What's Your Buck Criteria?

[Vtbow]

3 points 1" or more.

 

[bigmike23]

Up until Halloween or just after it has to be substantial for me to sling an arrow at it. Really the top 5% my area has to offer. After that my standards begin to lower but I still won't shoot a dink buck. Its all about the challenge, pursuit, and rack for me and I couldn't care less about meat

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I wont shoot 1.5 or 2.5 year olds.
I might shoot 3.5 if there is some rack characteristics that I like.

My part of PA is the 3 up rule and several doe licenses are easy to get. I see absolutely no reason to shoot yearling bucks when I can shoot multiple does.

I can understand someone that's not killed very many bucks shooting small bucks, but for veteran hunters, why shoot it if you have doe tags?

The best thing that ever happened to the quality of bucks in PA is the point restrictions. Guys have been forced to let the young ones walk instead of shooting the 1st buck with a 3" spike and now we are regularly producing some book bucks.

I could never understand how a veteran hunter with a few dozen bucks under their belt, would want to shoot dink bucks. They saw off the antlers and toss them in a box in the corner of the garage, never to be seen again. Let the young hunters shoot the young bucks.
I love deer meat, that's what doe tags are for.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

^^^ This

 

[OspreyZB]

In NJ there are no antler restrictions in most of the state (certain zones it's 3 points on one side). You can shoot up to 6 antlered bucks a year. Not to mention all the button bucks that get shot because they're usually first to a bait pile, and all the shed bucks that get shot in February. Most hunters mentality, especially on public land, is to shoot any buck they see before someone else does. Baiting is legal even on public land, which makes for sloppy hunters and conditioned deer. When I've hunted out of state I've noticed that the "average" hunter is a better hunter than in NJ. They have to be since they can't rely on bait bringing the deer to them.

My goal posts move all the time depending on what my scouting is telling me. Some years, like last year, that means not settling for any less than a mature P&Y buck. This year I had 3 mature bucks (4.5+ yr old) located, with one pushing 150" as an 8 point. I found 2 of them dead from EHD on opening week and haven't seen the other since late July. Looking for another big one, but now I'll shoot the first solid 3.5 year old that gives me a good shot. Won't shoot a 2.5 in NJ anymore. It's a long season and I can hunt just about every day, so I can afford to be picky around home. Earlier this season I had a nice 2.5 old 9 point inside 10 yards on an out-of-state hunt. I wish I would have shot him. He would have been my first out-of-state buck and I would have been proud. Had a similar buck in bow range in NJ the other day and didn't even think about reaching for the bow, so I guess it's all situational.

 

[surgicaltool]

In NC we get two buck tags with no restrictions on points or size. In GA they give 2 buck tags, one has to be at least 4 points on one side.

I am early in my hunting career, I try to shoot the biggest buck I can on private every year (usually one of the two biggest on the property I hunt, usually 3.5 yr old) . I save my second NC tag for the rut or for a public land buck. 6 doe tags.

GA I am only hunting for a few days a year, hunting cull bucks on a buddy’s farm.

 

[philsanchez76]

Tennessee is a 2 buck state unless you’re in cwd zone you can get bonus bucks by shooting deer and having them tested.
most of my local WMA have no legal restrictions. A few of the less deer dense ones do have 15 inch rule in place. And those tend to produce the better bucks. I almost always kill the first buck I see and burn that first tag. But I’m a meat hunter mainly. I save my second tag for a “nicer” one which for me is 8 points or better or whatever gets my blood pumping.

 

[TreeCreep]

3 points 1" or more.

I wont shoot 1.5 or 2.5 year olds.
I might shoot 3.5 if there is some rack characteristics that I like.

My part of PA is the 3 up rule and several doe licenses are easy to get. I see absolutely no reason to shoot yearling bucks when I can shoot multiple does.

I can understand someone that's not killed very many bucks shooting small bucks, but for veteran hunters, why shoot it if you have doe tags?

The best thing that ever happened to the quality of bucks in PA is the point restrictions. Guys have been forced to let the young ones walk instead of shooting the 1st buck with a 3" spike and now we are regularly producing some book bucks.

