I have to admit one of the deer, my very first deer, was a button buck, it was the first deer I had ever seen while hunting, so it was very difficult to see he had two little nubs and how big he was.

2 does and a spike. The other 2 were 4.5 year olds though, right?

I didn't age them but my grandfather who has hunted all his life said they were mature deer.

So has anyone taught you how to deer hunt or are you making a go on your own? Again just wondering?

Nobody in our family really is a big deer hunter, my grandfather used to be but he passed away a couple of years ago. We mostly hunt hogs, so no one really has taught me how to deer hunt.

If you're ever in south Alabama, I'll take you.

Well, to be honest, I really am thinking about quitting deer hunting and just go with hogs, I usually take my climber and go after deer while my dad hunts hogs, I saw 2 deer last year and 1 this year. We hunt no matter how good or bad the weather. It is becoming real frustrating not seeing anything while my dad is having a good time shooting hogs. So I think to just hunt hogs with my dad would be better.

My first deer I ever shot was about a 125" 10 pt in 2006. That point total record stood until this year, and the inch total record stood until 2013. The same season I shot that 10 point (I was a late bloomer and didn't get into hunting until I went to college in 2006) I shot a handful of 4 and 5 points (before 3 buck rule). It wasn't until 2013 that a switch flipped and I stopped shooting small bucks. The morning I killed that 130" 9 pt in 2009 I passed on several deer including a large but young 6 point. Now I shoot a doe or two every year but limit myself to 125" bucks that are 3.5 years or older. Just so happens this year I have a measured 142 4/8 and a rough measured 165" (he's at the taxidermist now). I know this season is an outlier but I truly enjoy seeing the smaller bucks (passed on a couple of 100-110" 8's already this year) as much as I do killing a larger deer.

Just have fun!

I do my best to only shoot mature deer and only ones I am going to mount in some way. I don't expect everyone to hunt this way and I don't put down people that don't , I don't really understand it but to each there own I do however try to limit my exposure to those types of hunters where I hunt by joining a club with like minded hunters in an area where most of our neighbors do the same. Where I live my neighbors kill anything with antlers and for the most part anything without antlers so I don't hunt the 40 acres I live on it would be a waste of time for me because you can't kill mature bucks where none exsist, and my neighbors don't understand why they never see any big deer they ain't real smart.

Got any pics of those two? Id love to see them. They Bama bucks?

I don't necessarily pass up immature bucks for hopes of killing him when he's a 150" as I don't think that doing so will result in HUGE racked bucks! I'm realistic. Passing up immature bucks has as much to do with a balanced sex ratio as wanting to preserve for future kills with possible high scoring racks.

I won't go into why a balanced sex ratio is good for the herd but they're very good reasons to have a balanced sex ratio.

But if your herd can handle the killing of a few immature bucks, then it's ok to kill a young buck... if you want. I just don't want to kill an immature buck as it does nothing for me. They're as dumb as a box of rocks so if I shoot a 2 yr old buck, I've really done nothing exciting... for me anyway.

I don't shoot jakes as they're easy to kill and dumb too.

I attempt to do what's better for the wildlife which calls for restraint and discipline of the hunter. I think delayed gratification is worth it.

Kill immature bucks if you want... no apologies for saying this, but I wouldn't want to hunt with you as I like to kill and I like for my hunting buddies to kill mature bucks no matter what size antlers they may have.

I won't trash a meat hunter for killing an immature buck as we both can find land to manage as we see fit.

For the 15 yr old hunter that hunts at Buckhorn Hunting Club. Man, I am so sorry you see such few deer. I love seeing deer and I do see deer but one day, you'll be able to hunt land where seeing deer is commonplace. Hang in there!

The 142" was an 11 pt in Georgia, the 165ish was in Henry County, AL. Pics are in the firearms kill thread, first post of the 2nd page.