Would You Shoot this Buck?

Mike: Here are a set of sheds from another great 4x4 that peaked our interest in 2002. As nice as this deer was my brother Mike and I decided to pass on him due to his age—3 ½. We were wondering: What would you have done? What would the fellow bloggers have done? Thanks, Cliff, Mike and Chaeli (holding antlers)

Cliff, I admire your restraint man! If had seen those seen those lone tines and esp. the brows, I would have shot that buck, most definitely if we were filming a show for Versus. You know how they say the camera puts 10 pounds on a person? Well, it puts 10 or 20 more inches on a buck’s rack too, so I could not have resisted. That deer is big to begin; he’d have looked like a giant on TV.

I have a sneaking suspicion what our fellow bloggers would have done, but I’ll let them tell you :)

BTW, did Cliff and Mike ever see the big 4x4 again? Check back tomorrow.

Comments

[JJ]

Would have taken me about oh 2 seconds to decide to shoot that buck. I hunt in an area with a lot of pressure, if you see a buck like that you'd better shoot. I and I suspect a lot of other bloggers don't have the luxury of passing on too many like that...

[Doug In Wisconsin]

Shooter

[Don3]

BBD!!!

[Big Daddy]

Makes no sense to me to pass any legal deer when I want venison to eat. Once my freezer is as full as I want it I quit killing and take the camera.

[Flatlander]

if it were the first shooter of the season to present a shot on film (125" min./ 3 1/2 yr. old min.) i would with out a doubt let er rip. but after 1 buck tag is filled in Ill. i reserve the last for a true whopper (something really spectacular)last year i had resided to the fact i would eat my tag after shooting a 130" 9 for the firts buck, i knew the second buck would have to be awesome, and it was 160" 13 as posted earlier this spring. i would not begrudge anyone for shooting that big 4x4, but i do know 'round here we have the chance of 175" or better popping up.......slim chance but if you don't have a tag you can't shoot one.
this get's easier to pass deer as i get older and my wife nags about where are we going to put the next head at :)

[Scott]

I would have shot that deer for sure. Where i hunt in Michigan you would not let that deer pass. Now if i had a 400+ acer farm in Illinois or Iowa i might have to think about it.....no i think i would still have shot him!

[Flatlander]

Scott
not everyone has a 400 or 1000 acre farm in ILL. in fact if it is over 100 acres of woodland it is probably lease to an outfitter. i hunt 4 properties each with 3-4 other hunters on them and they are 5 acres to 30 with very little timber. but i know what you mean, in some states you may never see a 125" deer...... watch Realtree monster bucks for the last 3-4 years and see how many out of the 30 some deer are under 130"...... alot......even big money and the best outfitters don't always produce big un's. A trophy still remains in the eye of the beholder. just nice to hear what each of you folks will and won't pull the trigger on and where your from

keep up the high standards you all hold on your selves that make you a sportsman (regardless of score)

[Dean Weimer]

Dead Deer!!!

Score ain't everything!!

[Dirty]

MEAT ON THE TABBLE!!!!!!!

[Dirty]

TABLE!!!!!!

[jstreet]

I do believe I would have shot him dead!

Jim

[mjbtexas]

I think i would have let him walk. My personal version of a "drop tine" buck is a 160"+ 4x4, as clean as it can come.

[hermon]

" trophy still remains in the eye of the beholder"

I agree with this statement 100%. I have a 2nd grade kid in my class in Kansas that killed a 1.5 year spike. He was begging like crazy to get it mounted. The next year he killed a 160 and just wanted the antler mount. Doesn't matter how big. It's all in the hunt. Great Comments by all.

[hermon]

But yes...I would have shot him.

[Doug In Wisconsin]

Come on Flatlander, we all know everyone owns 1000 acre farms and 160" freak nasties just hang around the barns down there;)

I never even thought about what that boy would've scored. He just looks like a shooter to me. That 3 1/2 yr. old looks like a much better buck than the young one (2 or 3 1/2 yr. old?) I debated shooting last year (Mike blogged about my dilemma) and ended up passing late in the rut. Plus, I just LOVE those tight racks that lean back in.

That sounds bad doesn't it...

[Dean Weimer]

Doug, no it sounded quite nice. Well said my friend!!

[bowkill1978]

Uh, I would definitely kill that deer.

[Cody]

I wouldn't have thought twice about shooting it. I would have taken a look at the rack through the scope to make sure I had seen what I thought I had seen(unless Iwas bowhunting and then as soon as I saw more than a 3 inch spike I would shoot lol yet to kill one with a bow). Gun or bow, I would do everything I could to get that buck.

We have one 640+ acre farm to hunt that when we first started hunting had a otn of other hunters on it. Over the last few years it has pretty much dwindled down to the 6 of us(family and friedns) that hunt and a game warden that has tried to run everyone off. There were some true giants on that place the first year any of us hunted it(hadn't been hunted by anyone but the landowner legally for 40+ yrs) According to the game warden over 20 "mountable" 8 pointers and bigger were taken off in the first season...Still some nice ones there but wouldn't take a chance on passing one like that there.

Another 300 acre farm just a few miles has some big ones on it too but we can only hunt it two weeks a year..

Would never think about passing it

Cody..in Virginia by the way

[Eric Williams]

BBD! Looks to gross at least 150 as an 8, that would be a 4+year old anywhere I hunt.

[Chris Butler]

After a close look i would have shot that deer. Thats a damn nice deer in VA.

[BIGKAHUNA]

Please, in most hunters eyes, like myself, it would be a pleasure to take a nice buck like that! He's a dandy by any standard. To take him with a well placed arrow from my mathews would definately be the icing on the cake!

[Flatlander]

awesome deer but not to sure it will go 150". everybody throughs around the 150" mark but in reality very few deer ever get to that, especially as an 8 point
my guess would be
G1 7" & 7"
G2 11" & 12"
G3 8" & 7"
H1 5" & 5"
H2 4" & 4"
H3 3" & 3"
H4 2.5" & 2.5"
SPREAD? lets say 18" probably less
main beams 20" each

looks like 139" gross....... still awesome but lets call em what they are. i believe these are very generous measurements. not bashing any deer...... we just have a plague these days that everything and everyone shoots 150-175's .......got a neighbor whose 128" is now close to 150" three years after taking it....... i would like to find out what he puts on that rack to make it grow like that :)

[PA Archer]

DRAW .... AIM ..... SQUEEEEEEZE!!!

[bill reiman]

That boy would have been down. Whether opening season of bow or the last day of the season....period.