Ok...you're searching, reaching, for something to grasp...I'll throw you a life line...my post was "let 'em go so they can grow"...which is only suggesting that hunters start realizing that it only makes biological sense to do so. There are waaaay too many does nationwide and waaaay too few mature bucks nationwide and I'm quite certain it applies to everyone on this subject. So now your grasping self wants to try to pin a hunter down to a scenario that is likely never going to present itself to 99.9% of hunters ever. Wow...how silly your scenario is and how horribly it distorts reality, and how sadly it reflects the mentality of so many. Joke! [8D] Yeah, we all have mature bucks all around us all of the time and can just pick and choose what we want to shoot. Unbelievable!I will answer your stupid mundane scenario...they are both more mature than anything 90% of hunters have ever shot and evidently more mature than your short-sided and elementary post would suggest and I can guaranteeI would be letting an arrow fly at the first available shot either one would provide!

They don't have a doe avatar.



Been there, and done that..........didn't change my outlook on hunting at all.


So when are you gonna answer why it's OK to shoot a 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 yr old doe but not a buck??

Correct, I share the woods with others...and I share them on the big picture nationwide...so why would I want to share the woods with a multitude of others that don't see the truth in BIOLOGY...SCIENCE...why is it so hard to grasp the fundamentals...buck-to-doe ratio (didn't say you must have a million 170 inch deer per sq. mile to one doe....it's a balance of mature bucks and score matters NOT), deer per square mile per food source(shouldn't be so many that you kick them up like quail and have to provide supplementary feed in lean times) So sad the lack of knowledge that so many take to the field. Every time you go to the woods you are making a management decision.

So when is that scenario ever going to actually take place? It's also apples and oranges when considering the biology of deer....there are boys and there are girls...there are birds and there are bees.....didn't your mama have this conversation with you?[]

I think many people go hunting to get away from the world. No work, bosses, deadlines....just you and the woods. Some of you guys try to make deer hunting a second full time job. Sure I like to be in the woods as much as the next guy but some guys may only get a few precious weekends a year to kill a deer on public ground. And you want these guys to pass on little bucks?

Shoot what makes you happy. I think it's time for everyone to agree to disagree because obviously no one is changing their minds.

Donny......I'm glad you are so concerned about my maturity as a hunter, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you should be more concerned about YOUR maturity as a person.

So let me get this straight, you write a book, think you're God's gift to hunting and in your mind that gives you the right to try to belittle those who simply enjoy hunting and the outdoors. You look down your nose at hunters who don't give a rats a$$ about antlers because you do.

When people don't agree with your twisted sense of hunting priorities, you lash out at them and say they are adolecent hunters.

You want to hunt big antlered deer only go right ahead, there is NOTHING wrong with that.Infact you are a perfect example for my point, you could care absolutely less for the deer as long as there were big bucks around for you to shoot.

This debate is about passing on younger deer so they can grow old and thus have bigger antlers. My side has always been that as long as the herd is healthyit should not matter what age or sex deer you chose to kill. If it's a P&Y buck fine, if it's a spike dink fine, doe fine. I have also said that most of those who preach about QDM are actually practicing QAM and you are a perfect example of that.

I have huntedaround the Matoon areaI know it pretty well, there are plenty of deer of all ages there, so your "passing" on younger bucks has nothing to do with QDM and everything to do withantlers. That's been my beef from the start, you guys hiding like little girls behind QDM. Why don't you just say that all you care about is anlters? Why? I'll tell you why..... because people will see you for what you really are.


jelen,

Just what is it that you liked....Dude? Are you sure you want to associate with small minded thinkers like ole Donny here?

You've never seen a 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 year old doe??

Try reading what I asked...........they are not both standing there. Guys who preach that only mature bucks should be killed go out themselves and whack 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 year old does and think nothing of it. Why is it right to kill young does but not young bucks?

ATLAS...BECAUSE THEY HAVE SMALLER ANTLERS!

I honestly don't have too worry bout"Let 'em go and let 'em grow"!

jelen,

Male White-tailed deer come into sexual maturity at the average age of 2 years old......so if you have a good ratio of bucks to does but the bucks are only 1.5 - 3.5 years old, is it not stilla healthy herd? What does it matter if there are not alot of older big antlered deer walking around........other than the obvious?