Would You Shoot This 8-Pointer?

Posted At : September 8, 2009 10:56 AM | Posted By : Mike Hanback
Related Categories: Big Deer Blog

I got this cam picture over the weekend with the message: Nice.

Yes. And it struck me that this is the perfect buck for most people to hunt across the U.S. Mature animal with a 135-class 8-point rack. A buck anybody would be proud of, or should be proud of.

Don't let all the monsters you see on TV and magazine covers (and on BIG DEER) fool you and jade ya. Giants that score 160 to 200 are out there; they fascinate us, and we love to see and read about them. But they are rare, even in the Midwest.

If you get one week's vacation and a few Saturdays to hunt this fall, I'd recommend you shoot this buck, esp. with a bow. Of course it's up to you. If you want to hold out for a bigger animal, go for it, that's cool too.

One more thing. If you see a buck framed up like this but with 2 more tines, definitely shoot, the 10-pointer is pushing 150 or better.

So, what would you do, shoot him or pass? comment

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He would be very hard for me to pass with a bow.

# Posted By ebrown | 9/8/09 11:36 AM

i would guess him at a 3.5 year old that would score about 125-128 tops but would i shoot him........ you bet.........
a friend of mine that scores for pope and young once told me only 1 in 1400 hunters ever get 1 P&Y buck......
probably pretty close ... i would shoot him in a second........
not only that i would probably have it on film to enjoy for years to come........ having added the challenge of getting a hunt self filmed
makes it even trickier....... so to get that stud on film, shot, and recovered would make my season......
are there bigger .......sure and thats what keeps us going after we shoot one like that

i only know 1 or two guys out of the 50 some hunters i talk with regularly that would pass that....... and its because they have hundreds of
acres that they control the harvest on......

great deer

# Posted By Flatlander | 9/8/09 11:58 AM

Shoot him in a heart beat. Bow, rifle, muzzleloader. WOuldn't make any difference. We have killed nice deer on the farms we hunt over the last couple years(simply by letting the small bucks walk) but nothing quite like this. Biggest is probable a 120" or so 10 point my uncle killed about 4 years ago. We've seen and shot at bigger ones. I shot at what I believe was the biggest typical I have ever seen about 5 years ago with a bow. At LEAST 10 points, incredibly tall and heavy, never found the deer. Made me sick. Have seen two on the same farm in the same stretch of woods with drop tines, never seen them more than once. But yeah, I would shoot this deer. Nice 6 pt's tempt me and most of the time I will take them but the 8's and bigger are what I'm really after and that buck is about as pretty as they come. Unless you look at Googily in the above post :)

Cody

# Posted By Cody | 9/8/09 12:11 PM

I'm sorry , I was just watching my arrow zip through this nice 135 class 8 point in my mind.

Now what was your question again ?

# Posted By PA Archer | 9/8/09 12:20 PM

Just out of curiosity...hope you don't mind the hijack Mike....how much land are you guys able to hunt.
I got a 50 that we own, permission to hunt a pressured 350, and permission for another 20.

Yes, I would be very happy with that buck.

# Posted By jake in wi | 9/8/09 1:06 PM

I would shoot him....he is a mature buck....He would like nice on my wall!

# Posted By parrish | 9/8/09 1:48 PM

If he were in Texas I'd have to see his width. He's plenty high enough and heavy enough but width from this picture is hard to judge. He looks to be wide enough but I'm not sure. Must be 13.5" to shoot. Plus, if I were to pull the trigger on him, that would be the only big one I could take this year. I don't know whether I'd shoot him or not, but probably would after a little consideration. In other words if he just kept wandering around and I looked at him long enough I probably couldn't stand it and would shoot. LOL

# Posted By Rodger | 9/8/09 2:23 PM

Yes i would shoot that buck. I havent shot a P&Y yet...but hoping to change that soon. I'd take him with the gun just as
fast. Any time i see a good 8pt here in Michigan you can bet i'll probably be pulling the trigger.

# Posted By Scott from MI | 9/8/09 3:16 PM

Our property is only about 33 acers, I would not hesitate on a buck like that, gun or bow.

# Posted By Russ | 9/8/09 4:58 PM

WHACK!

# Posted By necbone | 9/8/09 4:59 PM

I would shoot him if I was certain that he was 4 years old or older. If he is a 3 1/2, I let him walk.

# Posted By Jeff B | 9/8/09 5:27 PM

Bow, for sure. Rifle, you bet. That's a great deer.

# Posted By csoutdoors | 9/8/09 5:38 PM

Wouldn't give it a second thought. SHOOT.

# Posted By NY Bowhunter | 9/8/09 5:43 PM

jake, in central IL. i have a 5 acre spot to myself, kind of (when no one trespasses), a 20 acre spot shared with about 5 guys, a 35 acre
spot shared with about 6 guys, and a 40 acre spot shared with about a dozen guys......
its hard to pass a deer this size........... i know no one else will.......
i have passed a couple of 130's with gun years ago, only becuase i shot a 130 and only had one tag left and knew there were some giants around

its really all personal who should pass or shoot what but i do like to see what floats around others minds as they see deer.......

i know for a fact that most of the hunters i know say they have passed 125" but in realyity the deer was 105" maybe 110"
125" is a great deer anywhere in the US

# Posted By Flatlander | 9/8/09 6:40 PM

i shot a 150 class buck last fall and i'll be the first to tell you that i wouldn't let that buck walk! i would shoot a 125" and up all day long, bow or gun.

# Posted By bryan | 9/8/09 11:49 PM

If it presented a good shot, I'd have a hard time not taking it.

# Posted By indiancreekpsychopathic | 9/9/09 12:26 AM

I would be introducing it to a two blade RAGE ASAP- always liked longer tine length ove just spread and short points. Of course if they both were present all the better ! Saw a batchelor group of 5 Bucks last night including a 3.5-4.5 year old 10 point 140...come one October first !
Michigan Whitetail Nut-Grand Rapids Michigan

# Posted By DHAGAN | 9/9/09 1:10 PM

I don't make my harvest decisions based on score but by age. Any buck 3.5 or older is a legitimate target. Of the 8 3.5 and older bucks I've harvested only 3 broke the 100" mark, and that's in good mid Michigan farm country.
This buck is clearly 3.5 or older and therefore worthy of my best efforts. Dead deer walking.;)

Big T

# Posted By Big T | 9/9/09 4:01 PM

Where I live - I'd shoot it if it had one tiny "unicorn" horn. I am proud [and lucky] to take ANY deer.

# Posted By Mark | 9/9/09 11:49 PM

This is a great 8 pt. but I would pass this deer no question about it. Here in northwest Indiana we see at least 15 bucks a year this big. our one buck rule really has put some giants walking around in our woods. This our group of friends has a rule.. 150 class or no deer.

# Posted By Jeff Brewer | 9/12/09 2:29 AM

On a side note, My private lease is a 300 acre Indina State classified Wildlife Habitat Tree Farm Privately Owned and my friends have 1500 acres of intensly managed farm property whose food plots I manage through my landscape company. We have all taken plenty of deer in this range which is why he walks. A great deer with out a doubt but we know and believe we can do better. I realize we are the exception to the rule.

# Posted By Jeff Brewer | 9/12/09 2:38 AM

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