Come on guys, you don't live in 1800's where we did not have a store where we could get food like we can now. You don't need to shoot everything that comes within bow range, if you want meat, does are certainly better tasting, so shoot the skinheads. If it is a trophy you are after let the small ones go, and shoot the big ones.

I to find it sad that someone would shoot anything, because that is not hunting, that is killing. And that is why we get a bad rap from people, because we are seen as the killers, not someone who actually goes out and hunts. I hunt all season, I have never harvested a deer in October, I have harvested every deer in November or December, that gives me an opportunity to shoot a monster in October, but most likely I will wait till the rut, because I see the most bucks then!

Let them grow!!!

And I don't know why you have such a hard time admitting that you just want to KILL SOMETHING... and will take anything to get YOUR fix!!!

"I hunt all season, I have never harvested a deer in October, I have harvested every deer in November or December, "


I've never harvested a deer...I kill them. the only thingI harvest is grain.

Like davidmil said "SMOKE SCREEN"

Call it what you like Atlasman. I call it skill and experience. Something you obviuosly dont need because you shoot the first thing that comes your way.

I got an idea. How about letting some of those mature ones walk to pass on their proven genes and filling your buck tag with a forkie... one that might not have decent genetics and might still be a forkie five years from now?

This 'shoot only mature bucks' stuff just doesn't make any sense to me at all. No other predator in the whole world chooses to take only the prime stock out of a herd. They always take the young, weak and sick. That's nature's way of making the herd stronger and improving the genetics of the species.

Man is a different predator because our species has something no other predator has. Ego. In my opinion, this QDM stuff is entirely ego driven. A minority of hunters wanting to make it easier to massage their ego with big racks hanging on their wall.

Not that I'm criticizing my fellow hunters, you understand... That's just the way I see it.

Horns or slickhead, big, little or in between doesn't make a bit of difference. If it's legal, and if it's an animal I want, I'm shooting. QDM...[:'(]

QDM , in its essence , is an honorable and sound wildlife management practice. I do think there are some out there , however, who use it as a euphamism when they are really just after ego therapy.
We really can't compare ourselves to other predators, though, because predators don't use bows, broadheads, camo , etc, in their pursuits.
What I can say is that I pass up smaller bucks. I shoot does like crazy, and my family eats everyone of them. I normally luck out once or twice a year on mature bucks. We eat them too. I pass a ton of smaller bucks. That's what makes me tick. I don't send pictures in to magazines or hang them up at the check-in station. I started passing up young bucks about 10 years ago, and I've learned more about bowhunting since than I did in the fifteen years prior to that. Here's the thing. EVERYTHING I do makes sense to me. It's legal, ethical and it just feels "right". I'm hooked on that feeling of walking up on a monster buck that is 5 years old or older, that nobody has ever laid eyes on. I can't help but wonder at and respect such an animal. That's a scenario that usually only happens once a year, if I'm lucky. I can't describe that feeling to you, but if you've been there ,you know. Those are the moments I live for. Again, that's what makes me tick and that's what is right to me. I make no apologies for it.

HOWEVER, I don't feel like that's for everybody, and I'm glad. They say it takes all kinds to make the world go round. I think that's true with hunting. If a guy gets a thrill out of shooting a spike, then go for it. At the end of the day we have to live with ourselves,nobody else. We have tohold our head up high, and take pride in what we do and who we are. Although I don't shoot immature bucks, I'm all for you doing it if you have that gratified feeling at the end of the day. Shoot spikes till you drop dead if that's what does it for you, I'll never say a word. It's all about honesty, spotsmanship ,ethics, and individuality..

I will say this though, If you have killed several deer already, maybe this year you can try to pass up younger deer. Go ahead and let 'em walk. Not because what you have been doing is wrong, but because I believe if you do you'll learn more and enjoy more than you ever have in bowhunting. And i could be wrong. But maybe try it and see how YOU feel from your own experience.

Good huntin'! - cap

You have stores that sell venison?? Weird.........I don't.

I prefer free ranging natural venison that I take from field to freezer with no one in between but me, my bow or gun and a few sharp knives.

If you want to eat hormone and drug saturated beef from who knows where and who knows what conditions then be my guest.


I have never noticed does tasting any better then bucks.


What if you are not after a "trophy".......or maybe your definition of "trophy" is different?? Then what?


Very silly.

People who have a problem with hunting are people who absolutely can't get past the fact that something gets killed..........period. If you actually think they will feel better knowing you waited for one with a bigger rack then you have are sadly mistaken.

zac76156- Everyone else here is having a civilized conversation and posting their opinion. You jump in just critisizing the heck out of everyone who shoots small bucks. Thats life, get over it. The whole world doesnt revolve around you. Do you hunt for squirrels and rabbits? Do you just shoot the "mature" ones because we all know how good them "mature" squirrels and rabbits taste dont we?You say it embarrases you to see an expierienced hunter check in a 4 pointer or a spike. It embarreses you to call him a hunter right? Well if you go back and read you previous post you should relize that you are just embarassing yourself because if you call yourself a fellow hunter you will learn to respect others for what they kill. Hunting is not a pissing contest to see who can shoot the big deer if it is then you need to go look in a dictionary and look up the word"hunt." Hunting is a hobby that most people do to get out of the house and go out and have a little fun. You should go out to the woods and be able to shoot what ever you want and take pride in it without having someone jump down your throat. As i said in my previous post hunting land is very little around my area without paying. I see maybe a total of 10 deer a year walk through where a hunt and thats including all 3 months so some of us have to take what we can.

Look i didnt want to single you out but you gave me no choice because everyone else was being civilized about this besides YOU. It embarasses you to see people killing small bucks well it embarasses me to see a fellow hunter act like you are acting. So do me a favorand think about what you are posting next time before you post.

When did I ever have a hard time admitting that?? I had 7 deer in my freezer last year and we are out of meat. If I have a tag for it and it's in range...........it's in trouble

I do need my fix..........my sausage fix, my steak fix, my chops fix, my tenderloin fix, my jerky fix, my roast fix.


Your turn

TAKE ME HOME SPIRIT...I DONT LIKE THIS PLACE


IS ANYBODY HUNTING TODAY????