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Old 09-27-2005, 02:45 PM
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NY Bowhunter
Boone & Crockett
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Posts: 11,472
Default Clarification please.

I've read the let em grow thread for 14 pages and haven't found an answer to my question that I always have when listening to this debate. I'm on both sides of the coin on this one. Here's how I see it and maybe you can shed some light on my thoughts.

I am all for QDM and practice it now religously when I hunt. Here's the problem I have with it though and why I can see why people don't practice it. Here's 2 different scenarios that exist with me.

Parcel of land #1:
I've hunted this piece of land that is 200 - 300 acres since I started bowhunting 17 years ago. In my lifetime I have taken 1 what I considerbig rackeddeer out of there (meaning the biggest buck I've seen in the area through scouting and being in the woods in any given season). That was about a 130" buck which aint too shabby for my neck of the woods. Since then I've been fortunate enough tohave permission granted to hunt some pretty prime land where I usually get a chance or 2 a season at the same class deer (and higher)just about every season for the past 10 years.

Parcel of land #2:
The piece of land that I mentioned above that i focus a lot of my efforts on. The land is about 800 acres and has had QDM practice for a number of years before I even got there. A lot of good genetics and management going on there and all around that piece. If the program is stuck to will continue to produce big deer.

** The difference in #1 and #2 **
For me I love to hunt #1 because that's where I started and there is just something about that piece that I enjoy. The problem with #1 is there will hardly EVER be mature monster racked bucks roaming around due to the circumstances. 200 - 300 acres is hardly enough to effectively have a management program and sure is not going to happen on this land. This peice is surrounded by 4 other landowners and hunting groups and believe me QDM is the last thing on their minds. However I still go out there and still pass on several bucks throughout the season there because I enjoy going there and it's pretty much in my backyard so to speak. I like to take my kids there because they will always see deer. Sometimes i'll take a doe out of that piece.

At the same time I really love #2 because it produces some very nice bucks and I have a great chance to score big due to the management practices of our group AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING PARTIES!! Little farther away to get to but well worth it.

My argument/queston:
How can some people on here come out and say if you're not a QDM/ "trophy" hunter you're not really a hunter? What if people only have the opportunity to hunt a piece of land like parcel #1 described above. Would you honestly like them to go sit in a tree for 20 years and watch buck after buck go by waiting for the 1 "trophy" per 2 decades to appease your personal agenda? To me that is ludicrous. It's plain and simple unless you have enough acreage to effectively manage the herd, it just aint gonna happen with every hunting group so let it be. So be it!! On the flipside if hunting parties did have the size land or bordering neighbors played by the same rules then I would suggest or question why they would'nt implement some kind of management practice to grow some bigger racks. Maybe not even then though.
Again I practice QDM and encourage it to everyone, but the reality is there are a lot of hunters that plain and simply don't have the chance to for a variety of reasons. I wish the whole hunting world would implement a program then we'd have 200" bucks roaming the woods everywhere[:-], but it aint gonna happen in anyones lifetime. Too many different parties involved and too many small chunks of land to make it happen. But for Gods sake let people enjoy hunting for their own reasons. If a basket rack 6 pointer brings you joy then shoot it and congrats to you. If nothing short of a 150" deer does it for ya.... so be it good luck to you too. If a tender doe and meat in the freezer is what you're out there for then that's great too. If just sitting in a tree taking in nature is what you're after....... that's wonderful. Too each their own and everyone enjoy hunting for whatever your personal reasons may be.


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