Could've arrowed him but.....
#71
I mostly just troll around here soaking up as much info from you guys as I can, thanks for all the great info. This post has brought up a question for me. What is the real difference between shooting the buck in the OP and shooting a deer with a high powered rifle at 300 yards? Not much of a hunt at 300 yards in my mind. Yah you are out in the woods and not near a house, but either way the deer has no chance.
#72
How many of those shows are dedicated to the act of hunting rather than killing a big deer with antlers? Uh....zero. Which goes to support the theories that "antlers" seem to be what the thrill is about rather than the hunt.
#74
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 110
I get the same thrill when I shoot a doe as I do when I shoot a buck.
#75
Beezer, I hear ya. Yes, it's about antlers and will always be about antlers. UM's deer pic was of a buck with nice antlers. Where's the pic of the doe? There's something magical about antlers. The bigger the antlers, the better. The higher they score, the more noteworthy they are and yes, even worth a lot of money to some people. That's the way it was before I started deer hunting over 36 years ago and even more so now. Most deer hunting shows are about killing bucks with big antlers because that's what is desired. Personally, I'm not a trophy hunter and I won't let a buck with small antlers stand between me and a good venison steak. When I begin to judge the success of my hunt on the size of the bucks antlers, I guess it would be time for me to give it up and I don't see that happening anytime soon.
#76
Antlers mean a heck of a lot more than a trophy on the wall. Antlers are an outward representation of herd quality, genetics and age. They say a lot about the available diet and the overall health of a herd in the area. The only way you can see what kind of area you have is to let the little bucks grow.
That's why I hunt for older deer with big antlers. They have already contributed to the gene pool for many years, they are more challenging to hunt and the trophy on the wall is nicer. I won't lie, if it was all about meat I load the freezer with cull bucks and does, but the big bucks get my heart racing.
That's why I hunt for older deer with big antlers. They have already contributed to the gene pool for many years, they are more challenging to hunt and the trophy on the wall is nicer. I won't lie, if it was all about meat I load the freezer with cull bucks and does, but the big bucks get my heart racing.
#77
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 580
Had a 17pt buck last night walk across the field at me, he was there long enough for me to count his points start shaking and stop 3 times over. He came right in , walked under the stand. Problem is that he came directly at me, never offered a shot other than a spine shot, never quartered at anytime. Why didn't I shoot, not a good shot, I know I will never see him again, or chances are low, sometimes just because you can dosent always mean you should. If it was a doe I would not have shot at her either way one cannot value one deer over another just because it as a rack. Sportsmanship and ethics are important.
#78
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 234
Everyone has their own ethical standards. For me, if it is legal, there would be not problem ethically with shooting the bedded deer. I do think it would be unethical to fabricate a story about a great stalk and shot though. I would be truthful when I talked about the "hunt". Here in Iowa, shooting that deer would probably have been illegal since a telephone call aided in the hunt.
I have no problem with seeing a deer from the camp cabin, putting on the required blaze orange, and going out side on to the porch and taking the shot. This would be legal as no radio or phone call helped.
One of the first deer I ever shot walked past me at 20 feet, five minutes after I got to where I was standing. Luck plays a huge part in hunting.
Bob
#80
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 1,607
Believe it or not, I have actually read all 78 posts and I'd like to add my $0.02 if I may.
I think the major division between the shoot vs. don't shoot crowds are the availability of bucks such as these. If you are able to see deer of this size often or even have a few of them on your wall already, you're more likely to say 'it wasn't fair'. On the other hand, if you see a buck this size once, maybe twice in your LIFETIME, then I think the decison making process is changed a bit.-Regardless if you're a meat or a horn hunter.
Regardless of your opinion, it's quite childish to say 'some people will never get it' or 'you're dumb for not shooting'. I think we all need to be a little more mature. There are a lot of anti-hunting groups that loves to see division among hunters. These types of debates do not help hunters.
I don't think Matt did it intentionally because I've seen his posts and I don't see him as arrogant but the way it was posted probably spured this debate. If he would have simply said, 'hey look at this buck my buddy seen on this small tract of land' and showed us the picture, this wouldln't have blown up like this. But it came across as 'I can shoot these types of bucks anyday so I'll pass on this one because it's too easy'-I'm not saying that's Matt's view, but the way it was presented probably helped spur this on.
I think the major division between the shoot vs. don't shoot crowds are the availability of bucks such as these. If you are able to see deer of this size often or even have a few of them on your wall already, you're more likely to say 'it wasn't fair'. On the other hand, if you see a buck this size once, maybe twice in your LIFETIME, then I think the decison making process is changed a bit.-Regardless if you're a meat or a horn hunter.
Regardless of your opinion, it's quite childish to say 'some people will never get it' or 'you're dumb for not shooting'. I think we all need to be a little more mature. There are a lot of anti-hunting groups that loves to see division among hunters. These types of debates do not help hunters.
I don't think Matt did it intentionally because I've seen his posts and I don't see him as arrogant but the way it was posted probably spured this debate. If he would have simply said, 'hey look at this buck my buddy seen on this small tract of land' and showed us the picture, this wouldln't have blown up like this. But it came across as 'I can shoot these types of bucks anyday so I'll pass on this one because it's too easy'-I'm not saying that's Matt's view, but the way it was presented probably helped spur this on.