If you woke up tomorrow, as a yearling whitetail buck - given your current level of whitetail knowledge - could you survive one full year in your deer woods?
Now, this isn't as simple as "could you avoid the bowhunters?"
Likewise, let's not oversimplify this to:"can you avoid the gunners?"
It's "CouldYOU survive, based ONLY on what you know right now."
That means choosing the right foods at the right times without poisoning yourself or compromising your health. That means avoiding the hunters at all costs. Survival means coming out of your reclusion long enough to pass on your genetic material to a fawn. Survival means avoiding motor vehicle collisions, orthopedic injuries, diseases, poisons - all while loading enough bodyfat to make the winter.
Personally, I say no. I'd slip up somewhere along the line. First off, I don't think I have the botanical knowledge to maximize my caloric intake 24-7-365 as I'd need to. I'd find myself staring at randomshrubbery wondering "can I eat that?" or "Which part should I eat?" "Is it better to eat the buds or the shoots or the leaves?" I'd probably spend my whole summer eating the wrong things and the whole winter starving. Caloric maximization and preservation requires a lot of specialized knowledge that I just don't have.
Secondly, even if I did know what to eat, and led a life ofreclusion and nocturnal movement - I'd likely bebumpedout ofmy bedduring gun season, and at-risk of running headlong into a battalion of gun-wielding hunters. So, even if you play all your cards right - you're still at risk of being pushed out of your bedroom and into harm's way.
If you woke up tomorrow, as a yearling whitetail buck - given your current level of whitetail knowledge - could you survive one full year in your deer woods?
Now, this isn't as simple as "could you avoid the bowhunters?"
Likewise, let's not oversimplify this to:"can you avoid the gunners?"
It's "Could you survive."
That means choosing the right foods at the right times without poisoning yourself or compromising your health. That means avoiding the hunters at all costs. Survival means coming out of your reclusion long enough to pass on your genetic material to a fawn. Survival means avoiding motor vehicle collisions, orthopedic injuries, diseases, poisons - all while loading enough bodyfat to make the winter.
Personally, I say no. I'd slip up somewhere along the line. First off, I don't think I have the botanical knowledge to maximize my caloric intake 24-7-365 as I'd need to. I'd find myself staring at randomshrubbery wondering "can I eat that?" or "Which part should I eat?" "Is it better to eat the buds or the shoots or the leaves?" I'd probably spend my whole summer eating the wrong things and the whole winter starving. Caloric maximization and preservation requires a lot of specialized knowledge that I just don't have.
Secondly, even if I did know what to eat, and led a life ofreclusion and nocturnal movement - I'd likely bebumpedout ofmy bedduring gun season, and at-risk of running headlong into a battalion of gun-wielding hunters. My area is thick with gun hunters who aren't shy about orchestrating massive deer drives. No area is safe, public or private, residential or rural. So, even if you play all your cards right - you're still at risk of being pushed out of your bedroom and into harm's way.
Sure could in your woods I'd just make sure to let all the 2.5 go first[8D]
__________________
"it's not that I am lazy, I just don't care"
Id say no but if I did turn into a yearling buck I would find a big mature buck and hang around him for a while to kinda learn the ropes and what to eat and not eat, ect...
My answer is no but I wouldnt go down without a fight
__________________
-Nathan
My Rig:
PSE Typhoon 2003 60# 27.5"
HHA Optimizer Lite Sight
QAD Hunter Drop Away Rest
Tru GLo Quiver
Limbsaver Stabilizer
Muzzy 100 gr. 3 Blade
Location: Heaven is my home, temporarily residing in WNY :)
Posts: 6,661
RE: Role Reversal: Could you survive?
I am waiting for the, "This poll is gay" choice
__________________
A Trophy is highly personal and is often determined by the circumstances, events, and the individual feelings of accomplishment and not by a score card. - Greg "Doc" Caldwell
for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks!
If you woke up tomorrow, as a yearling whitetail buck - given your current level of whitetail knowledge - could you survive one full year in your deer woods?
Now, this isn't as simple as "could you avoid the bowhunters?"
Likewise, let's not oversimplify this to:"can you avoid the gunners?"
It's "Could you survive."
That means choosing the right foods at the right times without poisoning yourself or compromising your health. That means avoiding the hunters at all costs. Survival means coming out of your reclusion long enough to pass on your genetic material to a fawn. Survival means avoiding motor vehicle collisions, orthopedic injuries, diseases, poisons - all while loading enough bodyfat to make the winter.
Personally, I say no. I'd slip up somewhere along the line. First off, I don't think I have the botanical knowledge to maximize my caloric intake 24-7-365 as I'd need to. I'd find myself staring at randomshrubbery wondering "can I eat that?" or "Which part should I eat?" "Is it better to eat the buds or the shoots or the leaves?" I'd probably spend my whole summer eating the wrong things and the whole winter starving. Caloric maximization and preservation requires a lot of specialized knowledge that I just don't have.
Secondly, even if I did know what to eat, and led a life ofreclusion and nocturnal movement - I'd likely bebumpedout ofmy bedduring gun season, and at-risk of running headlong into a battalion of gun-wielding hunters. My area is thick with gun hunters who aren't shy about orchestrating massive deer drives. No area is safe, public or private, residential or rural. So, even if you play all your cards right - you're still at risk of being pushed out of your bedroom and into harm's way.
Sure could in your woods I'd just make sure to let all the 2.5 go first[8D]
HAHA!!!!
__________________
-Nathan
My Rig:
PSE Typhoon 2003 60# 27.5"
HHA Optimizer Lite Sight
QAD Hunter Drop Away Rest
Tru GLo Quiver
Limbsaver Stabilizer
Muzzy 100 gr. 3 Blade
Surviving The Game
]
I'd just make sure to let all the 2.5 go first[8D]
