"Shooter" Buck Standards & "Timing"

[Football Hunter]

Many hunts in East TN result in seeing no deer at all. I'm a "brown is down" guy except for fawns. Once I've got one in the freezer I tend to be a little more selective.

This is a very little known fact for a lot of folks. A whole lot of folks can't imagine going out and not seeing 20-30 deer at a sitting, with a min of 7-10 bucks each time. Not a smart remark at all, just stating a fact.

Id like to get in on that,I see a lot of deer,but dont know of ever seeing 7 to 10 bucks at once,4 or 5 a few times

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Many hunts in East TN result in seeing no deer at all. I'm a "brown is down" guy except for fawns. Once I've got one in the freezer I tend to be a little more selective.

This is a very little known fact for a lot of folks. A whole lot of folks can't imagine going out and not seeing 20-30 deer at a sitting, with a min of 7-10 bucks each time. Not a smart remark at all, just stating a fact.

I don't know of many places in Tennessee where I can see that many deer or bucks, I've seen that many deer maybe three times in 14 years and I hunted in one of the arguebly better areas in the state for about 7 years

Fairly common here. I saw 7-10 bucks on about 10 different hunts this past year. Part of it is because I am fairly selective. [/end quote]

Yep, I hear a lot of claims just like this thru out the year from middle and west Tn. More power to you guys, but it's just not that busy in the se part of the state for me.

I have hunted East Tennessee a little bit , and it is a totally different ball game for sure. It is alot tougher hunting in east Tennessee for sure. It isn't a claim though, it is a fact.

 

[102]

"Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who can consistently kill a deer, ANY deer, in SE Tennessee, with a bow, year after year, on PUBLIC land, is a GOOD hunter"

Fred Bear once spoke these words to a friend of mine at a public event years ago.

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[Football Hunter]

"Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who can consistently kill a deer, ANY deer, in SE Tennessee, with a bow, year after year, on PUBLIC land, is a GOOD hunter"

Fred Bear once spoke these words to a friend of mine at a public event years ago.

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I can only assume your right,as Ive never hunted that area.
But if hunting was that bad in the area I lived,I would be working as hard as I could to get to better places,life is too short.
You seem kind of mad about it though.

 

[WRbowhunter]

I for 1 think there is a difference in a bow kill and a gun kill. Sort of like the difference in hunting public land and hunting a game perserve. A dead deer is a dead deer Right? I hear people all the time on this site talk about going to the midwest and holding out for a 150 or 160 class deer and then coming back to TN and happy to kill a 130. What's the difference. Why settle for a 130 in TN when you passed the same size in Midwest. Maybe because the effort to kill a 130 inch deer in TN is the same as killing a 150 to 160 inch deer in the midwest? I think Pope and Young and Bone and Croocket have different standards for a reason. Kill what you want. I do.

 

[102]

"Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who can consistently kill a deer, ANY deer, in SE Tennessee, with a bow, year after year, on PUBLIC land, is a GOOD hunter"

Fred Bear once spoke these words to a friend of mine at a public event years ago.

102

I can only assume your right,as Ive never hunted that area.
But if hunting was that bad in the area I lived,I would be working as hard as I could to get to better places,life is too short.
You seem kind of mad about it though.

Too funny. Words written just don't show emotion.

Not mad at all.

And you are DEAD on about spreading out to other places.
I hunt ALL over the South. Including Southern Illinois.

I live near Chattanooga and hunt in the mountains near home. I know several guys who also hunt nearby woods.

It is VERY common for us to log MANY days on stand without a single solitary deer sighting. Even on some friends leases, where food plots and feeders are common, deer simply react TOO negatively to hunting pressure on nearby public lands.

But occasionally, I get the privilege of hunting really CHOICE ground on private property. I am always surprised at how many deer I see.

THere are places that we hunt that commonly yield sightings in the double digit each day, but not around here.

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[muzzyman71]

I have offen dreamed of challenging Waddell, brad, will, bill jordan, all them guys. I bet they couldnt kill a 140 inch deer on Briceville mountain or any E tn area within 2 weeks. I know they woulnt have enough deer footage to make a show. IMO

 

[Vermin93]

I live near Chattanooga and hunt in the mountains near home. I know several guys who also hunt nearby woods.

It is VERY common for us to log MANY days on stand without a single solitary deer sighting. Even on some friends leases, where food plots and feeders are common, deer simply react TOO negatively to hunting pressure on nearby public lands.

