Do you shoot him?

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
I bow hunt all season, I just don't hunt as much as I used to. I can say he looks bigger in this photo then he will ever look this season, something about that photo angle and this stage of velvet always makes deer look bigger. I usually shoot any buck that will gross 130+ that comes in bow range, he is definitely over 130. He's the size and age of deer that I'd be just as happy to NOT see as I would to see because of his young age and potential. I have 2 deer on camera in the same category right now. It will just depend on the day and how good a shot the deer gives me. With bow hunting, I've learned to value good shot opportunities when they present themselves.
 
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TrkyJedi

Eight Pointer
Well, if you say that is what happened with those two, OK. ... It is certainly not normal. In this deer's case, he has added no more than 1.5 inches to any tine in going from 2.5 to 3.5, and that might be a generous take. He is not adding 5 inches to his G2s and G3s (almost doubling in length) in going from 3.5 to 4.5 ... or 5.5, or 6.5. Stickers, drop tines, more mass, longer main beams, maybe more tines, a couple of inches per tine, certainly.
This is what they looked like last year. They eat good stuff with minerals. They added a lot of inches in the last year I think. I was pleased. They do not have multiple tines like the deer you have. Just main frame 8's, the deer you have has potential that those 8's do not. The right feed and minerals and 2 years. He's close to 160, I would love to have him on one of my places.
 

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QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Ainā€™t gonna happen. At 3.5, if he doesnā€™t have long tines he never will. He might add a sixth point on both sides though. He is showing a start to that on the right side now.
Truthfully, youā€™ll never know what he can do until heā€™s 5.5-6.5. To say if he ainā€™t got it at 3.5 heā€™ll never have it, is just plain false.

84C319B1-0C5B-429E-808D-5CFBCBB46817.jpeg2C27BA68-AA0D-46BA-9D78-E57AFE101E87.jpegThis deer put on close to 40ā€ from 4.5 to 5.5, when he caught a bullet. They donā€™t all blow up like that, but some of em došŸ‘
 

slugoo

Eight Pointer
Depends on why you hunt. For meat? I'd shoot him at 1.5. For horn? Its really just up to you. My answer is that I'd start shaking if I saw a buck half his size. Maybe I'll be more discriminatory once I'm older, but currently I plan on shooting anything that isn't a button buck... or illegal to shoot.
 

cloningerba

Old Mossy Horns
Id shoot him but that isnt saying much. Like others have stated, the only way I would let that deer walk is under perfect circumstances... knowing for a fact he makes it another year.
 

Deep River

Ten Pointer
Contributor
This is what they looked like last year. They eat good stuff with minerals. They added a lot of inches in the last year I think. I was pleased. They do not have multiple tines like the deer you have. Just main frame 8's, the deer you have has potential that those 8's do not. The right feed and minerals and 2 years. He's close to 160, I would love to have him on one of my places.
If he is in the 135" range right now, 160 is probably about right IF he makes it to 5.5. That IF is the problem. I was simply saying that he isn't gaining all those 25 inches in G2, G3 and G4 tine length ((5+5+2)x2=24). More than half that growth will most likely be in other dimensions or new points.

I have a decent sized piece of property, but am surrounded by a bunch of smaller property owners and many of them hunt. I have a lot invested in this guy and all his 'brothers'. My neighbors generally do not. Not that it matters. They have as much right to pull the trigger on him as I do.
 

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
If it looks like he'd top my biggest, then yes, I'd shoot. If not, I'd let him pass, especially if he sticks around. There's plenty of does and wonky racked bucks around to kill for meat. They always look bigger in velvet anyway. He could grow to be spectacular & I'd love to see him reach full potential.

I had a buddy in Pulaski, Va. that owned over 1,000 acres and he kept protein stations and food plots going year 'round. He wouldn't shoot a buck until it was 6.5 years old. He also had wounded warrior hunts to thin does and take out wonky racked bucks. His trophy room was ridiculous, with B&C bucks all taken from his own land. They looked like whitetails from Iowa or Canada. They got huge because he had the space to let them.

Jim
 

Deep River

Ten Pointer
Contributor
If it looks like he'd top my biggest, then yes, I'd shoot. If not, I'd let him pass, especially if he sticks around. There's plenty of does and wonky racked bucks around to kill for meat. They always look bigger in velvet anyway. He could grow to be spectacular & I'd love to see him reach full potential.

I had a buddy in Pulaski, Va. that owned over 1,000 acres and he kept protein stations and food plots going year 'round. He wouldn't shoot a buck until it was 6.5 years old. He also had wounded warrior hunts to thin does and take out wonky racked bucks. His trophy room was ridiculous, with B&C bucks all taken from his own land. They looked like whitetails from Iowa or Canada. They got huge because he had the space to let them.

Jim
Yep. That kind of space is not a luxury I have. Having it would make this a much easier call. :)
 

JONOV

Twelve Pointer
If he is in the 135" range right now, 160 is probably about right IF he makes it to 5.5. That IF is the problem. I was simply saying that he isn't gaining all those 25 inches in G2, G3 and G4 tine length ((5+5+2)x2=24). More than half that growth will most likely be in other dimensions or new points.

I have a decent sized piece of property, but am surrounded by a bunch of smaller property owners and many of them hunt. I have a lot invested in this guy and all his 'brothers'.
My neighbors generally do not. Not that it matters. They have as much right to pull the trigger on him as I do.
That's the question, how likely do you think he is to make it til next year if you let him walk?
People that want to raise and shoot really, really, really big deer need to have relatively big pieces of land that they can manage for that purpose.

A guy hunting 40 acres can't have the same expectations as the guy hunting 200 acres and the guy hunting 200 acres can't expect to do what someone with 1000 acres can.

That deer is nicer than what 99% of hunters in NC would expect to kill in a season, so if your situation is one where you have a good size piece of land but not so big as to not worry about the neighbors, I'd probably pull the trigger.
 

TrkyJedi

Eight Pointer
Deep River, the problem I have is that I never want to be disappointed when I walk up to a deer. And it's got to the point that the deer has to be close to 150 for me to want to shoot one. I may shoot the split g2 deer in yesterday's picture this year only because he's the dominant deer in this area and there is a 10 pt in the low 140's that I want to see next year and he may get to the magical 150. I may let my wife shoot him for her 1st deer if she gets to where I think she can do it. Deep River, I didn't mean to highjack your thread. I hope you kill that deer and enjoy your success. You don't have to justify anything to anybody.
 

HorNhnTr

Twelve Pointer
I say spin the wheel and give him another year ... ya never know what heā€™ll look like until next year. Now if I was hunting with someone I wanted to aggravate Iā€™d talk about shooting him all preseason. šŸ˜‚
 

huntngolf

Six Pointer
Youve obviously shot some nice deer in NC to think about passing that buck. But being realistic in NC I would definitely shoot that deer with a bow if you are a bowhunter but if it makes it through the first few weeks of gun season and you see him I would pass it as he has a good chance of making it till next year
 

Bollweevil

Eight Pointer
IMO, that deer still has some growing to do from that picture. Those tines are very bulging at the ends. He could put on another 1-2" on each point and main beam. I would have no problem pulling the trigger on that buck.
 

Deep River

Ten Pointer
Contributor
IMO, that deer still has some growing to do from that picture. Those tines are very bulging at the ends. He could put on another 1-2" on each point and main beam. I would have no problem pulling the trigger on that buck.
Yeah. I noticed the same thing. He was kind of a late developer last year too.
 

Putt

Old Mossy Horns
He will not stay there from mid October till December. Your call if you are him. How many others would pass him up.. not many
 
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