Back to the topic, shall we...[8D]

I was discussing this w/ buckeye just the other day, and I'll say here what I told him. Personally, I have no problem w/ anyone who instills QDM practices on their land, whether it's a private land owner or a Ranch owner who sells hunts. Hey, it's your land and your deer, by God, do what you want.....I also have no beef w/ anyone who is a "Horn Hunter." I'm not a "Trophy Hunter," never have been. What I have a problem w/ is this.

Local governments instilling antler restrictions and what have you under the smoke screen of improving the deer herd. Let me be clear about this one thing....I understand, and I know that one of the benefits of QDM is bigger bucks and a healthier, more balanced deer herd. No question. But the real goal of QDM (again, on the local government level) is money. Period. Big bucks = "big bucks" and there is no way around it. The overall health of the deer herd is running cover for the real benefit, money.

Missouri has the healthiest deer herd we've ever enjoyed at present, and it had absolutely nothing to do w/ antler restrictions. Those have only been implemented in the last 2 years, and by the way, only in a few counties. We were told one of the goals was to switch the harvest to more does. LOL....yeah, right. We have a late antlerless only season here, in which a hunter can buy and fill an unlimited number of antlerless permits. Did you know that some of the counties w/ antler restrictions are CLOSED during the antlerless hunt??? And the goal was to shoot more does???? Come on now! That doesn't make sense. So to answer your question, I have to say YES, but not directly. Big bucks are a means to the real goal......$$$$$.

Again, let me be clear. To each their own, and to each their own goals. I respect anyone who can consistently bag slammers year in and year out. This is my opinion, and it don't make me right. It just makes me another American that's got to abide by some politicians rules.