BOWFANATIC

In case you missed this..

Why NO! If it's too small to get a good filet I release it.

Umm YES! If I'm fortunate enough to catch my limit then you betcha! Thats why I fish to begin with.

Are you the type that turns up your nose at live bait fishermen? Is a fly rod with homemade flies the only way real men catch fish?

I personally dont have a problem with Quality Deer Management. It's definately a must for alot of states with over population problems. There's a difference between QDM and QTM.
I dont even have a problem with Quality Trophy Management when it's done on your own land or when you practice it yourself without expecting others to do the same.

TXhighrack

Atlasman:

No I cant say that I care what other people say or think of my mounts or my various racks. I didnt say that I did any where in my above post, so I really dont know where you got that idea.

You (and a few others) keep saying that QDM advocats love to brag about their bucks, and show off the horns, and only hunt for the horns, yadda yadda yadda..........

But let me ask you this:

Dosent it seem like the exact opposite is true? Dosent it seem like the guys who kill yearling bucks year after year are the guys who like to brag by saying they got their buck??

Who is really more interested in the horns; the hunter who shoots the first deer they see because hes a buck, or the hunter who passes up dozens of yearling and immature bucks each year allowing them to grow and reach maturity? Seems to me that one is looking for quick gratification and the other has alot of self control, respect, and discipline and will be rewarded for it later on down the road.

The "if its brown, its down mentality" is really sad [:'(]

TXhighrack

bowfanatic:

Is that question directed at me? If so I'm sorry, but I really dont know what you mean. Are you trying to ask if I feel its ok if a hunter shoots does before they get there first buck?? If thats the case then of course I do. I would much rather a new hunter kill a doe then a yearling buck. We have to take several dozen does off of the ranch each year to keep the numbers balanced, if a kid wants to kill some then thats great. Honeslty I wont let anybody kill an immature buck, no matter if there a beginner hunter or not. I make them hold out for a past mature "cull" buck, which makes a greater trophy then a yearling buck anyway and makes the hunt more enjoyable. Shooting a doe is always a better choice then killing a yearling buck.....

atlasman

So why do you think anyone else would??


Not at all.


I'd vote for the guy who shoots the first thing he sees...........he is not worried if a bigger buck is out there or may come by next week......he may not care that it is a buck at all and is just happy he got a shot at a deer period. Someone who passes on buck after buck is obviously looking for something bigger or better to come by and therefore puts much more value on the rack.

You even said it yourself........"he will be rewarded for it later down the road" If you view a bigger rack as a "reward" then it's pretty obvious who puts more stock in the headgear.


Saying a deer isn't "worth" shooting is really sad. [:'(]

BOWFANATIC

The question isn't intended for any one individual.

I'll revise the question to hopefully make it more "understandable".

If a hunter goes out of his/her way to harvest their full quota of doe each year but still continues to harvest one imature basket racked buck every year (because they choose to do so) , is that acceptable behavior?
Notice the original question states "regardless of hunters age/experience or geographical location.

Afterall , they are keeping the buck to doe ratio in check.

Sylvan

I'm beginning to believe that what we are dealing with here is a mind set that truly can not understand what we are saying. I don't believe they lack the mental faculties to comprehend, It's just clear that, in their minds, the most important goal (possibly only goal) in deer hunting is taking a trophy animal. All other values and hunting traditions take a back seat to that single minded obsession and they can not deal with the fact that not all share it. I liken them to religious fanactics who have become self annointed appostles bringing the truth the heathen. When I started warning about this obsession with antlers I didn't appreciate how irrationaly obsessed some can be. I didn't appreciate how little respect they have for the deer nor how often some associate killing an animal with manliness. Is it any wonder that more and more young people are choosing to distance themselves? I believe they see what the american sportsman is becoming, or has become, and they want no part of it. The stereotype of the crude, unthinking, uncaring, brute who kills for bragging rights is being confirmed for them. Sadly I'm not surprised.

Sylvan

Not to me. Why do you always associate killing a deer with bragging? Look, not that anybody cares, but here's how I hunt. I own 100 acres of woodland land in Steuben county NY. My passion is bowhunting although I enjoy the shotgun season as well. My family truly enjoys the meat so it's important to me to take 2 adult size deer each season. Now you need to understand the rules. I usually have 2 doe permits that can be used for either gun or bow. I also hold 1 bow buck/doe tag and 1 gun buck only tag. So in bow season I could legally take 3 deer; 1 buck and 2 doe or 3 doe. A few years ago there were alot more deer than there are now so in bow season I would begin by taking the 1st doe that came along but I would pass the small buck. Toward the end of the bow season I would take any adult deer. If it turned out to be a 4 point that was fine but I certainly wasn't taking it to brag about numbers. Now in gun seaon although I had my 2 deer in the freezer I would basically trophy hunt. I have passed quite a few 110/120 class 8 points simply because I didn't need any more meat. I would take a buck if I thought it was bigger than anything I have taken to date. You see I do value taking a trophy size whitetail but because it is something special, not for bragging. If there were none in the woods I'd still be out there enjoying the sport.

Now we have a lot less deer so I won't be shooting any doe for now. It's likely that this year I will get only 1 doe permit and 1 bow buck/doe tag and 1 buck only gun tag. I still want 2 deer for the freezer So in bow season I'll wait on a wall hanger until late in the season and then take the 1st buck that comes to me. In gun season I'll wait till late and then take the 1st buck that comes to me. So I could wind up taking 2 small buck.

Now, I hope I haven't bored everybody with all this but the point is this. I love the sport, I do it legally, I respect the animals I take and I hunt almost exlcusively on my own land that I alone pay the taxes on. How does anybody have the nerve to suggest that I am "part of the problem". I think there are probably a lot of other guys out there that have a very similar philosophy too, but there not the ones "crying about" not enough big bucks in the woods so you don't hear too much about them.

Sylvan

Just wanted to say that I guess I've said my piece. Hope I haven't offended anybody.

Double Creek

Some guys feel like must tag out or get the limit on everything they hunt or fish for. I've been around them, usually it's kids, before they mature. But many adults hang on to that mentality. To each his own I guess, as for me and my family, we are trophy hunters, that's what flips our switch.

rybohunter

The biggest block here is that there are 2 very different mindsets here and neither side wants/or is able to understand the other. Some people can't comprehend still wanting to shoot small bucks year in and year out. Other's can't comprehend not pulling the trigger on a deer they see. Neither side (except for maybe talondale, he writes very well) is able to explain thier thoughts without ticking off the other side. There are some guys in the middle who generally want people to refrain, but understand the situation that it isn't always going to happen for everyone.