RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

All of my hunting has been on public land and I get totally disappointed in not seeing any deer. I sat in a stand yesterday for 7 hours and was really bummed about it. I would really like to have a lot of deer around to actually hunt. Getting the deer there is only pat of the equation. You still have to be able to get a good killing shot off. I was able to hunt my first private land two years ago and I was elated to see deer in the same field I was in. Unfortunately it was the last day of the season and a coyote ran everything off before I could get a shot. I vote go for it and don't feel bad about it. Just think of all of us out here who are envious of you. If you still feel bad about it then leave your bow at home, climb your stand, put your knife in your mouth and jump on the next deer that passes.:D

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

Has nothing to do with it............it is just a numbers game..........no matter what you are after..........if you don't believe that then go hunt some outiftter in Saskatchewan or Kansas or Iowa or Illinois, where you can sit and watch a field full of bucks bigger then any you ever killed.

It's just numbers...........not size. I hunted many areas under STRICT QDM rules last year........never saw a deer.......not a doe, not a young buck, nothing. the land gets POUNDED by pressure because of guys thinking there are big boys ehind every tree due to the QDM..........there isn't.

Has nothing to do with age............it's a numbers game............sure they are easy to kill when they are running around like rats........anything is.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

Funny coming from someone who has never harvested anything older than a yearling with his bow. :eek:

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

I agree with Atlas on this one. It's definitely a numbers game. Sure, there are exceptions, but for the most part it's about numbers.....

For instance, I've been hunting for 20yrs and I've never seen a deer over 150 on the hoof. EVER, not while scouting, not while riding, not while shining, etc. They are just very rare down here. Now, go to the Mid West and 150's really are'nt that uncommon.

I went 2 seasons back to illinois and saw 3 bucks in the 150 range... Why? Did I become a much better hunter from MS to IL? No, its all about the numbers......

With that being said, you still have to have balls of steel to drop the string on a mature buck. It's definitely not all dumb luck.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

I myself would hunt there also.Do you think that the owner might want some of them gone.The best thing you could do is take a few of the does off his hands and it would make for better bucks in the long run.Closing the does to buck ratio there ould make for some excellent trophy chances in the future.You are probably helping out the farmer who owns and farms the land.I hunt a apple orchar which is very asy to kill deer on but the hard part is waiting for a trophy to walk by before shooting there are so many.The biguns dont come out so easily.You also have to worry about over population of the area so any taken out is helping yourself with meat the farmer and the herd.So keep hunting and just take a video cameera with you.This would be interesting to see a video of.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

I hunt where the deer are. The more the better. Hunting acually is more difficult then those who see one or two per hunt. It's very hard to get a shot off with so many eyes around.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

I've got an opinion on this. I hunt NH every year, and I do not see a deer every day I hunt. I put in a lot of work to see and potentially harvest 1 deer a year. Make that a "legal buck", 3" spiker, and it would be possible to do everything right, but still not score over the 3 month season. Taking a mature buck could be described as very difficult, but attainable. I love it though, the challenge of it makes the sightings and eventual harvest incredibly rewarding.

I also hunt dairy farms in PA and NY. Taking a legal buck could be almost guaranteed within 5 days of hunting. A sighting/opportunity on a mature whitetail is also a matter of time. There are a lot of deer around, and more than a few are mature bucks. It is actually "easy" to get a deer, harvesting a mature buck could be described as "moderatly challenging".

I also have hunted Iowa during the rut, do it yourself mind you, but on prime private ground. Several opportunities at a mature buck would be guaranteed within a week. Harvesting a mature buck could be described in my opinion as "easy".

I hear Atlasman's point loud and clear. Personally, I found the challenge is a huge part of my passion for hunting. I find myself passing on opportunities to hunt those farms in NY and PA for the challenge of a large NH deer. I may go back to Iowa, as I have an open invitation, but it won't be hard to harvest a mature whitetail. The challenge would have to be self imposed while waiting for a really large racked deer. Since we all hunt with different goals, I can understand how a guy who really just wants to harvest a legal deer finds a certain area "to easy" and may hunt a different property accordingly. Not all that different actually from a guy who hunts an area with lots of large racked bucks who holds out for the largest around to add challenge.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

Thats why your there probably and got permission. Its private and there probably over run by deer. Just call down some buddys and thin out the herd. Then you wont feel bad about the gun.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

My hunting has never been easy. I hunt a lot of public ground and deer sightings really go south when the season starts heating up. I also have a few small honeyholes around residential areas where deer are very numerous. Still not easy but the chances are better. For me to be in your situation would be great.

If you want a better challenge though, shoot only deer 130+ or whatever is an applicable trophy in your area. I can guarantee you that a 3,4,5 1/2 yr. old deer won't present the same "easy" oppurtunites that the small bucks and does give you.

RE: Do you care how "easy" your hunting is?
 

Exactly.You can see does and small baucks by the hundreds.BUT getting to the right spot and getting a arrow through a mature P&Y whitetail is a whole nother ball game.They dont get big for being easy.They are smarter then you in most cases and you have to be on top of everything and every deer around you to get to the big ones.Holding out for a mature buck is the biggest challenge.There may be a few decent bucks who most would be happy with,but just sit and let them go and watch the big boys run them off and take control of the doe herd and then you have some action worth waiting for.