How picky are you on public land when chasing whitetails

[TexanSam]

Hunting here in Kansas. I haven't seen a deer that I want to hang my tag on. Seen plenty of 1-2 year old bucks. One that was 3-4 ish but had a spike on one side. Another that was clearly at least 4 if not 5, but he had broken off both antlers.

It seems that each year I push myself to try for a bigger/older buck, but this year has felt like a grind. I want to know from the rest of y'all, how picky do y'all get when you don't have an empty freezer? Have any of y'all gone multiple seasons with an unfilled tag for it to finally pay off with a unicorn of a public land monster?

 

[brockel]

Haven’t shot a mule deer buck since 2009.

 

[rjthehunter]

It depends on my freezer status. Around home, I shoot a doe or 2 to add meat to the freezer, then will hunt until the end of the season with my buck tag until I come face to face with the biggest buck I'm aware of. I utilize trail cams to basically see what my biggest option is out there. I've been fortunate and can buy doe tags and fill those as a means to fill the freezer up. There's been years where I don't have a buck on camera that excites me. If that's the case, I move to a new area and try new spots.

This year in MT, I took a young mule deer buck on day 1 to cross that tag off and put some meat in the cooler. Then I could focus the rest of the trip on elk (glassing up 100s of deer, many larger than the one I shot).

In most cases, I'm looking for a buck that makes me excited. In the end, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I've eaten my buck tag more than a few times. Was fortunate this year and punched it on the biggest buck I'd seen on camera all year!

 

[brownbear932008]

To me it's more about enjoying the outdoors more now days. I could care less if I fill a tag. Isn't any of us starving for meat to "fill the freezer" let's be honest. I have a pile of average deer racks starting to pile up. I'm looking for something better unless the urge strikes me and it feels right at the moment.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Haven’t shot a mule deer buck since 2009.

I am pretty much in the same boat. I hunt mostly public land for bucks, and I haven’t shot one for a long, long time.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Really depends on the status of the freezer. If I'm short on meat I will accept a deer around 120". If I can't find that I'll take a doe for meat

This last weekend I had no need for meat so I passed on many bucks. Tried to put my tag on this guy but private land prevented it

 

[NoWiser]

Not too picky with whitetails in MN when I hunt them on public or private. I purposely don’t set out trail cameras much before season. I don’t want to know what’s out there. I want to shoot a buck I’m happy with while I’m hunting and not second guess myself. Some years I find myself passing smaller bucks. Some years I don’t.

 

[F250]

Tape measures and the number of birthdays a buck has had do not figure in on my decision to pull the trigger. For me :
There’s a legal buck
I am certain I can make that shot
I am certain I can retrieve him
He looks tasty

Our freezer is always empty come October. Additionally, several friends and relatives who can’t hunt anymore are looking for my wife and I to bring home some venison. We just enjoy the entire hunting experience without any self imposed numerical goals.

 

[Dougfirtree]

These days, I tend to pass on 1.5 year old bucks and sometimes on 2.5 year olds, as well (estimated by antler size). Mature bucks are pretty much all in danger (if they're unlucky enough for me to stumble into them).

 

[np307]

If it's brown it's down. Mostly dictated by the fact we get 6 tags (2 buck, 4 doe) and a healthy deer herd. Punched my second buck tag on a spike yesterday with no second guessing.