This is a debate between myself and a guy on our lease. We have a lease in Springtown, TX. One of the borders of the lease is a main road. We have gas line guys that drive in and out of the lease 4-5 times a week. We have people that drive their motorcycles and horses on the property. They aren't supposed to, but we aren't there to monitor it. People shoot guns for recreation all around this place. We haven't caught them, but are almost certain that a few of the neighbors shoot pigs and deer off the place. I have been on this place for 4 yrs and have 3 cameras set up. Each year I see about 15-25 different bucks on my cameras. During the rut i see them once or twice then never again. Not one year do i recall seeing a deer from the previous year. i study my pics and look for similarities. in the last 4 years only 3 deer have been taken with horns outside the ears. HERES THE ISSUE. Last week i shot the biggest deer of my life. Not a monster but it was 4.5 yr old 8 pt that scored 110. Now another guy is pissed because i plan on letting my little girl shoot her first buck that is a 2.5 yr old crab claw 9pt. There is no rule on the lease saying that she can't. But he's pissed because he thinks we should leave this deer for next year. this is his 2nd year on the lease. I'D LIKE A LITTLE FEEDBACK ON THIS PLEASE.

IMO you shouldn't shoot the deer for the fact that it is a 2.5 year old 9 point!

I would think the only way you could manage that small of property would be only if your neighbors were managing as well. Sounds like most your deer are passing through for the most part.

If you shoot the buck because you are afraid someone else might shoot him you just became "that" person.

Let em walk.

That's my thoughts exactly. The deer i shot has not been on any of our cameras. Theres a creek that borders the property and they run that creek. I understand the 9 is a young buck, but for a 13 yr old girls first buck, it will be a monster. Our neighbors are not "management" friendly either. This place is 5 min from downtown Springtown. I had an 8pt on camera for 3 weeks, and a buddy of mine's little girl shot it last Saturday. They hunt over 3 miles away. this deer is so distinct there's no mistaken it's the same deer.

For my kids or grandkids all management is out the window. If they want to shoot a deer, they can shoot the deer.

Unless your neighbors are all on a management program, all kinds of things can happen. On 325 acres managing the deer population is like herding cats, it won't happen.

Even saying that I don't believe you can manage that without the help of neighbors, I still would not shot a 2.5 yo buck. This could be a good opportunity to teach her what to shoot well as patience. ..just my .02

If your granddaughter asked to shoot, you wouldn't say no.

Unless you are hunting for free or the lease is dirt cheap, I wouldn't waste a lot of time and resources managing this place. You don't have to have an "ideal" situation when attempting to manage a property, but in this instance, it sounds like you are still trying to bat with three strikes against you and the umpire is telling you to go back to the dugout.

Well i can tell you i have the same problem, i have let deer go for YEARS just to see them be shot the next hunt by someone else. it has happened to me for a longgg time and its pretty annoying. so i would say let the girl shoot the deer. its a good deer. you are not on a game ranch. you are hunting free roaming animals, you could see one deer one day and never see it again. let her shoot the buck, if its a nice buck.

I'm like this also... I actually got a seperate lease that I could take the kids and not worry about what we shoot. I'm all for management, but to a certain degree, it's absolutely out of control....

we wonder why kids don't like to hunt, then hear stories about them not being able to shoot a deer they'd be perfectly hapy with.

I like the way you think.

First, congratulations on your 4.5 8!

Second, it sounds to me like you and your fellow hunters need to get on the same page about what your goals/plans are, or if you are just there to harvest meat. Yeah, it's gonna be fairly hard to manage 325 acres, but if you aren't part of the solution, well...

What does the lease say about number of hunters, number of bucks/deer they get to harvest, etc? I assume your daughter is not a paying member of the lease so how does that factor in? Do the other hunters have kids and are they shooting?

It would be though I'm sure and can't honestly say I wouldn't let her. If she pouted her lips and batted her eyes at me I'd probably cave in.....

I dont have kids but I would probably have them start with a doe or smaller buck. My second deer was a 10 and I am still trying to top him, but I'm not in the situation. Sounds like a catch 22. My .02

best you can do is try your best to let them grow old.... let them get to 4yrs old at least.. yeah you may pass a nice 3yr old here and there and he could very well get shot the next day but there will be the ones that make it through and that's the chance you take. I do it on 40 acres.. you sure can

The years i have been on this lease it has been mainly to harvest meat. If we happen to see a big deer that was just a bonus. We have never had any formal rules. But we all knew that if we shot a big deer then one of the kids saw one, it was ok to do that. this guy was on the lease last year when it was like that. This year we cut the lease from 5 hunters to 3. I told him at the beggining of the season that i would bring my nephew out and let him shoot a doe off my tags and that he wouldn't shoot a big buck. that's the ONLY discussion. I have 2 boys that could care less about hunting. it truly breaks my heart. But the fact that my daughter hunts is awesome. it's a legacy i want to pass down to her. I just wanted some feedback if i'd be a totally in the wrong if i let her shoot the deer. i appredciate it.

Agreed especially with all you said in the OP as far as the goings on around you. Management wise you are fighting a loosing battle. Your buddy is just venting because you shot a good buck. I say let your kid shoot any legal deer they want.

ALL OF THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED WHEN YOU GOT ON THE LEASE.

Kids always get a pass for their first imo... them loving the sport is more important

It really depends on how big the places are around you .....like our place it's only 250 acr but the place on the east is a 6000+ acr and north is 700 acr south is a small 90 acr and west is all HF so we can pass on the smaller ones or even a good ten like i posted the other day and still see them all year because the other hunters dont shoot the first thing they see .
On letting the kids shoot why not wait to see if there is one that is messed up

X2

jmo

You can manage a place that small.

And kids should be able to shoot what they want.

This ^^^^^^^^

let her shoot it!