New Buck!!!

[stormin85]

This guy showed up with a couple others to the new camera location, unfortunately i left from vacation before the camera was picked up, and this was the only pic that was text to me since neither my hunting partner or i have internet at home.

He said there were three different bucks total but this was the best pic, he is the smaller of the three, but if i got the chance to take him i think i would for my first archery buck.

let me know what you guys think?

i know each hunter decides whats a shooter for them, but we are trying to let the younger bucks grow, not just by antler size but in age, i know this is a hard pic to judge body size but i'm pretty sure he is older than the non typical i posted a couple weeks ago.

i have new pics of him to so i will try to post those later.

[NWBREW]

Nice buck.....1st archery kill, yes I would. 

[stormin85]

well i shot a doe last year with my bow, but this would be my first buck and i have put in quite a bit of scouting to set my self up for a good shot at a good buck, i know there are bigger deer out there and i am definitely patient enough to wait, but i also have not had the ability to scout this much before so its almost like i have better knowledge of what deer there are and what they are doing so i need to hold out for something better?

however i am also not trying to make it just about antler size, i want to know that whichever deer i harvest is older and a quality deer. If he is old and big bodied but has a beat up rack, thats fine too.

but from what i can tell he is a good looking deer, maybe 4 and a 1/2?

i mean i would be extatic to shoot this deer no question, but if he is young and has good potential i can wait, who knows maybe next year he will be even bigger?

[NWBREW]

I agree. Mature deer are what we look for...antler size is the bonus of the equation. I have seen my fair share of busted up racks but that's ok with me if the animal has reached maturity. Here's one that had 3 busted points but a hell of a body.

Oh....and that's not me, that's Dirty Gus.

[stormin85]

Yeah thats exactly it, a nice rack, or a unique non typical is nice but a bonus none the less, however those old big bucks are almost a classification of there own, no matter what the rack, when their body is the size of a horse, i'd shoot that any day.

[greenhead_killer]

if you could get him in velvet, take him, otherwise wait till you find that old toad with a horses body, if you want to be patient. i had a chance to shoot my first muzzy buck last year. wasnt very big, barely met the requirements, but i chose not to shoot, well, my buddy chose for me and shoed the buck off. anyhow, plan was to go to ne for late season, i got electrocuted the friday we were supposed to go( im a commercial 'sparky') and didnt go out for the rest of the year. should  i have shot that little guy, maybe, am i glad i didnt and chose to wait, oh yeah. i will find him with my bow this year. he was a little guy, let him grow. the deer you posted looks like a fairly mature deer, id take him, just to reward yourself for the hard work you put in during the preparation. gl, keep us posted

[daydreamn]

I think you had better cut some shooting lanes.

[BULLBLASTER]

Looks to me like a younger deer. No older than 3.5
That being said he is a respectable buck. If he would make you happy plan on playing some string music.

[huntnnw]

3.5 is my guess also...dont look very old..nice buck tho

[stormin85]

thanks guys, thats what i'm looking for, i am not great at aging bucks, but trying to get better, i know its not about the size of the rack, but the body and everything else, on top of i know what type of deer are in and around that area,

i can be patient, and have no problem taking an old bruiser, would be exctatic if i could actually,

but i think like greenhead killer said, if he is still in full velvet i may not be able to resist, i have never shot a full velvet buck before let alone a buck with my bow, so that would be a couple firsts, i guess i will kinda run with it, and not force anything.

i have a couple shooting lanes cut, but definitely need to get a few more, its a weird spot,
bottom of a draw, and the wind switches alot there, so it needs to be just right.

we'll see thanks for the input guys, i will try to get some more pics of him and hopefully i can see some of the others we got.