Whitetail Craziness
12-10-2018, 07:53 AM
#22
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,150
In many states, a hunter can only take one antlered deer and multiple doe. In my experience, bucks with large racks also have large bodies.Shooting the freezer full of mature doe, plus one large bodied, large antlered buck sure seems to make sense - and fits the legal restriction of many states.
I might turn biology on your argument: it's proven that taking immature deer - filling the freezer by being less selective in how you fill your tags - is damaging to deer population both in quantity and quality. So my neighbors who tout themselves as "meat hunters," who shoot any deer they see walking to fill their freezers, are doing statistically far more irresponsible damage to the deer population than those of us who selectively pick off mature, big bodied, big bodied bucks, and mature doe who have already produced multiple seasons.
"Rack records" have been on the books a very, very long time. We've recognized large bucks by inches rather than pounds since before WWII in many states, and it's impossible to say that there isn't an incentive to harvest a large buck. But it's asinine to pretend the nutrition and genetics which yield big racks doesn't also yield big bodies.
I might turn biology on your argument: it's proven that taking immature deer - filling the freezer by being less selective in how you fill your tags - is damaging to deer population both in quantity and quality. So my neighbors who tout themselves as "meat hunters," who shoot any deer they see walking to fill their freezers, are doing statistically far more irresponsible damage to the deer population than those of us who selectively pick off mature, big bodied, big bodied bucks, and mature doe who have already produced multiple seasons.
"Rack records" have been on the books a very, very long time. We've recognized large bucks by inches rather than pounds since before WWII in many states, and it's impossible to say that there isn't an incentive to harvest a large buck. But it's asinine to pretend the nutrition and genetics which yield big racks doesn't also yield big bodies.
12-10-2018, 11:39 AM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
I think the whole idea that its all about antlers is quite overblown.
When I run into a hunting buddy they ask me if I'm seeing any good bucks. They don't ask me "been seeing any doe?" but we all kill and eat more doe than bucks
I killed a doe 2 days ago with my muzzle loader and she is hanging in the yard right now. She and another doe will make up a lot of my families meat intake for the year and we love the whole process. I had a lot of fun this weekend hunting and and got a few text from close friends asking if I did any good and I responded "yeah I shot a big doe" and they said "nice" and the conversation was over.
What else is there to talk about? Bucks come with interesting stories and history and pursuit and an average doe just don't.
I really enjoyed my muzzleloader hunt and was after a fat doe for my families table. Its part of my lifestyle and something I will pass down and hope my daughter passes down but at the end of the day its a doe.....I don't even know if Ive seen her before, I would have shot any one of 20 doe just like her, she walked right out of the timber to feed in the open in the broad daylight and I shot her. I don't mean that one deer is really more special than the other but when I shoot an average doe there really isn't much of a story to tell.
I'm what a lot of people would label a "trophy hunter" because I love the challenge of pursuing an old mature buck and often a specific animal and when I get one I tell you all the story and show you pictures because its interesting but the truth is I shoot 2-5 doe for every 1 buck. Its a big part of my families culture. We do it all, we wouldn't have it any other way, and we enjoy it very much in house but how much do any of you really care about the story of me shooting an average doe 2 days ago? There is really just not much story to tell.
We fish alot also and again its a big part of our culture and we very much enjoy going out on the lake and catching a good mess of average crappie for dinner but the handful of 15 inchers are the ones I'll tell stories about because nobody wants to here a story about my 9 inch crappie I caught and ate
When I run into a hunting buddy they ask me if I'm seeing any good bucks. They don't ask me "been seeing any doe?" but we all kill and eat more doe than bucks
I killed a doe 2 days ago with my muzzle loader and she is hanging in the yard right now. She and another doe will make up a lot of my families meat intake for the year and we love the whole process. I had a lot of fun this weekend hunting and and got a few text from close friends asking if I did any good and I responded "yeah I shot a big doe" and they said "nice" and the conversation was over.
What else is there to talk about? Bucks come with interesting stories and history and pursuit and an average doe just don't.
I really enjoyed my muzzleloader hunt and was after a fat doe for my families table. Its part of my lifestyle and something I will pass down and hope my daughter passes down but at the end of the day its a doe.....I don't even know if Ive seen her before, I would have shot any one of 20 doe just like her, she walked right out of the timber to feed in the open in the broad daylight and I shot her. I don't mean that one deer is really more special than the other but when I shoot an average doe there really isn't much of a story to tell.
I'm what a lot of people would label a "trophy hunter" because I love the challenge of pursuing an old mature buck and often a specific animal and when I get one I tell you all the story and show you pictures because its interesting but the truth is I shoot 2-5 doe for every 1 buck. Its a big part of my families culture. We do it all, we wouldn't have it any other way, and we enjoy it very much in house but how much do any of you really care about the story of me shooting an average doe 2 days ago? There is really just not much story to tell.
We fish alot also and again its a big part of our culture and we very much enjoy going out on the lake and catching a good mess of average crappie for dinner but the handful of 15 inchers are the ones I'll tell stories about because nobody wants to here a story about my 9 inch crappie I caught and ate
12-10-2018, 12:20 PM
#24
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Here you go guys.
