Hope he makes it thru the season...

I grabbed the SD Card of one of my trail cams last week and saw a young buck that I hope makes it through the season. If he does, he may eventually be a shooter.

I don't know about you, but I've got guys that hunt in areas near our property and I think they live by the old "if it's brown, it's down" philosophy. These are same guys that piss and moan about not ever getting big bucks. Well, duh.

I like seeing small bucks on camera because I know I've got some potential trophies for years to come... I just have to let them walk by... a lot :)

If you want to shoot bigger bucks, you have to be strategic and start treating your hunt like a sport, not a slaughter:

1. Practice quality deer management. It's never too late to start. Don't take the 4's and 6's. Let them grow up to be 8's and 10's. That may mean you won't harvest a buck this year. So be it. It's worth it.

2. Hunt with fewer guys. The more people you have hunting a 40, the worse you're outcome will be. We only hunt one person per 40 during gun season. During bow season, it's closer to one hunter per 80.

3. Avoid doing massive drives. If you've got 15 guys out driving woods, don't expect to keep the herd in your area thick. It's during drives that a lot of young deer get harvested.

4. Be patient and figure out what works. Study your hunting area consistently throughout the year. Put some cameras around the property. Try a food plot. Try creating a water source. Try something new. You never know what may bring in the big boys in your area.

Happy hunting! We're only a few weeks away from the start of bow season!

Jason