BTBowhunter

Quite a few hunters don't hunt deer, Quite a few deer hunnters don't hunt buck. In the absence of real numbers on both situations, Jim's point is every bit as valid as Blueboys and not merely "desperation"

Confused

I’m glad this post was started and would like to get some of it back on track before it degenerates further. Congrats to the young men that started it. They are the future of this sport in PA, and have pointed out the elephant in the corner that has created a schism in our ranks and will ultimately divide us.

I don’t think anyone, no matter their age, should be made to feel badly about taking a legal deer. Somewhere in this thread there is a post about a family talking about how they enjoyed each deer they bagged, including a button buck. That was a super post, and we should pay attention to it. Too often I read comments here about how shooting a small buck “isn’t a challenge” and that no one should be proud of a doe. Honestly, such chest-thumping statements may well reveal more about the person who makes them than their hunting prowess.

I grew up in PA and was fortunate enough to hunt all across the state, from big woods to cackling roosters in cornfields. I have been very, very fortunate to now have land to hunt in a more southerly state and have killed some tremendous bucks there.

Having said that, I think the hardest pill for me to swallow about AR in PA is that, well, we didn’t travel back home to hunt in PA to kill a big buck. We didn’t expect too, frankly, and we had a BLAST! That doesn’t mean that hunting back home in PA was worse than where I live now....it was just DIFFERENT, unique, something to be embraced for that fact. It was PA deer hunting, not Ohio and we loved it for that fact. Besides, in the laurel or popple thickets of my PA youth we had a hard enough time seeing if it “had horns” let alone counting points, and many a youngster was counseled “if you try to count the points, you miss, son. Count ‘em when he’s on the ground.”

Remember those days? Somewhere amid the Saturday TV shows and big daddy rabbits, replete with visions of sugar plums in our heads, we forgot them.

Does shooting a 1.5 year old buck make you less of a hunter that holds out for an older one? Nope. Each person’s circumstances AND perspective is different. If you appreciate and respect the day, the deer, the woods, the camaraderie, that’s[/b] the point. Too often now I read it’s only a legitimate experience if the animal is a “mature” or a under some circumstances a “cull” buck (He’s okay for a “cull” buck! I mean, wow, you really hear that!).

Somewhere, somehow, a hunter who probably had the purest of motives, shooting a deer because they enjoyed the venison it provided, has been vilified; supplanted by antlers measurements and talk of G2’s. Honestly, if find yourself identifying with the latter I respect your right for doing so. So long as you don’t denigrate the former.

To me, that’s what’s been lost in PA. A doe is now a number on a doe harvest report, something akin to shooting rabbits, and a buck, well, he only counts if he’s a trophy. They aren’t the one deer a year you thought about and cherished and relived through the stark, long off season. In changing the way we think about deer and deer hunting, we appear to have lost not only respect for the deer, but for ourselves as well.

NY Bowhunter

I agree with next to nothing in this thread. Matter of fact these are probably the 2 stupidest statements I've ever heard on HNI....

Why does it bother you so much? Hunt whatever the hell you want to hunt and dont' worry about it. You don't want to shoot trophy bucks? Cool... go whack a 4 pointer. I'll be the first to congratulate you. Go have yourself all the fun in the world hunting the way you want to.But don't degrade others for hunting how they want to at the same time. A bit hypocritical isn't it? By the way there are "trophy" gun hunters as well as bow. Why segragate bowhunting? Ridiculous IMO.

Lanse couche couche

Those toes a little sore there

Cornelius08

"Once again you are shuffling the numbers, not every one that buys a license is a deer hunter,or hunts deer at all.
I know several older guys who only shoot woodchucks during the summer and squirrels in the early fall,they can't take the cold or drag deer out of the woods. "

Those guys are a great rarity. Here in Pa the HUUUUGE majority deer hunt. Pgc keeps statistics from surveys on how many hunters hunt what. Its posted in the game news yearly. Those that hunt "other" species areVERY low compared to the overall hunter numbers and that doesnt even take into account and subtract the number of those that hunt deer ALSO among the smallgame, grouse, etc. hunters. So the numbers that hunt no deer is TINY. Personally, I know of none either.

tky1187

Confused- Everything you stated is something that almost all PA hunters can or could relate with at one time or another, It's just good to know there are many others out there with the same beliefs I have.

Like I stated in my first post, down the road in my hunting career I may not always shoot the first buck I see or try to fill all my doe tags but when that time does come I will not forget the days when I did and I most certainly won't belittle someone who does shoot the first buck or all the does he's allowed to.

bowtruck

the sad thing is people forget hunting can still be fun

bluebird2

I enjoy hunting even when I don't carry a weapon. In fact ,some times I enjoy it a lot more because I can concentrate on reading sign and trying to figure out what the deer are doing to avoid the standers.

bowtruck

that it your problem bb you need a weapon to kill a deer
now i understand why you get only crippled ones

bluebird2

Are you saying I kill those cripples with my bare hands?

Didn't you ever participate in a hunt without a weapon? I've killed enough deer so I don't have a huge desire to kill a lot more from a herd that is way below the carrying capacity of the habitat.