Your comment just thoroughly depressed me. My mom (who's house is my TN hunting headquarters) is wanting to move from the Lenoir City area to Signal Mountain near Chattanooga. I may not see many bucks here in Loudon county, but at least I see does almost every time I hunt. Sounds like my deer hunting situation may be going from bad to worse. I hope you at least have some decent turkey numbers down there.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Wes,
There are many different opinions that reach to all aspects of the spectrum. Every single person has their own personal experiences for the decisions they choose. I personally, have very high standards. That in itself reflects on the number of 3 1/2 or older bucks I kill. I kill "on average" one 3 1/2 or older buck every 3 years. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PROPERTY YOUR HUNTING. You know just as well as I do...You have to hunt where mature bucks exist. As mentioned in another thread, I hunted on a lease where I killed two 3 1/2 yo or older bucks for 3 years in a row. Granted, that was on a 4000 acre lease in the heart of Williamson county. Got kicked off for killing big bucks, when the "lease supervisors" wanted opening weekend hunters and not every weekend hunters - guys to pay the lease checks. I'm not going to say it was easy killing those bucks, but it wasnt NEARLY as hard as the place like I hunt now.....and thats 700 acres in Hickman County. You have to work HARD to kill a 3 1/2 or older buck there. Now, I do have an opportunity at a mature buck EVERY year, but somehow manage to distinguish that chance 75% of the time due to something going wrong. A decade ago, if I knew then what I know now, I can almost gaurantee you I could kill atleast 1 mature buck (and several 3 1/2's) every year on that place in Williamson County. When we had that lease, I was 15 - 17 years old (3 years).

Back to the topic...From the caliber of bucks that I have killed in the past, I would most certainly pass up bucks with a gun, but would most certainly shoot a few of those with a bow in a heartbeat. I have never killed a buck with a bow. Not that I couldnt....there have been years that I have passed up over 20 bucks with a bow, but wouldnt have the "satisfaction" of killing it no matter the weapon, reflecting on my kills in the past with a gun. I have let MANY 8 and 10 pt's go with a bow only because they were not up to my standards. Does, I have killed 4 out ofthe last 5 years on opening weekend....bucks to my standard in Hickman are a different animal. Location Location Location

BUT.....there have been MANY times I have had a gun in my hand and let a good 3 1/2 walk on by.....and I was thinking in my mind, "Man I wish I had a bow in my hand...I would have shot him in a heartbeat." It's all in everyones specific experiences and what they have encountered.

Point is, there are some bucks that I would shoot with a bow in a heartbeat, but with a gun, I'd have crosshairs on him and let him go. I love shooting deer with a bow. There is no higher peak than that.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Re: "Shooter" Buck Standards & "Timing"

Mine are simple Wes. With my stupid exception of messing up last year, if I shoot it's because it's a buck I'll mount.

Now, that might or might not be lower with a bow. That's a game time decision, one I don't have to make very often although with the exception of one 4.5yr old 8pt that I lost, I've passed on all of them with a bow. I don't have the chance at many club legal bucks with a bow but I won't shoot a 7 or 8pt if I'm not mounting it so I've let a few walk on by. That big 8 was different and I still have nightmares of a "perfect" hit not turning into a recovery after 9 hours.

I'm a little different from you with age requirements and I applaud you with your discipline. I'd shoot a 2.5yr old that sported 120" of antler probably not even worrying about age. But then again, those are so rare I don't even worry about it. Not sure if I've ever seen one or had a picture of one on our place. Last three bucks I killed were 3.5, 5.5, 2.5 (idiot mistake) in that order and wish I had of passed on the 3.5 but not because of age, although I did mount him but he was borderline.

 

[Good time Charlie]

This is interesting,everyone stayed civil and give good comments
These are the threads you learn from.
As for me I will not kill anything that is not very large.
I would rather photograph them in their natural enviroment then to shoot them.

 

[redblood]

This is interesting,everyone stayed civil and give good comments
These are the threads you learn from.
As for me I will not kill anything that is not very large.
I would rather photograph them in their natural enviroment then to shoot them.

most boring threads are civil, lol

 

[MUP]

Another point I'd like to express is that, when hunting my place here in SE TN, and I do happen to kill a nice buck, I know it's a real accomplishment. Sure I could move off and hunt where the hunting is easier, but when I'm successful in my own backyard, so to speak, it's just that more special. Know what I'm trying to say?

 

[TheLBLman]

By no means do I want to come across as "criticizing" anyone's preferences here, such as by saying some are more into their weapons than their hunting. Just curious as to why we have the preferences we have.

I'm more curious about the rationale of hunters' CHANGING their "Shooter" Buck Standards based on the time of the season, i.e. early season, the rut, and late season. And also, how does early seasonal success (or lack there of) effect these standards?

