Originally Posted by
Champlain Islander
I understand where Muley is coming from especially on the bolded part. I have hunted whitetails for the past 46 years mostly in the northeast. In the past 15 years I have ventured out and done some hunting in the mid west, Canada and for the past 4 years out west. Times have changed for the deer hunter and all the TV productions glorifying horn porn plays a part. I remember stealthycat making a post a few years ago saying practically what Muley said about how hunting is changing and the old times were better. I don't agree with changing this forum away from whitetail. If there was enough interest then the owners could create a separate mule deer forum. The real important part of his post is in bold and should be discussed further.
It does need to be discussed further. At what point has the gadget aquisition gone to far? At what point does the horn porn negatively effect hunting? I talked about in the big game forum a switch to my open site 30/30 this year. I spent the better part of a day getting into position on an elk herd, even belly crawling to get in close to the herd. They walked all around me and I was right in with them. Never found the legal bull, but it was an awsome hunt. There was a joy in the simplicity of the hunt. I wore woolies and a flannel shirt with an orange vest, and man I felt alive crawling in there. No scope, no camo, no scents, nothing. We have gone too far. If you set up a trail cam and have a big buck go by, then hunt that buck and kill him, you relied on video equipment to harvest that deer. You can candy coat it all you want to but the truth is the truth. It's sickening some of the practices alleged hunters will undertake for the pursuit of a "trophy" buck. It's not just deer either, the "Spider Bull" episode from last year was equally repulsive. If you have money, you too can buy an auction tag and be given special hunting privalages. Lets not worry about the common folks, as that tag money goes toward conservation. Let me say this and hear me out: Most members on this board DO NOT have the financial resources to keep pace with the direction hunting is going.