Originally Posted by
Bocajnala
If it's legal, it's not wasted, and the herd can support it, shoot them. I wish I had more time, and was able to use more, cause I'd hunt more. But I shoot what I can use, and try to donate one each year.
-Jake
I'd say that this is a pretty good guideline, I think however that it must be considered, can the herd support
everyone taking that amount of deer? Plenty of good hunting has been ruined by people thinking that it wont matter that
they take every animal that they legally can, and in that sense they are probably right, the problem is but they aren't the only hunter taking that many animals. If it would be wrong or detrimental for all hunters to take that many animals then IMO it is unethical for anyone to harvest that much meat.
As far as donating meat and supplying your extended family with meat, I wont do that. Here in northern Canada that is the excuse that the natives give for shooting ridiculous numbers of moose every year, and the hunting is a mere shadow of what it once was as a result in many areas. There simply is not enough game to feed every man, woman, and child. Feed your family if the herd will support it, take no more than that.