[HotShot88]

How many times have you let a young buck go in hopes of gettin a chance at it the next season or a couple years only to find out someone else kills it later in the season, or how many have been on a big buck for quite sometime, then some other guy comes in and kills it out from under you? I have known of big deer in areas I hunt, then find out someone else has killed it, and I have let young deer go that I could have easily taken, to find out about a week later someone has killed it. The big buck being killed makes me a little sad, but the young buck being killed makes me angry! How many times has something like this happaned to you?

 

[speed1]

Happens to me all the time bro, dont sweat it, they wont kill all of em, the way I see it, let 10 walk, they kill 6 or 7, ya got 3 or 4 bigger ones next year, let em go, let em grow, tag a doe, my 02.

 

[CamSpeed]

Pass Me

I have sheds off a deer the next year later a guy shot it out of my stand hmm... grossed 162" Pope and Young, I have matching set of sheds off a buck that was killed with a muzzleloader in 2004 it grossed 165" I saw that buck/ (tried hunting that buck ) once he got the best of me I think. I pass up little bucks all the times maybe they will get thru maybe not but they aren't going to wear my tag unless they are 150" or up.

 

[Skeptic]

You have your choices and you make them. You should feel pride for doing what you think is right. However, I hate the "holier than thou" attitude that so many hunters have towards other hunters when it comes to them shooting a buck that you have passed on! Just because you CHOSE to pass on it does not mean that someone else should make the same choice!!!!! I get sick and tired of everyone thinking they are a victim because someone else shot "their" buck. Do your thing and have respect for your fellow hunter for doing his thing! It's not like they are trespassing on your land to kill these bucks you are passing on. As long as they are following the law I see no reason for you to be angry.

 

[Tater12]

It happens alot, If thats what a guy wants to burn there tag on, that should be a little less comp for the big one that is still out there. What burns me, Is that I know of several guys around here will shoot those small ones and not tag em, then keep on hunting for the bigger one.

 

[Allen7791]

Happens all the time to me. one of the draw backs to the wonderful world of public land hunting. I have been on some leases though that nobody really knew how to judge a buck on the hoof so you would set a minimum that everyone would agree on than you would have some guy come get you out of your stand to help him drag out the huge 185 class buck he just shot only to see it turn into a little forkie when you found it.

 

[erikbarnes25197]

honestly if i pass up on any deer its cause i dont feel comfortable with the shot. do i want a big buck? who doesnt, but im a meat hunter first, if a little 4 point comes first and gives me a look hes gonna get stuck. so if you pass up on a small one and it comes to me and i shoot it sorry to piss ya off

 

[Abraham52]

I hunted a deer last year that was a 170ish 14pt. Had 2 50 yd encounters, 1 35 yd, and 1 20 yd with no perfect shot opportunities due to the thick timber in the area. Two days after the last encounter, he made the mistake of chasing a hot doe thru the a front yard about 3/8mile from my honey hole. I only bowhunt, but this was going on during gun season. Home owner came home and saw the deer about 200 yards out in his pasture(rural area), looked the deer over, got his rifle and took a shot. Hit him low in the hind leg and tracked him about 1.5 miles before losing blood and scent. It was definitely the same deer becuse his description included double main beams on both sides and multiple stickers which matches the deer I was hunting. Over the remaining month of deer season, I never saw him again. I hope he spread plenty of his jeans. Neighbor had a picture of him on his trail cam from early season I will try to post if I can get a copy. I will probably never see a deer like that again and I passed 2 shots that weren't quite perfect thinking he would be back. he was never found. Maybe he survived, but I'm not counting on it. I know I didn't own the deer and other people were hunting other tracts of land in the area, but I hate the fact if he is dead he was lost.

 

[slinger09]

You can only control your actions. If you pass a small buck up there is a good chance he still will not make it until next year, but you made the decision that was right for you. It is depressing to see a 2 year old with lots of potential get taken out by a hunter or a car for that matter but that is life.

