Matt hunts a small property. He doesn’t have countless acres

Troof but I do see double digits nearly every sit. Just don't pressure em much

This is why we starting building our sanctuaries so our neighbors wouldn’t kill our young bucks. It’s what started the sanctuary so we could keep maintain grow and when the time is right take the mature buck. It’s all about building the sanctuary and they will come and stay. Learning how to inner act with it it another story. But you must build it until the regs change. We just know what works for us. And it’s working

This man gets it. It’s all personal preference

yup ill shoot the first buck i see with 4 on one side tomorrow and be headed to the house

I got 1800 acres to hunt a lot pastures and only me and nighthunters hunt.. I've seen 13 deer at one set it 12 years at the most.... I'll kill a 3 year old anytime although I've killed sum older I let all does and baskets walk

Build sanctuaries build deer. Just give Them what rhey need and let them grow now that hard. It seems they want to grow so let them grow. They are trying to grow. Let them grow and you will know. Our chineese investor won’t let us show our ip yet but we have somewhere things right now that’s growing six points bucks first year or they die now only

Old deers is hard to find

Unless you planning to share some good hunting land that will raise 4 year olds, so people can see what it is like you really need not to let it be of your concern.

I shoot for meat. Gotta feed the masses. I don't kill spikes though!

I have no desire to shoot 3 YO, 95" 8 points. I haven't shot a buck in Alabama in 4 years and I can't understand hunters who never grow out of the 'brown is down' attitude. Or the 'if I don't shoot it the neighbors will' BS excuse when dragging a 2 YO 8 point into camp.

I grew up hunting in a club in Marengo county which had 40 members on 2900 acres. If it didn't have spots (although I saw a couple shot where the spots were still slightly visible) it got blasted. This was the 80's and had a 2 week doe season so some of these guys bought bigger scopes so they could see if the antlers had broken the hairline and shoot him. My third year, I shot what was considered a trophy on the club - a 130 lb, 85" 8 point. Yep, it was a big deal whenever an 8 point was hung up in the skinning shed, and he was a monster to this guy when I was 15. I wouldn't give a thought to shooting that deer today.

We hunt because we enjoy it. We don't shoot the hell outa the deer on our place but if we see a buck we like we shoot it. For some of the guys that hunt with us, that 100" 8pt may be the biggest buck they have ever killed and to them it's the trophy of a lifetime. To me that's what it's all about. I have no problem waiting for a mature deer but I'm not going to ask someone who has never killed a nice buck to not shoot it and wait for an older deer. There's enough stress with my 2 jobs, I try to keep stress out of my deer hunting. We keep it fun but that's just us.

Ridiculous! How ya gonna police it? Bucks don't tote a birth certificate.

Matt there is one thing I can guarantee folks with this mindset, he's definitely dead when they pull the trigger. What a lot of folks fail to realize is a lot of these bucks would make it to see another year. I'm guilty of falling for this trap myself in my younger years. I have since learned if I do my part he just might live to see 4 or some cases I've passed 4 year old's that have seen 5+.

This is not a dig at you guy's that like to kill deer! Shoot what makes you happy, but if you truly would like to see older age class deer y'all got to quit worrying about what the neighbors do. I recently started hunting some very small properties that are susceptible to what the neighbors kill, however I have killed one really good deer for the area and might know where a few more are hanging out. My plan of managing pressure and providing the best food in the area goes a long way in saving some of these younger deer I would like to see live longer.

Right on Squeak, worrying about the neighbors will make ya crazy . Provide food, water ,cover and trigger restraint and don't get hung up on what the other fellers do.

IMO owning property or having a personal lease is the only way to grow 4+ year old deer....its difficult almost to the point of being impossible to get 10 or more people together that will have enough patience to not shoot three year old deer......the majority of folks have to kill a buck every year or their season isn't successful......I shake my head at all the comments given to justify shooting a young deer.....nobody makes you pull the trigger.....just own it

What I don’t understand is why anybody would worry about what their neighbor is killing or what Aldeer hunters think. The deer belongs to all of us to hunt and kill. And as long as we all hunt the deer in accordance to the regulations set by the DCNR no one should worry what the mindset of what other hunters are. The harvest record clearly states what bucks can be taken and in what order. My problem is with those that don’t give a damn about being in compliance with the regulations. Buy a damn hunting license and report your kills!

I think the reason a lot of 3 year olds get shot is because the average Alabama hunter ( 60%) doesn’t care about age and just wants to kill a “good” buck and the standard for good buck is subjective to each hunter. Then you have the 20% that’s true trophy hunters and 15% that just want meat. And then there is the 5% that go to hunting camp so they can smoke, drink, and get away from there wives.

This is an interesting conversation. Because this is really what most clubs/lease partners argue over. Our lease is 4 year old minimum. Took a long time to find the correct guys.

Like your momma told you, dont worry about everyone else and take care of yourself. I know that by letting a 3 yr old deer go i have a chance to see that buck bigger and better down the road. I am also taking a chance on never seeing that deer again. But it is the right thing to do (for me) to truly have a chance at killing a good deer in Alabama.

but that is us and not all leases can or will do that. If it makes you happy then that is all that matters.

Why even worry about what you can't control? Worry about what you can control. And that goes for life in general as well.