WHY YOU SHOULDN’T HOLD OUT FOR A BIGGER BUCK

By Adam Moore / The MeatEater

The rut is here, and the hopes of notching your tag on a heavy-horned buck have never been higher. And while you might have a Pope & Young cruise by your setup in spitting distance, those odds remain low, even with big bucks letting their guards down.

Of course, if you have weeks to hunt or access to private or leased ground where you can mitigate the pressure, holding out for a booner might not be a bad idea. But for workaday hunters and weekend warriors, waiting for something better is a great way to eat your tag(s) or lead to a years-long drought. I’m not saying you shouldn’t challenge yourself to kill a big buck (whatever that means to you), but you should be honest about your situation.

If you primarily hunt public land and only have weekends to do so, you might want to temper your expectations. I’m not sure what the statistics are for hunter encounters with mature bucks, but I know they’re pretty sobering. READ FULL STORY