davidmil

I say: it used to be hunting. It used to be you in the woods having fun. It's suppose to be fun. I remember the times when deer numbers were down. You didn't have the luxury of doe tags. We didn't call them "Herds" then. Farmers used "herds" when talking about their cows. I remember when counties that are over run with deer now didn't have a deer season. I remember when you went hunting with friends as a group or you went alone to get out once in a while. I remember when we DIDN'T measure deer by their horns. We weighed them .... maybe.... but usually just estimated their weight. I remember when the guy that shot the 12 pointer was congratulated and declared a great shot and at the same time everyone though, "lucky guy". And they were right in most cases as it was deer drives etc. I remember when you could hunt anywhere you wanted and did.

And today, we have QDM, Big Bucks, Big leases costing Big Bucks. Who has the most money wins. We have people preaching that you're some low life for enjoying the hunt and shooting something that might not "MAke THE BOOK". We rarely hear of someone mentioning the weight of a deer. It's now the inches. It's not a BIG buck, it's a 150 class deer. It's not a deer I shot. It's a Management buck. It's not "I got lucky today"... it's I decided to cull her or him.

I remember this from times before many of you were born. You have no idea how things have changed. It doesn't take much skill to kill a deer today. Those who "Harvest" them would lead you to believe it does. The problem is, we shouldn't be caring if it takes skill or not. We shouldn't be worrying about Harvesting. We should be having fun. I do... but I'm not sure many understand that.

Washington Hunter

Just because we set standards doesn't mean we don't enjoy the hunt.

Just because we substitute the weight of the deer for the inches of antler doesn't mean we're degrading the animal.

Every buck we take isn't necessarily due to just luck. We work hard, we spend hows preparing. We make our luck.

Times change, David. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy ourselves. I understand your point, but I tend to disagree. It takes skill to kill deer with archery equipment be it traditional or modern.

I enjoy myself and thats what matters.

TFOX

I don't know why this keeps being fought over.

I enjoy letting deer walk while waiting for the big one and have enjoyed hunting much more since doing so.

I haven't connected with him yet but I have seen 180" deer since trying.


I do believe that a person has the right to choose what style hunting he/she wants to do and would like the same respect.


One thing that does bother me is to hear someone continuously talking about wanting a big buck but never lets a small one walk.If you want a big one,be patient and wait,if you don't want a big one,fine by me and shoot the first one you see.


I now have kids hunting with me and half my season is spent getting them deer.Usually a doe and where I hunt,their are plenty of hunters managing the doe population,including me if my kids don't strike first but if they do,I don't need the meat and I am hunting for antlers at that point.


I will see 10 times as many deer in a season than anyone else that hunts the farm I do and to me that is much more enjoyable than going and blasting the first thing you see.


I do agree that the money thing is taking over and would like to see things change but it isn't going to I'm afraid.


It wouldn't surprise me to see all the books change their minimums due to all the antler management that is going on now.Only seems logical to me that 140" deer is easier(not easy)to kill now than 30-40 years ago.

davidmil

Then we really disagree. I've probably killed more deer than just about anyone I know with a bow. I've probably kiled deer that most wcould only hope to get. I say we're now growing deer for "ME".. "Macho" more than we are to enjoy the hunt. Today's QDM craze tends to degrade a hunter who might choose to shoot a lesser buck than "THE BOOK CONSIDERS". It didn't use to be that way. It was hunting. Today it's Score, Pope and Young, Boone and Crockett. Times haven't changed, people have... and I'm not sure it's for the best of hunting. You talk of "Degrading the animal". That statement alone is what I call the phony part of todays QDM craze. Hell, you're going out to kill the damn thing. For what reason? Exactly, you don't give a crap about the animal, it's all about hunting. If you really didn't want to degrade him you'd build him a house and plant a biologic field to live in until he was older than me. Standards haven't changed... hunting has. Hunters have. Don't begrudge the guy who doesn't agree with your let 'em grow so I can have big horns. I hunt to kill. I do it when I choose. OH, and Bully for you.. you've seen a 180 class deer. I tend to find that most of those turn up to be a lot less when the die. And where you live does make a difference in what you see.

gzg38b

Good post davidmil.

davidmil

TFox... remember, 25 or 30 years ago your kids couldn't think about killing a doe anywhere. People today just don't realize where the herds once were. They can't comprehend hunting a whole season and not seeing "A" Buck.

Washington Hunter

I don't give a crap about the animal? That is about the biggest line ofbull I think I've ever seen posted on this forum.

I use the meatto feed my family. I say a prayer after every kill thanking the Lord for the opportunity to kill and use one of his creatures.

You can disagree with why I hunt.

You can disagree with howI hunt.

You can disagree with where I choose to hunt.

You can disagree with whom I share a hunting camp with.

But don't ever say that I don't care about the game I pursue.

_Dan

David, get over it. Do you think we really needed another post on this?

My first instinct was correct, I should have skipped this thread when I saw the author of this topic.

TFOX

When I first started hunting around 25 years ago,the deer population here in Ky was just starting to explode and it exploded beyond the numbers that the habitat could hold.This was due to poor deer management.

No one shot does,why? It was illegal.Then things got out of hand before something was done and now we are doing something and the by product is bigger bucks because the does are being shotbefore the buck walks by.


Oh,and by the way.My stepdad was raised by his uncle and while he (stepdad) was ateenager,his uncle took a 187" deer.This was in the 60's

Big deer did exist before but to prove your point,the rack was thrown in the trash before my stepdad removed it and held on to it.Now it is a family keepsake.


I do disagree with 1 thing.The "me" thing has always been a part of hunting.It just has shifted from look,I killed something to Look what I killed.The me thing is just a part,not all of hunting. We have all wanted "bragging rights" at one time or another.

Bionicrooster

Good post Davidmil, I was just thinking about this today while reading a magazone article where Don Higgins was talking about hunters "graduating" to the point of only taking big mature bucks. I was thinking about all those thousands of hunters who shot a spike, 4 or 6 pt this year reading this. I love big antlers and often let deer go so I can wait for a big one, but like you I kill what I want when I want and I won't let anyone else decide if I should be happy about it.