jklein

Why do hunters in northern Minnesota have the atitude that if its brown its down. Then the same people complain that they never see any big deer. I don't see anyone practicing Quality Deer Managment up here. I could be wrong, but when you see the steady stream of spikes on forks flow into the registration stations, it's hard to come to any onther conclutions. I say let the smaller deer walk. give him 3 more years then he will be worth shooting.

Lilhunter

dunno about you but after spending a summer and fall north of Washkish working in the rice paddies and doing some bear baiting, I saw some real brutes on the dykes! Not to mention my family bringing sheds home from the silver bay area that would make ya drewl so there has to be some bigguns around!

deerslayer still

Please don't clump us all into one group. I see a lot of those small ones heading south towards the twin cities. A few of the clubs around here are practicing QDM here in northern MN, mine included.

gun4hire35

I agree with jklein. Haven't seen any big spreads biggest I've seen is a 8 point. They may not be big but there is a whole heck of a lot of them.

Borch

I've seen some real brutes. Not everyone has the same reason for deer hunting. It's not all about shooting a trophy for all hunters. Many folks just enjoy the hunt and the taste of their venison. In fact I've seen hunters pass on respectable trophy deer just to get one that would be tender and tasty. In their mind you can't eat the horns.

I try not to judge folks because they hunt differently than me as long as it's legal. To each their own.

Have a good one!

jklein

My point is this. Most people that I see and talk to will shoot a 120 lbs spike or fork over 140 lbs does when they have a doe permit just because it has a set of antlers. I can respect those who like to have meat in the freazer, but when a family shoots 3-4 deer all spikes how much meat is enough.

deerslayer still

I have thought about this all morning, why should those people stop shooting smaller deer just because you want to hunt for trophy's only. The smaller, younger animals give you better meat. if a 120 pound deer is enough or 3 or 4 or 10 is what they can use why the heck not?

Lilhunter

interesting......I would bet they would ask you the same thing, why are you passing up a fine eatin animal for one with a big rack? not jabbin at ya, just looking at it from a diff point of view.

Black_Rap

I HATE THAT ATTITUDE!!! My dad says that, and I just shake my head. I hunt right by Pine River, and there are nothing for big deer. I passed on a spike that I coulda dropped on site, and am proud of it. I went home empty handed, but hopefully that buck grows up to be a big one. I told my dad that and he dropped his jaw and said 'If it's brown, it's down!' I just shook my head, knowing that I did the right thing by trying to improve out hunting area...
~Cody

jklein

Hey Cody you did the right thing. Over the past few years I have let my fair share of small bucks go. In our hunting camp no spikes and no froks allowed. What I hate is when you let a small buck go, only to here a few min. later shots from the direction that the buck went. Deer need three things to grown big racks, food, genitics, and time. Most deer have the food and the genitics to grow a nice rack, what they don't have is time. I have been to a few of my friends hunting camps, and seen the walls covered with antlers 99.99% of them being spikes, and buttons. Those are the same people that complain that they have no big deer in the area. Let the small ones go. I bet you that if you shot a 10 point buck every year each one of them would be on display, and you could remember how you shot each one. To me that is the best part of the hunt Shoot a spike and the antlers more often than not end up in the back of your garage or in a box some place. Who knows witch one was shot when.