ORIGINAL: DropTine249

Just looking to see what your take is on rifle hunting and deer quality.

I see alot of people on TV/Videos, hunting with rifles. Here in NJ we cant hunt with rifles. Muzzleloaders and slug guns but no rifles.

I think its a good idea to keep the longer range, high powers out of the hunting season.

Rifles enable people to stay undetected by deer and take them from much longer ranges. Its more of target shooting than hunting. When you take to the field with a rifle, you limit the deers ability to utilize their senses and spot you. I think that more and more deer will be harvested and in NJ, the idiots will take every spike, fork horn or young buck that they can setle their crosshairs on.

I am against long range hunting, however, I did take a 160yard shot at a deer last Saturday, but that was because I felt that my younger brother injured this particular deer(youth firearm day), so it was more of an ethical follow up shot than hunting. I didnt want an ijured deer walking the woods due to our actions, other than that, I like them CLOSE. I like to defeat their senses, NOT take them away by being 300yards out.

Also, there is no gun hunting during the main rut her ein NJ, other than Youth Firearm Day.

So, I am infavor of more traditional hunting methods and I feel that it also increases the quality of hunting because more deer get to "walk" during the previous seasons.

Whats your take ?