Hello all, new member from SC. Looking to get my first deer ever this season and have been trying to scout and get an idea of what deer are on my property. I placed a camera last week and have seen the following bucks. I think these are all in the same 1.5-2.5 yr age range but looking for some help aging. Don't believe we get huge deer like in the Midwest so I think for a first deer any of these would be a success but which might be the best one to target?
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New member first deer target
- Thread starter Baloo314
- Start date
Any and all that show up in bow range
Sziggy2.0
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2019
- Messages
- 882
ANY deer that you take with a bow is a trophy in my opinion. There are so many things that have to go right, some of which you have NO control over. I would say be proud on any of those on the pictures, especially if you have specifically sought one of those and harvested one of them, your doing alot right then. Good luck.
I don't know how what state you're in or how big your bucks can get. Having said that shoot what you want. Get at least the first one under your belt, learn the ropes and enjoy the experience.
K1white3
New Member
Too many people say give it another year blah blah. If that is your goal, to get huge bucks, sure. But that’s not the goal for a lot of people. It’s easy to get caught up in all the hunting hype. Any deer is a trophy man. I’d shoot any of those that came by. I have been bow hunting for 6 years and just got my first successful hunt last year it’s a great feeling
U should target the first that walks by broadside within your effective bow range
Have fun & don’t worry about trophy status
Enjoy the jitters, heart pounding , adrenaline dump that gets your legs shaking now so that you know what to expect when a big boy does walk by you
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Have fun & don’t worry about trophy status
Enjoy the jitters, heart pounding , adrenaline dump that gets your legs shaking now so that you know what to expect when a big boy does walk by you
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hey welcome man! Agree with everyone else. I once heard the advice to shoot a few does and small bucks to calm your nerves down for the big buck later in the season. Only mostly that big late season buck never comes, but, hey, you have a ton of meat in the freezer!
BOWHUNTER14
Well-Known Member
Gotta start somewhere.. I believe shoot the first thing that walks by that trips you trigger.
My first bow buck didn't have exposed horns ...and I killed A BUNCH of them. While that was 30 years ago, you have to become a killer before you can become a big buck killer so I would not be picky starting out personally. Does > nubbins if you have a choice in the matter, but if not, let 'em fly.
Welcome!
Welcome!
I have been bow hunting for 33 years. I also gun hunt and when gun hunting, I pass bucks like those in your pictures all the time. However, if I am hunting with a bow in my hand and one of those bucks was 20 yards broadside, I would be letting an arrow fly. I have a very hard time passing up a perfect shot. They just don't come along that often.
FYI, I have several racks like those hanging in my garage and I am very proud of each and every one of them.
FYI, I have several racks like those hanging in my garage and I am very proud of each and every one of them.
Wasp
Well-Known Member
For what it is worth, I say shoot what you want and have fun.
Summer is not a good time of the year to age bucks on the hoof.
All bucks will look at least a year or 2 older by late October.
For your 1st ever deer, shoot the 1st legal animal that presents an ethical shot (2 lungs only).
If your heart level and judgement goes off the charts, then maybe get a little more comfortable just observing deer before you start flinging arrows at them. Being under mental control will help insure a clean hit. Not taking a shot is far better than taking a bad shot. Learning deer biology and hoof aging will benefit you for years to come. Shoot what makes you happy and don't get trapped by peer pressure or competition. Still, learning anything and everything about deer observation will add to your enjoyment of hunting for the rest of you life.
Good luck!
Absolutely shoot what makes you happy as long as it falls into the rules or laws of the property you are hunting. Don’t get hung up on a specific buck. That’s for guys that have become bored with killing deer. At the beginning of the season I try to draw on every deer in bow range even the ones I don’t want to kill. When I get anchored and steady and the arrow or sight isn’t bouncing all over the place I either take the shot or let back down. If you are anything like me the first time drawing back on a deer you will knock the arrow off the rest. When you get everything situated and the bow drawn back you’ll have a hard time getting your pin to settle on the vitals. When you finally do you will start collapsing. No big deal just let down, catch your breath, compose yourself and repeat your shot cycle. When you finally get it right either choose to release the arrow or let back down knowing you did everything you needed to to kill that deer. It builds confidence and exposes weaknesses in your setup. It’s better to find those out before you draw back on a buck you are going to be really excited over. Some people don’t get overly excited. I have to deal with it every year. Not to the extent I did when I first started but even a doe at 15 yards is not a boring routine shot for me.
