Nothing bums me out more than going on a deer or turkey hunt, doing everything right, have the targeted animal come into range and then miss.
You don’t get many chances at a trophy buck or Tom, and it just eats me up on the inside when I mess up because of a shooting problem.
Shooting problems should always be corrected before the hunt, but not doing so is a mistake too often made by hunters. The solution to the problem is simple: Shoot, shoot and then shoot some more.
Spend time shooting your gun, bow, muzzleloader or crossbow so the only excuse for missing is that you did not want to shoot.
Passing up on a young buck with the idea of letting it grow older has great value. However, many hunters simply are not confident in field judging bucks as to age and potential B&C score.
Most clubs and landowners today have management programs and utilize a selective-harvest system, especially with the buck harvest. Antler restrictions have become the norm. Field judging bucks — other than counting antler points — does require a certain degree of maturity, and many new and young hunters do not have this skill.
If your program is based strictly on antler points, I would encourage you to get with a deer biologist and work out a better program based on the growth and development data of your deer herd.
When it comes to field judging bucks, there are unfortunately many older hunters who do not have this skill — and really there is no excuse for this. There is so much information out there about judging live bucks in terms of what to look for to help with decisions about age, weight and antler size.
Countless articles are written every year about this subject, so do a little research before hunting.
It is also not sound management to pass up older low-end bucks because one thinks it is just a young buck that will get better. I am constantly preaching to clubs to shoot the low-end bucks; it will help the management program and provide more hunting opportunity.
Allowing adult bucks that have reached their prime to remain in the population and keep eating up the habitat that could be utilized by bucks with greater potential is also a missed opportunity.
