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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Mbrock]
#4043629
12/21/23 10:09 AM
12/21/23 10:09 AM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,051
USA
marshmud991
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,051
USA
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A spike in AL is not an indication of anything that he can or can’t do at maturity. A few years ago I passed on what I believe to be a 2yr old spike. The spikes were about a foot tall and the one on his right side has a sharp bend about half way up. 2 years later, my buddy shoots one afternoon and tells me he shot a big bodied tall 6pt. I went meet him and when I walked up to the deer, I immediately notice the right antler had a sharp bend in it about half way up. The antlers we probably 15-16” tall and only had about a 10-12” spread with big forks and small brow tines. Till this day I believe that was the exact spike I let walk 2yrs prior. He wasn’t a monster but my buddy was dang proud of him and I sure would have been happy to kill him. You never know what a bucks potential is if you kill him when he’s a baby.
It's hard to kiss the lips at night that chews your a$$ all day long.
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Teacher One]
#4043633
12/21/23 10:13 AM
12/21/23 10:13 AM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,772
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
jawbone
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,772
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
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I bought a little Camcorder and started filming the bucks I let walk. It was just as good as shooting them to me. They walked and I could show people what I could've killed if I had chosen to.
Lord, please help us get our nation straightened out.
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Teacher One]
#4043634
12/21/23 10:14 AM
12/21/23 10:14 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 25,698
Locust Fork, Alabama
BC
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 25,698
Locust Fork, Alabama
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I let a 4.5 yo 8 point walk last Tuesday because I had to be up for work at 2:45 am and still had a 4 hour drive to the house to complete. No thank you lol.
"Some men are mere hunters; others are turkey hunters."
-- Archibald Rutledge
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Southwood7]
#4043881
12/21/23 05:38 PM
12/21/23 05:38 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,929
In a Van, down by the River
quailman
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,929
In a Van, down by the River
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Ya, I like pulling the trigger Yep! And eating venison!
Life is a journey. Make sure and bring plenty of Beer.
My luck has been so bad lately, it could be raining pussies and I'd catch one with a dick broke off in it.
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Teacher One]
#4043899
12/21/23 06:16 PM
12/21/23 06:16 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,183
Central to South AL
Stickers
8 point
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8 point
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,183
Central to South AL
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We pass a lot- I mean a lot. Never really see the benefit over the next couple years. Maybe they get killed at 3 or 4 elsewhere. I have learned to enjoy just watching them and working the property, being in camp. maybe one day our trigger restraint will pay off.
WDE
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Teacher One]
#4044155
12/22/23 12:03 AM
12/22/23 12:03 AM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 7,529
Boaz,AL
CarbonClimber1
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 7,529
Boaz,AL
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I just wanna shoot chit.. i get to go like twice a year now..i dont give crap if its got horns..spots…or identifies as a hippopotarangutangapuss..i needs ta blowse it…👌🏻
"I dont quit.. And ill fight alone if i have to"
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Teacher One]
#4044226
12/22/23 07:53 AM
12/22/23 07:53 AM
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Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 10,985
Earth
TDog93
Booner
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Booner
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 10,985
Earth
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^^
🤣🤣
Glad i still like to shoot - i like letting them walk - tryung to graduate to 5 yr olds and i dont care what others do - i try to take care of me - we all got our hands full just to do that 😀
Hunt the wind - leave it better than you found it - love your neighbor as you love your self
We need prayer for our country now more than ever
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: marshmud991]
#4044248
12/22/23 08:35 AM
12/22/23 08:35 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,968
Mobile,AL/ Baldwin, Al
gatorbait154
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,968
Mobile,AL/ Baldwin, Al
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I probably let way more deer walk in a season then I probably should. Especially this season due to the fact that I killed all the deer I needed in Texas. Some of the guys at the camp give me a lot of crap for not shooting but I explain to them that when I’m ready to shoot something, I’ll shoot. I’m past the stage of killing a deer just to say I killed it. I know what I’m after and when I see it, I shoot. First few hunts of the season, I’m a meat hunter and once I get what I need then I get very selective. But if someone wants to shoot and it makes them happy, I’ll be right there to celebrate the kill with them. Deer hunting is supposed to be fun and watching deer in their natural state is way more fun for me then having to clean a process them.  This right here!!
