Age Old Hunter's Dilemma

A very nice buck comes out opening weekend or very early season; he wouldn't be a personal best for you but close and it's been a good while since you've taken one this good. You know the ranch has some even bigger as you have seen some on nighttime pictures. What to do - put some lead out and enjoy this nice buck or hold out and hope for that personal PR? What would you do and why???

#1 is he old enough? #2 do I like the look of him? #3 what is a "good" buck for my area? #4 if he is close to my personal record right now then I will kill him in a heart beat for my first tag and then keep hunting to fill my second tag.

Never pass on an animal the first day of the season that you would take on the last day of the season. My grandfather told me that and I have found it to be very good advice.

I agree with this statement, shoot on the first day/hunt what you would on the last, unless you have a very specific deer picked out then I’d wait on him, or something better to come out.

Sitting on our own place, if I thought he would get better next year I’d probably pass and shoot some does.

BOOM!
I have two buck tags.

Does the calculus change in an AR one buck county or one mature buck lease?

I think there’s more to learn from this thread if you assume you have only one tag and the deer in question is “old enough”.

Exactly, was more my original angle intended to take just didn't fully articulate. Good point Free!

I had this exact thing happen this year on our place in Jack county. It’s an AR county, so I sat and videoed the buck for an hour. Saw him again after Thanksgiving and that was the last time he was seen. I ended up shooting a doe for my only deer of the year. We hope he survived. You just never know.

Pass. Get a doe for freezer. If ya settle for that you will never get your personal best.

About 3 years ago that happened to me. In AR county, a really nice 10 at the feeder, first day of the season. Didnt take him and never saw him again, and still enjoyed the rest of the season. Thats just me, love sitting in the blind watching the wildlife go by.

I say every year that I would let him walk and I'm REALLY going to wait for my trophy this year..... BUT, after sitting in the east texas woods for a few weeks, it's hard not to pull the trigger when you finally see a shooter.

You sound like me !!

I sit on this where I do pretty much every season; I am looking/hoping to top my personal best. Resultingly I have passed up opportunities on nice bucks looking for that PB, sometimes not firing a shot for 3-5 seasons or more on a buck. Thank goodness for yotes and hogs as a nuisance alternative. More recently I have opened up the options to management or cull bucks while still looking for that PB. Can't say I'd never shoot a nice buck that has something I've not ever harvested like a MB drop or a long flyer of G2/G3 that wasn't a PB. Guess I'd just have see if that buck gets my blood pumping.

My podna passed on day 1 in Alberta and went home without a week later. He regrets that decision.

QMC hit the nail on the head.

13 years I was on one of the very top LF ranches in Texas - I killed 4 deer over 13 years. One was a B&C lifetime buck. The other bucks I killed after that buck were not book but were 8-9 years old and that in my book is a trophy whitetail.

Everyone is in a different place in their lives and their hunting -

As I posted on another thread for me a big part of the game is to be patient - IF you are a lifetime serious hunter you will be willing to pass on many many deer in order to take the deer of your life -

For a lot of people, if they have to think about it.....then it is not the right deer for them.

I agree with QMC, that makes it easy to wait for that really good buck that you always hope for. Can appreciate your self discipline TLK.

If you like him, shoot him


I'm not concerned about "personal bests" and I will shoot a deer based on size,age, unique characteristics or simply because i wanted to have an adrenaline rush that day.


I can't fathom going 3-5 years between pulling the trigger, and where I hunt now the difference between an average deer and a "personal best" for the area may only be 3-5" of antler so I'm looking for Age first of all and then if I like his look 2nd of all. Method of take plays into it as well....I'm not interested at all in shooting a 6 year old hill country 8 with my rifle but will be giddy as a school girl to try and shoot him with my recurve bow.


Some species I'm perfectly content with a representative animal and other species I want a true trophy, but I'm not like that with whitetail deer.

We know what you would do - even if your wife was there

Haha….I shoot a lot of things she doesent know about….but it’s hard to hide a buck when she is in camp with you

Ouch. That had to have hurt.

I shot mine opening morning as soon as he came. Never saw the deer before but I liked him.

If he’s on the list, I’m pulling the trigger. Been known to tag out 15 min into opening day.
If you’re married, and have a hard time getting the pass, he might get a pass! Fortunately I have an understanding wife, but I swear my hunting buddy never kills a buck until after Christmas because of this scenario, although he won’t admit it.

If he is mature and trips my trigger then 150 grains of hot lead is fixin to leave the barrel in a hurry!

I decide to shoot a buck for one of three reasons only, none of which would fit your scenario, as I understood it, so no I wouldn't shoot. But I sure wouldn't blame someone who did! My reasons are 1) he's bigger than my biggest 2) he's a management buck for some reason, in our case spikes of any age or older deer are not desirable for some specific reason or 3) I have a kid or someone with me who needs to be in on a kill for some reason, like witnessing the experience as they decide if they want to, but not ready to make it themselves. All this being said, I'm not guaranteeing all this this up until this point theory being true might not go out the window, or out the barrel I guess I could say, for some random reason or whim should the fancy strike me!

If I needed a pass for any reason, I would not be married to that woman.

The older I get the more likely I am to let it walk. I let three nice ones walk away this season. I was tempted (and should have) to take a spike but did not. As far as time in the blind goes.... I loved knocking down a few hogs. I think I enjoy the hog hunting more.

Heres my deal..

You know when you know...

If you know, boom, if not pass

The last buck I shot was 5 years ago and I have hunted every year since. He was a buck of a lifetime that I will likely not ever match. This past season was the first time I had seen a buck on camera that got me excited. I even past up a great buck during archery season, which would have been my first every archery kill, just to hold out for this buck. Well....my 14 yo son got to him before I did and I don't regret any of it. I have had more fun/enjoyment being a father/guide for my children than I would have ever shooting a buck that didn't get me excited. They have taken some great bucks the past few years. It's all about perspective for me I guess and it has worked out nicely. It's definitely a personal choice. No right or wrong answer IMO.