Killed one opening morning I have watched and had pics of for 3 years. Let a bunch walk every year. If they make it great, if they get shot by others, so be it. One thing for certain, if I had shot them they wouldn’t have had a chance for next year.

True dat.

No comment.

Watch out cuz! Shots fired for us trophy spike killers. 🤣🤣

Not really, I hunt a private club. We make our own rules in accordance with whats legal. I aint against killing spikes you just cant do it on my lease.

I’ve killed 1 and probably let 25 walk. However, the one I killed was a 150” 11 point. I just can’t make myself shoot a 115” 3 year old.

My freezer is always full by February.

This. You can't let what other people would shoot determine what you want to shoot. I've heard the "If I don't shoot him, the neighbors will" BS for 40 years.

I let them walk all the time, since doing so I have got to where I get to chance at even bigger deer. I don’t worry about if someone else gonna shoot it, most folks hunt the wrong wind, and mess their chances up anyway at my club

I don't shoot any buck unless it's mature, but I only have a 104 acres. I wish all of my neighbors shared in that philosophy

now that was funny!!!!

I let them walk. I think that goes with maturing and hunting with many years experience. I know that plenty will get shot that I have let walk but if that Hunter is satisfied with shooting that buck then I am happy for them.

If I’m not mounting him he walks. I hope he survives another year. If I want meat kill a doe.

I do it at least once a year. Let one walk on Thanksgiving morning--nice 8 point that was about 250 yards away. Only walked the edge of the field and then walked into woods. Was in my sights for less than two minutes. With my old man eyesight, I need a little more time to judge the age of a deer, so I let him walk. We have some trail cameras in that area, so I am hoping to get a good pic of him and see if I can figure it out. As a camp, we have actively been passing on the young bucks for about five years, and it is starting to pay off. Already killed two that were in excess of six years, and getting a lot of pictures of other ones.

Good for the soul and hunting in general. Big horns don't mean as much as they used to for me.
I've got a Doe here with a bum leg. I've let several others walk in an attempt to get her.

I let way more deer walk than I shoot (nowadays). Wish I knew where they all went though, I should have a big buck Mecca but I don’t.

like Matt, I let way more walk than I shoot. Personal choice for me.

Shoot what you want, but don’t start bitching about not having any big deer. Hear that way too much around here when folks shoot every 2.5 year 8 point they see.

I let most deer walk these days. My GF will kill more readily but even she’s gotten selective. I think most folks find themselves in a situation where they know that if they pass on a decent, young buck, that the next person that sees it will shoot. If you let him walk you can’t be upset when the next person doesn’t. Lots of folks would rather see bucks getting to 4-5yo before they are shot but I’m willing to bet that they’ll be a little pissed when the neighbors shoot that one as well. If you can’t control a massive amount of property you are dependent on your neighbors and the one with the lowest “standards” is going to set the tone for your area.