Age or Score?

Which of these two would you shoot if both were in front of your stand?

  • 120" 5 year old buck

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • 140" 3 year old buck

    Votes: 7 63.6%

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .

badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
Just as an example...here's 3 bucks at my home farm.

Honeydew is 4 this year.

Over 160" last year at 3 years old. I passed him twice and shot a smaller 4 year old.

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This year he is putting on way more mass. He is going to be even bigger.

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badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
Jesse Ventura is 5...i think. biggest bodied deer on the farm. Last year he was 135-140" 8 pt

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This year he looks bigger, but not nearly as big as honeydew

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badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
Trident looks to be 7-8 years old. Ancient old deer.

Last year and this year racks are pretty much the same
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badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
I am torn. Honeydew is the biggest deer on the place, and at 4 years old I will definitely shoot him if given the chance. But crazy as it sounds, I would almost rather shoot Jesse Ventura and see what Honeydew looks like in another year...he will be scary big at 5. And Trident needs to be killed, so I'm not sure I can pass him if he gives me a shot even though his rack is messed up. If Honeydew and Trident were in front of me, at this point, and maybe I've lost my mind, but I think I would shoot Trident and let Honeydew walk.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I've never been in he position of having all those choices, but it would be nice to have those problems.
 

Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Depends on which stand, and for me it would depend on what I had killed previously and what my observations told me about the rest of the herd.. If I thought the 140 was the biggest thing out there.. at 3.5 he is past my point of growed.. I shot him.. if he is not the biggest out there and I have both tags in my pocket I may shoot the older one and save a tag for big boy.. also matters when in the season we are talking about.. too many variables to have a black and white answer.
 

badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
How old was the deer you shot last year with the ml?

4 1/2. Not the biggest deer on the farm by a longshot, but I didn't feel he would ever be much better than he was, having shortish tines. There was one 2 year old last year that was as big as he was, and 2 or 3 different 3 year olds bigger than him.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
I'd just shoot whatever deer I could find the best picture of online...then say he's old and big...
 
Last edited:

Crappie_Hunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Yeah I mean if I could photoshop myself in the 120" deer picture better than the 140" I would probably go with that.... but I'm sure I could find a 150 incher out there somewhere on the interwebs!
 

153

Six Pointer
A lot would depend on where you hunt an how much land you have control over. Two years ago I had great neighbors and let several 120-130 and even a 140 pass. Lost my good neighbors(five of them)and a new crowd(about 20-25) on the lease(about 400 acres) next to me. New crowd is brown is down, might not have to even be brown. They drive four wheelers all over the place 5am-6pm, shoot anything and miss a lot. Year before last on opening ML morning 18 shots before lunch and killed a doe and a small 7. Did see but one decent buck last year, maybe a 120 and I killed him during ML week. Not ranting just stating the facts. You have to play the hand that is dealt to you.
 

treestock

Four Pointer
A lot would depend on where you hunt an how much land you have control over. Two years ago I had great neighbors and let several 120-130 and even a 140 pass. Lost my good neighbors(five of them)and a new crowd(about 20-25) on the lease(about 400 acres) next to me. New crowd is brown is down, might not have to even be brown. They drive four wheelers all over the place 5am-6pm, shoot anything and miss a lot. Year before last on opening ML morning 18 shots before lunch and killed a doe and a small 7. Did see but one decent buck last year, maybe a 120 and I killed him during ML week. Not ranting just stating the facts. You have to play the hand that is dealt to you.
Yup. Given the option age or size either old buck or bigger than my other hat racks try not to shoot smaller than I've aready got, so a decent for eastern nc young bucks got a good chance at the house! A crappy location where I know the neighbors kill everything then brown is down

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I try to hunt age if I can , but it's only a few places I hunt that I feel comfortable​ letting deer walk ..the other spots I hunt I still let them walk but rarely do I ever get a pic or see the same deer two yrs in a row ...but yeah I'll let a good deer walk just to hope for a prayer here in NC
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
If it's biggest deer I've shot, I shoot it. If I think it's 4 or older I shoot it. If a nice 3 year old gets me excited, I'm putting arrow through it.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
How did you get them to tell you their names? Or did the squirrels narc them out?
 

