What is your deer hunting philosphy when it comes down to it?

I am just curious what everyone's mindset/philosophy is when they enter the woods during the archery season. Do you holdout for a big buck? Do you only hunt for meat? Do you take does? What about small racked bucks? Do your standards for size decrease as the season gets closer to closing? Do you mind not filling your tag if it means passing on something small? I have been struggling with this for years. We hunt on private land in Dodge Co. and have been on the same tract of land for 43 years. It is just over 350 acres and it has everything...marsh, hardwoods, food plots, etc. My uncle shoots anything because he literally loves the meat and goes through about 3 deer a year. He eats it everyday. My dad isn't picky either. I have been holding out for a nice buck, but have come up empty the last 3 years with the bow. I usually get at least one with the gun. I got sick of always turning down easy shots so this year I took a small 6. I was happy I made a good shot (right through the heart), but honestly, the small racked buck really didn't do much for me. So, there is my conflicting situation that I ponder every year. How do you folks decide what to and what not to shoot?

"If that doesn't arise I will shoot a small messed up little buck. Get them out of the gene pool." That is nothing more than a copout to shoot a dink buck. Most young bucks are messed up little things. Few are even little 6's or 8's. Plus, being smaller diameter antlers makes them more susceptible to breaking. You can't tell anything about a bucks future potential when they are young unless you have a captive herd. Rough winter, late dropping fawn, etc all have impacts on the antler development of young bucks. After the rough winter of 2013-2014 were you going to clean out all young future stock because they were small and messed? If you want to shoot dinks, shoot dinks. Just don't use excuses as a cover. Embrace it. If you honestly think you are improving your genetics with those actions, you might want to do some reading.

"last year total was a doe dressed out at 220lbs" Uh...yeah, sure...

Unless it's a buck that's worthy of hanging on my wall I don't shoot it. Bow or gun season. Between 3 guys that hunt my land, we usually shoot 12 - 15 deer a year. One buddy has a family of 5 and eats 5 or 6 deer a year, they don't buy beef. Having said that, I don't put strict restrictions on what my buddies shoot as far as buck size. But they all know I would prefer to not shoot young bucks. And.... We've all given in and shot the 120" 8pt. on rare occasions. We're fortunate enough to have multiple opportunities at does through out the entire year to fill the freezer. If you shoot every small buck you see, you're drastically reducing your odds of shooting a buck worthy of being on your wall in the years to come. To each his own.

I am some what selective. I don't shoot first of the year deer or 1 1/2 year olds......... I don't ever draw on an animal I don't intend to shoot. just like the accidental dry fires, what is you wound an animal because you accidentally fire your release. also, the movement could be caught by other deer or animals in the area and give me away.... I love hunting but don't talk much about it anymore or even on these forums. I've stayed away for a while. hunters are something else really. they bicker and argue way too much about stupid stuff. some things on this thread are a perfect example. an honest thread always turns into a pi$$ing match. I don't care what others do in the hunting world. just be legal, be safe, and have fun. good luck this year guys, and have FUN.

Well said cds! Enjoy the time on stand, watch & learn how critters react, be patient, bend at the waist, check yardage several times on each sit, use your binos. Thank God & military every time you hunt! Big Mac

my thought on this are cant eat horn's but they are nice. I seen the big buck hunter say wasn't going to shoot anything smaller the 8ptr only to turn around shoot a 6 with a drop tine on one side. I seen the guy say no spikes they are bad genes. all garbage in my book.I myself hunt 10acres an gun 4acres get two bucks ever year an choice of doe if I choose for last 7-8 years some big some small they are all trophy in my book its not the animal I take that make it a great hunt its the hole year leading up to that point as long as they are good clean shots im happy with any deer I choose to shoot.i love venison like the next man.last year total was a doe dressed out at 220lbs with gun an a 8pt with the muzzleloader an a 8 with the bow an that what works for myself but by no means am I going knock the next man for what he takes some got it good some got it better .an the letting them go to grow thing junk unless you own lot of land .iv passed on 6s 8s broke racks only to walk out the wood an see the neighbor pulling out the deer you passed on yes they cant shoot them all but how many bucks are in that range/area one year can change thing huge.so with all that being said its whats in front of me an do I feel like dragging a deer out or not tonight .is it worth the work OR do I just want to watch an learn from whats taking place at that moment.my philosophy lol

HHHOOOO BOY, Here we go.....protecting the gene pool, Huh? We all know you can't, unless the deer are in an enclosure. The infiltration of unknown gene pools make culling efforts futile and non-productive. There documented studies stating that. There are also numerous articles indicating that the first year wrack doesn't mean much in terms of size later on. Control that gene pool and happy friday to you. Mrt.

I shoot a doe for the freezer usually first time out. Don't start hunting until Oct. Then wait for a nice buck opportunity, If that doesn't arise I will shoot a small messed up little buck. Get them out of the gene pool.

I usually only get one opportunity for a clean shot, maybe twice a season. I will not shoot a doe with fawns, or a yearling. Anything else will be in the freezer.

If he gets you when he's not that smart, what makes you think you have a chance next year?

"My thought is you didn't pass a deer until you go through the act of pulling back and putting the pin on the deer. All too many people say I passed this or that. you don't pass a deer unless you know you would have had a shot opportunity." Huh? Well, you can take that a step further and say you didn't pass on the buck because you don't know if your shot would be accurate either. Why draw and risk the buck seeing you and educating the animal?

my way is the right way and the only way, how many arguments have we seen here with this attitude.

so when they walk up to your pile of apples you just rip em hey? Sounds fun

I didn't put a blanket statement on it, I said "Drummer boy". I didn't say Lakeshiner. EVERYONE wants to shoot a big buck. I don't care who you are...you would like to shoot a big one. If someone says they don't care they are only fooling themselves. I'd love a million bucks and a hot azz wife...not everyone can have that...I say I don't care, but deep down I do. I just don't tell anyone. Same principal...welcome to wisconsin hunting, it will never change. I do understand that some people hunt one weekend out of the year too...and that's ok. I was just pointing out that fact that drummer boy says one thing in a sentence then immediately contradicts himself in the next. if you want a good buck, wait for one. IF you want to shoot anything be my guest. But waiting for a good one the first 3 weekends then shooting a small one on the last day makes very little sense. Ever think that smaller one makes it till next year and you ACTUALLY have a bigger buck to hunt. LIke I said before, EVERY hunter wants to kill that giant buck, albeit he might not even exist....you still want one some day. Prime example, my dad hunted for 50 years, never shot a deer that was 3 years old. He said he didn't care, a buck is a buck. well guess what? He killed one a few years ago. He doesn't care about a big buck, but he drove around to every city he knew someone in with that buck in the back of his truck.....he doesn't care. he sure seemed to care for the 3 days he made it to rhinelander to milwaukee and back to Madison....doesn't care about a big buck...yeah right.

I'm not trying to stir the pot either...but just wanted to point out: - Not everyone has a lot of deer to shoot a doe right away. If you do, consider yourself fortunate. - Not everyone cares about the antlers. I think many people find that hard to believe. I know trophy hunters who get it and understand their choice is not going to be the same as everyone else. But then there are the ones that don't get it, I think they are more ego driven. I've hunted spots where there were 20+ antlerless out in a field and I was holding a rifle. Then I've hunted spots where I went all season and only saw 1 doe. So many different scenarios in this state, you can't tell someone to do something based on your own situation. It varies greatly.