ORIGINAL: James B
All of my deer hunting is on private land where I have permission to hunt or on my own land. Does this mean I am not a hunter? Its a good thing that I think the record books are silly and couldn't care less about them. Well I quess I will go sit down and feel quilty because I have access to so much private land to hunt deer on.
Don't sit and feel guilty! I too have harvested lots of game on private land. I still feel it is "fair chase" because the animals are allowed to come and go as they please. Here in MN, it is illegal to use feeders, which I am thankful for. I would also like to respond to the deal about food plots and the like: I don't use them myself. I have considered planting in an area where I hunt in Wisconsin though. To be fair to those who use food plots... it's a helluva lot of work! Last year I constructed a watering hole but I never got a chance to hunt it. If I had taken a deer off of it, I would feel as though I earned it. I busted my a** with a pick and shovel every weekend in spring to get the thing dug. So my feeling is this: If you do the work yourself, the hard way without using a ton of motorized equipment, then: Yes, you earned any animal you take.