Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
38.4615%
What percentage of your 3+ year olds return
- Thread starter Bullwinkle
- Start date
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
We have so few older deer that return yet we also have so few that exist in the first place. Every year I pass on many bucks in the 2 1/2 year range and sometimes a couple in the 3 1/2 year age while other years I don't even see any 3 1/2 year old deer. Neighbors shoot the majority of the better deer that we let go for sure. It is simple math. With 605 acres and over 30 neighboring properties with many, many hunters per property compared to just the four of us hunting part of a 60 or so days of Muzzleloader/rifle season, the odds are not with us even though the deer may spend more time on this property than off of it. The odds are drastically in our favor regarding any one of us compared to any single person or even any half a dozen people on surrounding properties but not when you figure there are maybe twenty or more hunters on neighboring properties to every one of us not counting the road hunters. Some, a few follow the law and shoot only the two bucks they are legally allowed while others shoot up to 15 that I have heard about by using tags purchased by non-hunters. One thing is for sure, if we didn't pass on younger deer that most of the area hunters would and do regularly shoot, and if we didn't regularly patrol our borders there would be significantly less or even no 2 1/2 and up deer in this immediate neighborhood.
It is depressing for sure but not as bad as if we ourselves shot all the 2 1/2's on this property, then there would be no bucks to ever have a chance to grow to 3 1/2. And at a different level for you hunters lucky enough to be seeing 3 1/2 year old deer and having the discipline to pass them, if not for you likely your neighborhoods would not have any 4 1/2 year old deer let alone 5 1/2 year olds either! I am coming to believe that for this property that shooting 4 bucks total 2 1/2 years old and up with maybe one or two being 3 1/2 with a 4 1/2 some years is a realistic goal that will give us as a four person hunting camp as good a hunting experience as we can expect given the pressure put on the herd by the entire neighborhood. It doesn't mean we won't continue to try to grow food and browse to help the deer thru winter and try to grow deer to older ages but holding out for older, fully mature deer for all four of us on this property is just plain way out there. This is not to say that all of the work done over the years hasn't helped as it has tremendously but realistically 605 acres as large as it may seem and with lots of great cover and plenty of does does not protect or completely hold the bucks during the rut. Enough deer make it to tease us and perhaps as we continue to learn and become better hunters I'll see it differently. But for now for the four of us to shoot 4 deer, 3 1/2 and up annually is not happening nor is it likely to in the near future. Compared to the sixties when seeing one deer per week per person hunting dawn to dark, the hunting today though short of our wants is ridiculously fantastic and exciting where its at.
Actually we are quite thrilled to have even these six pointers to hunt.
They were both mostly night time active so there is a chance one or both will be with us next year. I really don't think the older deer here relocate as much as they wander just a bit and simply make a mistake during the rut and get themselves shot.
Edit-note- these were two of maybe thirty pictures three of these cameras took in a month of being out whereas other cameras set the same during the same timeframe captured hundreds of deer pictures. I don't want anyone to see my post and think it is an endorsement of the cameras that took the two pics!
It is depressing for sure but not as bad as if we ourselves shot all the 2 1/2's on this property, then there would be no bucks to ever have a chance to grow to 3 1/2. And at a different level for you hunters lucky enough to be seeing 3 1/2 year old deer and having the discipline to pass them, if not for you likely your neighborhoods would not have any 4 1/2 year old deer let alone 5 1/2 year olds either! I am coming to believe that for this property that shooting 4 bucks total 2 1/2 years old and up with maybe one or two being 3 1/2 with a 4 1/2 some years is a realistic goal that will give us as a four person hunting camp as good a hunting experience as we can expect given the pressure put on the herd by the entire neighborhood. It doesn't mean we won't continue to try to grow food and browse to help the deer thru winter and try to grow deer to older ages but holding out for older, fully mature deer for all four of us on this property is just plain way out there. This is not to say that all of the work done over the years hasn't helped as it has tremendously but realistically 605 acres as large as it may seem and with lots of great cover and plenty of does does not protect or completely hold the bucks during the rut. Enough deer make it to tease us and perhaps as we continue to learn and become better hunters I'll see it differently. But for now for the four of us to shoot 4 deer, 3 1/2 and up annually is not happening nor is it likely to in the near future. Compared to the sixties when seeing one deer per week per person hunting dawn to dark, the hunting today though short of our wants is ridiculously fantastic and exciting where its at.
