That's pretty much how we do it. This past season was the first buck I've shot out there in a long time. Not because I haven't seen any, but none just didn't tickle my fancy. I strictly bow hunt. There's been a number of times I let a deer walk all because I said to myself, "Do I really want to drag one out and skin it tonight?"
My brother shot the biggest buck ever this year off our place. After field dressing it, it weighed 160 lbs. He said he wouldn't do that anymore (killing a mature buck). He said time he trimmed off all the fat, he'd been better off shooting a yearling!!

Qualifications.....

Legal rack on top and nuts underneath...

After voicing my opinion and after further thought I have come to a conclusion. If you are on a lease and you have to worry about what one member shoots, then you must have too many people on the lease. Also it is all good and probably makes you sleep good at night thinking that you are doing the right thing by not shooting any deer less than 5.5 years old. Your neighbors next to you are probably sleeping real good too by shooting the deer you are saving.

I think there needs to be an understanding amongst hunters which might sound better than rules! We have an understanding if you need meat harvest a doe or cull buck (spike/less than 8pts at 2.5 or older) If you choose to shoot a buck other than that of a cull would you put it on the wall? If the answer's yes make the shot, if your not sure then you know your answer. The quality of deer you harvest on your land or lease is in your hands.

After reading some of the post on this thread, I think everyone should go out and shoot whatever deer they see and fill their tags every year. It would be too sad if they didn't get a deer or had a tag left.

And people wonder why we have to deal with ARs, HFs and people complaining about the quality of there deer.

Personally, I could care less what my neighbor does. We have a 200 acre neighbor that kills everything they see. That's their choice. We prefer to see more deer, better deer and mature deer, so we manage ours. And yes, I sleep just fine

I also sleep real good. I also have neighbors that shoot what they want. It is not any of my business what they do. I know it would be a waste of time and especially money feeding protein year around and expect it to do anyone except the neighbors any good. If you have an exceptionally large lease and all parties are in agreement on what they are expected to shoot all the more power to you. Around here those places are few and far between. Just drive the county roads during the season and see all the hides and what is left of deer with only the hams and back straps removed. Then tell a person that leases he can only take a 5 year old buck when there may not be one within 15 miles of here. I could really give a rats rear end what a person shoots or don't shoot. I just like to push some peoples buttons sometimes. And some are really easy to push. I have not shot a Whitetail Buck in many a year. But I have taken my share of Axis. And none of those over 2 years old.

I don't have many buttons and really could care less what other people shoot, I just enjoy arguing

To each their own, and I don't fault either for doing it their way. It probably helps that I hunt on almost 7k acres in an area that typically has population issues and low poaching numbers.

I don't care what any body shoots, I do care when someone talks BS about a young deer or a big deer.
I don't care what neigbhors shoot or what color their house is..etc. their land not mine.
I've passed on bigger deer then I have killed.
I'm pretty specific about what I shoot, usually an upper age class, where I choose to hunt its the same way


Most years I'm hunting one maybe two deer.

It comes down to what a lease/hunters are after. If it is just mostly meat and the hunters want to kill a buck each year no matter what then join a lease that is set up that way - there are plenty of them and nothing wrong with that.

If a lease/hunters are into management and trophy deer, then join a lease that has restrictions/rules that are designed to produce trophy deer - and hunters who don't have to kill a buck every year and can let younger deer walk. This type of lease is also available. So to me, the hunter should look for and join a lease that fits their approach.

Different strokes for different folks

I hunt with 5 other guys on a 600 acre tract. Three of the guys shoot anything that moves that is legal which is ok with me. I feed year around and nobody else does. I basically have about 80 acres to myself on an outside corner of our lease. No one hunts someone elses area with out permission. I am the only one that sees nice bucks each year, go figure. I will only take a buck that might be larger than I have mounted on my wall. In five years I have taken two nice bucks. I do take spikes and does each year for meat. Even though I only have around 80 acres to me I still manage my area. We have no lease rules as long as they are legal kills. As long as everyone can get along on a lease and do things legally everything will come out in the end.

If you want to kill trophy deer, it's more productive to cull yahoos off your lease than inferior deer.

