Rg, we start serious meat hunting about 3rd week in October. The big gun starts on 3rd Saturday in November. The way we figure is if it don't happen by the weekend after Thanksgiving, after about 200 hrs in the woods, they all get a free pass as the weather and conditions become on their side.
Very rarely do we come away disappointed.
We pass on so many deer and we are not antler hunting by any means. Its just about having scouted and cameras to know what's out there.

Good luck with the muzzle loader. Mine have hung on the walls in my kids homes for a long time. My only remembrance of powder left in my house.
Right now its ice season.
We will do a rabbit hunt Saturday, pike ice Sunday and another rabbit hunt Christmas eve.

Here in my local the rabbits are scarce,used to be plenty but they have dwindled the last ten years.I think the reason for that lies in the heavy use of weed killer in farming.

pafisher
Here in my local the rabbits are scarce,used to be plenty but they have dwindled the last ten years.I think the reason for that lies in the heavy use of weed killer in farming.

Coyotes or coy-dogs take their fair share too.
 

Yotes, Bears, Bobcats, Opossums  Birds of prey all take a heavy toll on bunnies.
Not to mention wet Springs-even with more than one liter a year loosing one is a factor.

Yes predators take their share. They always have . The lions share has been loss habitat.
Mowing fields and building housing developments has been the biggest bunny killer

r3g3
Yotes, Bears, Bobcats, Opossums  Birds of prey all take a heavy toll on bunnies.
Not to mention wet Springs-even with more than one liter a year loosing one is a factor.

I had bunches of bunnies in my woods. When I cut brush to clear paths, I piled it up to make brush piles and then would dump blackberries on it to make it narly. Have seen as many as 7 out at a time in deer season from my treehouse.

Then, zero. I’m sure the line coyote that circles through every couple of weeks gets some. The eagles get some when they set up hunting here for the month of May. But what took them to zero are the fishers. Saw one along the creek near the rabbit hutches almost everyday hunting deer. Despicable weasels.

Ice storm still on the  ground and trees -LOUD woods -nights in the low teens-Holiday events- might be lucky to get one more day in before the 31st end of muzzel- if  I do it'l be a brown and down trip- no more passing for a donkey.

I don't hunt farmland but in our hardwoods the only neighbor ( real deliverance type) is always busier than a beaver running chainsaw, tractor and log splitter. I mean real deliverance like 3 mobile homes tied together to make a house with tarps connecting them together, more junk than a scrap yard and if you ever wondered why your yellow mail box never got delivered, I bet I could give you 1 or a thousand and 1.
Their noise really doesn't bother the deer at all. I actually hunt my best stand right behind his compound ( on our property) because the noise and smoke from the wood boiler provides great scent and noise cover. The deer have no clue I'm there. The only thing that gets annoyed is me from hearing the equipment .

Rg,
Do you process your deer yourself ?
I've cut countless deer. One thing I despise is cutting small deer. Unless one dosen't care what goes into the " mix " ( generally a butcher) I would rather shoot nothing than shoot what we consider a pass based on size. My son's have been very good at understanding this. I'm also trying to teach them good shooting. Wait for the " shot " meaning close is better and head shots waste no meat.
A shooter deer is always based on body mass, never antlers or not.

Good luck out there.
I have a bunch right now hanging out at the bird feeders as I type

Rich- cept for turkey I only hunt single shot guns.
Always gotta wait out the right shot.
Only use a pump for Turkey cause I aint gonna buy another gun.
I think small deer are the best eating and if ya want roasts that cut with a fork or real tender stew meat will take a small one over any other.
My rule- eaters are NEVER taken on the same property as a shooter. Shooters ( adult bucks mostly 3 1/2 plus) gotta be on a natural flow with as little interference as possible iMHO.
Love swamp donkeys and have taken many-  it became a way of life seeking them  -its WORK and scouting and prep for a lot more months than the season to chase and harvest those kinda deer regularly.
Buttt they eat HARD if not just ground up. Not knocking sausage and burger but like roasts and stew too.
Have most always processed myself- wayyyy back had it done a couple of times but wasn't happy. 
 
Noise---in a tree and one I wanted walked past on the trail- no shot.
Landowner 100 yards down the hill started a skill saw while working on a shed. Deer walked right back on the trail and stood broadside watching him sawing.
SMACK went the arrow  lol.
 

We will have to agree on a disagreement towards young vs older.
Forage animals taste the same regardless of age. They all taste what they eat.
The only difference to me is mussel to meat ratio. All have both and in the same locations, smaller deer have less meat and more mussel building.
Larger deer have more to offer, again I judge body size not necessarily age or antlers.
We see a ton of 1.5 small deer and pass unless its body size is appropriate.
Given that, I also pass on larger antlers but body does not encourage a shooter.