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We are having this same debate on our land this year. Makes it not so much fun

Can you manage it? Probably if your neighbors are on board. Would I let her shoot it, without a doubt. Horns are great bragging rights but that is probably not a consideration of hers.

^^^ Then why not just let her shoot a doe or spike.

Why not let her shoot whatever she wants?

I disagree, unless you have complete control over what your neighbors within about a mile of you in all directions do. Years ago before our place was HFed we had a neighbor who had 3 sons and they shot every Buck deer they saw. They said that shooting all the Bucks would draw neighboring bucks from all around to breed their does. Worked pretty good, that was the main reason we HFed.

It sounds like genetics aren't that great anyway. If you were truly into management you would pick a different deer. At the same time I would let her shoot it. Unsure of the buck reg's in that county but I don't think you can manage a 300 place with one buck tag.

My son and nephew are 9 yrs old and we're just starting to let them pull the trigger on deer. The deal my brother-in-law and I made is that we won't let them shoot any deer that we wouldn't shoot ourselves. You are either going to manage the deer or you aren't. The boys need to start early understanding that hunting isn't just killing. It is about choosing the right deer in the right situation and then making the kill. Your daughter has her whole life to kill deer. Take the opportunity to show her deer and tell her why each one is or isn't on the hit list. My 9 year old is impatient, but he's getting to see a bunch of deer and learning why this is or isn't a deer we want to kill.

NO.

MELACKEY its great u take ur kids hunting but making the decision for them on what deer they are going to shoot and what makes u happy defeats the purpose of hunting with the kids. My daughter shot her first deer years ago just before AR rules took effect and it was a small 4pt. She had me put the rack on the wall in her room and still talks about it every year. Dont take that kind of enthusiasm away from em just because its not what YOU think they should kill. AR killed it for my daughter dont let that happen to your kids.

Kids shoot free
- Explain what you're doing and why so she knows as she grows ... but let her shoot.

Adults
- don't shoot if properly managed or if access properly control
- shoot if unmanaged and out of control

Long Term
- you've got to get the property under control for a) safety, b) legality c) hunt d) habitat
- you'll have to work with pipeline people (memo copied to game warden will scare the top brass into taking action)
- you'll need to convince your neighbors
- 2,000 acres cooperatively managed is a good starting goal

We are stewards of God's creation (not environmentalists).
That puts us in a higher position of responsibility and authority.

God Bless America and our Hunting

I have a 360 acre tract that has "if it moves, shoot it" hunters on two sides. I don't even try to manage it.

I gained access to a 288 tract in 2010 and ran camera surveys on it that fall. The place was mostly surrounded by national forest which can be worse than a day hunt place. 4-5bucks (only 1 not a yearling) on camera total & a few does was all I could find. There had been 5 families of ppl on the place filling tags that got the boot so I figured the place was over pressured & shot up. As of now, the place has yet to be hunted but there are a few bucks that will get you're attention that have been allowed to get some age on them. What happens next is important, I can choose to shoot the place up and head back toward step one, or I can try to single out those special older deer and only try to kill them. It's not going to result in me filling a tag every yr, but it can allow me to bring in a kid during the late youth and let them shoot something that I don't like being there.

You can make a difference with any amount of land.

At least for there first couple deer , now that my girls are teens, they're in competition to shoot the biggest.lol.
You can manage it. Some may get shot by neighbors but do your part and feed yr around also. When you let the little deer walk you'd be surprised what comes out after them sometimes.

Yes you can manage it, yes it's harder... But if you shoot them you will NEVER have bigns. If your shooting 2.5 year olds then there may be a reason you ARNT seeing repeats... If you have all this traffic on the place I would focus on catching trespassers who are poaching. If your seeing 15-25 bucks on 300 acres ur in a high deer density area. Some are gonna slip through neighbors if you wait and shoot only mature deer

I guess if it makes you feel good then do it.

Too many variables going on at your place and none of them are on the same page when it comes to management.

Having said that, let your daughter shoot the 9. She'll be the happiest kid on the planet and hooked on hunting for life. When she hits 16, you'll be thanking me on this one!!

If you are wanting to see mature/bigger deer, get everyone on your place on board. If that doesnt work, find a new lease that caters to your idea of what management should be.

In the future, get your daughter to help you fill feeders, check cameras, whatever. That way, no matter what she shoots, SHE earned it!

My $.02.

I’m all for kids hunting and have two young boys that hunt … But sorry it's not all about you and your daughter when you have two other paid hunters on your lease. You need to take everyone into consideration when you’re hunting on a lease with other paid hunters. Now with that said if you can get the other paid hunters on board with her shooting this buck than by all means let her take it.
You said that she hunts with you and that's great but letting her kill that 2.5 old 9 isn’t going to make her want to hunt even more. IMO... That she could shoot a doe this season and all would be happy including her.
After this season purchase her a spot on your lease for next year’s deer season. This way she can kill whatever legal buck she wants and everyone will be happy.

For those that say it can't be done, what happens when does are way over populated and you get a few people in there to clean up on them. You know what happens? Management, that's what.

Let her shoot that deer! She is interested in hunting and that is awesome!

Just remember, if your daughter gets to shoot a 2.5 year old 9 point, then everyone else's kids get to do the same. Is it really in the best interest of the place to take that deer out? If you shoot them, they are just as dead as if a neighbor shoots them. If you let one buck go and it lives to maturity, then you have bettered your herd and hunting. So yes, a 325 acre piece of land can be managed. Is it hunting or killing that you are after?

What is hunting without killing? Watching?

Managing boolits

Killing is the possible end result of hunting and the possibility is always there. Killing does not always have to occur for my hunt to be successful. My perfect deer season is to see a big buck on camera or in person at the beginning of the season. During the season I see him enough to know that he is still there. Perfect ending is that I kill him the last day of the season. I hunted the entire season and was successful at the end. If I do not kill a deer, there is enough for me just being involved in the hunt to keep coming back. Some people need the kill part more. I am just not one of those people. To each their own. Just my opinion.