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BSK: Reasonable expectations
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<blockquote data-quote="Fleet Fox" data-source="post: 3937279" data-attributes="member: 15595"><p>This pretty much sums it up. My first factor in becoming a better hunter, for my expectations, was to get as efficient as possible at aging deer on the hoof. In the beginning, a 110" 2 year old got me so excited that I couldn't resist shooting it. After a few of those, I realized that in order to please myself, I was going to have to sit and watch those bucks walk because even my highest-end 2 year olds weren't going to top 115 inches 99% of the time. I then set my sights on 3 year olds with larger than average rack measurements. It didn't take long to realize the differences in their movement once velvet had shed from the bucks younger than them. After killing 2 of my better 3 year olds in 2013 that measured 120 and a hair under 140, and having one very close chance at a mid 170s 5 year old that I had watched since he was 2, I decided that it was time for me to completely change my game if I wanted to kill bucks that are over the 130" mark consistently. I know now the property I hunt will present me with a chance to kill, almost every year, a 130 class or larger deer because I get them on camera. That means the ball is in my court to only hunt when conditions are in my favor, which is hard to do because I love sitting in a tree for many other reasons than just to kill a deer. However, it is the choice I have made and I will discipline myself to hunt that way. As fun as it may be to see 2 and 3 year olds on a regular basis during bow season, what is the purpose when I walk into the woods almost everyday knowing, with almost 100% certainty, that I am not going to kill one that day? I have other properties to hunt that won't present me the opportunities to kill the same class deer that this one particular farm will for a number of reasons, so I can overhunt them for my therapy. I also plan to start hunting public land, since it is close to home and can do nothing but increase my skills.</p><p></p><p>Over time, my desire to provide habitat, manage a herd and hone my hunting skills has given me much more fulfillment than just killing deer to parade around in the bed of a truck. Once you spend as much time as I do getting to know each individual deer and their habits, you almost feel obligated to do what is best for them as a group, which fortunately for me means killing a few of them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fleet Fox, post: 3937279, member: 15595"] This pretty much sums it up. My first factor in becoming a better hunter, for my expectations, was to get as efficient as possible at aging deer on the hoof. In the beginning, a 110" 2 year old got me so excited that I couldn't resist shooting it. After a few of those, I realized that in order to please myself, I was going to have to sit and watch those bucks walk because even my highest-end 2 year olds weren't going to top 115 inches 99% of the time. I then set my sights on 3 year olds with larger than average rack measurements. It didn't take long to realize the differences in their movement once velvet had shed from the bucks younger than them. After killing 2 of my better 3 year olds in 2013 that measured 120 and a hair under 140, and having one very close chance at a mid 170s 5 year old that I had watched since he was 2, I decided that it was time for me to completely change my game if I wanted to kill bucks that are over the 130" mark consistently. I know now the property I hunt will present me with a chance to kill, almost every year, a 130 class or larger deer because I get them on camera. That means the ball is in my court to only hunt when conditions are in my favor, which is hard to do because I love sitting in a tree for many other reasons than just to kill a deer. However, it is the choice I have made and I will discipline myself to hunt that way. As fun as it may be to see 2 and 3 year olds on a regular basis during bow season, what is the purpose when I walk into the woods almost everyday knowing, with almost 100% certainty, that I am not going to kill one that day? I have other properties to hunt that won't present me the opportunities to kill the same class deer that this one particular farm will for a number of reasons, so I can overhunt them for my therapy. I also plan to start hunting public land, since it is close to home and can do nothing but increase my skills. Over time, my desire to provide habitat, manage a herd and hone my hunting skills has given me much more fulfillment than just killing deer to parade around in the bed of a truck. Once you spend as much time as I do getting to know each individual deer and their habits, you almost feel obligated to do what is best for them as a group, which fortunately for me means killing a few of them. [/QUOTE]
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