Age class bucks?

[tgomez]

 I think that from next deer season on I will only shoot mature 5 plus year old bucks. I have never hunted for only age class bucks, and have never been a "trophy hunter".  Lately I don't get the same enjoyment of shooting basket rack 4s, and small forkhorns as I use to when I was younger. I enjoy being out in God's country and just being around the deer in general. Am I wrong in thinking this way, am I evolving as a hunter? I enjoy taking out friends and family more than getting a deer myself anymore. I have been fortunate enough to put a tag on a buck for 21 years straight, and enjoy eating the meat, but think I need more of a challenge. I am also realizing that it does the overall deer quality wonders if you do let them grow up to their full potential. I will still buy a tag and help fund the wildlife of Washington regardless, but I have been giving this some serious thought lately. Anyone else ever have this dilemma in their hunting carrers? Maybe I should start hunting Elk instead. Please give me some friendly advice my fellow hunters, as I am starting to feel like a wandering hunting soul. Thanks for your time, Trevor.

[fishnfur]

Try Blacktail, or try it again.  You'll appreciate the difficulty of the hunt and the elusiveness of the quarry. 

Perhaps archery instead - that seems to be the natural evolution for many experienced hunters.

Limiting yourself to an age class may just end up being an exercise in frustration, but I'm not familiar with the deer population where you hunt.

[teamhughes2007]

I've been hunting for 10 years and have 11 bucks.  Although I love the taste and doing all the processing, I don't hunt because I need the meat (family raises cows); I hunt because I love spending time with my brother and dad, I love the challenge, the outdoors, the adrenaline rush, etc.  However, I too have wrestled with this.  Three years ago I stalked in on a decent, young buck and shot it (I just realized it's the buck from my profile photo)...not because I wanted to but because I didn't want to be the only one in camp that didn't fill a tag...pride.   That hunt left a bad taste in my mouth (not the venison, that was awesome!) so since then I have focused on taking mature bucks; which I have and I've had a blast.  I got over the whole pride thing about filling the tag and now I'm okay coming back empty handed.

This has also helped me with my hunting skills...going from shooting the first legal buck I saw to being able to pull up and just watch the deer to see what they're up to and how they react to different situations.

Now, fast forward to this year.  I discovered that several family friends would jump at the chance to have ground venison; not only for the quality of meat but as a cost savings to them.  So, now I'm hunting for the thrill of the hunt but also for food for multiple families.  I am still going to hunt for a mature buck but now will be just as content coming home with a younger one because I'll be able to bless several families with it...hunting with a purpose beyond myself.  Anyways, that's my two cents.

[Grizman]

I find this an interesting topic.  I have hunted deer and elk for 57 years.  Four about 40 of those years I hunted in two states and occasionally three states.  About 10 years ago I got to the point that the meat was not being used and the process of shooting a Spike or Cow elk, or a medium buck began to loose its thrill.  I still totally love being out in the woods and hunting but I needed a change.  I received a Game Camera for Christmas and boy did that open a new style of hunting for me!  For the past several years, I set out three or four cams in the area I now live and hunt.  I see some very nice bucks and going into the season, I target one or two of them and will not settle for anything else.  I am lucky to be able to hunt everyday and I live in the middle of some excellent public land hunting.  So, Over the season I see and pass on a fair number of medium bucks and consintrated only on my targeted bucks.  Over the past several years, I have killed my targeted deer about 40% on the time.  But, I hunt with a totally new outlook and intensity.  I save a little meat and donate the rest. 
I have a shed full of deer and elk racks and all the memories they bring.  Today, I have not problem at all telling another hunter that I hunted 20+ days, never pulled the trigger, and had a GREAT Season.

[boneaddict]

You picked a bad year to try to change.   Most of them were killed this fall.  Extreme success this year means tougher pickings next season.

[Seabass]

Pick up a bow.......

[High Climber]

I was talking with an older gentleman around 70 or so at the gym this morning, he had some insight on the way a hunter evolves... Here is the cliff note version. He said there are four stages of a hunters "legacy" for lack of a better word. 1) any 2) most 3) Size 4) Sharing. His take on it was a hunter starts out just wanting to take any legal animal, once that is accomplished the hunter wants to take an animal every year. After a while the hunter moves his focus away from just filling a tag to taking the largest representative animal in the area he is working.  The final stage he describes as passing along the tools of the trade and just being out there with friends and family, sharing his passion for the hunt and the outdoors. I've been thinking about that conversation all day and I believe is is pretty close to the mark. By his theory I think I am coming to the end of stage two and moving towards stage three. Sounds like you are already there... Happy hunting

[boneaddict]

Old timers seem to know their stuff.

[ShaneTyTrey]

Old timers seem to know their stuff.

 

[blindluck]

tgomez- I totally agree, as we mature as sportsman we strive for more challenge. I too just love being amongst the wildlife watching and waiting for a trophy buck, I feel just as successful letting smaller ones walk in hopes of a giant to suddenly appear, and at the end of the season if I don't score, I know I have learned more experiencing the long days afield than shooting a small one opening day and hanging out in camp the rest of the hunt.

[buckmaster_wa]

I believe this evolution happens to all hunters. I remember when I first started hunted I was happy shooting the first legal animal I saw. Then it moved on to shooting mature bucks. I still basically shoot the first legal buck I see in Washington, but only because i hunt here for the meat. When I am hunting out of state I try to harvest a good mature buck.

I have found a new passion in hunting and that is the excitement of putting new hunters on game. I have assisted 10 different hunters in getting there first kill, and that is nearly as exciting as me getting a kill myself. Plus, it helps the hunting community as a whole to get more people involved in the great outdoors.

[Dan-o]

I wonder what percentage of deer in Washington are 5+ year old bucks?

I'm thinking it might be some fraction of 1%?

Might have to look at several hundred deer before finding one that meets that spec?   

[jackelope]

I was talking with an older gentleman around 70 or so at the gym this morning, he had some insight on the way a hunter evolves... Here is the cliff note version. He said there are four stages of a hunters "legacy" for lack of a better word. 1) any 2) most 3) Size 4) Sharing. His take on it was a hunter starts out just wanting to take any legal animal, once that is accomplished the hunter wants to take an animal every year. After a while the hunter moves his focus away from just filling a tag to taking the largest representative animal in the area he is working.  The final stage he describes as passing along the tools of the trade and just being out there with friends and family, sharing his passion for the hunt and the outdoors. I've been thinking about that conversation all day and I believe is is pretty close to the mark. By his theory I think I am coming to the end of stage two and moving towards stage three. Sounds like you are already there... Happy hunting

I like this. I feel like I'm definitely in stage 3 and beginning stage 4, and it seems like I may be there a little early.
 

[jackelope]

I wonder what percentage of deer in Washington are 5+ year old bucks?

I'm thinking it might be some fraction of 1%?

Might have to look at several hundred deer before finding one that meets that spec?   

I think that totally depends where you are in the state.

[bobcat]

As long as I still have my kids living with me I'll be in the stage of wanting to kill an animal every year, and as many as possible, regardless of antler size. I only pass on spikes because they don't have enough meat on them.

But I agree with what others have said- if you're wanting to just hunt more and be challenged more, and don't care about meat in the  freezer, switch to archery hunting. You could even buy the multi-season tag and hunt all the seasons with your bow.