What do you do when....

[lovemylegacy]

you target deer are gone/killed/died? Do you look for another lease?

[deer99hunter]

We have some good looking deer that made it thru the season, I think you'll be surprised next year !

[huntindude]

I agree, you may be very surprised by what shows up on camera this summer/fall

[lost cajun]

Unless you are on a high fence lease there is no telling what might show up next year. I had some good bucks on my camera that seemed like they would be an "easy kill" come hunting season only to never be seen. Then have good deer show up that no one had ever seen before on our property. If youre on a good lease I'd hang with it.

[lovemylegacy]

I put so much in to getting the Big10, 4 years worth of work, scouting, learning his ways, hanging stands just to get an oppurtunity at him and then to have a lazy gun hunter get him, just gets me thats all. Am I being selfish? Maybe, you really need to know the gun hunter.

[Axis FMJ]

Deer get older every year...just wait on the next mature bunch.

[STGS]

Sorry to hear you were not successful in getting your target buck. It happens often.

[lovemylegacy]

Not really selfish, but maybe a bit judgemental regarding a "lazy gun hunter". Be careful up on that high horse, it can be a long fall. Sorry to hear you were not successful in getting your target buck. It happens often. Try not to paint all gun hunters with a borad brush. Afterall, we know bow hunters wound more deer and need special seasons all to themselves.

Not all gun hunters, just this one. You would have to know him. Well enough of that. trying to decide what I am gonna do.

[gingib]

I agree with STGS for the most part. It happens on LF places all the time!

I hunt less then 90 acres and am surrounded by alot of small similar sized tracts but I still manage to kill a 125-130+ every 2-3 years. Gotta stick with it and realize we can't all hunt HF ranches or huge Mexico places like some people.

Try talking to your neighbors and continue to get people on the management train

[deer99hunter]

Not all gun hunters, just this one. You would have to know him. Well enough of that. trying to decide what I am gonna do.

Did somebody get our buck Calvin ?? I was sure hoping it would be either you or I, we both put a lot of time in hunting him.

[DFWfirefighter]

give it time

[HoustonHunter]

Man if it's the lease route you just have to learn to expect this. It can and will happen on any other lease. Luckily I got my target buck but next years target was shot by another member. Each member has just as much of a right to shoot a buck as I do, despite my efforts.

The only other options are high fence and owning your own property.

Don't let it bring you down. What you don't see on camera can always surprise you and when the rut kicks in you can see all sorts of different Bucks you've never seen.

Geaux Tigers!

[JeffJ]

Being bitter towards gun hunters wont make that deer less dead.

[Dakota7493]

Unless you are on a high fence lease there is no telling what might show up next year. I had some good bucks on my camera that seemed like they would be an "easy kill" come hunting season only to never be seen. Then have good deer show up that no one had ever seen before on our property. If youre on a good lease I'd hang with it.

x1000

We are low fence and take 2-3 good bucks a year. Taking them out lets others move in. You never know what you'll see with low fence which is why I love it.

[gonehuntin68]

If you leave your lease every time your target buck gets killed or dies or leaves your going to be changing leases often. As long as your lease has a decent management plan and follows that plan you should have new target bucks each year.