Seems I often hear hunters say they lower their standards late-season, yet my thinking is just the opposite, as I raise mine post-rut.

 

[TheLBLman]

Re: "Shooter" Buck Standards & "Timing"

Spoken like a man with GREAT private property land to hunt.

Guess that's a matter of opinion. Debatable on the "GREAT", but it has been made better (IMO) by our decisions to protect yearling bucks (regardless of what weapons the hunters are using). But from what I understand, many prefer to hunt public land in other states over much private land in Tennessee.

Personally, I haven't hunted outside TN for the past two years. Combining the 2010 and 2011 seasons, in addition to hunting on private property, I've also hunted quite a bit on public land in TN.

But my original question was not meant to become an issue between public land vs. private land, or bow hunting vs. gun hunting, nor anything else to divide hunters.

What I'd like to know is do you change your standards for a shooter buck (early season vs. late season), and if so, why? Nothing to do with your choice of weapons, and everything to to with "Timing".

 

[BigSatt]

Not me.

If he's not a shooter the 1st day that I hunt that year, well, he definitely isn't the last day.

That is my hunt...my preference. Doesn't mean that is/should be everyone's way of thinking.

 

[TheLBLman]

If he's not a shooter the 1st day that I hunt that year, well, he definitely isn't the last day.

That is my hunt...my preference. Doesn't mean that is/should be everyone's way of thinking.

Thank you.
That's what I'm talking about.
Some of us feel this way, myself included, others don't.

As to those who change their minds, early season vs. late season, why?

 

[102]

Read something a moment ago where a poster said, "I'd let him live another year, although I might shoot him with a bow."
What difference does it make which weapon you're using in determining whether a particular buck is a "shooter" or not?

If it matters to you much, then my take is you're more a weapons enthusiast than a hunter. Not that you can't be both, just saying most of us tend to be at least a little more one than the other. I'll probably spend more days hunting with archery/muzzleloader equipment this year than centerfire, and while I enjoy hunting with whatever weapon is in my hand, to me, it's more about the hunt than the weapon. When the centerfire "gun" season opens statewide, you'll probably not see me heading afield deer hunting with a pistol instead of a rifle. Am usually going to be using the most effective weapon I own that's legal.

But that's not really what I'd like to discuss most.
I'm more curious about the rationale of hunters' CHANGING their "Shooter" Buck Standards based on the time of the season, i.e. early season, the rut, and late season. And also, how does early seasonal success (or lack there of) effect these standards?

Seems I often hear hunters say they lower their standards late-season, yet my thinking is just the opposite, as I raise mine post-rut. Not that they change much from early season to late season, but a buck I "might" take early season is more inclined to get to walk late season. My thinking is he's fairly likely to be killed during the rut, but if he survived to post-rut, he has an excellent chance of getting another year older if I let him walk. So borderline bucks I might have taken in November get to walk in December.

Whether I kill a buck or go "buckless" doesn't change this, in that I don't lower my standards late season when I've not been able to take what I considered a shooter buck earlier. Should add I kill enough does for meat, so never have any need to kill a buck for the table.

By no means do I want to come across as "criticizing" anyone's preferences here, such as by saying some are more into their weapons than their hunting. Just curious as to why we have the preferences we have. Some will say I'm more into deer management than deer hunting, which may be true, although I do regularly kill quite a few deer (and usually with the most effective weapon that's legal to use).

"What difference does it make which weapon you're using in determining whether a particular buck is a "shooter" or not?"


I guess I did not read this right. I tried to answer as best I could.


102

 

[Baxter83]

As to those who change their minds, early season vs. late season, why?

If I start the season off by passing on a buck that is a borderline shooter (by my own standards) early on, then go the rest of the season without seeing much of anything then I'd, personally, find it quite rewarding to shoot that deer later in the season rather than go deerless. I guess what I'm saying is that it would make me happy, and that's really all I care about and all that matters when it comes down to it.

 

[102]

There are many of us who do not see multiple DEER in a weeks hunt. Forget multiple bucks.
Many seasons I have sat in my stand for WEEKS and not laid eyes on a SINGLE solitary deer. But that is Public land hunting.

Do I lower my standards with a bow?
What standards?

"I guess you could say I do. I am pretty sure both Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett recognize the difference.

It is, and always has been, MUCH more challenging to kill a deer, ANY DEER, with a bow and arrow, as compared to a gun.
PERIOD.

And ANY deer is potentially a trophy to ANY hunter with any weapon. Depends on the hunter."