So What Happens To Deer You Pass On ???

[Fletch]

As the heading states... What happens to the deer you pass on from one year to the next??? On the farm we hunt on in Illinois we pass on 135-140 inch deer every year... Been doing this for 6 years now... You would think by now there would be some booners around... NOPE !!! This farm is the thickest 200 acres surrounded by ag fields and small woodlots... Big Buck heaven... Poaching after the season??? Bad gene pool??? Doubt this because we had some 160 class deer on cam first year we took it over... This year on 6 cell cameras I don't think we have one 130 inch deer yet... WTF... Oh... EHD is non-existent last couple years... Puzzling to say the least....

 

[Sgt Fury]

Poaching probably has something to do with it. Where my property is in Vinton county, ALL of the neighboring owners fenced in their land…some all the way around and others just partially. We definitely had road hunters and poaching going on. Since then we’ve all noticed an increase in the size of the bucks we have.
Another variable is that other hunters in the area are shooting the deer that you pass up.

 

[Buckmaster]

Some one else gets them.

 

[brock ratcliff]

 

[brock ratcliff]

They sometimes make it long enough to screw up a pedicle.

 

[Fletch]

Two bordering farms practice QDM... One back bordering farm is my first thought about illegal activity.. They have little or no woods and have shooting shacks set up right on the property line... You know they are shooting onto our property... I'm just waiting to nail them... They are a brown it's down crew... But last 3 years there has been little or no shooting there during gun season....I'm thinking maybe in early Jan. they bait when food is non available and shoot them...Going to address this with a warden when I'm out there... Then there's a shady character that lives at other end of farm...We got pics of him twice this spring shed hunting... I'll show warden pics and point out his House....

 

[Fletch]

Here's are trespasser shed hunting... Wearing a mask in the woods... REALLY???

 

[Sgt Fury]

Good fences make good neighbors.

 

[at1010]

View attachment 139081
They sometimes make it long enough to screw up a pedicle.

@brock ratcliff I saw Mason's write-up on FB, an absolutely fantastic buck! Congrats to 'him and you!

 

[bowhunter1023]

From my experience in a heavily pressured area with small properties, for 2.5 and 3.5 year olds, 7 out of 10 disappear or get killed by someone else, 2.5 times come back and then disappear or get killed by someone else, and I get to close the deal 0.5 times out of 10. @Diablo54 was busting my chops on FB about my comments regarding the gradual deterioration (rack wise) on our old age class bucks. This buck was the topic of conversation. Used to be, he was average in his age group and now he's the biggest by a good margin. I'd love to pass him and see him again at 5, but no one else in my neighborhood is doing the same, so why would I rob myself a bird in the hand this season for a 5% chance at success next year?

I think Taylor thought I was a hypocrite for saying you can't kill great bucks if you kill good ones, and then saying I'd shoot this one even though he's a "disappointing" 4 year old by expectations still rooted in the "good old days". @xbowguy chimed in on the same thread and Rick makes it sound so simple, and I suppose not shooting potential great bucks is "simple", but there's nothing simple about the entire life cycle that must play out for you to reap that reward and effectively all you control, is your tension on the trigger.

At the end of the day, shoot what makes you happy and keep your expectations realistic. I like killing deer and currently, couldn't do what @Spencie and others do in terms of being picky. Too much "peer pressure" around our farm for me to give up a bird in the hand.

 

[Fletch]

I hear ya Jesse... Couple years ago Illinois made it legal for everyone to use crossbows... I'm sure this is not helping matters...

 

[giles]

There are buck farms and doe farms. Which one do you have? I've found that big old nasty bucks don't like company. They also know where cams are. So not moving them, they might be avoiding them. All to often it seems people get a single picture of a big mature buck. That buck is usually looking directly at the camera. He didn't make it that old by being stupid.

BTW, I don't pass bucks in hopes they grow another year for me. I just kill the first one that I want to and move forward. Be a spike or a 125" ten, it doesn't matter to me. It was the hunt that leads up to that moment that I cherish. I've got a house full of deer and you'll never hear me say "I should've let him walk". Plus, I can fit more shit racks around the house than big deer! Lol

 

[xbowguy]

Jesse...shoot what you want. But you can't complain about the neighbors if you do what they do.
There was a time we had a lot of good bucks. With us and neighbors shooting any antler'd deer, they all but vanished. We had to put a stop to shooting the smaller bucks to try and let them grow. All the surrounding neighbors still shoot whatever they can (7 different groups) but I know I'm doing my part to try and have something better. It's not what I would like to have but I at least have a real good shooter to chase about every year since we quit shooting the smaller ones.
Really, it's your tag and conscience...enjoy it.

