I think it’s important to preface this post by saying I’m happy for anyone that fills their tag with whatever deer, buck or doe, makes them happy. As hunters we have choices and differing ideas about what we enjoy, and that’s okay. The most important thing is that we’re doing our part to help keep deer herds healthy and in line with available habitat, and having fun in the process. That’s what keeps our proven, hunter-led system of deer and overall wildlife management going.
Saying all that, I prefer to pursue older age class bucks with a bow because they present the ultimate challenge, and it just adds a little more excitement to the endeavor just knowing there’s a “big buck” out there somewhere. I also enjoy having multiple years of history with a buck. Bucks just become different animals once they get beyond their third birthday and getting close to one requires patience, hard work, and a lot of luck, particularly when using a bow.
This may come off as a selfish statement, but I begin rooting for bucks to survive once the firearms season begins. I do this because the only way bucks become older bucks is if they’re living, and in my opinion, having a few mature bucks around makes it a little more exciting for all deer hunters, not just me. While I regularly hear hunters say, “I don’t care how big the rack is,” or “You can’t eat the horns,” I still believe they’d still shoot the bigger buck if a young buck was standing right next to it. You just never hear hunters talking about an average six pointer they saw cross the road near the Stevenson Farm. Instead you hear comments like, “Check out this buck I got on trail camera,” and “I heard there’s a giant running around old Mrs. Lewis’ place this year,” etc.
To help increase the odds of a few mature bucks running around Horseshoe Hills each fall, I do my part during firearms season by staying out of the woods. I also work throughout the year to provide the type of habitat deer will be seeking when pressured on neighboring properties. The combination of these two things, aside from not shooting older deer myself, is the best I can do to give local bucks a chance to see their second, third, and fourth birthdays. That’s no small task considering there is significant firearms hunting done by my neighbors and one of those neighbors is the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the 5,000+ acre State Game Lands 262. In other words, there’s a lot of hunting pressure surrounding Horseshoe Hills but I’ve proven the smallish property can protect young bucks because of the environment it provides.
Obviously they don’t all get saved and some years will be better than others. Last year I was aware of several small and even a few mature bucks that were shot and predictably, this just wasn’t the most exciting year because of it. The upside is there were several nice bucks around that have a lot of potential to make next year better, and at least after opening day this year, the two that I think about most are still walking around as evidenced by my trail camera photos.
I don’t want to come off as hypocritical. To further what I wrote in the opening paragraph, I shot a three year-old buck this year and missed another before that. Hunting with a traditional bow for the first time, my standards were loosened a bit. Saying that, I still passed a couple nice bucks early in the season. I also let my dad shoot whatever legal buck he wants and he got a young one last season. The point is, it’s exciting knowing there’s a “big buck” or two running around and with a little luck and some patience, you might just meet up with one. While I’m not rooting against anyone hunting neighboring properties with a gun, that doesn’t mean I have to make it easier for them.