Solid argument tembry. But you do see where I am comming from? I just want to make people step back and realize there is more to hunting than just the kill. However I will indeffinately agree with you, it is an entirely different ballgame when your trying to draw pick a lane let an arrow fly, recover, alll that is why we do it its the emotional and physical riptide that is hunting. Remember back to the first one you wounded and diddnt recover its that cutting feeling inside you that drives us to be the best of the best in our sport that is hunting. Shooting a deer with a bow becomes more of a personal vendetta. Hunting is what it is. I would be content to be a photo guy but at the same time that emotional rollercoaster ride is sooooo worth every second of sweat and tears we put into it.

Ryan.

You can't make anyone realize anything. All you can do is offer up your opinion, statistics, facts, feelings and options and hopefully they will see your way of thinking if correct.

Trevor, solid reply...

IDK, I have always been an advocate of counting coup-I could have killed you but I didn't. That's what puts the excitement into hunting, at least for me. Iemployeeseveral methods when in the bush. I love the camera (I can hunt legally year round), especially when I can see my own reflection in an animals eyewithina photo I've taken. Rememberthe photo ofRob and the mt. goats? That's the close I endeavor to acheive. I am sure Rob could have killed the billy in that group, but his goal wasn't so much to just kill. He wanted to kill at close range. I have dropped/tossed small rocks and sticks on critters leaving them unharmed. I have evenweaseled in close enough to touch animals (I touched a spike elk on the nose with a broadhead. My bow was at full draw. Legally, I could have killed him butopted to give a free pass. I grabbed a ten point whitetail quickly by the horns and then set him free)I guess I have always felt there's a time and a place for killing, and there certainly must be a good reason. I do not feel I need to kill everything. I think for me the peak of the rush comes the moment I knowmy preycould be in the bag-not to be confused with "is in the bag". I certainly account for all the dynamics when I make this assessment.

To a degree I feel remorse when I have killed. Yeah, I've won, but now the game is over. I think that is the reason I push elsewhere...I establish a new game. Nothing calms my soul more than being in the woods. Nothing gets my heart pumping more than being close and counting coup.

I hunt to kill every single time I enter the woods. No, I would not like to return bambi to a state off nature after I have fired a net over her.

Now I'm confused, wasn't Bambi a boy deer?

Yes huck, she was actually a he... But when people talk of bambi they get all those cute emotional thoughts of a baby girl deer. Hence why I said her.

I don't know how many times someone has asked me, "did you catch any" when at a gas station or even my sisters. I always reply with no I didn't kill anything or I killed a doe, buck....whichever is appropriate. I am beginning to think some people are afraid to say the word kill.........

We do film our hunts but our hunts are way more than just killing!!! It is getting meat that I love it is about helping and balancing a herd which is why the public lets us hunt to help manage not just kill. Nope no catch and release here.. Walt

LOL...thanks Brett. It was funny, my vision of Bambi, "the king of the forest", quickly turned to Bambi, "queen of the forest".

I hear what you are saying... "I hunt to kill everytime I enter the woods"

If I were to take thisapproach, I would rapidly turn into a poacher. I am more at home in the woods than in my house. Catch and release is a wonderful way of honing your cat in the bag skills.

I knew people would misinterpret my comments about hunting to kill every time I enter the woods. What I meant by this is that I hang my stands to killa deer every time I hunt. I pass many deer in most years and just let them walk. But my mindframe remains the same, I hunt to kill every time I enter the woods, but I choose when to pull the release. I have to have this mindset where I hunt or I would not see or get to close to many deer. Hunting to see me is a lot more than just killing an animal.