A shooter in my books! How do you pass them up?

[NachesBOY509]

Just a few pictures from my quick little scouting trip. I've been hunting this area for the past 3 years now and have seen a lot of deer and a few legal bucks in there every year but just have yet to get it done, hopeful for this year!
But my question to you also is, how many of you guys can pass up a legal buck? I tel myself year in and year out, I'm gonna pass up the smaller guys and hope for the big boy to come rolling in. But every year as soon as I see a legal buck, I do whatever it takes to get into shooting range and pull the trigger I just can't seem to pass up a legal deer   
Anyway these are just a few I found on my last little scouting trip, and for *censored*s and giggles a nice spike I had seen in the same area a few weeks back

[NachesBOY509]

Here the pictures

[demontang]

I just passed on a legal buck last night. But I do have a multi season too. Your availability to get time to hunt can be a factor of passing up legal deer. That buck I don't think I'd let walk away.

[carpsniperg2]

A lot of factors come in to it for me. Quality of tag, is it over the counter or a special draw? How much time I have to hunt. Age class and amount of bucks I am seeing etc.

I let many quality bucks walk every year but I have taken some great deer. So it's not hard to do.

Elk on the other hand have been my curse. I have been 12 years and taken only anterless. Now with a great quality bull tag in my pocket that. I should be able to get into plenty of bulls. I am going to have a very hard time passing the first 5x I see. However I know its a great tag, so passing bulls is going to be one of the hardest things I ever do. I would be happy with any bull in a otc hunt. This is a tag I might not ever get again. I want to make the best of it and hunt hard for a chance at a great bull.

[brew]

not sure what your standards are or what you consider a "big boy" but if i was archery hunting mule deer and came across one like this that is not just "barely legal" and is a main frame 3 pt with eyeguards and the spread is at his ears  then i  would be shooting...i know they look bigger in velvet but his tine length is good with deep front forks....waiting for something "bigger" in washington with archery gear you're gonne be eating tag soup for a lot of years.

[cbond3318]

not sure what your standards are or what you consider a "big boy" but if i was archery hunting mule deer and came across one like this that is not just "barely legal" and is a main frame 3 pt with eyeguards and the spread is at his ears  then i  would be shooting...i know they look bigger in velvet but his tine length is good with deep front forks....waiting for something "bigger" in washington with archery gear you're gonne be eating tag soup for a lot of years.

  I am currently on day 4 of hunting a very similar framed deer. Saw him and thought I'd just watch and pass, about 10 minutes into just watching I said" well, I'll just put a stalk on him cause it's fun" got within 90 and the wind shifted and he left. Fast forward to now, I can't get him outta my head, it's become my goal now!

MAn I love hunting!

[jeffro]

Never pass on a deer day one, that you would shoot last day.
First legal deer dies at our camp.

[Miles]

Never pass on a deer day one, that you would shoot last day.
First legal deer dies at our camp.

Cool saying, and I've heard it a million times, but I disagree.   I prefer to pass on smaller bucks and hunt for a good one.  If on the last day or two I haven't filled a tag, I will shoot any legal buck to fill the freezer.  So far I've never had to regret that decision.  If you shoot the first legal buck like in your catchy saying,  odds are that monster bucks will be few and far between. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Never pass on a deer day one, that you would shoot last day.
First legal deer dies at our camp.

Cool saying, and I've heard it a million times, but I disagree.   I prefer to pass on smaller bucks and hunt for a good one.  If on the last day or two I haven't filled a tag, I will shoot any legal buck to fill the freezer.  So far I've never had to regret that decision.  If you shoot the first legal buck like in your catchy saying,  odds are that monster bucks will be few and far between.

Last day of archery I'm shooting a doe. First day it's nothing but a nice buck. 

[Widgeondeke]

I don't pass on legal bucks. Nuff said

[solomtnhunter]

Pretty much what everyone else here said... Never pass on any buck i'd be happy to take on last day

[fishnfur]

I'd take that buck if it walked in front of me!

 I took off after a forkie BT with eyeguards today, but quickly quit the chase after reconsidering his small body size, and the fact that I was wearing jeans and a T shirt heading into soaking wet jungle.  I'll look for him again next year.

[WAcoueshunter]

Never pass on a deer day one, that you would shoot last day.
First legal deer dies at our camp.

Cool saying, and I've heard it a million times, but I disagree.   I prefer to pass on smaller bucks and hunt for a good one.  If on the last day or two I haven't filled a tag, I will shoot any legal buck to fill the freezer.  So far I've never had to regret that decision.  If you shoot the first legal buck like in your catchy saying,  odds are that monster bucks will be few and far between.

Last day of archery I'm shooting a doe. First day it's nothing but a nice buck. 

   I like to hunt.  Won't get to hunt very long if I lived by the 'shoot on the first day what I would shoot on the last' theory.  If your primary objective was filling the freezer and getting back to work, then yeah, I guess it makes sense. 

[Stein]

On an otc tag, legal is plenty fine.  Forkies taste great.

[fishnfur]

On an otc tag, legal is plenty fine.  Forkies taste great.

Agreed, but the great taste lasts longer on a bigger deer.