Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: Mechslasher on October 20, 2008, 10:02:11 pm

Title: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Mechslasher on October 20, 2008, 10:02:11 pm
got permission to hunt an area across some railroad tracks i've been eyeing for the past two years.  the fellow just ask that i call before i go hunting on his place.  i've spoken with him several times in the past couple weeks and this afternoon he asked that i not shoot anything under 15".  this was the first time he had mentioned that but i told him that it wouldn't be a problem because i don't have much luck with bucks.  you can guess the results of this afternoons hunt.  about 6 i looked up and saw some feet coming through one of my blind spots.  it was coming down a trail that i scouted yesterday and it must have smelled me (even after 24 hours) because it slammed on breaks and started looking around.  it turned around and trotted straight into one of my shooting lanes.  it stopped about 12 yards out slightly quartering away.  you guessed it, the buck only had a 13" rack.  i bent the string on him, twice, but didn't let the arrow fly!  i watched him wonder off and kicked myself several times for not letting the arrow fly.  this was a tough hunt to say the least.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: GregB on October 21, 2008, 08:13:29 am
Tough luck, but you did the right thing...probably would have loss your hunting spot if you'd taken the deer.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: cowboy on October 21, 2008, 09:04:47 am
That is tough. I hate antler restriction's - aught to be able to shoot whatever steps out if ya have a tag or want some meat.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Hillbilly on October 21, 2008, 09:28:55 am
Yeah, bummer. I'm not into deer farming myself-I like to hunt, not genetically manipulate wild animals.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Pappy on October 21, 2008, 10:09:14 am
Ya I hate them to.I let the guys that hunt on my farm shoot what ever the want.I use to have
some friends that I let gun hunt[No guns anymore no wheel bows either] and they got a little carried away,killing any small buck that came along and wouldn't shoot the does ,so rather than put a size restriction on them I just told them to shoot what ever buck they wanted all I ask was that they show me the mount,[full shoulder] I didn't care if they killed a spike or 4/6 as long as they mounted it,that took care of the problem.  ;) In fact they only hunted that year and didn't come back the next.
   Pappy
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Justin Snyder on October 21, 2008, 10:28:34 am
Sometimes it is rough letting one walk.  Especially when you haven't had good luck with bucks.  I do like antler restrictions to a point.  They serve a purpose in a keeping a healthy deer herd.  Justin
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: DanaM on October 21, 2008, 10:37:01 am
The Michigan DNR has imposed antler restrictions here in the UP of Michigan at the request of
the Whitetail organizations >:( May be all well and good in some of the counties but where I live just seeing
a deer can be a challenge. I've seen one deer so far since Oct 1st a spike and therefore illegal.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: kyleM on October 21, 2008, 10:53:40 am
The Michigan DNR has imposed antler restrictions here in the UP of Michigan at the request of
the Whitetail organizations >:( May be all well and good in some of the counties but where I live just seeing
a deer can be a challenge. I've seen one deer so far since Oct 1st a spike and therefore illegal.

