"Baby boomers over sixty hanging up their guns and bows...
Worst line in the whole thing..."
Boca, I agree. That effect is happening across the nation. Fact is though, something else is making OUR ranks drop by OVER DOUBLE the national average. I think its quite obvious what that thing is.
Pawildman says: "Cornelius....You can go on and on all you want about what you seem to refer to as exaggerations made by the PGC as to the amount of bigger bucks being taken since AR was put into effect."
GROSS exaggerations.
"I live in 2D and in the past several years have seen larger bucks being harvested than any time I can remember in the past, and I've been around for awhile."
Not saying its not happening anywhere. Just most places its not. The numbers prove it. IFyou hunt highly off limits property orwhere pgcs agenda has not yet been fulfilled, in part of a wmu that wasspared excessive reduction, and there is an extra 16" buck or two within those square miles, more power to ya. But that is far from the norm.
We arent killing more when we have 40+ year low buck harvests.
More dont exist when many areas have had 50+% ow reduction.
The measuring sessions were a flop.
We cant "assume" we have more bigger bucks based on the views of a few, when most arent seeing it, and the numbers tell a different story.
"A friend does custom deer butchering just down the road from me, and he concurs also."
A local archery shop in our area has an annual big buck contest. Currently there is ONE entry and its far from a "hawg". Usually by this time there are a few to several.
"One of my long-time friends who lives just over the hill from me has killed the biggest bucks he has ever taken in archery season sine AR went into effect."
Ive killed my biggest by far, and know most other that have beforethis program came into being.
"Two years ago he killed a 12 pt. with a 21" spread.
The local newspaper prints pictures of succesful hunters who are willing to take the time to go to the paper and have their pictures taken with their deer. Perhaps you would be interested in looking at all the nice racks that are being taken around here. It doesn't take much to cough up the e-mail address of the Indiana Gazette and watch as they come in. And that's only the hunters who bother to take the time to do it. "
Thats great. But I seem to recall seeing big bucks in the paper EVERY year.
"You paint everything with the same brush. I know what I see............. "
No. Not everything with the same brush. I am speaking of my area, and the state in general as a whole. My assessment in those regards are accurate. When pgc speaks of more and bigger bucks they didnt mean in just a few select areas widely spread and far fewer everywhere else....Well thats what we have!
Also, my main problem as most I believe is with very excessive doe allocations far more than needed and continues to be. With that problem addressed, you'd see far more big buck existing than there ever could be currently.