Late Tag Shooters?

[UBA]

Buck 1

Buck 2

Buck 3

What do you guys think. Waited all them years for your late tag, which one to do pass on and which one do you drop the hammer on? Or look for something bigger?

[dbllunger]

First Buck- I would last day as a cull buck to get him out of the gene pool.
Second buck   Can't see enough to know.  If he does not have depth (looks shallow) then no, but if decent depth and decent front forks...a maybe towards end of season...but only if front forks are good.  Again kill for a cull buck.
Third....if nothing better then maybe if I had a better view.  Looks good and tall with solid forks but narrow.   Would not kill last day if there was something better.  Only last day if he was mature and topped out or going down the other side. 

[MichaelJ]

Depends on the unit and the year...  First buck, definitely a shooter the last day for me.
Second buck, pass throughout the season, let him grow.
Third buck, really close to being a shooter any day of the season.  Depends on age class...

Michael

[remington300mag]

Depends on the Unit.....but with as many points as I have (including poacher points) and only putting in for 2 units......I would pass on all three.....

[Ryan]

To me it just matters how many days I had to hunt left.  On the last day I would take anyone of them bucks.... they would be good in the freezer.

If I had some time left and matters which unit.
1st Buck. Pass
2nd Buck. Pass
3rd Buck.  This is a really hard one to let walk. He has good fronts and rears.... just one year away from being a wall hanger.    

[crabcreekhunter]

Sorry to say I would have to let them all walk.. some good potential though.

[littlebuf]

you guys crack me up, none of you guys would pass those bucks last day of the hunt    i know your trying to sound cool but its not working

[jdb]

well I would shoot any of them on the first day

[hornhunter]

If I had those three bucks to choose from I would rather eat tag soup!  The last buck mmaaaaayyybbeeeee.  If I could see the other side and a front view, but, not from that view.   

[7mmfan]

1st buck = 
2nd buck=
3rd buck =

i'm just not that picky

[elkaholic123]

If I had a late tag and it was the last day and all 3 were standing side by side I think I
would drop #2,he looks tall!    I have eaten too much tag soup lately!

[littlebuf]

If I had those three bucks to choose from I would rather eat tag soup!  The last buck mmaaaaayyybbeeeee.  If I could see the other side and a front view, but, not from that view.   

and your really trying to hard to sound cool. still not working 

[Savage3006]

I'd take any one of those bucks! More meat for the feezer.

[RUTNBULL1]

If I had those three bucks to choose from I would rather eat tag soup!  The last buck mmaaaaayyybbeeeee.  If I could see the other side and a front view, but, not from that view.   

and your really trying to hard to sound cool. still not working 

And Tiny Tim (LittleBuff) and you are trying to easy to be a dick, and it's working. Leave these other opinions alone, maybe these guys are really being honest about there opinion's. 

[littlebuf]

who the hell are you callin tiny tim?

[RUTNBULL1]

I didddddn't stutttteerrrr, now, now lets not get in the online pissin match, you dished it out, and you get a little side joke back and now your dandruff is up. Cool down where just flippin. 

[MichaelJ]

haha

[WAmuleyHunter]

pass on all three if it was a late tag, general season different story

[mossback91]

pass on all three if it was a late tag, general season different story

 

[Kowsrule30]

I really like how tall the second one is... But who am I kidding.... I'm not too picky so I would probably drop the first one I had a clear shot at and could tell it was legal!!!  Ate my tag this year because I passed the only leagal deer I saw...  (very small 3x2 in Cowichie) 

[jackelope]

1st and 2nd pass, 3rd needs a little more looking but looks small and looks like he's gonna be a hawg in another year. if it were the last day i might shoot #3, but not the others.

[jagermiester]

well seeing how shakey your camera work is you might want to shoot at one of them. Otherwise when you get a monster in front of you you might piss down your leg. I would shoot all of them.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I agree with Littlebuff and I don't think he was inciting anything at all. We all hypothetically from behind a PC would like to think we don't get buck fever and wouldn't pull the trigger on a certain buck. Fact is with every hunter I've known, including guys like Jim Zumbo, you just don't have a lot of time to make that decision 90% of the time and your gut will be to shoot that buck as soon as you see it. Some guys have truly taken enough "trophy" animals, mainly professional hunters that they have the luxury of not acting on their gut as they can hunt all day, week and month long. The average guy doesn't and will shoot those bucks. As far as I know, Bearpaw and maybe a couple others are the only ones on this Site who hunt for a living.

[Alan K]

Depends how fired up they got me.  I know whether or not I'm going to shoot a buck the second I see it.  I've never taken the time to look him over first.

If I had to look him over and make a decision, it wouldn't be worth killing the animal to me.  It should be a no brainer the moment I see it.

