It's ALL RELATIVE!
11-27-2006, 06:13 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Flushing Michigan
Posts: 2,355
It's ALL RELATIVE!
Just to shed some light for people who bash others for shooting small bucks. Here is my experience this bow season....
This year I spent about 80 hours in my stand in central Michigan. I hunt an 80 acre private farm. There are 5 other bowhunters who also hunt this 80 acres.
After 80 hours on stand, I saw 10 deer total for the entire season. Two of them were in bow range - for the entire season! One was a doe - I shot her. The other was a 1 1/2 year old six point that came in on the LAST DAY of bow season. I shot him too. I saw more hunters than deer during these 80 hours I hunted. I will NOT apologize to anybody for shooting that 6 point. It was only the second deer of the ENTIRE season that came within bow range. Nearly every deer I did see was on full alert, sniffing the air, stomping,with tails up, and looking into the trees as they walked. And I am a scent control freak who hunts the wind.
I also spent about 40 hours on stand in Adams county Illinois on private land. I saw at least5 deer per every time out. I counted 10 bucks in 5 days of hunting and this wasn't even during the rut. Every day out I passed up a shot at what would have been the biggest buck of my lifetime (but not big by Illinois standards). On the 3rd day I shot a 250 pound tall tined 9 point (the one in my avatar).
People who hunt prime areas like Iowa and Illinois often don't understand what it's like to hunt hard every day of the season and only have 2 or 3 DEER come into bow range for the season. They don't understand why some of us would set up over a pile of corn or carrots. They sometimes ridicule us for shooting 1 1/2 year old bucks and not letting them grow into a 140 or 150 inch deer. How many of them would have the discipline and drive to hunt all season and onlyhave 1or 2bucks come within bow range and NOT shoot them because they were too small?
I've hunted in both Michigan and Illinois so I'll make a comparison. In Illinois, the deer came in to nearlyevery rattle, bleat, and grunt I made. There were deer ALL OVER the place, and they didn't walk around the woods looking up into the trees! You can pick the buck you want, and hunt him. If you don't shoot him, there's a very good chance he'll be around next year because the hunting pressure is so light.
I can honestly say I am MORE PROUD of the small 6 points I shoot in Michigan than the big buck I got in Illinios. Don't get me wrong - I love big racks and I'm going back to Illinois again next year to try to get another one. But I promise you the deer there are MUCH EASIER to hunt than the ones around here. Everybody in my hunting party from Michigan said the same thing on our Illinois trip. I don't think it's all that hard to get big bucks if you hunt in prime areas like Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, etc. The deer are MUCH more relaxed, the buck-doe ratio is great, and there are fewer hunters.
I'm not knocking guys who are lucky enough to hunt prime buck areas. In fact, I'm jealous of them. But I also get annoyed when they judgeother hunters who aren't so lucky to have access to prime buck areas for shooting smaller deer and not letting them "grow up". If you hunted all season and only had one buck come into bow range, and knew that there were more hunters than deer in the square mile you were in, would you really pass up that 1 1/2 year old buck knowing full well there are5 other hunters on that 80 acres you are hunting? When you can hunt an entire season and onlyhave 2 deer in bow range, you shoot whatever you can.
This year I spent about 80 hours in my stand in central Michigan. I hunt an 80 acre private farm. There are 5 other bowhunters who also hunt this 80 acres.
After 80 hours on stand, I saw 10 deer total for the entire season. Two of them were in bow range - for the entire season! One was a doe - I shot her. The other was a 1 1/2 year old six point that came in on the LAST DAY of bow season. I shot him too. I saw more hunters than deer during these 80 hours I hunted. I will NOT apologize to anybody for shooting that 6 point. It was only the second deer of the ENTIRE season that came within bow range. Nearly every deer I did see was on full alert, sniffing the air, stomping,with tails up, and looking into the trees as they walked. And I am a scent control freak who hunts the wind.
I also spent about 40 hours on stand in Adams county Illinois on private land. I saw at least5 deer per every time out. I counted 10 bucks in 5 days of hunting and this wasn't even during the rut. Every day out I passed up a shot at what would have been the biggest buck of my lifetime (but not big by Illinois standards). On the 3rd day I shot a 250 pound tall tined 9 point (the one in my avatar).