Just finished our first year on a new place. No 8 pts or better or wall hangers until we remove the culls. I shot a 4.5 yo six point which was the dominant buck and have several spikes that need to go first. I'm just as happy to shoot the big boys with a camera and save the culls for the freezer.

Just best to get on a place that fits your hunting needs. I have gone full circle now with my hunting thoughts. I personally only shoot mature bucks, whether its a 70" or 200". A mature buck is a trophy to me.
Now my wife and boys are ready for their first bucks. I could care less what size or how old it is, as long as they are excited and want to shoot it (legal buck of course). So I am on a lease this year that doesn't have management requirements, only rule is to shoot legal deer. I'm fine with this rule and expect to let my wife or sons pop the first legal buck that makes them happy. They will eventually learn to let the younger ones grow older as they gain more experience.

I have hunted some nice places and remember going years before killing a buck. In fact, my hunting partners did the same thing. Honestly, feels kind of nice to be on a place where I don't have to worry about management rules so i can have my family let the air out of some of these deer. To each his own.

Alot of these rules involving shooting big trophy bucks. Is that the main regard when hunting (antler size)?

On a trophy type lease it is a combination of antler size and age - the goal being to let the younger bucks walk that show potential while culling out the ones that do not show potential. Most bucks hit their prime on antler development between 6-8 years old so trophy leases generally don't shoot bucks with potential before they hit six or older. Of course it is not an exact science and is sometimes difficult to determine if a deer is age 5 or 6 etc. unless he has been followed over the years via trail cameras, etc.

I enjoy deer hunting and have shot plenty deer over the years. I have also let my buck tag go unfilled for 3-4 years in a row just looking for the right buck. On our lease we all agree that managing the herd is important and we do our best to be good stewards in that regards. But I don't agree with a rule that tells me what kind of deer I can and cannot shoot. As long as they are legal. We have way to much government in our society as it is and I don't need more rules at a place I go to get away and relax. Besides $500.00 fine, that can ruin a person's season and who wants to do that. JMO...

Where does he look better under a feeder or on your wall?

Back in the day when I was managing, we had the same rules and everybody knew them up front. Minimum of 8 pt and 4.5 years old. This was before AR. We posted pics and literature in every blind what a typical 4.5 looked like. Had a few miscues, but never got on anyone for it. Over the course of 10 years we went from 120" to 145" or better. We did have a cull buck rule in place as well, which models TPDW spike rule. Guys could get their meat, and hopefully a trophy to boot. Not to mention their does.

I'll shoot any legal deer I see (assuming I feel like skinning a deer that day). I'm the only hunter on 100 acres. For me, deer season is nothing but a means to save a ton of money on beef during the year. I'm never going to invest the time and money into "growing deer". But if a buck as a doe are under the feeder at the same time, and the buck is barely legal and the doe is big bodied, I'll shoot the for every time. But if it's a 10pt outside the ears, I'll shoot the buck so I can put a skull in the wall at the same time as I fill the freezer.

Curious as to how you are saving a ton of money on venison vs. beef......no lease fee/land payment? No processing fee? If so, lucky!

Interesting thread. Just came off a 2300 acre lease with 11 hunters total. The owner kicked you off if you shot a buck younger than 5.5 or a non-designated management buck. I made mistake of shooting (my first buck ever)a 3 1/2 year old. It was a 9 point with a 16 inch spread and the reaction was such that I quit the lease before the end of the season. But I would not have been able to come back.

That said, I understand the benefits of a disciplined game management plan and their rights to establish the rules as they choose. So long as they fully disclose them while honoring their own commitments under the lease agreement.

BANG, BANG, BANG...if it can be tagged, shoot it and then moan, groan and ^^^^^ because hunting ain't what it used to be, the whole ^^^^ country is shot out, ad nauseam.

That is exactly what was going on with my property several years ago before I shipped a scam artist manager and his partners back to Dallas. Years later and we are still rebuilding. If you go through my gate with the attitude that an unused tag is the sign of an unsuccessful season, you will discover next year that the combination has been changed. On the other hand, if you realize that what you do today impacts how successful your granddaughter's first hunt will be five years from now, we need to talk.

Well said.

This could be debated for days or weeks or months. Fact is do what you think is right if its legal. The $$$ that people now pay for a lease, they should be able to kill what they want.