Handles

PA,

Yes, I can compare hunting and fishing, bass and deer and the two are very very much a like in terms of growth and in terms of conservation. I was wrong to use theterm "lake" and you were wrong to use theterm "small pond". Those two terms may mean a closed system, like a high fence, which by the way can be compared with each other because the population and relative size of the fish/deer is mostly determined by genetics and food, not always by age.
If we want to compare the two, then a river system is the best method where like deer, the fish come and go as they please, and will only grow to their potential if they are allowed to live.
You mention it is ok to kill "some" young bucks, which I agree with 100% with kids, new hunters and the like. But what does "some" mean? To Hunter 1 it may mean2 young bucks to every 10 bucks on the property. If that was the case, I would probably agree that it isn't a big deal. To hunter 2 "some" may mean killing 8 bucks per 10. Andto hunter 3it means killing all 10 bucks because the law says I can. This is where the fishing example comes into play. Years ago everyone was like the third hunter, and our rivers and streams suffered. People complained because there were no fish, and/or no big fish. License prices went up, stocking was put into play, and still people would keep all that the law allowed. Finally some people like Ray Scott and others began to say, "Catch and Release". It was a slow movement at first, and people were more like hunter 2. Those people started to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and started to become more like hunters 1. That was fishing, this is deer hunting, we still have way too many #3 and 2's with not nearly enough #1's.