by Taylor Maas

Over the last few years I’ve heard more people asking if a specific buck is a shooter, or if they should give a buck “one more year.” Don’t get me wrong, for some hunters this makes a lot of sense and as I’ve gained more experience my goals have continuously changed. However, for a lot of hunters, specifically less experienced or younger hunters, this can be very counterintuitive; especially when that decision is made by someone else.

Before my first whitetail hunt I remember my dad asking, “Are you going to wait for a buck or shoot the first thing that walks by?” To this day, I am so thankful he left that decision up to me. I knew he’d let does and young bucks walk by, waiting for a mature buck. But my first year all I wanted was the experience of hunting and filling my tag. It didn’t matter to me if it was a mature buck or a young doe. One hour later, we were driving home with a small doe in the back of his truck and it is still one of my most memorable hunts.

The success of a hunt shouldn’t be measured by whether or not your buddies, or someone you watch on TV, would consider a deer a “trophy,” but rather if you consider it a trophy. Some of my most memorable hunts have ended with me wrapping my any sex tag around a doe or small antlered buck, and given the opportunity I would make those decisions again. I believe those hunts have better prepared me and given me confidence that I would otherwise be lacking.

If you find yourself talking with others or posting on social media asking if you should pass a specific deer, don’t. Save yourself the time and controversial comments that are sure to follow. Whether you’d be happy shooting a doe or mature buck, make yourself a goal before heading out to the woods and stick to it.