rybohunter

You can't remove age/experience from the eqaution. Especially since you phrase it as a year in and year out scenerio. A guy shooting a quota of does and a buck one season, and a guy shooting that same deal for his 15th season in a row are 2 different things to me.
Acceptable yes, they are within the law. But it is something I don't understand as to how a guy can repeatedly shoot a small buck every year(assuming he has all the meat he needs from does) without getting bored from it. 14 pages hasn't explained it to me. 14 more won't either.

atlasman

Some guys have a lot more people to feed then others. We put 7 deer in the freezer this year and at the rate it is going we might make it close to the fall with what we have.

There is just no reason for me or anyone I hunt with to pass a deer up. First of all chances are few and far between.........just seeing a deer is a very good day. Is there better hunting lands around me??? Sure there are........but I can only access them if I go alone. I have a couple friends and 2 brothers and my dad that I hunt with constantly and wouldn't trade that for anything. Most private land owners are OK with one guy.....maybe two but they slam the door real quick when they hear you have 5-7 guys in your party........that's just life. I would rather hunt the worst land in the world with all those guys........then the best honey hole out there by myself. The public lands we hunt are literally beat to death by hunters. Taking a deer of any kind is a nice accomplishment and a big buck is about as likely to walk by as Bigfoot.........we have killed 2 in the last twentysome years......that's just life. A big reason why I take my chances as they come is I know that something better is HIGHLY unlikely to walk by. I know these woods like the back of my hand and we know what comes out of them year after year after year. When I saw that 6 pt come out I didn't think twice about slinging that arrow. All the bucks that I had in range after him were nothing but different versions of him.........no surprise. I shot the 4 ptr with my gun 15 minutes into gun season again not even thinking about it for a second...........I saw one other buck all season, a 6 ptr sneaking through some brush. There is nothing to wait for. My oldest brother has not seen a buck of any kind for 3 years and he hunts bow and gun...........is he supposed to pass a deer he sees because it doesn't meet someone elses standards??

So I could hunt land with a better chance at a big buck but I would have to leave my family and friends behind to do it...........No thanks..........or I could pass on every buck I see so someone else can shoot him and I can eat my tags every year.......No thanks. I enjoy the way I hunt and who I hunt with. We do EVERYTHING legally and ethically. I just have a very hard time seeing that as a "problem". The size of a bucks rack will never make or break the level of enjoyment we all share every time we head into the woods.

Double Creek

Atlasman, your situation is very different from alot of guys. In your situation, where you may only see a few bucks each year, I say if it's brown it's down!!! I could never tell someone who only gets a chance or 2 at a buck to let one walk, afterall, the end result is to harvest deer!!!

My concern are for the guys down here, in the Southern states with liberal bag limits that kill 3 basket racks every year!! And they do it just to say they killed a buck or to limit out!! Just makes me mad. But like I said, to each his own and I do not support any legislation that puts harsh limitations on buck harvest. I do however support a happy medium.

mlo3135127

BOWDACIOUS thanks for replying to ATLASMANs post. I couldnt have said it better myself. Its funny how hunters who are against QDM get bent out of shape. Most of the time it is fear that they will go a season and not kill a deer. Big deal! Its not the end of the world. Why not let a small buck live for a few years. Im sure he would be grateful. www.pbase.com/mlo3135127

atlasman

You got it backwards dude.


It's funny how hunters who are for QDM get bent out of shape when others don't agree with them.


You know this how??.......please provide a link to that study.


Believe it or not some hunters actually have the crazy notion in their head that the meat on a deer holds value as well..........pretty weird huh??


Now you're doing it out of kindness to the deer huh??

NY Hunter

my $.02 again...

The ultimate deer hunter is not seen,not heard about,doesn't need deer management and doesn't want recognition from others when his goals are accomplished. It's his own game against the animal,he's not in it for the glory and others to see. It's just him alone with his passion in the deer woods...

long_round_tip

can you say..... A Beat Up Topic???

Fieldmouse

atlasman

Except shooting your bow for target practice illegally in your yard.

There is no reason why you couldn't find local property for all to hunt. I've hunted with 8 people before. Sure we may be on seperate plots of lands but have always been with in a mile or so of each other.

As I stated before QDM is your own choice. I have a hard time getting up now in the morning in cold weather. I would never do it unless I'm sure I will see a bunch of deer and a pontential monster. They are out there and always be looking for the next place to hunt.

atlasman

I'm not hunting when I do that so what is your point??.......I have been known to go over the speed limit sometimes too.........that has nothing to do with this subject either but I'm just trying to follow your lead


Let me guess.........this is where you are gonna tell me you know more about all the local hunting land in my area then I do right??


Good for you........I don't consider that hunting together. I know you think you could swoop in to my area and bat your eyelashes at all the local farmers and they would just fling open the gates and let you and a dozen other guys have the run of the land........but you think a lot of things that aren't true so just add this one to that list

BOWFANATIC

I certainly can "remove age/experience from the equation"! Especially when trying to make a point.

You answered it for me by saying "it is something I dont understand".
Even after I stated that the hunter is doing his/her part in QDM by removing doe from the herd to keep a more balanced buck to doe ratio. That right there tells me you're main goal is NOT QDM , it's QTM plain and simple. You want everyone to practice trophy management so you can see alot more trophy bucks.
If thats your thing I truely dont have a problem with it until you come to expect everyone else to have the same goal. I've always felt that any deer harvested with a bow is a trophy. Is our bowhunting technology that superior now compared to 20 years ago that anyone could expect to go out and shoot a 1 1/2 year old buck on any given day? If it is it's too bad because that's not what bowhunting is supposed to be.