RE: qdm=loss of hunting skills?
hold on sling, hold on, lol, i will try to answer ya:
1) hunting farmlands depends how you are hunting them, my beef is sitting over a food plot or bait and considering that hunting, it' s shooting, nothing else. wandering around, sitting on active trails stalking, whether this is in " big" woods or on farmald, this is still hunting.
2) a qdm hunter, in the woods, is a better hunter than one hunting farmlands because there are less deer than in an agricultural setting, thus it takes more skill just to get close enough, without spooking the deer, to identify what they are shooting at, if it is a four point or is it a six, etc. as someone who has hunted both farmland, small wood lots, and large woods, personally, i found the farmland much easier because of the amount of deer. a farmland hunter MAY have a difficult time adjusting, a woods hunter is more used to hunting a wider variety of terrain than a farmland hunter, imho.
3) i think woodsmanship skills would make a better qdmer, because of the methods involved to enable one to get close enough to decide if this is the one that one wishes to take. but, a big woods hunter( or small) will most likely see fewer deer, and thus will/may take a buck regardless of antler size simply because they probably will see fewer deer. aging deer is a learned skill.
4) identifying problems in the herd, as you are describing it, would relate to a localized problem, one to be brought to the dept. attention, and not take matters into ones own hands. this manner of vigilantism will just lead to short term solutions, long term problems. leave those decisions to those professionals being paid to do the job, they have the degree, not us.
5) any farmer can grow crops. those who grow the crops you mentioned are just becoming deer farmers, bringing in their harvest in the fall, just as any farmer does. no, clearly not woodsmanship. how hard is it to contact the local ag dept, pick up a magazine, do some ordering and planting. if you do any of that, you are a farmer, deer farmer that is.
when i say farm hunting, i am speaking of hunting over food plots specifically planted for deer, not over farm crops. also, am i alone thinking that the tv shows are helping to erode our skills, how many times do you see people still hunting the woods vs. hunting in or near food plots? if you were a young and upcoming hunter, don' t you think that you would believe food plot hunting is the only way to hunt?