If I see a deer with really nice antlers, but it is obviously young, I most likely don't try to kill him.

And as much I talk and discuss scoring, score truly does not matter, not at all. Score is just a gauge for comparison in my thinking. My best "measuring" buck is by no means my favorite kill. I have seen many deer and see them killed every season, that are much smaller "inch" wise but I would for sure love to kill one that looks like it. My daughters buck this year measures 20" smaller than the one I killed, but I believe hers is a much better looking deer, and not only because she killed it, but because it is. When it stepped out, I lost it, I was whispering to her "kill that buck, kill him", I whispered so much "stay still, shoot him in the shoulder, and kill him" so much, she whispered to me to shut up, twice. I would have shot so quick at him I might would have missed.

 

[RealtreeVol]

A 3 year old is the holy grail of what not to shoot if you want to kill really big deer. Just because you pass them up doesn't mean they will make it though. I don't shoot any 3 year olds unless I make a mistake, which happens. But old mature deer are rare so you have to be willing to eat tag soup.

Late seasons for me is the best time to catch an old buck 5+. I have killed more big mature deer in December than any other month. And a lot of those deer I passed up years before when they were big 3 or 4 year olds.

It's definitely a gamble.....We've tried to do the same thing, and I've held off until December the last 2 years while being able to harvest a mature buck. Last year, I regrettably passed a beautiful 140s that we have observed for all 3 years on camera, hoping to make it to this season who we have not seen on camera or this season at all. Our property is big enough for him to live on, and he has, but I'm afraid he may be gone forever.

 

[LenS]

I've only recently started passing up 3.5 year old deer, and it's not a hard and fast rule that I will always do that. Trail cameras and knowing what is out there really does help me. However, I have yet to shoot a fully mature deer that I know I passed up when he was 3.5. I've killed some at 3.5 that I'm certain I let walk when they were 2.5. Crazy thing is, the 3.5 year old buck you most need to pass is also the one you're most tempted to kill.

3 of us hunt our place and the only "rule" we have is to not shoot a yearling.

 

[megalomaniac]

1 buck limit, shoot whatever makes you happy. About once every 5 or 6 years I will have a buck off limits, or the 'Do Not Kill' list.... thats the 120 to 130in 2.5yo or the 140in 3.5yo.

I will usually pass one or two 4.5yos a year.

So.far this year we've killed a 4.5/5.5, two 4.5s, and two 2.5s (kids).

My son passed up a 4.5yo this morn, but that was because he has already shot his 1 buck for the year.

 

[muddyboots]

Several. This year so far 5.

 

[redblood]

Im not an any buck killer anymore. But i pass a ton of 4.5 and even some 5.5s although that is rare. In fact, i cant even make myself shoot a 4.5 anymore, but i struggle with the killing aspect of the hunt. I get just as much satisfaction as videoing them walking away. Having said that, id much rather take a 1.5 old buck than a 3.5. That 3.5 is much closer to the "goal line" than a 1.5 that is 3 yrs away. 3.5s and most 4.5s must be protected if you goals are to kill truly mature deer. I do not consider a 4.5 yr old buck mature

 

[redblood]

Here some 3.5s and 4.5s that need to see next yr, still breathing. One of them i very tempting. I passed him on sunday. And was sure glad when he left.

 

[catman529]

I don't pass many 3.5 year old bucks, but I have passed a few. All depends on where I'm hunting, how many buck tags I've got, and what I feel like shooting. Last year I passed a deer twice. First time I thought he was 2.5. Second time I got another look at him and decided he was likely 3.5. I waited a whole year and killed him on the first sit this year, and by the jawbone he's at least 5.5, so I unknowingly passed a mature buck on public last year because I had one tag left and was being picky. It doesn't always pay off but when it does, it's pretty cool.

 

[redblood]

A 3 year old is the holy grail of what not to shoot if you want to kill really big deer. Just because you pass them up doesn't mean they will make it though. I don't shoot any 3 year olds unless I make a mistake, which happens. But old mature deer are rare so you have to be willing to eat tag soup.

Late seasons for me is the best time to catch an old buck 5+. I have killed more big mature deer in December than any other month. And a lot of those deer I passed up years before when they were big 3 or 4 year olds.

Agree 100 percent

 

[csi-tech]

Passed on 2 this year. both hovering around 120". Kind of regret it. Everything but does and spikes seems to have vanished lol.