Wife told me we needed some more meat so I went and setup with my muzzle loader where Ive been seeing some doe. This one walked out about 20 minutes before last shoot light and I shot her. Now she is hanging out in the yard and we are going to butcher and eat her
Discuss(Story would probably score huge ratings on TV)
Wife told me we needed some more meat so I went and setup with my muzzle loader where Ive been seeing some doe. This one walked out about 20 minutes before last shoot light and I shot her. Now she is hanging out in the yard and we are going to butcher and eat her
Discuss(Story would probably score huge ratings on TV)
Last edited by rockport; 12-10-2018 at 12:22 PM.
12-11-2018, 11:39 AM
#27
Spike
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 34
I agree with you OP, deer hunting has really changed. I hunt for the trophy "freezer deer" on a small parcel my wife and purchased in WI about 6 years ago. Prior to that 40+ years on mostly public land, with some private back in the 70's. Never really gave a poop about antlers. While I will shoot a buck if/when one presents a clean shot, I mainly hunt for the does. This season I was given 1 Buck and 5 antlerless tags, and was fortunate to bag 3 really nice does. Freezer's filled and life is good! As my Dad would say, "you can't eat antlers", he's gone now, but his words still ring true for me.
Be well folks
Be well folks
Last edited by Divenut2; 12-11-2018 at 11:42 AM.
12-11-2018, 11:41 AM
#28
Spike
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 34
I think the whole idea that its all about antlers is quite overblown.
When I run into a hunting buddy they ask me if I'm seeing any good bucks. They don't ask me "been seeing any doe?" but we all kill and eat more doe than bucks
I killed a doe 2 days ago with my muzzle loader and she is hanging in the yard right now. She and another doe will make up a lot of my families meat intake for the year and we love the whole process. I had a lot of fun this weekend hunting and and got a few text from close friends asking if I did any good and I responded "yeah I shot a big doe" and they said "nice" and the conversation was over.
What else is there to talk about? Bucks come with interesting stories and history and pursuit and an average doe just don't.
I really enjoyed my muzzleloader hunt and was after a fat doe for my families table. Its part of my lifestyle and something I will pass down and hope my daughter passes down but at the end of the day its a doe.....I don't even know if Ive seen her before, I would have shot any one of 20 doe just like her, she walked right out of the timber to feed in the open in the broad daylight and I shot her. I don't mean that one deer is really more special than the other but when I shoot an average doe there really isn't much of a story to tell.
I'm what a lot of people would label a "trophy hunter" because I love the challenge of pursuing an old mature buck and often a specific animal and when I get one I tell you all the story and show you pictures because its interesting but the truth is I shoot 2-5 doe for every 1 buck. Its a big part of my families culture. We do it all, we wouldn't have it any other way, and we enjoy it very much in house but how much do any of you really care about the story of me shooting an average doe 2 days ago? There is really just not much story to tell.
We fish alot also and again its a big part of our culture and we very much enjoy going out on the lake and catching a good mess of average crappie for dinner but the handful of 15 inchers are the ones I'll tell stories about because nobody wants to here a story about my 9 inch crappie I caught and ate
When I run into a hunting buddy they ask me if I'm seeing any good bucks. They don't ask me "been seeing any doe?" but we all kill and eat more doe than bucks
I killed a doe 2 days ago with my muzzle loader and she is hanging in the yard right now. She and another doe will make up a lot of my families meat intake for the year and we love the whole process. I had a lot of fun this weekend hunting and and got a few text from close friends asking if I did any good and I responded "yeah I shot a big doe" and they said "nice" and the conversation was over.
What else is there to talk about? Bucks come with interesting stories and history and pursuit and an average doe just don't.
I really enjoyed my muzzleloader hunt and was after a fat doe for my families table. Its part of my lifestyle and something I will pass down and hope my daughter passes down but at the end of the day its a doe.....I don't even know if Ive seen her before, I would have shot any one of 20 doe just like her, she walked right out of the timber to feed in the open in the broad daylight and I shot her. I don't mean that one deer is really more special than the other but when I shoot an average doe there really isn't much of a story to tell.
I'm what a lot of people would label a "trophy hunter" because I love the challenge of pursuing an old mature buck and often a specific animal and when I get one I tell you all the story and show you pictures because its interesting but the truth is I shoot 2-5 doe for every 1 buck. Its a big part of my families culture. We do it all, we wouldn't have it any other way, and we enjoy it very much in house but how much do any of you really care about the story of me shooting an average doe 2 days ago? There is really just not much story to tell.
We fish alot also and again its a big part of our culture and we very much enjoy going out on the lake and catching a good mess of average crappie for dinner but the handful of 15 inchers are the ones I'll tell stories about because nobody wants to here a story about my 9 inch crappie I caught and ate
12-11-2018, 01:54 PM
#29
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,227
12-11-2018, 01:57 PM
#30
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 140
I hunt for meat and pretty much shoot any deer that isn't a fawn when I see them. We have a lot of deer where I hunt and you can take an unlimited number of does each year but only 1 buck. My buddy only wants to shoot big deer and especially big bucks. Well I have 4 deer in my freezer and he has one. That one was not a big buck either. He ended up settling on the last weekend.
As for deer farms that grow these bucks with ridiculous antlers that look like chandeliers....no thanks. If every buck you see is a shooter then it seems like it would make hunting them anti-climactic. Where I hunt if you saw a 150" deer, that might be the biggest one taken there in some time.
As for deer farms that grow these bucks with ridiculous antlers that look like chandeliers....no thanks. If every buck you see is a shooter then it seems like it would make hunting them anti-climactic. Where I hunt if you saw a 150" deer, that might be the biggest one taken there in some time.
