For me it depends on a lot. Where my cabin is for example, its mostly big woods. And public land. For me there, a shooter is a solid 2.5 year old buck. I try to hold myself to even with the ears or bigger 8+ points, but depending on the buck I am willing to take something else. Its a heavy hunted area, and has come a long way thanks to antler regs. Before that to most hunters there a spike was a shooter, a fork was a trophy. On that hard hunted ground, a 100" deer would make my day. A 110" would make me dance and a 120+ would down right blow my mind. I found a match set of sheds in the 112-115" range a few years back, and have pictures of a 125" 10 last year, so they are there. But I wouldn't set my goal that high. Now on m 120 acres of private land, I try to hold to a 3.5 year old, 120 min. I have not broke the 120 yet. Last year I shot a 110" 4.5 year old 6 that Im super proud of other then it was a rifle buck. The year before I shot a 3.5 that went 112", ground shrinkage but Im still proud. And honestly, any buck that I can be proud to sit behind I will shoot regardless of what you or my neighbor thinks. But for the record, I think Im the closest thing to a trophy hunter of my neighbors.
It really didnt rub me the wrong way either. I agree with you on most of it. I wont shoot a 3.5 unless hes really filled out. But you just have to let it go when you see small bucks killed because they make someone else as happy as a 4.5 yr old 150" makes you.
No offence but this is the most ignorant thread I've ever seen on here. Does it not occur to any of you spoiled brats who has leases, resources, private property, time to hunt etc. not everyone has that ability. Some people go to public land for 2-3 days a year and hunt for meat. That's right meat, you remember the reason why you started hunting. The reason we use to fight off Anti hunters. It's bad enough we have to fight them now we need to fight our own. Be ashamed of yourselves. In my area I'm allowed two tags. I have two farms I hunt. I am fortunate to be able to hunt 2-3 a week the entire season. My first tags is for first deer I see. That's for the freezer. Then I enjoy the second tag and wait out a trophy. That's me and my choice. I know many people who hunt the first deer they see. I have brought many guests to my properties and watched them shoot a fork buck. I saw the excitement in their face. And I was happy for them. That is why we love hunting! I have also seen a guy shoot a 145" 10 point and couldn't care less about the antlers. He wanted to leave the antlers at my house he didn't even want them. He was so thrilled with all the meat he got. I'm sitting in my tree now typing this and almost gagged honestly. I have nothing against the qdma crowd. I have nothing against the brown it's down crowd either. To each their own. But don't start a thread about petitioning and calling game wardens etc to change rules.
Does make babies. So a spike buck my have the same meat but at least the doe is still alive to have fawns. Other are going to shoot whatever they want. That's something that you will have to get used to. Your trophy isn't the same as other. As mentioned above, keep it in perspective, some people are passing 160's to kill 180's. My dads opinion of a monster buck is a 140, mine is a 160 and that's fine with me. Whatever keeps us hunting together as long as possible.
I think it's the complete opposite. Antis understand to an extent the idea of hunting for food. They may hate it, but it's at least somewhat of an argument for them. The guy that holds out for the big buck is just a trophy hunter in their eyes. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
While I agree with this principle on my land (or rather land I hunt), I get more upset with people who fill tag after tag. we have people who shot deer and tag them with family members or friends tag that don't hunt. it bothers me, that people do it so often. they are the ones that make hunting harder for the rest of us and not so much the "Non-trophy" hunters. I don't mind so much the younger bucks getting shot as much as the numbers of deer one kills in a year. especially when they hunt next door to you. If someone shoots a young buck so be it. look at this way. you will have one less smaller buck to worry about chasing and breeding those hot does. there will be more hot does for the older bucks.
The thread was more rant than anything. It was never started to petition game wardens or establish tules!?#
The polarity in what? Ignorant vs not ignorant? I made it clear qdma crowd doesn't bother me. But I also said the brown it's down crowd doesn't bother me. I'm saying to each their own and hunting is not about large racks to everyone. To some it is and for them great! I love the hardcore qdma boys and I love the Bucks they take. I wish I could take those annually. But that doesn't mean those who don't chose to do qdma are unethical, less of a man and all the other bs I read in here. There are members of this forum who live in areas that are lucky to even see one deer in a season. Point is to each their own. Forcing qdma on others sounds very extreme. Kinda like those who force religions etc
Not polarity, polar opposite as in north vs south poles. OP was hammering on folks for shooting young deer, you seemed to be pretty harsh on the "spoiled brats" that have good circumstances that allow them to be picky. Both are pretty opposite and both are pretty overly harsh. Now saying one is ignorant and one isn't? Both are just opinions and both are worth voicing but I don't think it conveys very well for either side to be abrasive about it. It's a little weird to chastise one group for a point of view and say they should be ashamed when you turn around and label them as spoiled and ignorant because you don't share their point of view either....
