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Post by esshup on Dec 24, 2014 20:14:41 GMT -5
No deer hunting today, and probably none tomorrow with going to my sisters for Christmas. I met a bunch of guys that I used to work with at the Sporting Clays range today and we all got soaked shooting clay birds.
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Post by joeyb on Dec 30, 2014 12:31:41 GMT -5
Yeah turning down the 2.5s is the hardest thing for me...I'd love to get to the point of passing 3.5s, which at the one property we hunt isn't tough....the other they're most likely dead (all relative). But when one decides to stop shooting 1.5s and 2.5s no matter how nice their racks are hunting changes, for the better...but can get draining no doubt Please explain to the masses how passing deer (2 & 3 year olds) makes hunting better? It might let a few bucks older. It might give a few antlers a chance to grow bigger. It might force more bucks to roam to look for does. But at no point is it a guarantee of making deer hunting "better". I think he just meant that it's more of a challenge when you decide to pass 2 & 3 year olds, which makes hunting better or more fun. That's what I got out of it. My goal is to not shoot anything under 3½ years old, that's my goal and not my rule. It's definitely not my rule with such little time left and no meat in the freezer.
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on Dec 30, 2014 20:18:50 GMT -5
Heading out in the morning. Weather bug say 7 degrees but feels like -9 at first light with a west wind at 11 mph. Weather channel has it about 3 degrees warmer. Going to be chilly!
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Post by tynimiller on Jan 5, 2015 10:01:03 GMT -5
Yeah turning down the 2.5s is the hardest thing for me...I'd love to get to the point of passing 3.5s, which at the one property we hunt isn't tough....the other they're most likely dead (all relative). But when one decides to stop shooting 1.5s and 2.5s no matter how nice their racks are hunting changes, for the better...but can get draining no doubt Please explain to the masses how passing deer (2 & 3 year olds) makes hunting better? It might let a few bucks older. It might give a few antlers a chance to grow bigger. It might force more bucks to roam to look for does. But at no point is it a guarantee of making deer hunting "better". Oh firstwd....perhaps I should have added the little three letters "IMO" or typed it out entirely "in my opinion". Because that is exactly how I feel personally. I was never one to desire or want to shoot yearling bucks, as even at a young age I was always guaranteed one of them if I desired. Small spike or fork'd yearlings would mosey around my treestands to a point of annoyance some years...but back then I desired a 8 point or as wide as the years and didn't care for age of the deer....I was a result of merely wanting a rack big enough for me to personally be proud of. I know now that mindset was a little warped by all the hunting dvd and trophy mentality but I will admit holding out made for some awesome encounters with younger deer and put me in the woods more...for that much I'm grateful. More recently though I've upped it and no longer care so much for what is on top of the buck's head but care more for the age of the buck. While I most likely some year's will still shoot a nice 2.5 year old, I strive not to. Not because I need a bigger racked deer but because I enjoy the challenge and I do feel hunting is so much more rewarding for me in doing so. I get much more out of a harvest knowing I didn't take a yearling or a scrawny not well developed 2.5 skeletal wise. And call me crazy if you wish, it's your right to do so...but I do feel an older age structure in the bucks does make hunting better. More people have the opportunity to get a crack at an older buck than the yearlings each year if more pass, and more of a chance to see some older bucks fight over territory which is a spectacle that just won't happen when the average age of the bucks in the area is 1.5 or 2.5 with one sure fire dominant buck running the roost. That's me though, I know some have reasons why they don't wait or hold off and I'd never hold that against them...me though I would get personally no thrill out of harvesting a yearling buck or even a yearling doe. A sense of accomplishment sure, but that hunting fire in me would not be stoked at all for it.
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Post by jimbob on Jan 5, 2015 11:27:57 GMT -5
Please explain to the masses how passing deer (2 & 3 year olds) makes hunting better? It might let a few bucks older. It might give a few antlers a chance to grow bigger. It might force more bucks to roam to look for does. But at no point is it a guarantee of making deer hunting "better". Oh firstwd....perhaps I should have added the little three letters "IMO" or typed it out entirely "in my opinion". Because that is exactly how I feel personally. I was never one to desire or want to shoot yearling bucks, as even at a young age I was always guaranteed one of them if I desired. Small spike or fork'd yearlings would mosey around my treestands to a point of annoyance some years...but back then I desired a 8 point or as wide as the years and didn't care for age of the deer....I was a result of merely wanting a rack big enough for me to personally be proud of. I know now that mindset was a little warped by all the hunting dvd and trophy mentality but I will admit holding out made for some awesome encounters with younger deer and put me in the woods more...for that much I'm grateful. More recently though I've upped it and no longer care so much for what is on top of the buck's head but care more for the age of the buck. While I most likely some year's will still shoot a nice 2.5 year old, I strive not to. Not because I need a bigger racked deer but because I enjoy the challenge and I do feel hunting is so much more rewarding for me in doing so. I get much more out of a harvest knowing I didn't take a yearling or a scrawny not well developed 2.5 skeletal wise. And call me crazy if you wish, it's your right to do so...but I do feel an older age structure in the bucks does make hunting better. More people have the opportunity to get a crack at an older buck than the yearlings each year if more pass, and more of a chance to see some older bucks fight over territory which is a spectacle that just won't happen when the average age of the bucks in the area is 1.5 or 2.5 with one sure fire dominant buck running the roost. That's me though, I know some have reasons why they don't wait or hold off and I'd never hold that against them...me though I would get personally no thrill out of harvesting a yearling buck or even a yearling doe. A sense of accomplishment sure, but that hunting fire in me would not be stoked at all for it. I agree, I love a challenge and old bucks bring all you can take sometimes. All deer get my heart rate up, but seeing and old buck or doe navigate is a learning experience when you (rarely) get that chance.
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Post by tynimiller on Jan 5, 2015 11:43:41 GMT -5
And trust me I love hunting for meat too...doe still make me shake and I do hunt them some too. This year hunted for freezer twice, October 1st arrowed a deer and last night with about 15 minutes to spare in the freezing wind I got lucky again and arrowed another. Doubt I ever do that again (first and last day harvests).
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on Jan 7, 2015 18:37:02 GMT -5
Anyone still urban hunting?
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Post by soinhunter on Jan 12, 2015 10:02:33 GMT -5
Got my Indiana buck back in November. Been hunting over in Illinois since then and lets just say I am still hunting over there.lol Been a rough year. Poachers took out at least 4 bucks off a property I hunted so moved to another property. Will be years before that place is ready to hunt again. Just hope they catch they idiots! Back at it this weekend for the last Illinois hunt of the season.
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Post by swilk on Jan 12, 2015 10:57:07 GMT -5
May not be years ... if the habitat is suitable for mature bucks another will find it before too long. Sucks to lose a few to poachers though ....
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Post by saltydog on Jan 12, 2015 11:32:01 GMT -5
About to give up on my ubz this season, Havent even see any tracks in this snow...
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Post by dbd870 on Jan 12, 2015 13:28:07 GMT -5
JDUB and I went out chasing squirrels Sunday morning, now that the seasons over - yep deer tracks in the snow.
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Post by soinhunter on Jan 12, 2015 15:41:27 GMT -5
May not be years ... if the habitat is suitable for mature bucks another will find it before too long. Sucks to lose a few to poachers though .... I hope it ins't years, but nobody is clear how many they shot. They found 4 deer with racks cut off their heads so far. They were using guns during the archery season and during all hours of the day and night. Local land owner seen them but they haven't been able to catch in the act to do anything to them.
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