I understand what you're saying, BTB. In this day and age it is next to impossible to replicate a truly natural hunting experience. I guess I justify hunting farm country by rationalizing that the crops would be there with or without deer, their purpose being commercial agriculture, and not to directly influence the quality of my deer hunting. I alos won't deny that I've occasionally desired to experience a midwest hunt. Of course, the midwest with its rich soils and abundant agriculture have been producing nice bucks since long before anyone coined the term "QDM' or ever planted a plot expressly for the benefit of deer. Of course the wilderness of the canadian provinces or even maine and vermont commonly produce some large deer, and miles from any food plot. In my mind, this would be a better expression of a true trophy than anything I could ever grow on a managed property. There are going to be as many opinions on this subject as there are stars in the sky. My primary beef with QDM, is that is think it's having a negative impact on our sport, and also in the eyes of the nonhunting public. It's not enough for us to go and hunt for deer as they exist in nature, but now we have to personally manipulate them, and yes....alot of it is to create more big bucks. It's also creating a division among hunters. The privileged that are part of a lease with a "QDM" label, and those who are not as fortunate. I hate to see such social classing among deer hnuters, classes that historically did not exist commonly in America, but what ultimately evolved in Europe, into a very exclusive fraternity for rich nobles. Scenario: A few families who have hunted the same piece of land for years are told by the landowner that after this year, they are not going to be allowed to hunt. He has signed a lease agreeement (more than the others could ever dream of paying) with a hunting club who will have exclusve hunting rights, and will manage it under QDM for trophy whitetails. The landowner feels bad, but he needs the money. The families either are relinquished to public land or just quit hunting. Sound familiar? It should. It happens everyday, esp in the prime areas of the midwest, and yes, increasingly more in PA. Then we see guys make statements about declining hunter numbers that reflect a growing trend in selfishness..."Good. Less pressure, more deer for me..., etc." And that one is almost verbatim from that "evil empire" (LOL) Hunting PA website- posted last week. Incredible. I feel exactly the opposite. I cringe every time when I hear that another guy is hanging up the gun. In these times of mounting social and political oposition against recreational hunting, we need every one of us. I apologize that I'm ranting now, I just fail to recognize any widespread benefits being realized from the perpetuation of QDM. All I see is more division among hunters...Granted, some of it probably steeped in envy...HR has contributed significantly to this. Nothing like hearing John Doe and his buddies bragging about all the "140's" and the high DD they got running around the lease, while Bubba and the boys drove the mountain and the state land hard and didn't see much. Interestingly, John Doe and his buds support the deer plan 100%, it's the same sound science that benefits them on their QDM land, right?..Only their land isn't being "managed for all wildlife", the general public, and the state's commercial hardwood revenue. Not to mention the QDM lease land is now covered with food plots for every season, supplements, etc...and their DD are sky high as a result. Hard to find any faults at all with the state's DMP from a treestand perch watching a parade of deer into a green field, isn't it? Of course, there has always existed private land vs. public, thats no new development...However I think QDM has played a major role in the push for more private land acquisition and the resulting increase in the more troubling concept known as "privatization of wildlife", which was listed several years ago by D&DH magazine as the biggest threat to hunting today. I find it very ironic that the same publication now embraces QDM to such a high degree.


Gotta go....Write more later.