and I'm fairly sure they come out of the "pool" for NR tags.....IF true, some NR hunters are getting to watch a tv personalty use their tag they may have drawn. I'm not behind the closed doors, so I can't say this is 100%, but that is what I've been told.

To add to fletch920....I think deer hunting(for the most part) has evolved pretty fast into a sport that, for the majority of people in our area, is more about seeing how big the bucks can grow. Fletch passed a good buck for 3 years to kill him this year as a world class buck....the majority of hunters is this area have a similar philosophy. In the past, it was "get your buck" and that still exists, but not on the scale that it was even 10 yrs ago.

Another reason we have big bucks is...to us they are not big bucks. A 3yr old 140class deer is a nice deer, but for me, its not a big deer. Many people think it is.....I see that animal and imagine him in 2 yrs. Most of the people that are putting up pictures of big deer are killing these 3 yr old bucks when they are 5 yr olds cause they passed them to see how big they would get...Fletch's 2008 buck is a prime example.

It also helps to have unlimited food, cover & low pressure. We don't see the "level" of party hunting Fletch spoke about like we used to see. There is just not enough big chucks of ground that 20 guys can surround as it has been broken up and sold.

I guess to me, deer hunting has evolved into "hunting" vs. "shooting" in our area and that has helped in our ability to grow bigger bucks...Most want the thrill of "dancing" with a 170+ animal...win or lose, it's all about the experience.