Would you shoot this on public or let him grow?

[dsa5455]

To echo and emphasize what SKI said, we all go through a journey as deer hunters. What we might shoot when we start out and what we might shoot today can be very different for different reasons. Just have fun and do what makes you happy.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a pic of my first buck and my biggest buck, side by side. I hunted 5 years before ever killing my first deer and to say I was proud of that deer would be an understatement. And as you can see, I had that first one mounted! I only have a few mounted, but I have a tub of racks from small bucks that I killed in my early years and don't regret any of them. I've become much more selective, but that doesn't diminish my first deer in any way.

It's also worth noting, both are middle TN deer. My first deer was killed on private, largest on public.

View attachment 244032

This picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[easy45]

Myself, yea, I have to admit my standards would go down if all I hunted was public land. On one of my farms he gets another year but on public I'm taking him.

 

[oldmanelrod]

He has some smarts to survive this long. You might not get another shot at him.

 

[swampbadger]

I'm on public, I have a busy life with twins. We eat venison year round. I go hard every chance I get and I never have enough free time to hunt.

But whenever I need a win, I shoot a deer, any deer. It keeps me relevant and bringing home the bacon periodically is what I'm all about. It keeps me lethal and good at killing deer.

I have ground checked a many marginal bucks that weren't at their peak potential. I have also passed a many dinks and also knocked down some brutes that same way that I couldn't have been happier with.

If the deer is moving slow, you have more time to assess. If they are skint back, you have to make an instant decision.

After passing a bunch of spikes and four point 1.5 year olds that 2.5 year old buck starts getting really tempting and I've passed some, but I usually kill a 2.5 yo buck to have something to euro in the shed and hang my hat on and then try to find a bigger older buck.

Another food for thought… If a hunter holds out for only a 4.5 yo or better buck only. How many shot opportunities would he get per season???

Is That fella who holds out and eats tag soup and passes all the other deer for 3 or 4 seasons going to be as good of a killer as the guy who kills often???

 

[Bone Collector]

he's young but by my count he has 13 pts... the deer you take should be representative of where you are hunting. on Public no way that deer is getting passed by really anyone. I get it you have a bigger deer in the area, but if that comes by I'd shoot it.

 

[Joe2Kool]

I'd shoot. And be happy.

 

[JeepKuntry]

Yes.