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Old 12-01-2011, 12:00 PM
  #15  
petasux
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,925
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I think with some forms of hunting...especially bowhunting (and even moreso with a diehard bowhunter), the elitism begins to creep in - even though we don't want it to, or maybe even know it does. I know I've felt it before...exactly what the OP is talking about. I let a buck walk, it goes over the ridge and dies. I've given up trying to control that happening, and shoot what makes me happy. I usually shoot a few does, and look for a nice (for my area) buck.
Its a valid point, and honestly Ive been there before.When shooting deer started to get easy a few years into bowhunting I did the same thing.tarted focusing on big bucks, drove myself nuts trying to kill certain deer and letting tons of others pass and getting bent outta shape with anyone who didnt do likewise.It started to feel more like work than relaxation

.I guesse when my oldest son and some of the other kids in the family and thier friends started hunting it opened my eyes.I would get lucky enough to take them out, show them the ropes and sometimes be there when they got thier first deer.Makes you realize that youve lost track of why you started hunting in the first place.These days I dont really care if I kill a deer, and I still wait for that big un to come along.But if I let a basket rack little buck walk and the guy in the next field shoots him Im likely gonna help him track it and drag it out rather than get pissy that he shot it.

Agree re: being too focused on antlers. I think what a lot of the guys (me, anyway) are being 'elitist' about are lazy hunters that take either risky, unethical shots, or outright irresponsible, dangerous behavior. I don't think it's elitist or expecting too much to assume every bow hunter is proficient with his weapon, or to assume every gun hunter is practicing gun safety. It's these guys that bother me personally. They give the rest of us (those that are responsible and ethical) a bad name amongst the non-hunting public.
I agree entirely I was more addressing these type posts with my comments.

But it stings to let young 8 pts walk only to have the guy next to you put him in the dirt.
Supaflav just but a up one of the main reasons that high fences are put up down here in Texas. Keeps the idiot neighbor from shooting the deer you have been feeding up 3 yrs old when you are trying to let them get up to their peak.
Weve come to a point where its preferable to raise deer behind high fences and then hunt them in the same enclosure rather than risk someone else getting a shot at one.And we call it a sport.
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