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Shooter or ??

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
As we get closer to season and we see these types of threads face books posts etc. can we all just agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?

I bet if we had guys postin pictures of their ladies - itd be very similar. Half would say she's hot. Half would say to give her a year or whatever the correlative response should be.

My point - as hunters let's remember why we do this and pick each other up - not be harsh of a judge.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Good post. Every deer is a shooter if that's feel is OK for you. Back in my past being a meat hunter I shot any deer I seen just to get finished for the season. Never shot more than was legal.
Now for the last 5-6 years since I put in food plots I now pass on 40-50 deer per season to get what I feel is the best deer for me.
So what I'm says what ever tickles you fancy it's OK and never mind who's looking over your shoulder.
 

Just 1 More

Junior Member
796
0
As life goes on not everyone may not be here next year. It's now or never.

Brother,,, yer preachin to the choir ... After missing deer season last year due to emergency quadruple bypass... I know as good as anyone that tomorrow may not be here for any of us... I hope it is for a long time to come for all of us
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Here is how I look at it. It's pretty much what everyone else has already said but I'll add this....


Shoot what makes you happy but also keep in mind you don't want hunters remorse either! Those with a lot of time to hunt and great properties can afford to hold off and pass on decent or nice deer that are borderline shooter deer by most hunters standards. If you have only a couple weeks and a few days sprinkled here and there you might not want to be too picky. Regardless which one you fall under if and when you do decide to pull the trigger and tag that deer be happy with your decision and thankful for the bounty the Lord provided to you and cherish that memory. If you do that, others see and hear how happy you are regardless how old or big your deers rack is.
 
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Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
Here is how I look at it. It's pretty much what everyone else has already said but I'll add this....


Shoot what makes you happy but also keep in mind you don't want hunters remorse either! Those with a lot of time to hunt and great properties can afford to hold off and pass on decent or nice deer that are borderline shooter deer by most hunters standards. If you have only a couple weeks and a few days sprinkled here and there you might not want to be too picky but regardless which one you fall under if and when you do decide to pull the trigger and tag that deer be happy with your decision and thankful for the bounty the Lord provided to you and cherish that memory. If you do that, others see and hear how happy you are regardless how old or big your deers rack is.

Well said
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
Here is how I look at it. It's pretty much what everyone else has already said but I'll add this....


Shoot what makes you happy but also keep in mind you don't want hunters remorse either! Those with a lot of time to hunt and great properties can afford to hold off and pass on decent or nice deer that are borderline shooter deer by most hunters standards. If you have only a couple weeks and a few days sprinkled here and there you might not want to be too picky. Regardless which one you fall under if and when you do decide to pull the trigger and tag that deer be happy with your decision and thankful for the bounty the Lord provided to you and cherish that memory. If you do that, others see and hear how happy you are regardless how old or big your deers rack is.


Spot on. I see a lot of these posts on Facebook and guys of course chime in.

I for one am very blessed to hunt close to 300 acres in Ohio and live on a small chunk of land that I can hunt. So I am picky or try to be. However I know a lot of guys that aren't that fortunate.

I'm happy to tell ya what age I think a deer is, but I'm not gunna tell you to shoot it or not. Unless I know the person very well and know the back story.

I think the most important thing you hit on - "thank the lord" amen to that!
 
Here is how I look at it. It's pretty much what everyone else has already said but I'll add this....


Shoot what makes you happy but also keep in mind you don't want hunters remorse either! Those with a lot of time to hunt and great properties can afford to hold off and pass on decent or nice deer that are borderline shooter deer by most hunters standards. If you have only a couple weeks and a few days sprinkled here and there you might not want to be too picky. Regardless which one you fall under if and when you do decide to pull the trigger and tag that deer be happy with your decision and thankful for the bounty the Lord provided to you and cherish that memory. If you do that, others see and hear how happy you are regardless how old or big your deers rack is.

Very well said. We all have different opinions on what qualifies as a "shooter". My opinion, is just that, my opinion. I only shoot what I feel is a quality buck. But, if I see a buck that has been wounded I will kill him if possible and hope for a shooter the next season. At this time I'm not a doe shooter, but some day that may change too.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
Here is how I look at it. It's pretty much what everyone else has already said but I'll add this....


Shoot what makes you happy but also keep in mind you don't want hunters remorse either! Those with a lot of time to hunt and great properties can afford to hold off and pass on decent or nice deer that are borderline shooter deer by most hunters standards. If you have only a couple weeks and a few days sprinkled here and there you might not want to be too picky. Regardless which one you fall under if and when you do decide to pull the trigger and tag that deer be happy with your decision and thankful for the bounty the Lord provided to you and cherish that memory. If you do that, others see and hear how happy you are regardless how old or big your deers rack is.

Exactly! If you are just out to hunt then shoot what feels right. But, if you have certain management goals in mind, there are certain bucks you MUST let walk. The thing that bothers me is when someone shoots a young 8 point (90-120") and calls it a cull buck just because they were tired or it is late in the season. Two and three year old deer are not cull bucks. If you have a 120" 4 year old then yes maybe it needs taken out. Don't make the excuse it was a cull buck, man-up and admit you were tired and just wanted to shoot a decent buck...that's fine.

Only one deer has been allowed to walk that I later regretted, but I had a dozen different bucks I was willing to shoot that year so I let him go. I have too much time off to hunt so I can afford to be picky...and I hate being "done".

Good thread.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Exactly! If you are just out to hunt then shoot what feels right. But, if you have certain management goals in mind, there are certain bucks you MUST let walk. The thing that bothers me is when someone shoots a young 8 point (90-120") and calls it a cull buck just because they were tired or it is late in the season. Two and three year old deer are not cull bucks. If you have a 120" 4 year old then yes maybe it needs taken out. Don't make the excuse it was a cull buck, man-up and admit you were tired and just wanted to shoot a decent buck...that's fine.

Only one deer has been allowed to walk that I later regretted, but I had a dozen different bucks I was willing to shoot that year so I let him go. I have too much time off to hunt so I can afford to be picky...and I hate being "done".

Good thread.

I don't see the "cull buck" BS much these days, but have had in the past. I've screwed up in the past and it stings, but you have to own it and move on. The best lessons often come from our mistakes and I know I learned from mine.

I also agree with Mike's statement that you "must" let deer walk if you have certain management goals. I can think of two good examples right now of guys I know that think they are deer managers, but their trigger fingers don't subscribe to the same management principles they preach. Can't have your cake and eat it too...