Shoot or let walk... Whitetail

Shoot or let walk one more year at least... He has a broke eye guard... I'm really not sure of the age... but I think 3.5 to 4

take the doe

shoot all three. enough meat to last quite awhile

Bang

Ahh keep feeding em a couple years, corn needs to go up.

I would shoot the one in the background.

Rack on the wall, meat in the freezer.

Bang

2.5 yr old

I would let him walk if you think no one else will kill him. If you got others that will kill him I would be them to it. If he is only 3.5 it would be interesting to see what he will do in 3 years.

Since you’re asking, that means you care about antler size. Let him walk, he's just a baby, if you shoot all the babys then there will be no big deer. You can get all the meat you want from does, if there’s enough does to harvest.

In my state, that buck would probably get your picture in the paper.

Shoot

I hunt for the enjoyment of it. If I have to ask others if I should shoot or not I would have to ask myself why I hunt. Others opinion has no bearing on how much enjoyment I get out of a hunt.

Shoot 'em! One of my favorite statements- God makes more

Shoot him before he eats all your corn!

To shoot or let walk is a very personal decision . I think he will be bigger next year at least around here but you run the chance of some one else harvesting him , I dont worry about that part myself i do my part in letting them get bigger but it dosnt bother me when the kids or neighbor harvest one i let walk to me deer hunting is not a competitive sport .

I'm with strike2x, but only after dropping the closer buck first. Here, like in Finster's area....that closest buck would very likely end up in the local newspaper. I had a taxidermy shop here for over 30 years, have no idea how many local bucks I mounted, but 99% of them were smaller than the buck in question.

If you have to ask, hes not big enough. When you see a big one, there will be no questions.

Put him back in the barn stall for a couple more years

Honestly, if that was my backyard that's what I'd do.
The odds are much higher that someone else will shoot the bucks given a chance.

My goal is to reduce the herd, not grow antlers. But by reducing the herd you will grow bigger antlers too.

Kind of a odd situation, Shoot the does, smaller herd but higher percentage of larger bucks and better habitat.

Shoot bucks only, larger herd, fewer smaller bucks and poorer habitat.

Gotta shoot enough does (over 50%) to keep the herd size down and grow larger and more bucks.

Choot em' billy Ray!!! Chooootem!

No seriously Id go Bang!

Don't let anything walk unless it's not legal. They all taste the same.

Great post.

I need two more deer to last until next winter. I'd shoot him and the doe.

Let walk. He is a 3 or maybe 4 year old. Don't know if he will get larger rack as far as width, highth or number of points but he should get heavier both body and antlers with proper nutrition. The one outside the fence is a 1 1/2 year old. If you have taken similar deer let him go. If you would mount him take him. Sounds to me like it isn't a meat thing. He is a fine animal. If your situation is one that there is a high probability that he will survive to another season let him go. If there is an average possibility that he won't survive take him.

Is it legal? yes. shoot.

Put some growth hormones in with the corn and wait until next year.

Garry-

i already shot him,snooze ya lose.

I enjoy watching them as much as killing one...

I can set on my back porch and see 15 deer an evening...

Do what makes ya happy as long as it's legal

See if he'll come to some corn in your hand and kill him with a pocket knife. That's Texan.

Pete

Killing for the size of the rack? Or are you killing to fill the freezer?
There is only one answer!

I would shoot that buck and the doe. But here they would be cruising an oak ridge eating acorns

This post is right on target, and good sound advice.

w

Or just put up a taller fence with a catch pen and load him straight into a livestock trailer.

Keith

Wasting alot of your trapping time looking at deer. LOL jk its impossible for anyone to make that call only you know all the variables at hand.

load him on a trailer and i'll ear tag him and let him breed the does here in the holler

If you need a 135 for the wall shoot it. If you want a chance at him next year when he is 150, or after two years when he is over 160, hold off.
It looks to me like you have pinpointed his fall feeding pattern...

Nice young buck Blake, what will he be next year, as long as he isn't a pile of dung.

Let them walk ,Just not past me!

If you have to ask why bother

Around here that would be a trophy to brag on

Is that because your herd lacks genetics, or is it because everyone shoots most of the bucks once they reach 3 1/3 years old?