Reflections

[niehenke]

I grew up with the mindset, a 3" horn and it is down. Over the years, I certainly have changed to the point where I cannot understand why many shoot immature bucks. I hada harsh reminder the other day. I picked up a board at the tax with 6 racks from days in the past. It has been 2 years in waiting for this board and it has really hit me when I picked it up. I passed up 15 of these bucks this year. My views have certainly shifted over the years and especially over the past 5 years. So what changed? I have been exposed to sites like this one where I gain knowledge, I leaped 10 years in technology with my new bow, which really gave me love for the sport, and I became a father. Wow, how life changes your views and how you need these reminders. How have you changed?

[rage2blade]

Awesome story!!! With what you said do you think you will still have your standards set to shooting a mature buck?

[GMMAT]

I've only been hunting whitetails 4 seasons......and I don't worry myself with what ANYONE takes. I thought your post was great.....except for the part about wondering "why many shoot immature bucks". You don't need to understand! It doesn't affect you.

I guess I "sorta" figured out what I wanted to shoot......before I ever killed one. Probably saved me some second-guessing.

I've never killed one I was ahsamed of. As long as I can say that.......I'm A-OK.

[IAhuntr]

ORIGINAL: GMMAT

I've only been hunting whitetails 4 seasons......and I don't worry myself with what ANYONE takes. I thought your post was great.....except for the part about wondering "why many shoot immature bucks". You don't need to understand! It doesn't affect you.

I guess I "sorta" figured out what I wanted to shoot......before I ever killed one. Probably saved me some second-guessing.

I've never killed one I was ahsamed of. As long as I can say that.......I'm A-OK.

Not so quick. It indeed affects you if the local hunters on theneighboring properties within several square milesshoot immature bucks. Those are the young bucks that may very well have dispersed to your land in the near future. Several local hunters shooting up a bunch of young bucks instead of taking does or nothing at all also skews the buck-to-doe ratio which alters the rut pattern of the mature bucks in your area limiting the amount of daytimeencounters you may have with the big boys. The more people on board with QDM in your local hunting community, the better the hunting becomes for all parties involved.

[GMMAT]

Not so quick. It indeed affects you if the local hunters on theneighboring properties within several square milesshoot immature bucks.

Now tell me what I can do about it.

I've stopped worrying about things I can't control. In my immediate area.....I don't think hunters hunting legally can skew the buck:doe ratio as you describe. Call m a skeptic. The sky is not falling.

[rybohunter]

I'm guessing by the steeler avatar you are from PA. It took me many years to overcome killing the 1st buck I saw no matter how big. It's almost like a brainwashed mentality here.

Jeff,
While yes its out of ones control, having everyone around you shooting every buck they see certainly affects a person if they want to shoot a mature buck. In many areas there are so few that reach 3.5 yrs old, you have no legitimate reason to hold out for one.

[IAhuntr]

ORIGINAL: GMMAT

Now tell me what I can do about it.

I've stopped worrying about things I can't control. In my immediate area.....I don't think hunters hunting legally can skew the buck:doe ratio as you describe. Call m a skeptic. The sky is not falling.

I'd be happy to tell you what you can do about it, Jeff. In many parts of the country herd management can reap huge results. By meeting with and convincing the local landowners/hunters to implement some margin of a QDM program to let the smaller bucks pass, you will greatly increase the chances of seeing and harvesting mature deer.
As an example, in one area where I party hunted gun season with about a dozen other guys, several of which had landowner tags as well (meaning they could harvest two bucks each during gun season), the group as a whole was shooting nearly any buck that came by. That would mean at least a dozen of the bucks harvestedwere 1.5 y/o bucks. At least three other similar sized party hunting groups were hunting in adjacent lands and some shared lands with our group.All of those groups also applied the same principle in regards to shooting anything with horns. Iowa has asecond season gun season as well in which many more locals did the same. You should be able to see a picture of how this hunting mentality affected the age structure of bucks in this area of the county.Obviously this type of buck harvestaffected the local bowhunters as well when upwards of 40-50 immature bucks were being harvested every gun season in the immediate area. Maybe once a season one or two membersof all of the groups as a wholewould harvest a nice maturebuck. And that's just maybe. That was about ten years ago. Since that time most of the members have started to agree that letting the young bucks go by and shooting does instead would greatly enhance the age structure of the bucks.It took a while to convince some guys, and some guys still refuse to let an antlered buck pass, but in the last two or three years we see so many more big bucksthan beforeand are getting to harvest a good handful of mature bucks every year. It has made a monumental difference in the overall sucess rate for the entire area.
Even thoughyour immediate hunting areas may not experience the same hunting tactics or numbers as mine, every person within several square miles of where you hunt that you can convince to adapt to a QDM program will indeed make a difference overall. Even if it means just one more mature buck in your area for the season, wouldn't that make it worthwhile to you? It sure would to me.

[TJF]

I take Jeff's approach... why worry about something that is out of my control. Instead I'll seek out more land to hunt and scout for mature bucks. I started that 20 years ago when I moved here. It was very easy to get on then. We don't need permission to hunt unposted land but I got to know the land owner anyways and asked to hunt. Now that they post their land I am still in where most will not get on. Instead they whine that all the land is posted now and they have no place to hunt.

I started out and kept getting pemission for moreland then I could ever possibly hunt. Over the last 20 years some of the land has whittled away as landowners died/move and land changed hands. I still have more land then I can possibly hunt.Reflecting back... it was the smart choice instead of worrying about what I couldn't control. I let the state worry about what the hunters shoot. So far the state has done a good job. My hunting has never been better.

Tim

[niehenke]

Born in PA and moved to MI 10 years ago.Just can't seem to covert to a detroit fan. Doubt that I will ever. I know that I am sick of the stanely cup touring through MI. Hopefully, I see it leave MI and head East.

I have hunted inMI, PA, and WV and only took one injured small 7 pt., which was with a gun. I am really really struggling with my standards becauseI have yet to take a deer with my new bow. I took 1 shot with it and it was a very poor decision in PA. Shot through some light cover with a rage and the arrow opened and deflected. If I have made it this far given how much I have hunted, I think that my standards won't change. When I was in the stand tonight, I counted the # of stands around me and I was up to 17 before I stopped.I only saw 1 confirmed shooter in MI in my hunting area all year. Too much pressure so I will be doing some searching in the spring. Don't get me wrong, it has been a great year. I took a turkey with my bow in the spring and fall. Just last week, I saw ~15-20 long beards together and another flock at the end of the patch of woods. My goal willbe to video me taking a >10" long beard. Getting a >120" buck this year is past me. Getting my first doe with my bow is possible but I am running out of time. Weather is not going to stop me.