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
LOL ... I dream of the day I have your 'problem'. In the past 16 years, I've seen 3 ... maybe 4 bucks over 100" on my property. Two are on my wall. I've seen two others on two other properties I've hunted. One was a real monster.
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
LOL ... I dream of the day I have your 'problem'. In the past 16 years, I've seen 3 ... maybe 4 bucks over 100" on my property. Two are on my wall. I've seen two others on two other properties I've hunted. One was a real monster.
Same here Greg.....

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ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Getting pics and getting shots are two different things......in NC you better shoot either of these cause the guy next door will for sure!
 

MoBucks

Old Mossy Horns
Getting pics and getting shots are two different things......in NC you better shoot either of these cause the guy next door will for sure!

It ain't NC... but you should see the ones he killed back when he was here!!!![emoji23] bruisers I tell ya!


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badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
Getting pics and getting shots are two different things......in NC you better shoot either of these cause the guy next door will for sure!

I mean this as respectfully as possible, but that mentality is the biggest reason why I don't hunt in NC any more, and the biggest reason there aren't more big deer alive in NC. Anyone who shoots a buck and uses the excuse that they only did because their neighbor would have...is that neighbor. Iowa doesn't just have great genetics. A lot of hunters and neighbors cooperate with one another and don't shoot young deer. Instead of feeling they have to shoot a deer so their neighbor can't have it, they understand that letting them go creates more big deer and better hunting for everyone. I know NC and IA are apples and oranges, but I'm just making the point that the process has to start somewhere.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I thought those deer were here in NC and I was talking from an archery shot standpoint because that is where my brain is right now. If you could get either of those scenarios in front of you.....not many going to pass on them. I never shoot one to keep the neighbors from shooting it but there are some in my club that have that mindset for sure. As long as they are within the rules ....not much I can do.....I continue to try and change that mindset within the club and on the land we control. We will never be Iowa......but we could be much better than we are!!Here is the only one on my hit list this year......haven't got all the cams out yet....but he is pretty nicebigboy17.jpg
 

badlandbucks

Ten Pointer
I thought those deer were here in NC and I was talking from an archery shot standpoint because that is where my brain is right now. If you could get either of those scenarios in front of you.....not many going to pass on them. I never shoot one to keep the neighbors from shooting it but there are some in my club that have that mindset for sure. As long as they are within the rules ....not much I can do.....I continue to try and change that mindset within the club and on the land we control. We will never be Iowa......but we could be much better than we are!!Here is the only one on my hit list this year......haven't got all the cams out yet....but he is pretty niceView attachment 55741

That's a stud!


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ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Kind of disappointed there are usually at least 2-3 over the 130 inch mark in that little block of woods, but this year he is the king. 4 years old best we can tell from old pics my son has compiled and thinks are the same deer. I don't have the patience to dig through all those pics.....younger eyes can do it! This is private land not associated with our club in the Northeast part of NC. Central NC deer ......archery only on this piece of land. It is tough to kill them... tricky little set-up.... We get close every year but usually 70-80 yards out is the norm....it is sooooo much fun trying and 300 yards from my front door.
 

MtnMan

Ten Pointer
A lot would depend on where you hunt an how much land you have control over. Two years ago I had great neighbors and let several 120-130 and even a 140 pass. Lost my good neighbors(five of them)and a new crowd(about 20-25) on the lease(about 400 acres) next to me. New crowd is brown is down, might not have to even be brown. They drive four wheelers all over the place 5am-6pm, shoot anything and miss a lot. Year before last on opening ML morning 18 shots before lunch and killed a doe and a small 7. Did see but one decent buck last year, maybe a 120 and I killed him during ML week. Not ranting just stating the facts. You have to play the hand that is dealt to you.

Sounds like your neighbors moved in beside me.
 
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