 

[bucksdown4ever]

The way i pass up small bucks is that i draw on them for practice and then let down when i can...... I don't shoot but if i can get my bow drawn then they are "Dead" but if i shoot them they have ABSOLUTELY no chance to grow bigger. If someone else shoots them then you really can't do anything except know you did the right thing for youdon't get disgusted becuase someday that one you let go will find you again but even bigger!!!!

 

[PABowhunt4life]

My worst experience came 3 years ago. There was a MAMMOTH of a buck running around one of the places I hunt, private property and only a few hunters. To boot, none of them ever venture to the side I hunt, they all usually stay on the easily accessible side that borders the field. Back to my story....

It was the first week of November and I headed to THE spot where every deer in the township literally uses this ridge. About 30 minutes before shooting time, I hear crunching in the leaves coming down off the hill. I look up and all I can see is the outline and silhouette of a BIG deer and a MASSIVE rack. He hung around my stand in the dark for about 5 minutes crunching acorns, all within 20 yards, then just disappeared down in to the valley. He never came back through. Around noon or so I ventured out of that stand to head to another hot spot since the deer movement was slow that morning aside from the big boy.

Well, I later find out that one of the other guys ventured to the side of the property I hunt that evening and shot a 16 point




As other have said, it happens

 

[Bowtech Tribute]

It's not like they are trespassing on your land to kill these bucks you are passing on.

No, that's the problem I have.

 

[Skeptic]

No, that's the problem I have.

You have every right to be ticked then! I cannot stand trespassing at all!!!!

 

[West End Hunter]

Once, I went to get the pictures on my trail cam developed and there was a huge 15 pointer. About that time I get a call from my neighbor saying he just got a 15 point buck and he wants me to see it. It ended up scoring 150.

 

[heavyarrow]

To my knowledge, NEVER. If I pass a buck, I could careless if it gets shot 3 seconds after it leaves me. I don't pass in hopes that it will live long and grow big. I pass because of the deer that are roaming the woods at the time I am hunting that are big enough for me to shoot. Also the few times I was hunting a particular buck I either killed it or it was never seen again/killed by someone I don't know.

 

[Cornfed]

That's why I would REALLY love to see a ONE BUCK LIMIT. Shoot your lil' buck and stay out of the woods so the serious hunters can HUNT! It makes it painful that in many areas hunters can shoot multiple antlered animals. They'll shoot that immature buck today and then come back tomorrow with hopes of shooting another one. Of course, what kills me is the fact that they'll shoot several yearling bucks but then have the balls to gripe about there being "no big bucks around here"???

 

[slinger09]

The way i pass up small bucks is that i draw on them for practice and then let down when i can...... I don't shoot but if i can get my bow drawn then they are "Dead" but if i shoot them they have ABSOLUTELY no chance to grow bigger. If someone else shoots them then you really can't do anything except know you did the right thing for youdon't get disgusted becuase someday that one you let go will find you again but even bigger!!!!

Hate to sound like a mother hen, but you should never point your drawn bow at something you do not plan to shoot. Treat it as if it was a loaded gun. Sorry for the hunters safety. Back to the topic.

 

[baw]

that doesn't bother me....this does.....

We started managing our land about 8 or 9 years ago and have really started to see some good deer. We have allowed friends and cousins to bring guests on our property to hunt, in several cases, they had never shot or even seen a large buck before. SHAZAAM......they shoot some phantom deer or swamp donkey that happens to walk out 75 yards from their stand in the middle of a field at 9:00 in the morning on a Saturday!!!!

I'm actually kidding. I am glad they had the opportunity to hunt, have a good time, shoot a donkey and have the memories for life.....but, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't get just a little chapped.

 

[breakaleg]

I'm not a serious hunter so I never had that problem.

 

[PABowhunt4life]

Of course, what kills me is the fact that they'll shoot several yearling bucks but then have the balls to gripe about there being "no big bucks around here"???

Man, are you from PA??? lol

I use to love the guys that would shoot a spike, or a little forkhorn just to go back to camp or town to say "Me shoot buck, ooga booga"...... then you'd hear them giving their "wisdom" away at local stores as to why there are no big bucks in the area lol



Now, please don't anyone take this out of context. I am not bashing the shooting of spikes or 4 points, or little bucks in general. To each his own and as the cliche goes, every deer is a trophy