I shot a spike earlier last week cause cause my freezer was empty and don't get shot opportunities every year. I take what I can get. You can't eat antlers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It didn't rub me wrong, I knew where you were coming from. My buddies and I formed a hunt club and would lease prime land. We would plant plots, let young bucks walk, etc. Even back then I never shot a buck young or old, I really am meat only and would take 3 doe/year. We kept practicing QDM only to get upended by a relative or such who reaped the benefits of our hard work. When we had enough, we bought a 600+ acre farm crawling with deer. I let every buck walk and stuck with my 3 doe/year deal. When the economy crashed, one by one jobs were lost until it got down to me and one guy. It was too much for us to split a monthly mortgage on a big farm during this economy. I got spoiled and now I've worked HARD for 4-5 years just to get a deer to step on our new property. A new set of doe have recently showed up and I'll take one or two. However, after this long drought if I was gonna get stuck with all my tags yet again, I'd probably take any deer before season ended.
Covey your missing my very point. I'm not harsh against anyone. I'm one of those people with 2 farms and hunt 2-3 per week every week of season. I repeated numerous times I love what the qdma boys do and even envy it. I'm not saying trophy hunters are wrong. I'm saying whatever a trophy is to you tjay awesome. You can shoot 150 or more all day that's incredible. I love it! All I'm saying is don't tell others they are less than you cause they chose to shoot whatever they see. Cause a 6 point 80" deer may be a absolute wall hanger for some. That's all. The op was not advocating for qdma and its benefits. He was basically saying "how low are you to shoot a fork".
First of all you dont no what is a trophy to someone and you dont no where they hunt and how hard it is to hunt they could hunt public land and never see a deer over 2 why do u kill 4 year old deer?? Why not let them walk untill there 5? Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
What tynimiller said! Most of the buck I've shot with a bow are 2.5-3.5 and would all pass a 3 pt antler restriction. I wish my home state of VT would impose a 3 pt antler restriction, but until they do then to each there own. Many people I know just do not have the time to dedicate to hunting 3.5-5.5 yo bucks, I wish I did, but until I'm retired it's just not possible. And with 8 people in my family, meat in the freezer is a good thing. So I understand why people shoot spikes and basket racks and will never judge them for it. As for does, I would shoot more but VT has a severe population shortage and until the population rebounds I won't take more then one doe per season.
I assume that everyone here knows who Fred Bear is? If you don't, stop watching the Hollywood hunters on TV and do some homework on the real deal. One of his famous quotes. "A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be". Fred Bear The message their is about the love of the hunt. I started hunting as a kid well before legal age. Me, siblings and local kids my age were used like dogs to push the bush. While our dads and other old guys would be posting. It wasn't until I got older that I took a liking for bow hunting. But I tell you I was not like most kids after Halloween dieing for Xmas gifts. I was dieing for those days my dad would take me out of school to go hunting. Then hearing the gun shots, then being in the barn with everyone and all the deer hanging. Based on all your opinions this guys are not "real hunters". I haven't been involved in a shotgun hunt for over 10 years. I prefer to bow hunt myself. But I tell you what. If tomorrow I could chose to bow hunt a 170" deer. Or bring half those men back from the dead and push the bush for them like a hound again. I tell you I would run through those woods like a pack of hounds. Cause I can't think of a better memory from my child hood then hunting with those ole guys. That's what hunting is about. So please don't tarnish what I love. If your goal is to bow hunt 160" deer. Good on you. I hope to see your pics every year. I love it! But always be humble and not only let others shoot whatever they want. Encourage it! To add more people to our great sport. And they will one day set higher goals for themselves. Like everyone on this forum did over time. Not one of us said 150" or more from the first day we say in a tree. That's my final word on this.