People who hunt prime areas like Iowa and Illinois often don't understand what it's like to hunt hard every day of the season and only have 2 or 3 DEER come into bow range for the season. They don't understand why some of us would set up over a pile of corn or carrots. They sometimes ridicule us for shooting 1 1/2 year old bucks and not letting them grow into a 140 or 150 inch deer. How many of them would have the discipline and drive to hunt all season and onlyhave 1or 2bucks come within bow range and NOT shoot them because they were too small?
I've hunted in both Michigan and Illinois so I'll make a comparison. In Illinois, the deer came in to nearlyevery rattle, bleat, and grunt I made. There were deer ALL OVER the place, and they didn't walk around the woods looking up into the trees! You can pick the buck you want, and hunt him. If you don't shoot him, there's a very good chance he'll be around next year because the hunting pressure is so light.
I can honestly say I am MORE PROUD of the small 6 points I shoot in Michigan than the big buck I got in Illinios. Don't get me wrong - I love big racks and I'm going back to Illinois again next year to try to get another one. But I promise you the deer there are MUCH EASIER to hunt than the ones around here. Everybody in my hunting party from Michigan said the same thing on our Illinois trip. I don't think it's all that hard to get big bucks if you hunt in prime areas like Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, etc. The deer are MUCH more relaxed, the buck-doe ratio is great, and there are fewer hunters.
I'm not knocking guys who are lucky enough to hunt prime buck areas. In fact, I'm jealous of them. But I also get annoyed when they judgeother hunters who aren't so lucky to have access to prime buck areas for shooting smaller deer and not letting them "grow up". If you hunted all season and only had one buck come into bow range, and knew that there were more hunters than deer in the square mile you were in, would you really pass up that 1 1/2 year old buck knowing full well there are5 other hunters on that 80 acres you are hunting? When you can hunt an entire season and onlyhave 2 deer in bow range, you shoot whatever you can.
11-27-2006, 06:26 PM
#4
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 128
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
Great comments. I just read an article about this very subject in a back issue of Bowhunter Mag and how so many folks idolize the folks on these TV shows and P&Y and B&C Deer they get, however have you ever seen them do a show and take one of these deer in New Jersey or Florida?
I pride and try to teach in our classes that any deer is a trophy, Buck or Doe. It should be about the Hunt and the Time with Family and friends, because when it is all said and done you can't tell the difference once the meats in the freezer and all you can do with horns is stir the soup.
I pride and try to teach in our classes that any deer is a trophy, Buck or Doe. It should be about the Hunt and the Time with Family and friends, because when it is all said and done you can't tell the difference once the meats in the freezer and all you can do with horns is stir the soup.
11-27-2006, 06:32 PM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 183
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
I have not problem if people shoot little bucks where they hunt some people just do not have it as easy as others i do hunt for trophy and meat we managed a 800 acre farm from nothing to seeing trophes every other day and i personally do not shoot small bucks we say if you shoot it you mout it (except for does) but i dont bash others because they might not have it as easy.
11-27-2006, 06:37 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson, Missouri
Posts: 7,051
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
While I agree with the intent of your post, I will take slight issue with this generalization... Remember, you were hunting private land in Illinois...
Things change in a hurry when it's public land; then, it's more like you described your Michigan experience. If you don't believe me, ask my buddy Matt / PA, whom I hosted here for eight straight days about how hard we hunted Illinois while he was here... and I think we know just a little about bowhunting... 
But, that's a minor issue to the point of your story. I agree there's way more to what goes into a trophy than the size of the antlers.
In Illinois, the deer came in to nearlyevery rattle, bleat, and grunt I made. There were deer ALL OVER the place, and they don't walk around the woods looking up into the trees! You can pick the buck you want, and hunt him. If you don't shoot him, there's a very good chance he'll be around next year because the hunting pressure is so light.
But, that's a minor issue to the point of your story. I agree there's way more to what goes into a trophy than the size of the antlers.
11-27-2006, 07:12 PM
#7
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
ORIGINAL: gzg38b
People who hunt prime areas like Iowa and Illinois have NO CLUE what it's like to hunt hard every day of the season and only have 2 or 3 DEER come into bow range for the season.
People who hunt prime areas like Iowa and Illinois have NO CLUE what it's like to hunt hard every day of the season and only have 2 or 3 DEER come into bow range for the season.
