ORIGINAL: zrexpilot
There are sportsmen and there are hunters.
It seem sportsmen feel the need to give the deer a chance, like either using a bow or a muzzle loader or not hunting over bait etc etc. Like its some kind of game.
A true hunters sole objective is to kill a deer for food, he doesnt feel the need to give a deer a chance.
While both probably feel the whole atmoshpere is quite rewarding, the camping, the fellowship amongs other hunters, the campfires, the stories around them, being in the woods.
A sportsman will hold out for big bucks as he doesnt get the enjoyment out of shooting smaller bucks. A hunter will kill smaller bucks and gets enjoyment out of it, a big buck is a bonus, his sole objective is food. Hunters proccess there own deer, they make sausage, jerky, dried sasage etc etc etc . Spotsman have there deer proccesed.
nothing wrong with being either, we all enjoy the same thing, some just feel different about how we get there.
Then you have the lazy slobs, but thats another topic.
Can't, in your own words, a hunter hold out for a big buck? You say that person is a sportsman, not a hunter. What I enjoy most about holding out is the fact that I have just as much of a chance as never firing my weapon in any given season. It isn't because I don't " enjoy " shooting small bucks. I guess if my family relied on the venison to survive, I might think differently. I like stretching my HUNTING as far as possible, and have absolutely no problem ending up with nada. I left the need to judge my season success based on the body count back in the '60's.
As far as my opinion on bait vs. foodplot, it was asked for and I gave it. How is that hypocritical. I don't condone either, but as I have said plenty of times, { apparently it gets glossed over } those who want to use everything that's legal, GO FOR IT! I choose not to. My choice.