How to Pass.

[NWBREW]

O.K., Here's a question I have asked  myself on more then one occasion So I would like to hear others answers (if there are any).I have killed a few nice bucks.....whitetail. All here in Washington. But I have yet to kill one that goes over 160". (yes...I would consider that big). I know others on here have on more than one occasion. HERE IT IS

How do you pass bucks that only score say around 140"? (yes I know 140" is good too).

My problem is I know what a 160" buck looks like and I know 140" is a nice buck......what do you do to get to that next level. You know?.......The 140" could be close to 160" in the next year but with a week only....how do you pass ( I like having venison for part of the year)? They are there.... I know it.

   alwine, bearpaw, carp, bone, millertime, huntnw and others....share your thoughts on this.....is this something you can do......pass....how? I'm not talking about getting the shot on camera or for a client or whatever if it's part of your job....(I don't do it for a living...although I would be good at it.  ). I'm talking about just you.      I need to be stronger to achieve this goal.

[carpsniperg2]

Well since me and you are the only ones up this late or early I will be the first one to hit it. A lot of it has to do with your personal goals. It takes very strong will power to pass the quality of deer that most hunter would shoot in a heartbeat. A lot of it has to do with the area's that I hunt. If I know I am going to have a chance at a bigger buck, there is no way in my mind that I could justify shooting just a decent buck. A lot of years I spot a buck that I want bad! Then its game on! I don't care what walks out! I want that deer and I will eat my tag before I shoot another buck. The last year was the first year that I got frustrated with the weather and shot a nice buck on the 2ND to the last day. It comes with hunting the late season. Sometimes the weather is good and other times it turns very bad and even getting out to my hunting spots becomes a huge challenge. I have to be a 100% honest and say if I just hunted 100% public ground and a great 140" came out, it would probably hit the dirt  I am blessed with good hunting ground. A lot of us have great areas to hunt and can be a little more picky. In my best year I passed 57 legal bucks in a hunting season. That was more then a few years ago now. It all comes with will power. I fully support anyone that shoots any deer from spike to 200"+ I just tend to like the bigger ones So it's just a matter of a mind set, if you have it in your head you will not settle for anything else but a certain type of deer. Then it makes passing other deer easy! Well kinda I put a lot of time in looking at deer in the area. If I know a lot of the deer in the area it can help me be more selective. If I don't know the deer in the area and a nice buck walks out it's a lot harder to pass. So my tip would be to try and learn if the area you are hunting holds those toads! If you know for a fact that they are there, it makes passing on good bucks easy, holding out for a giant!

[NWBREW]

I guess I should have added that I only hunt the late rut hunt and I hunt on public as well as private. I just have to think that if the 140"'s are there......the big ones have to be around somewhere, I just haven't seen them daylight hunting hours.

Although my neighbor has killed two really nice non-typs.  ( I hate that guy during hunting season.....he hunts the same area I do and both have walked right out in front of him  ) But he's a great neighbor. For him the big bucks walk out before the smaller ones do. 

[huntnnw]

I guess personally for me I have gradually worked my way up over the years (size) I would kill any buck in this state in the 150+ plus range if  I knew it was mature..I have scouted a few 150 3 1/2 yr old bucks over the years I did not hunt in hopes of hunting him the following year..never worked out..never saw them again winter,hunters or predators may have got them.  Its also alot easier to pass on smaller bucks when you have scouted a tank of buck in the summer and know hes around and to me that's the ticket...You simply cannot kill a 160 buck if it doesn't exist in the area you hunt...if you are limited to hunting one area and have scouted it with cams, binos or etc and all u have come up with is 140" buck being the biggest u either hunt the biggest available buck in your area or move on till u find what your looking for.

[rasbo]

dont pull the trigger on the smaller bucks..shed hunting is a great way to see whats in your area,and will tell you what size deer you might expect..But the number one reason not to get a larger buck is pulling the trigger,on them small ones..Where I lived in Idaho the mulies close to the river had nice wide and tall racks but thin beams,head away from the river towards the lava flows and the beams get really nice.

[piledup]

For me, I have to know that the big ones are in the area to hold out for them. I've shot my share of small bucks before so now it's easy for me to pass them up.
For these past couple of years, I've been passing up small ones and waiting for big ones or else just tag soup.
Getting some venison is not a problem for me because they're are a couple of hunters in my family that would never pass on the small bucks.
All you have to do is know that there are bigger ones in the area to be able to let the smaller one walk.
Good Hunting

[Bigshooter]

If you know a 160 buck is there and that is what you want to kill passing a 140 buck shouldn't be a problem.   I guess what it comes down to is are you a meat hunter or a horn hunter?  I have no problem passing small bucks holding out for a big buck.  And I don't care if I don't kill anything.  I'd rather hunt 10 days for a big buck and not get him, than shoot a small buck on opening day.  I have killed plenty of small bucks to last me the rest of my life.

[wapiti hunter2]

WILL POWER

[oldleclercrd]

I think it would be easier to kill a big boy on ALL the hunting ground you own then for the rest of us that hunt only public. If you own the property you say you do, a little manangement might go along way and you might even see more "160" class deer.

[huntnnw]

I dont think he has that much property to manage a herd of whiteys... you need alot of property to effectively manage some deer from other hunters.

[NWBREW]

Your right shane...I don't have nearly enough to do it how I'd like....less then 100 acres and I don't have the funds for it.....I'd like to Brent but my house, job and family keep me (and the money) over here    but I do think you know both (you too carp) exactly what I'm talking about. The fact is I am trying to get out is Passing on what I consider to be nice bucks to get to the bigger one. I usually tag out between the 5th or 7th day of a 9 day hunt. I only go deer hunting for that time....9 days and that's it. I have passed on many, many smaller ones to shoot a decent one but have to talk myself into it to go from decent to big.

rasbo, I do shed hunt....have for years and years. ...before it got popular but the places I hunt during the rut are not the same as when and where they shed. I hunt the white tail rut. I am completely addicted to it......there is nothing like it. I have hunted the same area for 20+ years and it took me the 1st 5 or 6 years to really start learning it and don't have a problem shooting "nice bucks". 

Here are a couple reference photo's (I consider these to be decent bucks). I gotta try and talk myself into letting these guys walk. Although the big 4 pt. (with eyeguards  ) I might have killed no matter what....he was a pig. How do you convince yourself to pass decent bucks like this or is it easy for you.....cause it's not easy for me.  something inside me tells me to shoot it.      The bottom one is the vampire buck. Let me know if you want to see the fangs. 

[oldleclercrd]

Im just giving you a hard time Devin. In all reality, im just jealous you can kill the kinds of bucks in those pictures on public ground! Im happy if I even see one!

[ironbuck]

  Brew you just need some new stands. So than i could sit on your old stands. Those subpar bucks are tasty!!!!!!!

[whacker1]

I think you need to set your sights in smaller increments.  Try to better your 140's with a high 140's to low 150's and then the next year try to hold out for a mid 150's to high 150's and make a little longer process out of it.  Maybe set a benchmark to hold out until the 8th day before you lower your standards instead of the 5th - 7th?   incremental goals.

By the way, my biggest whitetail is about 105-11o, so I am still working my way up the ladder myself.

[huntnnw]

u can set your goals all u want..but the bottom line is that size of buck has to exist where u are hunting. That's where scouting comes into play..u have to at least KNOW a buck of the caliber that your hunting lives in the area. 140 buck is pretty prevalent in most timbered areas..finding the genetically blessed bucks that reach 160 or better is tougher