I'm not calling anyone out here at all first off. I've just been seeing a lot of young deer killed and it's frustrating. Especially in my area. It seems as if hunters would rather kill anything with antlers before they eat a tag. I don't get it. What pride is there in shooting a 2 year old deer? Why not just let them walk and have another shot next year? Too many people run with the "if it's brown it's down" mentality. Is there anything that can be done to change this?
I've seen deer carcasses laying on the side of the road and they are spike bucks. Why not kill a doe if you're just hunting for meat?
I'm with you on this... We went door to to see how much interest there was in starting up qdm in our area and turns out we weren't the only ones concerned w the high number of young deer being harvested.. We all decided a 3 1/2 or 140 incher was our (accepted) deer. Also we decided this did not apply to youth hunts.. Not everyone plays by the rules but for the most part everyone complies and the quality in our deer herd has shown tremendous gains.
It is frustrating... But the people shooting those deer might consider that a trophy. Can't knock anyone for shooting a deer smaller than you would like them to take.
We can only control what we do. If you don't want to shoot a 2 year old don't, but everyone buys a tag and is entitled to shoot any deer within the legal limits. It's frustrating as a trophy hunter, but not everyone is a trophy hunter so I say to each their own and shoot what makes you happy and don't worry about what other people are doing.
Some people are happy to take any buck, why decide what their happiness is? As people we are often amazed that others do not know what we know. If it makes you feel better just consider that somebody has to make the upper 50% possible.
All I'm saying is there are people passing 160, 170, class deer, why shouldn't these guys set your standards. That's what you're wanting to do, set someone else's standards.
I don't want to sound like a horses butt, it's just I don't see the point in killing a 2 year old deer I guess. There are plenty of does for meat. Especially around this area.
Everyone's situation is different. Some people can't hunt as often as others due to work, kids, sports etc. Some people have limited access to quality hunting grounds. If my neighbor is happy with an 85 inch deer good for him. Just because someone has a different goal than you doesn't make what they are doing wrong. I personaly have been holding out for mature bucks the last 5 years and I get enjoyment from that but it's not for everyone. Long sits and no shooting can wear on a person.
To those of you saying "you can't control what others shoot", I say BS, the DNR does it every season... Now now...no, I'm not saying it's okay for every state to enact a 3.5 year old minimum, I'm just saying laws and rules start somewhere. I realize the reality is not everyone cares about age or size, I think that's why the DNR does as well as possible to compromise somewhere in the middle for us. A large percentage of hunters couldn't age a deer on the hoof if their life depended on it and even the experienced hunters are iffy because it's just hard and unreliable. Even if it was made a rule, a 3.5 year old minimum is utterly un-enforcable. The best policy is to "encourage" rather than to penalize, you have to get people to volunteer to self impose restrictions to the best of their abilities and desires.
I agree, but I did shoot a young deer this year. I can see how that woukd be frustrating. I shot a 2 1/2 year old 8 point on opening day, and nothing could have made me happier. I had several pictures of this deer, and to me it was a trophy. I dont think that there is any right or wrong deer for anybody. shoot what makes you happy, and puts a smile on your face. If you dont do that, then you are missing the whole point of hunting.
Here's the thing: hunting is 100% a personal thing. Do not get me wrong, I don't shoot button bucks (on purpose) or 1 1/2's myself...and I try to pass up all 2 1/2 year old bucks, in our area though some 2 1/2's can be very tempting and I won't lie and say I never have though. I however target 3 1/2 and older, because honestly 75% of my area hunters will shoot 2 1/2's so I hunt the top 25%. That said though I will never look down on another person for their harvest choice anymore, I used to but not anymore. I've learned that if hunted legally, recovered legally and the hunter is happy I'll congratulate them...it isn't my place to educate them necessarily, but especially not at that time. I don't know their time allowance, job vacation time or personal life. To me hunting is something bigger than a here or there hobby, it is a love, it isn't this for everyone. Some enjoy the escape and time but take the first buck they see so they can get back to their lives...others simply don't care about the age structure or the rack at all, yet want to shoot a buck for whatever the reason...again not my cup of tea but if legal I'll still congratulate them. The decisions on what to harvest have to be a personal choice (unless on a lease with limits or someone else's property that sets a minimum)...no other person should affect or sway someone's decision on what to shoot. It used to frustrate me so much to the point of wanting to ruin neighboring hunters hunts...because I knew they'd shoot that yearling that hadn't even seen a second winter yet all day every day. I grew up though some since, accept this is just part of hunting. Last year I video'd an awesome 2 1/2 year old that sported probably a 115 inch rack....he was shot 8 minutes later by a neighbor. Stung, but he just as likely could have lived and I have made the personal decision what I'm after; and the neighboring hunter had as well. However, that hunter found out I had video'd the buck and that I'd passed it and it started the thought process with him that there is bigger bucks around....may have a convert started. :D We have a community hunter dinner at a neighboring amish guys house each year near the Homestead place...and he always wants people to bring some of the pictures or mounts of the deer they've taken in the area....some were very hesitant to share but once people started bringing mounts and pics it really started opening up some eyes of the "shoot anything crowd".
To answer this directly I will ask you the following: -Have you reached out or invited area hunters to a dinner or night to discuss possibly forming a Co-Op of area hunters with similar mindsets? -Have you shared with area hunters that there are some bigger maturer deer running around, making them more inclined to hold off shooting the youngins if they want something bigger? -Have you looked into QDMA literature on how to start Co-Op? They can be of great assistance? The most powerful tool I've heard about and found works to keep people from shooting young deer is the knowledge bigger ones exist and that they are not alone in the "pass the young ones" mentality.
We all hunt for our own reasons and find enjoyment in different aspects of hunting. For some of us that enjoyment comes in the pursuit of older "trophy" class deer. For others it comes purely from the experience of being in the woods and shooting a deer - regardless of age, size, etc. As they say, to each their own. So long as deer herds are healthy and there are an ample amount of animals out there I don't believe that anyone - whether it be us as hunters or the DNR - should regulate the age/size of an animal that can or can't be shot. If someone wants to shoot a young buck and it makes them happy than so be it. I'm not one for impairing someone's right to pursue happiness just because I selfishly want that deer to grow older so I have a chance to kill him.
Awesome post Tyni. That's what I meant about encouraging people to self regulate. Personally, I only target bucks that are 5.5, that would be a stupid thing to try to force on everyone else.
I don't want to sound like an donkey here but if it bothers you that much, invest money into your own property that is large enough to manage your own herd and put all of your focus on that. There is no way that you can transfer your values onto others, each and every hunter out there hunts for different reasons and they have their own views on the deer they harvest.
PETA imposes their will on others. Many vegans impose their will on others. Muslim extremists impose their will on others. Lets not have deer hunters imposing their will on others. To each their own. Go hunt and do whatever floats your boat as long as you follow the laws.
OUR government trys and does impose their will on us... waaaay too much! You have too many bullets in that "clip" That Gun is "evil" You HAVE to buy health insurance or be penalized... ect ect ect Heck Odumber just gave a speech in Chicago and said something to the effect "we need more gun laws in this country like Chicago has" I guess he doesnt know the statistics on gun violence "Chiraq"! Im not trying to get off base here and I can see some hunting buddies sitting around the camp fire or whatever and talking about shooting bigger/older deer... but other than that its YOUR opinion and none of us should be imposing our will on other people. Too much of that already in this world. Live and let live imo.
