Buck Passer Uppers

[NWBREW]

heres a buck I would shoot..he may not be a wall hanger , but this is a old buck and past his prime.. atleast 7 or 8 now. Too many use antler size to dertimine age...there are alot of 3 1/2 yr olds that have bigger head gear than him

Is there a picture that's suppose to go with this? 

This is true.The buck I shot this year I believe to be 3 1/2 maybe 4 1/2 at the most. He had a good set of antlers but I think he was younger then his antlers lead me to believe. 

[huntnnw]

yeah forgot to paste it  its there now

[coachcw]

I love to get out and hunt so a buck has to be special , and as far as elk I will let the tag dictate the throphy .

[Eli346]

I've drawn the multi-season for deer 4 times and passed up alot of deer waiting for the right one. Ate
tag soup for 2 of those years but it sure is great getting out and just enjoying the outdoors knowing
that if the 'right' one comes along you've got the tag for it! Any animal is a trophy in the hunter's eyes.
I respect their right to fill the tag the way they want. I've shot many a deer and it's now not a matter
of filling the tag but how I fill it.

[Camo]

Glad to hear I am not the only one with jacked up chromosomes. Except for the occasional miss, I think I know I'm done hunting when I pull the trigger and that has a tendancy to keep the safety on. Not that I see a lot of big animals but seems like I go 3-5 years between trigger pulls. Although I'm infatuated with bone, a lot has to do with the hunt itself that dictates what gets me excited. My motto is, "if it isn't worth taking a picture with, it ain't worth killing". I ate a Margaret cow tag this year. I knew before I went I probably wouldn't pull the trigger which is probably why I had 4 opportunities between 40-80 yards and couldn't even bring myself to take the safety off.

[Arteman]

Glad to hear I am not the only one with jacked up chromosomes. Except for the occasional miss, I think I know I'm done hunting when I pull the trigger and that has a tendancy to keep the safety on. Not that I see a lot of big animals but seems like I go 3-5 years between trigger pulls. Although I'm infatuated with bone, a lot has to do with the hunt itself that dictates what gets me excited. My motto is, "if it isn't worth taking a picture with, it ain't worth killing". I ate a Margaret cow tag this year. I knew before I went I probably wouldn't pull the trigger which is probably why I had 4 opportunities between 40-80 yards and couldn't even bring myself to take the safety off.

I'm just curious why you put in for the cow tag if you wasn't going to fill it?  Did you not pull the trigger because it didn't feel like a hunt to you?  I live here and Margaret and Toutle areas are like my back yard, and I know those cow hunts are more like just going out in a field and shooting a moo cow then an actual hunt.  My nephew drew toutle two years ago and at daylight I said ok around the next corner your going to get your Elk, I think I said that four times before it happened.  It was like a 20 minute hunt.  I'm just curious how you would determine what cow to shoot.  Body size, excitement of the hunt, or what?

[seth30]

If it is legal I dont pass up on it Priority 1 is the freezer, and will always be when it comes to deer.

[Camo]

 I'm just curious why you put in for the cow tag if you wasn't going to fill it?  Did you not pull the trigger because it didn't feel like a hunt to you?  I live here and Margaret and Toutle areas are like my back yard, and I know those cow hunts are more like just going out in a field and shooting a moo cow then an actual hunt.  My nephew drew toutle two years ago and at daylight I said ok around the next corner your going to get your Elk, I think I said that four times before it happened.  It was like a 20 minute hunt.  I'm just curious how you would determine what cow to shoot.  Body size, excitement of the hunt, or what?
[/quote]

Size of the ears.... no seriously,
I actually put in for two reasons,
1. I was hoping to get my dad on some animals, in what I hoped was going to be a slightly less physical hunt. It was on a partnership muzzy hunt with my dad.
2. I wanted to burn up the antlerless points that the state decided to give us last year.
This was the first antlerless tag I have put in for in 20 years and now I won't have to spend that $6 every year.

As it turned out, it kinda turned into a fun hunt. 80% of the permit holders, myself included, thought they were going to drive in there and shoot their elk off the road. When the road hunters hit the road opening morning 2 hours before you could see, most of the elk were already off the road. I think a lot of people went home by day 2 having not seen an elk. Nevertheless, it was new country to me, I studied maps, looked at aerial photos, and did my homework, just as I normally do. I got my dad and I into elk, so in that respect it was successful. However, as much as I enjoy venison and can't stand frying beef burger, when I pulled the gun up there was just nothing there, no accomplishment. As you stated, "like shooting a moo cow".

[BOWHUNTER45]

Well I tell ya this ...as much as I love big horns I also love eating it... No way shape or form am I going without meat in my freezer if I can help it ....I do not like killing spikes and yes I did hold out for a bigger buck this year but i seriously hunted my butt off and have killed my share of big ones but in no means am I a trophy hunter ....

[deerslyr]

Couldnt tell you how many I passed on, but they werent wet side BTs either...I wouldnt be passing on any decent 3 point BT in this state.

[Camo]

I wish I was good enough in the woods to be considered a "trophy hunter"....but the walls in my house don't lie therefore, I'm not either.

[PolarBear]

If it ain't big, I ain't shooting it plain and simple.  That goes for deer or elk.  Tag soup tastes a lot better than just filling a tag or the freezer on just any critter.   I get alot of crap from some of my buddies over the size of bucks and bulls that I have passed on (especially since I only get to hunt less than 3-4 day per year) but you can't shoot a monster if you shoot the dinks.   There is nothing wrong with being a "trophy hunter" as long as you do it legally and ethically.

[NWBREW]

I passed on forked horns on two different occasions this year (whitetail). I am trying for the 160" mark but ended up shooting this guy who fell short of 150". I can pass on the smaller bucks but this is what I struggle with. If I was hunting tomorrow I would not be able to pass on this buck. Maybe if I could pass I could reach that 160" mark but that's a big if. 

Don't get me wrong I am happy with this guy and greatful for the meat provided for the freezer.

PB, If he is not a shooter in your book tell me where you get the will power to pass.

[Miles]

That's a really nice buck NWBREW.  Congrats!

[huntnnw]

nice buck brew!! 

Polar...so if a 160" 3 1/2 yr old buck came by u would shoot it over a 8 yr old heavy 4x4? the 3 1/2 yr old is much larger,but also a much dumber of a deer in the woods. Sounds like u shoot antlers only.