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What would you do #2

Age?


  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
How about this buck?


 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Solid 3.5 IMO and needs a year. He's in the 130's with that mass and decent beam length, but not by much and certainly won't be OBB. Let him walk and pray like hell...
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
In my neck of the woods, if I don't shoot him, somebody else will. I think that's a great buck. Will he get bigger? Yep. Can you afford to let him walk? That's up to you to decide.
There is a ton of pressure around the properties I hunt so I'd probably take advantage of that one.
 

Rutin

Senior Member
2,029
0
Ina Duck Blind
Im shooting...... only because I got a thing for big 8's! He really could use another year but I've said that sooooo many times and never see them again so I eat my tag
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
I would shoot him cause that would probably be my biggest buck to date. If my wall looked like Jesse and others, Id pass.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I would shoot him cause that would probably be my biggest buck to date. If my wall looked like Jesse and others, Id pass.

HA. I appreciate the sentiment, but my wall ain't shit compared to say the Newsome boys, Gern, JD and more. I have some decent deer on the walls, but they won't score much more than this deer. What makes them trophies to me is knowing they were old deer. I may never kill a truly big deer, but if I kill a half dozen or more 5-6 year old deer in my life, I'll done well for myself. I'm to the point now though that I'd shoot a for sure OBB 3 year old just to get that monkey off my back, but I'd ultimately be pissed at myself given the general luck I've had with deer getting to 4 and beyond. Its a crap shoot for sure, but the old fuggers are fun to kill!

To get off topic a little, I will say that 2 of the 3 deer on my wall proved that old adage that with age, some bucks will shrink their home core area and get a little ballsy/predictable within those bounds. The buck I killed last year could have been killed from the same tree Saturday night, Sunday morning and was killed there Sunday evening. He may have been there Saturday morning TOO. My '08 buck didn't appear to leave a 100 acre area. It had all he needed and I killed him sneaking out the back door to his bedroom. So letting deer get old is a HUGE gamble most of the time, but if you get lucky and so does he, when he is 6+ years old, he could be a whole lot easier to kill than he was at 4.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
This year I shoot him. I am on the fence between 3.5 and 4.5. He has darn good mass and tines for 3.5, and the neck comes down pretty far into the brisket. He is unique and I am a sucker for big 8's. I voted on the fence, but after reviewing the pics again from the computer I think I would have trouble passing from the stand.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
I'd be more inclined to shoot this deer more so than the other deer. He looks older to me and pretty much maxed out in the antler department. He's got great mass but IMO he will prolly always be a main framed 4x4 till he's laid low. I bet he will be harder to kill than the other deer based on the fact I think he's older and more wise. I could be wrong but that's my gut feeling...
 

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
11,518
167
Gods Country
He is not going to score big, but he does have some uniqueness to him with being that high and tight. I don't have a high and tight on the wall so I would send a shaft through him.