[Pathfinder101]

can't see 'em at work.  I'll check when I get home...

[jackelope]

I agree with Littlebuff and I don't think he was inciting anything at all. We all hypothetically from behind a PC would like to think we don't get buck fever and wouldn't pull the trigger on a certain buck. Fact is with every hunter I've known, including guys like Jim Zumbo, you just don't have a lot of time to make that decision 90% of the time and your gut will be to shoot that buck as soon as you see it. Some guys have truly taken enough "trophy" animals, mainly professional hunters that they have the luxury of not acting on their gut as they can hunt all day, week and month long. The average guy doesn't and will shoot those bucks. As far as I know, Bearpaw and maybe a couple others are the only ones on this Site who hunt for a living.

I wouldn't shoot the 1st two bucks. i might shoot the 3rd.  my gut would not tell me to shoot those 2 deer. it would actually tell me not to shoot them with a special permit late rifle tag in a good unit. a general season tag is a different story.

i have never killed a mule deer bigger than a smallish 3x3.  i saw bucks in the late archery season that were 3x3's that were bigger than any buck i have ever killed and we did not even attempt stalks on them because we knew there were might be bigger deer around...this happened every day including the last day we could hunt.
i'm not trying to be cool. i could care less whether or not i look cool to anyone else....i just have goals when i hunt...and they don't make it.

[Lowedog]

I wouldn't even waste my time looking in those bucks direction! 

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Hold on. There are guys on here who have no issue harvesting any legal buck during the regular season, and simply because you have a limited tag, it comes down to the last hour of legal hunting light on that tag and you see one of those bucks and what again exactly changes your philosophy overnight? Being someone who really appreciates the venison in any given season, what would be the point of eating that limited tag if you could harvest a mature buck and have venison that year. None. You get that tag every 8-12 years, will that buck you passed on still be there in another 10 years? NO. So what are you "holding out" for? Everyone is not guaranteed a 30" mule deer, just because you get drawn for a limited tag does not even guarantee you the chance of seeing one just because they are out there somewhere.  . Most of these tags are still in general season areas, so if you are thinking you may find that buck again during general season, good luck, but to each their own I guess. For me if I'm drawn for that tag once in as many as 25 years, I am sure as hell not wasting it, not saying I'd shoot a 2 point, but I would definitely take a mature buck.

[jackelope]

it comes down to the last hour of legal hunting light on that tag and you see one of those bucks and what again exactly changes your philosophy overnight?

nothing changes my philosophy overnight. i haven't killed a deer in the last 3 years because i am no longer interested in shooting a little guy...general season or special permit. i've had plenty of opportunities to shoot deer, just haven't.

You get that tag every 8-12 years, will that buck you passed on still be there in another 10 years? NO. So what are you "holding out" for? Everyone is not guaranteed a 30" mule deer

i wouldn't shoot a young deer because that young deer will be a stud  next year for someone else...and he'll be spreading his good genetics for other deer for years to come. i'm not looking for or expecting a 30" buck...but i do want a good one. i can't see those youtube videos at work today to say for sure but #1 looked like a younger deer if i remember correctly. #2 was only a head shot and #3 was a 10 second or so video of a skyline buck and i don't remember if he looked old or not.
this is a matter of personal opinion, D. there's no need to get cranked up over it. you should be happy about people like me who are saving this years little guys for you guys who draw next year and the little guys are then big guys.

[Dmanmastertracker]

  :)Fair enough, I just feel strongly about the venison aspect of hunting, it's not about the killing only. Also, the genetics aren't necessarily going to allow those 4 points to get any bigger, that is also a crap shoot.

[MichaelJ]

  :)Fair enough, I just feel strongly about the venison aspect of hunting, it's not about the killing only. Also, the genetics aren't necessarily going to allow those 4 points to get any bigger, that is also a crap shoot.

Being in college I understand about the venison aspect and I would probably shoot any of those this fall had I been a WA resident and it was the last evening of the last day...

However back when I was in highschool, or when I get out of college and (hopefully) have a high paying job I wouldn't mind passing any of those bucks on the hunt.  Part of the fun of having a late tag is the OPPORTUNITY to harvest a big mature buck.  Waking up every morning wondering if it'll be THAT day is worth much more than a meat buck imho...

Some guys aren't in it for the meat, its more of a hunt in their minds...

Michael

[Pathfinder101]

I am pretty sure I would have a hard time passing up that third buck, even with a late tag.  When I draw, my objective will be to kill a larger muley than I have already killed, and I am sure that right now, the third buck will fit that bill.  I also love my venison though, so if it was the last day and I wasn't seeing bucks (weather, etc...), any one of them would look great on my freezer wall...