tsoc

I am in agreement with Ryan and many others who have posted.As it relates to what Ryan has said I to am the most bothered by the hunter who "has" to shoot a buck,any buck or their own sense of self esteem or their thoughts of how they are perceived in their hunting community are diminished.To kill a buckbecause youthink you have to or to keep the string unbroken to me is an unhealthy obsession.I know very accomplished hunters that will go through an entire season with multipledoe tags in their pocket to kill a 11/2 year old buck in the tail end of the season.I don't know if I begrudge them that it, is more like I don't understand it.I do believe in QDM but as QDM'rs know it is habitat first,the animal second,and the hunter last.It is not antler restrictions and hunting snobberry.
Personally I will not kill a small buck for my area,has it corruptedme? I know it hasn't,my wife may disagree.I devote a lot of time to hunting and if I kill or don't kill my sense of worth is not hanging in the balance.I work at it and fortunately most years I am shooting good representative bucks for my area,but I am prepared not to kill a buck.
There certainly have been some negative aspects of antler fixation but I believe that is more representative of the mentality of the particular hunters that get caught up in it.We are all adults and can make decisions as to how we are going to pursue our passion,whether it is a balanced healthy way or a way that sacrifices are principles.Do i wonder why a guy or gal who has been hunting for 20 years and hunts a lot would shoot a young buck in an area loaded with doe's,yeah I wonder.I don't give them any grief about it,I just don't understand it.