What size animal do you want and why?

[stilllearning]

I hope this is just a Humble opinion spot were no one getts up set at anyone elses choices.

So here it goes I will start.

My preference is to shoot a dry doe that is in the 3 to 4 year old age bracket. But here we have a draw for a doe tag so if I do not get a doe tag I prefer to shoot a spike or split fork horn buck so that my meat is of the best eating that there is. When shooting moose I don't even realy want the big smasher as I prefer anything from a year and half old cow up to a 3 year old bull. Small racks but great meat in the freezer is what I am after.

Now let me also say that if the first animal to come out is that smasher it will go down but I will not pass on a smaller one to wait for the smasher.

What about you? What is your preference and why?

 

[Dangerous Dave]

On the coast of California here, the best I can ever hope for is a mature (4 to5 year old) blacktail buck around 100+ lbs or so. A 3 or 4 point would be nice, but nearly all the local bucks remain forkedforns for their entire life in the area I hunt.
Since I'm a landowner, I can recieve one tag for mule deer. A 3 pointer is usually what we all hunt for. I let 2 forkies go last year. I got a shot at a nice, big 3 point last year but missed.
Really, I'll be happy with anything God spins my way. Dave

 

[noharleyyet]

A legal bull elk or a good sized cow. It would be my first and they are the best game meat I've ever tasted.

 

[sreekers]

I'll admit that I go after the racks up until the very end of the season. I guess I am young and want to get the big ones before I am too old to get everywhere that I want to go.

 

[mtmiller]

I am chasing horns for deer, the bigger the better. I am fortunate to live in a place where I have lots of opportunity to harvest does, so meat is not a concern to me. That being said, I haven't eaten a nice buck that ever tasted bad in my opinion.

 

[AkBearHunter]

I would like to someday bag a 40" or bigger Dall ram, another plus of shooting one of these is the meat as well, I would eat it over any other game meat.

 

[cjcj]

Since I hit 50 I am looking for big racks 1st but I put in for units where I can always fill the tag on the last day....if not a big one ....I never used to even take pictures of the hunts... now with the "net" its a must.

 

[AZ402]

Since I hit 50 I am looking for big racks 1st but I put in for units where I can always fill the tag on the last day....if not a big one ....I never used to even take pictures of the hunts... now with the "net" its a must.

If you shoot something this year please post a field pic. Not a pic of an animal in the back of the truck. You could blur your face or crop a Jack-In-The-Box head onto your body.

 

[stilllearning]

I'll admit that I go after the racks up until the very end of the season. I guess I am young and want to get the big ones before I am too old to get everywhere that I want to go.

sreekers there is nothing wrong with that at all. I always thought that was what I wanted but since I have had (excuse me my wife has had) two kids and they like the meat I now am looking for meat to enjoy with them.


Keep those replies comming in folks.

 

[powderburn]

I'm somewhat in the same boat as mtmiller with the availability of meat deer and my kids shooting we're never short of meat. I'm looking for a non-typical worthy of the wall.

 

[Larry Landgren]

I want to kill a coues deer that scores over 120 " Why, because most of the guys I hunt with have, lol

 

[BuzzH]

I'm in the same boat as Miller pretty much. I try to find mule deer in the 170 B&C gross range that appear to be older animals. Whitetails, I try to find bucks in the 135-155 range and again ones that appear to be older. I've passed up younger higher scoring bucks to kill one that looks older that may not score as well. Not sure why, but I just like killing deer that are 6+ years old if I can.

I dont like hunting elk all that much, even though I've killed a lot of them. In Wyoming I usually kill the first brow-tined bull I see if hunting general units. If I have a second cow tag...I try to pick a calf or year and a half old cow. If they're getting away or I cant decide I shoot the first cow that presents a decent shot.

Antelope, I usually try to find a buck that will score over 75.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I enjoy to hunt for one with big huge antlers. Contrary to popular wive's tales, they taste great and there's usually no shortage of meat on them. Can also buy antlerless tags if I think I'm going to starve to death and need to shoot more of them.

 

[schmalts]

I like them young, with big racks and small hind quarters. love to eat them in that class range as well. Problem is that usually a big rack means big hind quarters as well in my part of the country. I like them early in the year when it is warmer because usually the hair is a lot thinner, or not even there.

 

[scottymack]

I'm with Dave, not alot of big deer take a fork for the freezer but I won't pass on a big rack.

 

[Dinkshooter]

schmalts for president..............with a big rack in every living room.

 

[shoots-straight]

I enjoy elk hunting and with that said I kill elk, so anything in the 300 class is more than acceptable to me. I'll shoot smaller but strive for a nice bull every year. My kids in the kill anything mode so young bulls and cows first come first serve type of thing. We eat our meat and the tenderness of the younger animals are a trophy in themselves. My dad killed over 60 elk in his lifetime and never passed up anything. I guess that he grew up in a time when they were to hard to come by.

 

[cjcj]

I like them young, with big racks and small hind quarters. love to eat them ...the hair is a lot thinner, or not even there.

Schmalts uhh I think the topic is critters, not Women


AZ201 If I ever draw a tag again I will pose topless for ya.,

 

[Hunterman]

I'm a meat hunter..Not a sportsman,,a meat hunter..Now with that said,,if I have a tag for it, well then its down..I have shot my share of 3 and 4 pointers,,as well as spikes and does..Infact I have killed spike through 4 point ( round robin) in the blacktails, whitetails, and mule deer..The meat is what I'm after, so if its on my tag,,its coming home..

Hunterman(Tony)

 

[AZ402]

AZ201 If I ever draw a tag again I will pose topless for ya.,

Just make sure you shave down.