For meat only, shoot a doe (when allowed) or a spike. In fact, ALWAYS shoot a spike, unless you're in a club that still lumps spikes in with branched-antlered bucks, which is incorrect but that's a discussion for another time.
Here's the situations when I say it's ok to shoot a small buck (i.e. a 4 or 6 point that is obviously sporting its first set of antlers):
1) You're under 16 and it's your first deer.
2) You depend on the meat to live (if you have a computer and internet access, you don't qualify for this one)
3) It's the last day of the season and your wife has declared a yard-sale on hunting gear if you don't bring something home.
4) Your herd is overcrowded and your authorized to shoot anything you see (if this ever happens, PM me so I can give you my phone number) |