The people that have no clue are the wannabes that don't make the effort to find ways to improve their hunting. The ones that want it to fall into their laps without working for it. The worst ones are the ones that don't even try, then bash the ones who made their own sucess. I get out of hunting what I put into it.
Dude, if you hunt every day of the whole season and only have 2-3 deer come into shooting range, who's fault is that?
I think that I'd start looking someplace else or take up something a little more fun than that. But if you stay hunting there... wow! that's only seeing a deer every 30 days. If you think that it is easy to consistantly get big bucks anywhere you hunt, you're mistaken. Big bucks are tough to get reguardless of where you hunt. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
11-27-2006, 08:00 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: St. Cloud,Minnesota
Posts: 1,072
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
Man it sure does seem like your trying to get an argument out somebody today with all the these statements. Why don't you relax and we all have shot little deer and the main goal here is to have fun and enjoy the sport of hunting, and to make great new friends. I hunt my butt off and haven't taken a giant yet But the bucks I have taken have all gotten a little bigger each time. So I guess what I'm saying is everyone has what they call a trophy and thats that!
ORIGINAL: GregH
Are you kidding me, man?? Do you think that I hunted all 40 of my seasons in prime Ill. land? I hunted the first 22 years on public land. Then the more I learned the smarter I got. I did take 3 mature bucks there though. The first rule I learned was that if you want to take bigger bucks, you have to hunt where they live. Well, I worked my butt off and still do, to try and maintain and acquire permission to hunt land where they live. Do you really think that I have no clue?
The people that have no clue are the wannabes that don't make the effort to find ways to improve their hunting. The ones that want it to fall into their laps without working for it. The worst ones are the ones that don't even try, then bash the ones who made their own sucess. I get out of hunting what I put into it.
Dude, if you hunt every day of the whole season and only have 2-3 deer come into shooting range, who's fault is that? I think that I'd start looking someplace else or take up something a little more fun than that. But if you stay hunting there... wow! that's only seeing a deer every 30 days. If you think that it is easy to consistantly get big bucks anywhere you hunt, you're mistaken. Big bucks are tough to get reguardless of where you hunt. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
ORIGINAL: gzg38b
People who hunt prime areas like Iowa and Illinois have NO CLUE what it's like to hunt hard every day of the season and only have 2 or 3 DEER come into bow range for the season.
People who hunt prime areas like Iowa and Illinois have NO CLUE what it's like to hunt hard every day of the season and only have 2 or 3 DEER come into bow range for the season.
The people that have no clue are the wannabes that don't make the effort to find ways to improve their hunting. The ones that want it to fall into their laps without working for it. The worst ones are the ones that don't even try, then bash the ones who made their own sucess. I get out of hunting what I put into it.
Dude, if you hunt every day of the whole season and only have 2-3 deer come into shooting range, who's fault is that?
I think that I'd start looking someplace else or take up something a little more fun than that. But if you stay hunting there... wow! that's only seeing a deer every 30 days. If you think that it is easy to consistantly get big bucks anywhere you hunt, you're mistaken. Big bucks are tough to get reguardless of where you hunt. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
11-27-2006, 08:07 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,006
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
Dude, if you hunt every day of the whole season and only have 2-3 deer come into shooting range, who's fault is that?I think that I'd start looking someplace else or take up something a little more fun than that. But if you stay hunting there... wow! that's only seeing a deer every 30 days. If you think that it is easy to consistantly get big bucks anywhere you hunt, you're mistaken. Big bucks are tough to get reguardless of where you hunt. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
I think that I'd start looking someplace else or take up something a little more fun than that. But if you stay hunting there... wow! that's only seeing a deer every 30 days. If you think that it is easy to consistantly get big bucks anywhere you hunt, you're mistaken. Big bucks are tough to get reguardless of where you hunt. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
I get out of hunting what I put into it.
11-27-2006, 08:22 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Erie, Colorado
Posts: 1,530
RE: It's ALL RELATIVE!
Little bucks grow up to be big bucks...Nobody is getting in that coffin with you...measure the experience andnot the animal...do whatever it takes to feed your family...we were not created equal...Get out and hunt-stop worrying about what others think.
A few of my thoughts
A few of my thoughts