Evolution of Hunting
 

The Bowdarke post that stirred so much interest was labeled private vs. public hunting. I disregard this as not the issue. I would like to stir the pot a little, just about the evolution (or ruination, depending on perspective)of hunting in general.

My attempted point in the previous topic was that record books are becoming unnaturally clogged with manipulated animals. This doesn't bother me as it's just not a goal of mine. I consider it silly to try to compete with people who "cheat" the systemby breeding and raising animals for harvest, high fence or not. I like a set of antlers for the wall and to show my friends but public recognition means nothing to me. I like to look at the antlers or pics and swap stories and share memories with my buddies.

However, I am something of a hypocrite as I have about 120 acresin East Texas and I plant crops that the deer eat. If I'm honest I must also admit that I plant different crops than I would were I not interested indeer. Instead of just planting hay, I plant a mixture heavy in clover and occasionally some peas. Therefore I am manipulating mydeer herd (not that I have a lot of great deer out there).

Also, on the guided hunt issue.I hunt with friends and have been on hunts in new locations where a friend scouts with me to find a spot for a hog or deer or even doves. This is different than hunting alone in the big woods and I enjoy it in a different way. Isometimesgo to deer camp and "hunt"even when I have no tags. I just enjoy being there,sitting stands to scout for other hunters, helping process game, drinking beer and sitting around the fire.

Anyway, I watched the Journal of the Texas Trophy Hunter last night and didn't really know what to think about what I saw. They featured a buck called High Roller. He was kept in a pen for breeding and they tranquilized him during the show and extracted semen for sale to breeding programs. The owner paid $450,000 for Highroller. I think they commented that he would pay for himself in one year. Catch this show if you can and let me know what you think. See High Roller here...www.ttha.tv.

It's all a matter of where you draw the line for yourself, and we can discuss it here but should always support each others rights as hunters. Don't let the arguments of bow vs gun, traditional vs compound, public vs. private, etc. divide us. We all love the outdoors and enjoy different experiences in different ways. Support every hunters right to argue that his style of hunting is best, but everyone's hunting is worth preserving.

RE: Evolution of Hunting
 

I am an advocate of letting nature take its course to a point, but if this guy is the biggest baddest buck in his neck of the woods, then he would probably be the biggest baddest buck in your neck of the woods too, meaning that if he were walking around in your woods he would be breeding many does, and thus I don't see anything wrong with sprucing up the gene pool with a little bit of Mr High Roller! I think that genetically his offspring would be bigger and stronger than the offspring of a weaker deer. Its like when they introduced Florida Largemouth to northern waters. It didn't ruin fishing...it just made fishing better!