I read this article by Mark Kayer in a Mag. of North American Hunter. I know this is a surprise since on one occasion a memeber told me I must not read. This article reminded me of several post that I have read on TN Deer in the past. He starts out talking about television shows, Internet, and even Magazines that we read can often be mis-leading in the world of white-tail deer. He states that it is human nature to show the "best of the best" so regardless of the media source, the owners of these domains want to lure you in with the biggest white-tails possible. He even mentioned, how many TV shows would you watch if they were killing spikes and does.

Without considering the facts he states that hunters believe with a enough hard hunting and a little luck, a giant will eventually walk in front of them to make their dreams come true. He states that he wish it were that simple, but if you set your sights too high, you might be setting yourself up for not only a disappointing season, but also a lackluster whitetail career.

He talked about instead of hunting for a deer you have a realistic chance of encountering, you might be hunting for the proverbial needle in the haystack-deer that simply can't be found in the your zip code. He goes on to talk about hunters should look at the bucks being checked in and the bucks that your fellow hunters have killed around you.... This article goes on but I just hit a few high points

Very interesting suff....

Unrealistic expectations is the biggest problem currently plaguing deer hunting and deer management.

I agree

My expectations are only to enjoy what the good LORD has provided me with. Enjoying the sights and sounds of the outdoors, and the anticipation of what could happen at any given moment are the reasons I'm there. I've been fortunate enough to take a few nice deer over the years, but thats just iceing on the cake...to be there..."PRICELESS"

A little common sense goes a long way. if more hunters would use just that, their wouldnt be such a huge gap in expectations/reality!

Absolutely. It's about common sense and knowing what factors limit antler growth.

I'll never forget a few years back when a new poster to TNdeer was looking for hunters who wanted to join his "trophy" lease in Hickman County. The property was 600 acres of unbroken ridge-and-hollow hardwoods and the antler harvest minimum was 150 gross. Good luck with the plan...

dang wonder how that turned out LOL

I like the topic....But in my case I don't set any goals, now let me explain...
I just go hunting, sounds simple I know but I seem to have more luck and have a better time just hunting. No pressure just me and the deer that come into range. I guess I've got to that stage in hunting....

Unrealistic expectations is the biggest problem currently plaguing deer hunting and deer management.

While my ultimate goal is to kill a booner I realize that is not likely to happen...

I know what I can expect to kill from trail cam pictures and that is my realistic challenge or expectation.

My goal is to get out in the woods...someone once said "90% of life is just showing up"...I do my best to show up and then just let things unfold as they will...

Unrealistic expectations is the biggest problem currently plaguing deer hunting and deer management.