I could never understand how a veteran hunter with a few dozen bucks under their belt, would want to shoot dink bucks. They saw off the antlers and toss them in a box in the corner of the garage, never to be seen again. Let the young hunters shoot the young bucks.
I love deer meat, that's what doe tags are for.

3 on one side has been my bar from hunting NJ zones and PA where required. I didn’t recover a nice buck last year and missed another, then tagged a dinker . This year , My goal is to take a buck w antlers outside it’s ears… only because I don’t have any targets outside this class. I’ll hunt 4 days in PA and hope to hold out on a more mature buck.
I never agreed with NJs and now NH ( live in a unit without antler restrictions )strategy of let gun season hammer young bucks. I’ve witnessed the improvement in zones with restrictions.
Im slowly arriving where A. Tom is now.

I have 3 in state buck tags and 1 out of state.
I’ve taken two bucks in one season and I’d hope for some older targets to imagine taking more than that.

 

[Weldabeast]

3 points on 1 side or a main beam of 10".....or 5" and under can be taken and considered a doe or buck. 2 antlerless deer and 3 antlered state bag limit. I'll take anything that's legal

 

[Plebe]

I wont shoot 1.5 or 2.5 year olds.
I might shoot 3.5 if there is some rack characteristics that I like.

My part of PA is the 3 up rule and several doe licenses are easy to get. I see absolutely no reason to shoot yearling bucks when I can shoot multiple does.

I can understand someone that's not killed very many bucks shooting small bucks, but for veteran hunters, why shoot it if you have doe tags?

The best thing that ever happened to the quality of bucks in PA is the point restrictions. Guys have been forced to let the young ones walk instead of shooting the 1st buck with a 3" spike and now we are regularly producing some book bucks.

I could never understand how a veteran hunter with a few dozen bucks under their belt, would want to shoot dink bucks. They saw off the antlers and toss them in a box in the corner of the garage, never to be seen again. Let the young hunters shoot the young bucks.
I love deer meat, that's what doe tags are for.

I hunt PA some as well.

I have similar expectations of myself as a hunter. But I disagree with assigning similar goals, logic, or standards to other hunters, even veteran hunters, without consideration to their scenario.

As someone who has had some very limited seasons, and who has family who have had similar restrictions on their time afield, I have an appreciation for the excitement and camaraderie that taking a buck, any buck, can foster when it's someone's one day to hunt that year.

The old days in PA were pretty exciting, with deer running everywhere and shots all day every opener. It was alot of fun, even if it hampered the trophy potential.

My father's hunting mentor, who had some impressive mounts on the walls, used to show off that box of spike antlers with utmost pride. He told us, anyone can shoot the big ones, but skilled hunters can get close enough time and again to discern those 1" spikes. It was buck only when we went afield, and we were fine with that.

I think older hunters, who maybe can't hunt how they'd like or used to, or who didn't grow up in a trophy hunting culture or don't really care that much about that stuff, enjoy success on smaller bucks as much as trophy hunters who take the same size or smaller buck as in past seasons.

Lets be honest, how many ONLY hunt for a buck bigger than their biggest? That, to me, is a clear distinction from shoot any buck you like. Otherwise, you are just buck hunting, no matter what size you choose.

Last year my Dad took a medium buck, and he was thrilled. It wasn't close to his biggest. I don't know if he'll ever get another buck, or a bigger one. We thought that buck was a 2yr old. But we found him, for certain, in pictures from the previous two seasons. He really hadn't changed between 2 and 3. Sometimes age can be a bit tricky.

But, yeah, for me, I'm personally trying for nice bucks.

 

[LoadedLimbs]

In Connecticut, you have to purchase a license for each method of take (Archery; Shotgun/Rifle; Muzzleloader).
There are no antler restrictions for bucks, and the state-wide regs permit you to take:
2 bucks by Archery
1 buck by shotgun or rifle
1 buck by muzzleloader

In the coastal hunting zones (11 & 12), you're permitted to take another 1 buck on private land via Archery in the month of January. You can also get another buck tag, known as an "Earn a buck" tag for zones 11 & 12 if you register 3 antler less deer taken from private land in the same season. So if you participate in all methods of take, you could conceivably fill 6 buck tags - but only if you also fill 3 antler less tags from private land.

