Wolfen, I agree with you on some of the points you make. I like the fact that states are starting to be proactive in enacting laws that require a buck be a certain size for you to shoot it. I pass on smaller bucks and shoot a lot of does, because I believe QDM is a useful tool in helping herd health and promoting bigger healthier bucks.

You have to take into consideration that most of these guys that are shooting the 1.5 year old bucks are doing so because they are not like you and I. They may hunt 3 days the entire season. PA, where I live and hunt, has one of the highest populations of deer hunters in the entire country. However, the vast majority of those hunters will only go out 1 day a year. That guy is likely going to shoot whatever he sees. I can't condemn him for it because he payed the same amount of money for his license as I did even though I get more for my money.

If I tell him he is wrong for shooting a small buck, he may quit hunting. If he quits hunting, maybe his buddy will quit and so on. Then there is less money being raised by the state from sportsmen for wildlife conservation. Next thing you know we all have to pay more money to hunt so the state can justify it. Then more people quit because they can't afford it. Then hunting becomes a big money pay-to-play sport.

This may seem drastic, but it's not that far off. We need to stick together and not alienate other hunters because their way of thinking is not exactly like ours. If we try to push our standards on another hunter, then we are no better than the antis. Think about it. That is what they are doing to us. They want us to live by their standards because they don't like what we do. Just like you don't like the guy shooting a 1.5 year old buck over a bait pile with his high powered rifle.

Edited by - huntingbry on 09/06/2002 13:09:01