The buck of your dreams?

[okrattler]

I've heard it said many times. The ultimate goal is shooting the buck of a lifetime for a good majority of deer hunters. My question is what happens after you get your buck of a lifetime? I know guys that try to shoot something bigger than their last and that I can understand. Imagine you go out and shoot a deer you know you'll never top in your lifetime. What's the next step you take after that?

I feel like having goals and expectations of what you're trying to achieve and what you want to get out of it is a huge motivator to sit longer and hunt harder. Would shooting the buck of your dreams ruin deer hunting for you? That's something I've often wondered about and it should be interesting to hear some thoughts on this.

[pigstika1978]

I've heard it said many times. The ultimate goal is shooting the buck of a lifetime for a good majority of deer hunters. My question is what happens after you get your buck of a lifetime? I know guys that try to shoot something bigger than their last and that I can understand. Imagine you go out and shoot a deer you know you'll never top in your lifetime. What's the next step you take after that?



I feel like having goals and expectations of what you're trying to achieve and what you want to get out of it is a huge motivator to sit longer and hunt harder. Would shooting the buck of your dreams ruin deer hunting for you? That's something I've often wondered about and it should be interesting to hear some thoughts on this.

I killed my buck of a lifetime this year.
Hasn’t changed my desire to hunt.
I know I’ll never top this buck but I’m still driven. I still love hunting deer and pigs and I’m still trying to break 300lbs on a big boar,
I’ve come real close but 290 lbs is my biggest.
I may start focusing on hunting Alaska or New Zealand or South Africa.
Just need to budget my money and save for these hunts.
Also I only hunt with a bow so everything I kill is a trophy to me.


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[Artos]

I'll pass a happy man with the deer in my avatar but not really sure what my lifetime animal would be...whitetail come in so many flavors I doubt any certain one would knock out any flame. Some that come to mind I want a shot at:

~ 150 plus class clean straight 8
~ something with over 40" of mass
~ typical 12 in the 160 plus range being very symmetrical with minimal deducts
~ record class spike
~ good scoring double drop

All extreme long shots but there is no one dream buck I'm after or one to make me hang it up...honestly not as mad at them these days & enjoying campfires is enough. Still, the variety of horns out there yet to squire won't end

[flywise]

I have not killed the buck of my dreams mainly because I dont know what that buck looks like. I did however go full trad. About 10 years ago and have killed the 2 biggest of my life since then. I also had a goal of killing a deer with a trad bow, in a ghillie suit off the ground for this year and I made that happen.
For me, hunting get very boring every decade or so and I have to change things up. Hunt hard for me does not mean stare at the same old feeders from the same old stands.it means challenging my life long acquired skills in different ways. I hunted very hard this year with some success....and a whole lot of fun. If someone has killed the buck of their dreams and is wondering what to do next they might aught to try some of what I have done.

[Encinal]

Your buck of a lifetime isn’t going to look anything like the buck of your dreams. Don’t worry about it.

Now if you are hunting the SCORE of your dreams, well... take up golf.

[deerwatcher51]

I took my "dream buck" in October of 2003 with a low fenced buck that grossed 207&7/8's and netted 200&6/8's. After that I decided that I was through dealing with landowners and bought and high fenced 330 acres in San Saba county. Since then I have enjoyed raising my own deer and watching my kids and grandkids harvest the good ones while I take most of the culls and does. I have also hunted out of the country several times since then. Canada twice, Africa three times and New Zealand once. I was able to do these things with the help of a very supporting spouse. Life does go on after your "Dream Buck".

[DTala]

I killed a buck, in my avatar, that I never even dreamed about killing. 192 7/8 seven year old. Didn't change anything about hunting for me. I went on hunting and killing MUCH smaller, but mature, deer.

My dream deer now is a big wide, heavy, non-typical to go with the typical I have. But if a 140" steps in front of my recurve...I'm shooting,

[TX_Hoghunter]

Well I cannot speak on the buck of a lifetime but in college I did catch a bass that weighed a little over 14 1/2 pounds. I kept fish hard for a little bit and then the flame for bass fishing kind of died. I still enjoy it when I go but now I only go about once every 5 years or so. I am to the point I would rather go catch some catfish. Did the desire fade because of the big fish or because of age? I have no clue but it has ****ed sure faded.

-john

[AntlerCollector]

I haven't killed my buck of a lifetime yet.....I hope.

[lovemylegacy]

I've heard it said many times. The ultimate goal is shooting the buck of a lifetime for a good majority of deer hunters. My question is what happens after you get your buck of a lifetime? I know guys that try to shoot something bigger than their last and that I can understand. Imagine you go out and shoot a deer you know you'll never top in your lifetime. What's the next step you take after that?

I feel like having goals and expectations of what you're trying to achieve and what you want to get out of it is a huge motivator to sit longer and hunt harder. Would shooting the buck of your dreams ruin deer hunting for you? That's something I've often wondered about and it should be interesting to hear some thoughts on this.

It would probably satisfy me this season, especially since its kinda late, but I am sure I would be ready to go before the season came around next year. I enjoy hunting now more than ever and Im 57.

One of my goals is to kill a buck with my Grandfathers gun.

[Mudslinger]

The buck of my dreams is the one that walks in and makes my heart jump out of my chest, no matter what he scores or if I have killed a better one before.

[ROBINHOOD11]

Still havent killed my dream buck, though i've had a couple of chances but I dont think it would change anything. I love hunting mature bucks, it doesnt matter the size.

[MagicBlade]

Don't have a dream buck, but I do dream of being with my son or grandson when they shoot a monster!

[MASTERS]

Your buck of a lifetime isn’t going to look anything like the buck of your dreams. Don’t worry about it.

Now if you are hunting the SCORE of your dreams, well... take up golf.

**** if that ain't the truth......

[huntingjunkie]

The buck of a lifetime is more the story behind the hunt to me. The deer is just the end result, and being that no two deer are the same, that alone keeps me motivated to continue chasing mature whitetail deer.