stapher1

"Can you flip the switch on a corn feeder? Congrats, you know as much as he does. I can't stand the self absorbed ego maniac or his infomercial posing as a hunting show. If you could buy him for what he's worth and sell him for what he thinks he's worth, it'd be the easiest way to turn 10 cents into 10 million dollars in the history of earth.

Want to be like him? Drive to a local farmers field; get out; and shoot one of his cows. Congratulations, you will have just equaled the greatest of David Morris's achievements."


Or ted nugent's

burniegoeasily

Deer ranching. On some of these big ranches you have to hunt to find the deer, but the issue is the genetic controle, reduced predation, enhanced nurishment, genetic isolation, and selective harvesting. The deer are going to be of a higher quality than a free ranged deer. I have no issue with the practice, but don't try to sell me on the notion that the deer that is harvested on a game rance is equal to a free range deer of equal size. The free range one had a lot more factors against it. Call it what it is, deer farming/ranching. Like I said, I have no issue with it, but call it what it is.

ipscshooter

So, any place that practices QDM is cheating?

stapher1

By the comments given, it's a yes

gregrn43

Morris is one of the founders of North American Whitetail magazine. I have read articles that he wrote since the early 80's. There was an article wrote back in the 80's (not Morris either) talking about the 1000pt club, (total pts of your 6 best bucks), there were 5 members at that time and Morris was one of them. This was back before food plots and deer feeders or qdma was around. To say Morris doesnt know how to hunt deer, I dont believe for a second.
I plant food plots every year, I truly believes that it helps the deer herd. Do I want bigger bucks on my property? You bet I do. I think most deer hunters want bigger bucks on there property as well. Most game and fish depts are trying to manage for more quality in their deer herds, but they do it through doe days and point rules. I dont agree with everything Morris does and says on TV. but he is a knowledgeable deer hunter.

burniegoeasily

You mean QAM.

but to answer your question; "Cheating?". Depends on what your goals are. If you want a monster fair chase deer, then yes, you are cheating yourself. If you want to just harvest a monster, then no.

ipscshooter

Not sure what your acronym means. QAM?

I'm not sure exactly what you're getting at. So, I guess you're saying that anyone who plants food plots, and who passes up a deer, in the hope that it will mature, isn't really taking a monster fair chase deer. Why not? How is hunting a food plot different from hunting a corn or soybean field? Is it simply that a food plant in certain areas will provide better nutrition than what is naturally available in that area? If that's the case, then aren't all midwest whitetails, with the abundance of corn and soybeans and other ag crops also not "monster fair chase deer"?

Note that I can understand debates about high fences and imported genetics, but, according to Morris, he does neither.

burniegoeasily

Nope, not at all what Im saying. Let me be a little more clear.


Cheating is all in the mind of the hunter. If ones goal is to harvest a fair chase deer, and he chooses to harvest one over a feeder, behind a fence, etc he is only cheating himself. Nothing unethical about high fences, cheating is all about the goals of the individual hunter.


QDM=quality deer management

OAM= quality antler management. Let’s face it, how many people put up high fences to manage quality does?

I personally have no issue with high fences, or how one hunts. This tit for tat can reach all the way back to stick bows compared to compounds. I personally only hunt with bows I build. I build them from native trees and natural materials. No glass at all. That is what I choose, I set my goals to push myself. Does that make me better than a gun hunter or a compound hunter? Nope. It is simply the way I enjoy it. Just like a compound hunter finds enjoyment in what he does, same for a gun hunter. Do I shot deer with compounds or a gun? I have. I do not get any enjoyment from it, but there are times when I have not harvested all my does, so I’ll get out a longer range weapon to finish filling the freezer. In other words, using a gun or a compound is cheating for me, due to my expectations and nothing more.

As for the guy in question here, I have no clue. I do not watch hunting shows.

stapher1

+1. The fact is he owns property in the middle of no were in a area that has animals that may never see a human or would let a 5 or 6 year old animal that may never score over 100" net. He gives them a water source and food source that allows him to harvest book qualilty animals every year. I have watched him numerous times, tell you what it takes to do them same. He does nothing different than the drury's, kisky's or lakosky's, only he does it in texas.

ipscshooter

Understood. But, to be clear, "the guy in question here" at least says that his ranch is not high fenced. So, I'm not sure why they have been brought up so regularly by so many in this thread. Supposedly these are free range deer,with no imported genetics, and he is simply providing food plots for nutrition, and age management.

Stapher... South Texas was producing trophy class whitetails long before anyone ever considered food plots or high fences. The benefit to the food plots is that it now produces even more trophy class deer.