Excellent post Mirroman... You hit the nail on the head. I hope EVERYONE reads that.
Originally posted by deadriver:
I don't think there is an experienced hunter out there who would not jump at the chance to harvest a 4.5 year old buck. So why don't we, as a state, have the management in place to limit the bucks shot, so that more bucks mature.
The reason is too many people have to brag about the number of "bucks" they have shot. Most guys think it is macho to kill only bucks. I hate trying to talk to these people... everyone wants to have an opportunity to shoot a nice deer, but most people are afraid to let a 16" buck walk for fear that someone else will shoot it... greed, pure and simple. "I'll shoot it before someone else does..."
Deer do not belong to one parcel of land... the ones on yours cross the line just like ours. If we pass a 17" deer this year and the neighbor shoots it next year - great... we all participated in the management. If you want to have 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 year old deer; it will take 3.5, 4.5 or 5.5 years from NOW to see the results.
If you are happy just shooting basket racks forever... fine. That is all you will ever have - unless you raise some or some come from somewhere else. To each his own.
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."
Will Rogers
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