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Teacher One]
#4045062
12/23/23 12:49 PM
12/23/23 12:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,772
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
jawbone
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,772
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
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I ask my self two questions about a buck when deciding whether to shoot him or not:
1). Is he mature? That is why if you are going to be serious about a trophy plan you should learn to age them in the field, then shoot the mature ones whether they are a huge spike or a 10. Mature bucks, that aren't trophy quality don't do anything but eat up food that could be used by young, growing deer so take em out.
2). Do I feel like fooling with him? I'm getting old so it is important to me to have someone there to help me load, etc. Usually, there is a front-end loader on a tractor to use if no one else is around. If I'm by myself I always check to see that it is operable before I go.
Lord, please help us get our nation straightened out.
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: jawbone]
#4045103
12/23/23 02:35 PM
12/23/23 02:35 PM
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 3,467
Mobile, AL
Pwyse
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 3,467
Mobile, AL
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I ask my self two questions about a buck when deciding whether to shoot him or not:
1). Is he mature? That is why if you are going to be serious about a trophy plan you should learn to age them in the field, then shoot the mature ones whether they are a huge spike or a 10. Mature bucks, that aren't trophy quality don't do anything but eat up food that could be used by young, growing deer so take em out.
2). Do I feel like fooling with him? I'm getting old so it is important to me to have someone there to help me load, etc. Usually, there is a front-end loader on a tractor to use if no one else is around. If I'm by myself I always check to see that it is operable before I go. I would add to your 1st point… it’s not always wise to take them out whether they are a huge spike or a 10. From what I’ve learned from Matt and others here and other places, it’s better to have an older age class of breeding bucks. So don’t just shoot him because he’s old, shoot him because he is old and has a rack that is a trophy to you. Even if he has 10” spikes, there’s no science saying his offspring will have 10” spikes. Maybe he breeds with a doe that has good genes and she throws a buck that has 10” brow tines. Who knows? Science does say that an older age class of bucks leads to a better fawn survival rate. And with the coyote epidemic that’s a big deal if you ask me. Plus I doubt your deer are starving. The mature buck eating the food isn’t really that big of a deal is it? Just passing along something Ive learned over the last 3-4 years or so. But I’m definitely no expert.
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: quailman]
#4045264
12/23/23 08:06 PM
12/23/23 08:06 PM
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Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,460
North of 459 South of 20
bhammedic84
8 point
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8 point
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,460
North of 459 South of 20
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I got ya Spud ![[Linked Image]](https://i.postimg.cc/L8scK34d/Screenshot-2023-12-23-185025.png) All I see is Sausage and Burger!  My point.. if where im hunting its legal to kill and i aint going to die getting him out im filling the freezer. dont get me wrong i love killing a good mature big rack deer but those dont come by a whole lot when the surrounding property is brown or down
Turkey’s tell you when they want to die not lawmakers.
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Re: Letting Deer Walk
[Re: Pwyse]
#4045305
12/23/23 09:12 PM
12/23/23 09:12 PM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 729
Alabama
chevydude2015
4 point
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4 point
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 729
Alabama
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I ask my self two questions about a buck when deciding whether to shoot him or not:
1). Is he mature? That is why if you are going to be serious about a trophy plan you should learn to age them in the field, then shoot the mature ones whether they are a huge spike or a 10. Mature bucks, that aren't trophy quality don't do anything but eat up food that could be used by young, growing deer so take em out.
2). Do I feel like fooling with him? I'm getting old so it is important to me to have someone there to help me load, etc. Usually, there is a front-end loader on a tractor to use if no one else is around. If I'm by myself I always check to see that it is operable before I go. I would add to your 1st point… it’s not always wise to take them out whether they are a huge spike or a 10. From what I’ve learned from Matt and others here and other places, it’s better to have an older age class of breeding bucks. So don’t just shoot him because he’s old, shoot him because he is old and has a rack that is a trophy to you. Even if he has 10” spikes, there’s no science saying his offspring will have 10” spikes. Maybe he breeds with a doe that has good genes and she throws a buck that has 10” brow tines. Who knows? Science does say that an older age class of bucks leads to a better fawn survival rate. And with the coyote epidemic that’s a big deal if you ask me. Plus I doubt your deer are starving. The mature buck eating the food isn’t really that big of a deal is it? Just passing along something Ive learned over the last 3-4 years or so. But I’m definitely no expert. From what I understand a property can only support a certain number of mature deer even with a strict habitat management program + food plots. Mature deer don't like to be "crowded". Again, someone correct me if I'm wrong here. I do agree you won't change a herd's genetics by shooting a 5yr old spike but you will free up a spot for another mature deer and have that much more forage available for other deer with better potential.
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