# Do your outlooks change as the hunt wears on?



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

I seem to have a problem as the hunt goes on that my sights on how big of buck I will shoot seems to go down as time starts winding down? So I was wondering about how/if your sights on the buck or how big a buck is that you want to take changes as you begin to get deeper into and closer to the end of the hunt.

Me:
First day: Definitely nothing less than a good 4-point, giant 3 point, or better
End of first week: still set on good 4-point or good 3-point
Middle of second week: fair sized 4 or 3 point
End of second week (end of season in the area I'm hunting) big 2 or better


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## bfr (Apr 26, 2009)

I always hold out for a record book buck! -/O\- Or a nice fat forkie whichever shows up first -8/- course I'm a meat hunter, never could manage to eat horns, but luv venison! *()*


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## 4x4 Bronco (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm one of those awful hunters that will take any legal buck. I will likely hold out opening weekend and let others take small bucks, but after that I will take a spike if the opportunity presents itself.


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## OPENCOUNTRY (Jan 25, 2009)

To be truly honest i'm changing my standards as the hunt comes closer just because some different bigger bucks are moving into the area that i'm hunting. but i have never shot a deer with my bow so i'm sure if one of the little bucks come in my shooting lane i might have to open fire :mrgreen: .


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

from opening day it any deer buck or doe tell the end.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> from opening day it any deer buck or doe tell the end.


I'm with Dustin on this one....


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## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

When I was in the Dedicated Hunter program I held out for a 25in plus four pint my first year then three point or better the other two years. In 9 years of being in the DH program I only killed three deer all three point or better. This year I didn't join the DH program and due to limited hunting time (will only probly make it out the first week) I will shoot anything bigger than a two point.

Mark


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## legacy (Sep 30, 2007)

I won't shoot anything smaller than a "decent" 3X3 at any point. But it also depends on what I am seeing in the area. Like last year, I had a 22" 3X4 with 2 1/2 G1's coming into some water that I was hunting over. I passed up shots on 3 different bucks hoping to kill him - and never ended up killing a buck. If it's the same scenario this year, I will hold out for the larger buck. This also keeps me hunting longer and gives me the ability to watch a lot of deer.


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## Duckholla (Sep 24, 2007)

Shoot what makes you happy...that is my motto. Too many people are caught up in shooting the biggest buck on the mountain. If the situation is exciting, and will make you happy shoot the animal and be happy with your success. 
I hunt with guys who do everything short of pulling out a calculator to add inches to a set of antlers. For hell sake, shoot the darn thing and be happy about it. I get so annoyed with the idea of a score. Who cares? 

With that said, for me it's the challenge of the hunt that I enjoy. The sport of it if you will. It's much more fun and enjoyable to succeed when a challenge is involved rather than a 2nd year two point from the side of a dirt road. There is no challenge there, and I wouldn't feel happy or successful with that. So for me, I like the challenge, and that is what I persue regardless of size. That's not to say I wouldn't like to kill a huge buck one day, I am no different than anybody else on this forum there. But I don't want the pursuit of that big buck spoiling all of the experiences I have hunting between then and now...just because he wasn't that big buck. 

Hopefully that makes some sense. Just my opinion.


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

I'm still looking for my first buck (3rd year hunting deer) but I've passed up shots on quite a few 2 points a small 4 and about a 20 inch 3 point. But I say i'm going to shoot a 20inch buck or bigger but like with that 3 point but for some reason I just didn't want to pull the trigger even though it was standing 70 yards away.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

if it gives me buck fever it has to die. I experienced this on a cow elk hunt with my bow last year so having horns isn't a factor.

If I look at it and nothing happens inside then it lives.


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