DaWiz9578
Well-Known Member
This will be my first year carrying my bow into hunting season with confidence. I've been able to practice consistently all off season. Previous seasons I'd dust it off a few weeks before and call it good (knowing I wasnt ready) carry it into the woods but never did fling an arrow because I knew I wasnt ready. Also no perfect shot opportunities presented themselves. I did go through the practice mentioned above to draw and let down on anything and everything I saw. You'll be amazed at how much a button buck gets in your head. To simulate anxiety this year I'll swing a kettlebell 20 times or so and get the heart going then try to shot my target.
With that said, my goal this year is a doe with my bow. Of course I'd love to shoot some tank, but just want to get one under my belt as the others have said. They all taste the same....They dont show you trophy pictures of the steer on the menu at the texas roadhouse.
Plenty of time to become a trophy hunter. If you go all season waiting for that big buck and never see him just keep in mind everything you did see, deer movement, weather, did you make noise, did you spook anything out, get blown at, get winded, tracks, rubs scrapes and start to put the pieces together. Have to start collecting data. You'll know what you saw and what you didnt see and be ready for next season. Just my approach going into the year.
Good luck man.
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With that said, my goal this year is a doe with my bow. Of course I'd love to shoot some tank, but just want to get one under my belt as the others have said. They all taste the same....They dont show you trophy pictures of the steer on the menu at the texas roadhouse.
Plenty of time to become a trophy hunter. If you go all season waiting for that big buck and never see him just keep in mind everything you did see, deer movement, weather, did you make noise, did you spook anything out, get blown at, get winded, tracks, rubs scrapes and start to put the pieces together. Have to start collecting data. You'll know what you saw and what you didnt see and be ready for next season. Just my approach going into the year.
Good luck man.
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rutjr
Well-Known Member
They are all trophy's in my book! I'm proud of any deer with a bow.
I agree with the comments above, shoot the first legal deer that gets you excited but, at the same time don't feel like you HAVE to shoot the first deer that walks by. Like Allegheny Tom said above, observing deer will add a ton of knowledge and enjoyment to your hunting experience.
Quick story: I grew up in a family that shot the first legal buck that came in. When my oldest son started hunting at the age of 9, he spent the first two years shooting the first legal buck that came in also. When he was 12, he decided he wanted to wait for an "8 point". That year we watched 12 different 1.5 yr old bucks from the stand and he passed on all of them, it was pretty impressive to watch a young kid stick to a goal like that.
One evening in late October a small four point came by and proceeded to tear up a small sapling in front of us. He would rear back onto his hind legs and slam his head into the tree. He had dirt flying everywhere. I leaned over and whispered to my son that I had never saw a deer do that before. My son looked at me and said "That's because you would have shot him first". At that point it dawned on me how much learning about deer behavior I had missed in in my life by shooting the first buck that I saw. It ended up paying off for my son as he shot his first 8 point in early November of that year. It was a little basket rack two year old but, he was excited and I was pretty proud to see him stick to a goal and accomplish it.
To the guys that say that don't care about antlers, I will paraphrase Paul Brunner... If a nice 8 point and an equally size body doe step out, 99% of guys will shoot the buck.
Most of the time, guys that say they don't care about antlers are full of it.
Another paraphrase of Gene Wensel..."There is a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction that comes when you pass up bucks that you could have shot".
Both of those guys had changed my perspective on what I choose to harvest, which has led to a calming effect when I have deer under 20 yards. A calm shooter is a more accurate shooter. I'm not saying that everyone should set the same standards as me...some guy's standards may be lower, some may be higher. Everyone sets their own standards.
I will say this, upping my standards has led to some tag soup over the years but it's never led to regret
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I think this attitude comes a lot with age and hunting experience. Its the old "stages of a hunter" ideology.
I'm a little fuzzy on the details but as I remember they go something like this. When you start success is defined by just actually killing a deer. The next stage success is killing as many as you can. Stage 3 success is defined by killing trophies. Stage 4 is defined by honing your craft and developing successful strategies. Finally, stage 5 is just enjoying the hunt for what it is.
I try to keep this in mind as I talk to other hunters because we are all on different timelines along our walk.
Yep. I think I've gone through each of those stages and I'm completely comfortable where I am.
Funny...some guys never move on. My brother was stupid when it came to turkeys. 70 years old and still acted like he never shot turkey in his life, even though he shot many dozen. The that extent he went, to kill a bird, was embarrassing.