I should mention that the buck tags are actually "Either Sex" tags in CT. The other type is "Antlerless". Private land hunters, can take an equal number of "Antlerless" tags to the number of "Either Sex" tags. So if you are a private land hunter who is successful filling every possible tag for every method of take, you'd have 10 deer in the freezer for the season. That's pretty surprising for a state as small as CT !

As far as my buck criteria goes, I've gotten more selective over the years. I have let many small ones pass beneath me hoping they'll make it through the season and that I'll cross paths with them in future years. With all the hunters I know who have the "if it's brown, it's down" philosophy, I doubt that too many of the young bucks I let walk actually make it through the season, though. For me, I generally want a buck to look like it's at least a 3.5 year old based on body mass - I'm not too picky about antler points or size, but by the time the bucks in my area are 3.5 years old, they're usually at least 8 points.

 

[BTaylor]

Here is AR it depends on where you are hunting as to what the buck restrictions are. Most of the state is under a 3 point rule but there are areas that have no restrictions and some areas that have a width or beam restriction. We get 2 buck tags and 6 tags total so we can shoot some stuff.

My personal goal has been to not shoot bucks under 4.5 for a long time now.

 

[killabuck]

I try to hold out for a 130”+ buck in Ohio. We only can kill one buck/ year here. We’ve been passing on a lot of bucks over the past few years on private land, so we usually see a couple of 130-150” bucks each year. It’s just a matter of disciplining ourselves to get more picky each year.

 

[Mitchellfarmer1982]

Here is AR it depends on where you are hunting as to what the buck restrictions are. Most of the state is under a 3 point rule but there are areas that have no restrictions and some areas that have a width or beam restriction. We get 2 buck tags and 6 tags total so we can shoot some stuff.

My personal goal has been to not shoot bucks under 4.5 for a long time now.

I'm in Arkansas too and after this last buck I killed I have to reevaluate my aging process. I thought they added mass as they matured but he didnt his body looked older and I knew i had him on camera since 2018 but he didnt change much really

 

[BTaylor]

I'm in Arkansas too and after this last buck I killed I have to reevaluate my aging process. I thought they added mass as they matured but he didnt his body looked older and I knew i had him on camera since 2018 but he didnt change much really

I pretty much judge solely on body characteristics. 9 of my last 10 bucks have been 4.5-6.5 with one woops 3 y/o. Score wise they are 107-131.

 

[Jagger0502]

PA here and 3 points up in my area with one buck tag. I put as many doe away as Soon as I can for meat in the freezer and “try” to hold out on a buck worth seeing on the wall. My goal is 4 deer in the freezer to make it to next season and get there as fast as possible so I can spend my hunting days with the dog which I enjoy more than hanging from a tree. If I get 3 or 4 doe early then I only archery hunt when the wind and day suits me for the bucks I am after and I save one doe tag for late muzzleloader season. If I don’t have a decent buck in archery then rifle and muzzleloader is open game for the first legal buck I see and size doesn’t matter

 

[sdonx]

I typically know right away when its a shooter for me. Anything thats not a small basket. Width is what i look for.
In Maine i look at body. I shot a 207# that had a small 6pt rack.
What is going to be tough is Iowa this year. I have 12 cameras out there with 5 sending me pics. The cams should help with my decision and Im sure that will change the more sits i make.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mitchellfarmer1982]

I pretty much judge solely on body characteristics. 9 of my last 10 bucks have been 4.5-6.5 with one woops 3 y/o. Score wise they are 107-131.

That's impressive.

 

[BTaylor]

That's impressive.

Only reason to post that was to point out that all mature deer are not "giants" and lots are just barely "average" if all you consider is antler score.

 

[slonstdy]

35 yards and in, no spikes...