I think they should bring back the old doe tag ways..
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: John K on October 21, 2008, 11:30:53 am
A bigger one will come you'r way ! ;)
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Hillbilly on October 21, 2008, 12:26:55 pm
I think people are brainwashed from watching too many buckmasters shows. Anybody that looks at a deer and sees nothing but a set of horns, I don't want anything to do with. If I ever get to the point that my heart rate doesn't kick up from seeing a doe or small buc, I'll quit hunting. :)
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Pat B on October 21, 2008, 12:53:10 pm
I don't mind antler restrictions like Justin for the sake of the healthy heard. We have too many does almost everywhere so more pressure should be put on them to get the buck/doe ratio back to a more even ratio. That way you get more does bred during their first or possibly second heat and you don't have spotted fawns going into December of later. Big antlers are a byproduct of this. I'm not an antler hunter either. At this point in my bow hunting career I be ready to shoot almost any deer. I do let small bucks walk usually.
   I guess this will get to be a heated topic!   Get the popcorn ready!    pat
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: kyleM on October 21, 2008, 01:07:40 pm
The thing is, the area that my dad hunts (DanaM) all you can buy are buck tags, i havnt deer hunted up there in 2 years now, because im stuck in the south in the coast guard, so i dont know what the rules are this year.. But i know the past few years you cant take a doe in certein counties because they dont have any tags out for them!
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Mechslasher on October 21, 2008, 02:16:23 pm
i've seen deer just about every time i've hunted in and around this place.  i saw three does later that afternoon but they were out of range feeding in the middle of a kudzu field.  i guess it was a moral victory since i was able to draw on him twice.  i'm now looking at the outcome as there are two or more birds in the bush instead of one in the hand.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: DanaM on October 21, 2008, 02:35:16 pm
I'm with hillbilly as for the antler thing its why I won't join the local Whitetails organazination, their trophy hunters to a man. I hunt for the enjoyment and
the meat but it still makes me mad that the only deer I've seen was illegal because it was a spike. I can shoot two does
on my combination license with archery equipment.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: John K on October 21, 2008, 02:36:58 pm
Dana, How many points do they need before you can shoot them  ???
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: DanaM on October 21, 2008, 02:45:39 pm
Regular tag has to be 3 points or more on one side, restricted tag has to be 4 points or more on one side thats on the combination tag
Turns out you can buy a seperate archery and firearm tag and on those you can shoot any buck, didn't realize this when I bought my tag.
Michigan has more rules than Carter has pills, confusing as all hell >:(
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: John K on October 21, 2008, 02:52:17 pm
Geez.....i'd say so !
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Pat B on October 21, 2008, 03:41:06 pm
In GA where I do most of my hunting you can shoot 2 bucks but one has to be 4 points or better. BUT! you can shoot 10 does. This is with any license. I usually only buy an archery and big game license and if I do go gun hunting it is $25 for a 7 day gun license.    Pat
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Justin Snyder on October 21, 2008, 04:01:51 pm
We have some areas here that should be 4 point or better, 8 point to you eastern boys.  :o  We also have some areas that should be 3 point (6 point) or smaller.  :-* A 3 point mule deer will never be anything except that. Most of them lack the mass that they should have even though they may have a 34" spread.  I would like to see them all shot....and NOW.  >:D We have what is considered the only true non typical breeding pool in the world. There are non typical mule deer everywhere they occour but not a whole breeding pool.  I love to see these bucks even if I don't shoot them and it would be a real shame to continue the way it has been and loose the genetics.  The real problem is that the DNR is educated beyond their intelligence and is incapable of making a good management plan.   8) Justin
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: DanaM on October 21, 2008, 05:25:37 pm
Well I'm off to the woods, even if I see no deer, the sun is out and its 45 degrees with a mild breeze.
Guess it ain't all bad eh :) We've had some killer frosts so I'm hoping the deer will be moving a bit more.
Calling for the 20's tonight, perfect weather eh Justin ;)
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Justin Snyder on October 21, 2008, 07:19:06 pm
Calling for cooler weather here too. Might get down to the low 40's.   ;D I like hunting in a T shirt.  ;)
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Pat B on October 21, 2008, 08:37:04 pm
Justin, The GA law is 4points or better on both sides so at least an 8.  Some counties in GA are under quality management and your deer has to be 8point or better and at least 15" outside spread.
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: kyleM on October 21, 2008, 08:39:52 pm
Justin, The GA law is 4points or better on both sides so at least an 8.  Some counties in GA are under quality management and your deer has to be 8point or better and at least 15" outside spread.

Im stationed in camden county on the Kings Bay Naval Sub Bas (go figure im in the coast guard and get stationed on a navy base) but the hunting rules on base are you can take as many does as you can pay for! lol they are a pest on this base, i went for a run the other night, and i swear i got chased by a deer!
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: mullet on October 21, 2008, 10:17:44 pm
    Heck Son!, Get your Daddy a deer. ;)     
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: Keenan on October 21, 2008, 11:14:57 pm
  Cris your a good man, Kept your word and held your honor. Might have to tighten the belt a few this winter but,,,,na,,,, ;D you'll get one for doing the right thing.  ;)
Title: Re: Had to be an "Oak" this afternoon
Post by: kayakfisher on October 24, 2008, 02:27:56 pm
From reading this post ,it sounds like its wide spread.Three quarters of Missouri went to that four point rule this year.Never hunted points or racks !have spent a lot of time hunting for my arrow though.
                   Dennis