 

[at1010]

So I think there are a few things that I would mention.

1. You reference score but what about the age structure of the deer you have on the farm? I would be that you all have passed some really great bucks over the years, however - not every buck is destined to be 160inch deer. Do you think you could have some mature, 130-140 bully bucks on the farm that are ruling the roost?

2. What is the doe density? Really thick farm, surrounded by AG - that seems to me like a place that would just suck in the does. In my experiences, if you have an exorbitant amount of does in one section - big bucks will bed/lay elsewhere.

3. Genetics - not sure we want to go in this direction. Do you have bucks that are in the 160+ range in the county killed each year? What about within 2 sq. miles? How about 1 sq miles? Genetic potential traceability to a single tract farm is extremely difficult to prove.

4. As for poaching - do you have any other signs? Gut pile? Open fields where guys have mentioned people spotlight? Etc? Deff talks to Warden, he will know your neighborhood and will be able to tell you what that area is known for.

You asked what happens to the ones we pass? Well, I have seen some explode - one in particular I knew was 6 years old (I passed him at 3). One (my cousin killed) we passed the year before and the next year he didn't grow but a half-inch - scores around 130 as a burly 8.

I had one buck that a neighbor killed - that would have been a dandy the next year. I have had several vanish for an entire year - gun season 2019 to show up fall of 2020.

I have had several on camera over 1 mile away the same night or after one side of the farm has felt pressure vs. the other. etc.

Sure some get killed and I would be lying if I said I was never frustrated, but sometimes I just think that deer do deer things that involve avoiding humans and pressure (cameras, hunters, etc.).

 

[bowhunter1023]

I'm just stating the facts about the neighbors and the way things used to be. I complain about taxes and cold feet. It literally is what it is and with my limited time in the woods, I'm alright with "settling" for right now. I hope to experience 40 more seasons here, so when I'm a cranky old man, you might really hear me complain!

 

[LonewolfNopack]

Personally, many of the deer i pass never make it through season. Heavy pressure everywhere, as is case with most areas in Ohio. Ive accepted it and do what I can to contribute to better hunting. No deer can live forever. I do wish I had better neighbors though, that could really help. I dont believe there are many if any areas in Ohio that are capable of producing booner deer every year if given the chance to age. Some places just have better habitat and/or less pressure then others.

 

[Jackalope]

I think At1010 summed it up pretty well. Some bucks also just disappear. It could be to a wounding and never recovered, coyotes after they shed, or a vehicle strike. The vast majority of them that I passed over the years ended up getting shot later. I passed a gnarly 156 on opening day once only to have him shot two weeks later across the farm. Such is life. You should never pass a buck to let him grow, you should pass him because he's not the one you want and understand that just because you didn't want him doesn't mean someone else doesn't.

 

[bowhunter1023]

You should never pass a buck to let him grow, you should pass him because he's not the one you want and understand that just because you didn't want him doesn't mean someone else doesn't.

Well said.

 

[Fletch]

Great replies as there are so many possible causes... Dave shoot what you want... If it makes you happy go for it... That's what we all want in the end... Some of us just want bigger bucks and if that means burning a tag then so be it... Believe me we still are having a great time and enjoying our time in the great outdoors... And as a great philosopher once said: " All The Fun And No Mess "... Jesse you have some great bucks on film for your area and you have your girls to keep interested in hunting... So it's going to be rough keeping their nterest without harvesting bucks.... Imagine if Dustin didn't start his fishing career in a pond loaded with blue gills.... He would have lost interest and never made it to Bass Masters.... And George he's just tinkled pink happy sitting in his blind for 12 hrs a day.... It's what we do...

 

[Spencie]

First off, I’m ok with tag soup. I’ve prepared it many ways. I don’t HAVE to fill my tag. I also don’t care what others think of me. I don’t do this for them.
Our Athens county property was bad for passing a buck and it getting killed on the neighbors. The home place now, not so much. We have lost a few so far but there are a lot to go around.
one of Al’s points is very true. Only a handful of bucks have the Booner genetics. Most will never see more than 150” if that. We had 2 stud 4 year olds last year that came back this year scoring less. Tyler killed one and I’m after the other even though I passed him last year. He’s never going to be a 150. I also have a 12” wide 4 year old I think I will shoot on character alone. At this point everyone else is safe that “uses “ our place. Late season there are definitely some cull candidates.
Anyone that wants to kill 2 & 3 year old bucks that’s your choice. Don’t complain about others doing it.
My biggest pet peeve is guys that talk big buck management and then come up with excuses to kill 2 & 3 year olds.