Actually we are quite thrilled to have even these six pointers to hunt.
They were both mostly night time active so there is a chance one or both will be with us next year. I really don't think the older deer here relocate as much as they wander just a bit and simply make a mistake during the rut and get themselves shot.
Edit-note- these were two of maybe thirty pictures three of these cameras took in a month of being out whereas other cameras set the same during the same timeframe captured hundreds of deer pictures. I don't want anyone to see my post and think it is an endorsement of the cameras that took the two pics!
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Bullwinkle
Active Member
Tough situation Chainsaw
End of the day the right neighborhood wins
End of the day the right neighborhood wins
Gravel Road
Well-Known Member
Hearing some of these stories makes me realize how good I have it. My neighbor on two sides has quite a bit of land and we share game camera pictures and even informally decide which bucks to pass up. Of course, there are bucks that don't share the properties, but a lot do.
This year there was a very nice 4.5 yo that we've passed on, thinking he's going to do something interesting as a 5.5. I have a ton of pics of him as a drop tine 9 pt last year and an 11 with a few unusual points this year. What are the odds he make it until next year? I don't know, but part of the fun is to roll the dice.
This year there was a very nice 4.5 yo that we've passed on, thinking he's going to do something interesting as a 5.5. I have a ton of pics of him as a drop tine 9 pt last year and an 11 with a few unusual points this year. What are the odds he make it until next year? I don't know, but part of the fun is to roll the dice.
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Thanks Bull. I actually have two great neighbors so I'm not completely alone in this even though it often seems so. And As I said this sure beats the old days and I am honestly thrilled to be hunting deer like those sixes pictured. Yes I'd rather hunt tens and twelves all of the time but what does it really matter? We each hunt whatever is good for our area. That is all we can do. And you are spot on Bull; neighborhoods are very important!
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Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Gravel Road, you do have it good, better than you can imagine. For this area I am one of the most fortunate so imagine what chance the individual hunters around my property has of hunting and shooting a good buck fair and square. If I could be hunting 5.5 and 6.5 I'd probably be keyed into that but with what we have all of us here are just thrilled to have a great hunt and shoot a super tasting deer in the process. Keep in mind that while our deer are lacking in bone, the possibility of shooting a deer exceeding 200 lbs dressed weight really happens here. Likely both of those six pointers if alive and shot early in November next year will dress out at over 200 Lbs. To our way of thinking those are great deer.
Chipdasqrrl
Active Member
When a buck hits 4 years old here it turns into a completely new animal.. maybe even a ghost. I’ve seen just one buck in my entire life in person that I believed to be 4 years or older, and it was in the summer away from my property.
Every year in the second week of November I seem to get one picture of a mature buck, only to never be seen again. I’ve never had a summer picture of a 4+ buck.
While it would be fun to see these deer, not seeing them makes them even more special. To shoot a 5 year old buck in my area of Northern Michigan would be a truly special trophy, and a once in a lifetime event.
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
Every year in the second week of November I seem to get one picture of a mature buck, only to never be seen again. I’ve never had a summer picture of a 4+ buck.
While it would be fun to see these deer, not seeing them makes them even more special. To shoot a 5 year old buck in my area of Northern Michigan would be a truly special trophy, and a once in a lifetime event.
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
Gravel Road
Well-Known Member
Great post Chainsaw. So many different situations and factors go each persons local hunting areas. To me, age is more interesting than score. The neighbor shot a great old buck this year, and I couldn't be happier for him. I had him on camera for several years and he never gained much in inches, but I would have been ecstatic to take him as he had a "tank" of a body.
Genetics, poaching, food, habitat and seemingly a million other factors all play a factor in the local hunt. My philosophy is to have fun, learn something new, and make wildlife habitat improvements every year. Everything else is just a bonus
