Shoot him, or wait another year

[cornshank]

You are right everyone is different but when one ask about shooting a buck and they are asking because of antler size they aren't just hunting for meat especially when the antlers can't be eaten. And does are common to find

And when one see's a decent buck like the one pictured , one lays him over in a heart beat , that would be me .
Still value your opinion, still isn't mine
Let's agree we disagree , or let's go a few more.

 

[Lee7588]

Ah. Didn't know that. Even as a mostly opportunistic meat hunter I'm a bit of spoiled brat in northern Saskatchewan. Never took a trophy type buck but have taken some absolutely thiiiiiiick bodied bruisers over the years haha. It's a survival advantage to be stout (and fat if nature lets them) for winter here

And what you get as a 250-300 lbs buck the large bucks in Georgia might be 200 lbs. Most of Georgia you can take 10 does and 2 bucks with some restrictions.

 

[Kay0404]

Depends on whether you are hungry or not. Whether you want meat or horns. Which is it?

I don't really have to hunt my property for meat. I hold a Federal Nuisance Animal license for our local airport and we usually harvest 30+ animals from that property every year, plus, GA hands out 12 personal tags a year that I can potentially fill in open quota hunts. Then there are the federal WMA draw hunts that don't apply to those allotted 12 tags.
For my personal property, we try for a healthy herd, and only cull poor or disfigured and wounded.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I think he has the potential to get somewhat larger. Looks Young. I would wait.......

 

[Kay0404]

I've passed bigger in SEGA. But for a mountain buck, he's very respectable, his genes aren't the greatest, and he's probably a 4.5 based on the size of NEGA deer. I wouldn't feel bad if a family member shot him and he would be a great reminder of a day in the woods...and that should be the ultimate goal.

Yea, I've seen bigger, I'd love for my wife to harvest something mountable for the house.. he would fit that classification for back door deck hunting that she enjoys.

 

[Kay0404]

N. Ga.

humm.....waiting...most in that area are of a mind set, "if it is brown, it is down", not to mention how many are killed by cars.

Yes, yes they are.. sad too, but I do what I can to increase the quality and healthinesses of what's around.

 

[john k]

This is a south Georgia deer that got this size because he was able to grow and didn't get shot when people had the opportunity View attachment 388447

Great looking Alpha! Our club in central Georgia has a agreement amongst members not to shoot any young bucks even if they are 8 pointers. It has paid off big time. Also hunting in Georgia we are allowed 4 does per year, so meat is not an issue. Total different story in Florida where I live. This Alpha in the pic has definitely spread his genes.

 

[Chas1]

Go another 2 years.

 

[Lee7588]

Great looking Alpha! Our club in central Georgia has a agreement amongst members not to shoot any young bucks even if they are 8 pointers. It has paid off big time. Also hunting in Georgia we are allowed 4 does per year, so meat is not an issue. Total different story in Florida where I live. This Alpha in the pic has definitely spread his genes.

I live in central Florida but hunt Georgia. He was taken a few years ago by my neighbors oldest son and set a Ben Hill county record. Management is the only way for deer to get the opportunity to grow larger.

 

[billflangjr813]

Shoot it , or the horns might be on some else's barn , and the meat in their freezer , before next season.

That's a Thought !!

 

[JONFIVE]

Let him go hopefully you will be rewarded next year.

 

[vancewalker007]

View attachment 388265

Life is short, put the backstraps in the freezer.

 

[Chadp82]

I would let him age….. in the meat locker

 

[Mcranch]

View attachment 388265

What area? I would say 4.5, 5.5. Looking at belly. He doesn't appear to be 3.5. But different area in the country deer present differently. His head is has the sunk in look of a more mature deer. In Texas where I'm at a deer like that would be older than 4.5 minimum