I stress about it alot, actually. Just like any other "sport", your judged on success. If i tell a guy ive killed 10 deer since 2006, he'll ask how many are 150" bucks. Just the way it is now.
Two things. (Great timely thread by the way) A. My personal pet peeve. Why does one try to impose their standards on everyone else as if they are the ones owning the woods. It happens more then you think. I've heard stories where a kid shot his first deer (gun). It was a spike. He got it back to camp and everyone was overjoyed except one prick had to say "why did you shoot that thing? Don't you know we practice QDM?" I heard the kids face just imploded. Sad.... truly sad. B. I have a neighbor adjacent to some private farm land I hunt. I touched base with him in advance about tracking deer on his property and vice versa. Thought I would just introduce myself and put on a good face. Well, the first thing the guy says is, "Do you practice QDM". I said "depends". If I have not seen anything the whole season and I need meat, I may shoot something smaller depending on various circumstances. The guy said if we don't perform his standard of QDM there is no way he is letting us track any deer on his property. Again, truly sad. I can't stress enough how much I agree with every deer should be celebrated.
Hunting (Bowhunting) is very personal. I don't hunt for the TV personalities, I don't even hunt for you. It's me in that tree and I LOVE it. TV, Internet, entertaining at times... but in the end... it's just me in the tree. (Sometimes a friend filming LOL) Scott, dismiss it, I know you get it when you're out there all by yourself too. Think about, I love the deer I shoot, all of them from Rob bucks to typicals (yeah right LOL) but I've been criticized by a few for the animals I CHOOSE to shoot. Screw him, they made me very happy, giddy, pumped..etc... I hunt for me.
You can be the club president. This late season here in WI, the first 2 year old that walks by is getting schwacked. Hell, I'll probably do the same when I get back to IL this late season.
Kind of like me taking the rifle along and if I seen a nice buck or doe out of bow range during our 2.5 week General Deer Season... I would shoot. Been 4 years since I shot a buck with rifle. Been even longer since I shot a doe with rifle. Yep sounded like a good, fun plan of not plotting, weather watching, wind checking and ect... The first 10 days... I passed 3 bucks 120 - 140. 4 or 5 does with rifle. Then I had to go back to work. The last 3 days... I passed the 140 again, a busted up mature buck that should have been taken out, 115 class buck, 120ish buck, 135 buck and 3 does. I just couldn't pull the trigger. Had they came in bow range... I would have shot 3 of the bucks in a heart beat and filled my doe tag. I even left the bow in the truck the last 3 days to try to get out of the bow hunting mentality. Couldn't do it. Rifle hunting felt too much like scouting. When I scout... I plot with bow in mind. I love plotting. I will say I had fun though and learned quite a bit watching the deer dealing with pressure of everyone else rifle hunting. I know " where " I will be hunting next year during that 2.5 week season. I know " when " I will be hunting during that 2.5 week season. There won't be any 270 coming along for the ride though. Good luck going back to just deer hunting. It won't be happening anytime soon for me. You know anyone looking for a 270 Rem 7400 ?? Tim
Oh yeah??? I can do better that that. The first deer, any deer, no matter what that walks by me is getting wacked.
Way off topic Dan. Just washed my clothes and hung them outside. Not sure they will be dry by the weekend. Looks like they will be frozen most of the time between now and Saturday. What do you do about that up there for late season? I guess I could put it in the dryer but I hate doing that. Sorry about the
buck, this sport has drifted so far commercially that anything they say i assume you have to buy the next word! as far as TDM goes if they believe it,let'em ha-ha
I just put them in the dryer. Hell, sometimes I wear my heavy wool clothing when its really cold, and that stuff has never been washed. Just use the wind.
Ill trade you, My brothers/buddies have seen no less then 4 P&Y bucks from my stands, while ive been in the classroom. Worst feeling in the world.
I love QDM and am glad I live in a 4 point restriction county. A few of the deer Ive seen taken this year on here would be considered illegal and the hunters considered poachers where I hunt. I dont look down upon the hunters for taking a small buck, they are obviously excited about their kills and cared enough to share it with us on the forum. And I loved reading every one, thats what its all about HUNTING! But when you've killed small bucks year after year you always want to do one step up. Here we only get to kill a handful of bucks in a year, which you would have to hunt archery(2), rifle(1), and muzzleloader(1) seasons. (Not sure on Urban) Since we've passed on all of the 2.5 and even some 3.5 year olds that we saw last year, most of which are still legal to take, we've seen higher numbers of bigger deer this year. Its proved to work where I hunt and not just for the bucks, the does are becoming fat and lazy Yearlings were dressing +60lbs, Im sure the 10+ different kinds food sources had something to do with it. GFY Camp, that neighbor sounds like a real prick. I hope that decision of theirs comes back to bite them in the butt.
It has evolved into what it is now over at least the last 20 years or more. I call it the TDKAAC ( trophy deer killing at all costs ) fiasco. Personally, I've made it a learning experience and not a contest. It keeps the fun in it.
One word.....money! Hunting is a huge biz and a pecker measuring game. Sad! I don't think you should just hunt horns, but age is a big deal. What I mean when I say money is most of these ranchers and farmers make more $$ when they sale hunts then they make on cows. Just my 2 cents
