Would You

rather harvest a 130"+ buck seasonally or a 145" buck every 5+ seasons? No letting the 130" grow, just the hypothetical scenario posed. Thanks for playing and just maybe we can pull some attention from the HF vs. LF ethical hunting thread that is raging on!

Trophy, every few years, doe yearly for meat

At this point in my hunting lifespan, I would also elect for a 145" buck every 5+ seasons vs a mature 130"+ every season. Twenty years ago maybe not so much...

145

I wouldn't want to know. The anticipation is a big part of the excitement for me.

130 just because you said 5 plus years I would rather get one every year rather than wait 5 years for 15 more inches. Don't think its worth it. now you go 155-160 different story

Our goal is to grow mature deer. If they top out at 130, as long as they're mature, then I will take one and be proud, even if its every year.

x3

145

Really would not matter if i am out in the woods hunting that good is enough for me even if i dont shoot anything i just enjoy watching the deer and wildwife.

At this point in my life, I would say 145" every few years. I have several 130's on the wall and I want to get em bigger.

Don't confuse my hypothetical with my excitement of hunting and the unexpected, a button buck still excites me when coming out of the woods. Was simply posing the scenario of harvesting a mature buck every year or a trophy every 5+ years, that's all.

I can tell you now that I have gone 6 years without harvesting a buck until this year (in Tx) waiting on a "trophy". It kinda sucks. You spend $10K over five years on lease fees, feed, gas and time off of work to take one buck of a meager 145"? Not me. No mas. Trophy hunting is no fun when there are no trophies on your lease.

Id rather shoot a 4yr old+ buck every year... rather than a 145 every 5... don't care if hes 100,130,200

A buck that's bigger than one already taken

Likewise

To stick with your OP, I would answer a mature deer every year. I have hunted many seasons without taking a trophy and some that I couldn't find one. On the years I couldn't find one, I would pick a mature deer and hunt that deer. Sometimes it was 130" and sometimes it was 105", but the excitement of hunting that one deer made it worth it.

That is one of the reasons I never understood the mentality of not shooting a buck that isn't as big as my biggest to date. I enjoy the hunt either way, doesn't matter if I was unsuccessful, succeeded on a getting a trophy or succeeded on getting a mature buck I had set my sights on. Also, I hunt in different areas with different opportunities. I have no problem letting a 140" deer walk on one and going to my other lease and hunting hard for a 135"

If someone is willing to wait 5 years to shoot a 145" deer why not wait another year or two longer and shoot a 155" or 160?"
Just sayin, you wait that long what's another year or two?

I go to deer hunt. For does, I want a mature doe. For bucks I want a mature buck. If I am lucky enough to get a 140/150 class, great. But I want a deer that is 4 years or better. Just me and will never criticize anyone taking a younger deer. Just follow the game laws, whether you believe in them or not. We are blessed to be able to do this.

Not all deer get that big and not all areas offer that size, no matter how long you wait

Exactly what Tom said - I have no desire to just shoot a buck because...I can take a doe for meat.

Say you hunt a place that has bucks that top out at 130". You get the chance to go somewhere else, one shot deal, and you kill a 180". Would you still hunt your old place or just hunt does for meat?

Right... that's a good way to have a bunch of old 6pnts and junk deer running around.

Which wouldn't bother me lol but for someone whos wanting a BIG buck that's a bad way to go about trying to get one of those bucks...

is the 130" buck mature?

yep

I really like this answer... however I am more likely to wait 5 years on a trophy if Im not actively part of management other than just hunting. Which is the case with most of the places I hunt because I am too spread thin between different places to hunt. Let alone being able to be involved in year long management on multiple places. I don't own any of it just am lucky and blessed to have families who do. All are constantly asking for help and I am always given the rights to hunt. So I am to a certain degree unfortunately scattered in my efforts. If I just went to one place all year and spent time exclusively there I would be better off and more likely to be more on the "take a good deer every year and target a specific deer each year". Since family calls from many directions I just hunt and work the places the best I can when I am there. If I see one I want there is always the questions of if the other places have something better, and will I see them by the end of the season, will they make it to next season? I wait till I see something that gets my heart pounding that I cannot pass on. I didn't see any bucks for two seasons that did it for me and this year I saw about 5. Obviously this is not a bad problem to have too many places to go so to speak but it can limit you, test your patience, and give you a lot of different of opportunities.

Different strokes for different folks

Yes, I was thinking 4.5 yo or older. Was just wanting to know if it mattered or was preferred more, to shoot a mature 130 yearly vs a an occasional trophy 145" every 5 years.

I want to kill a mature deer. Don't care what size his rack is. Heck, I'm happy just killing my limit of does.

I'm not a trophy hunter. I have NO problem with those who want trophy's. That's just not why I hunt.