Change; Let's talk about it

[AT Hiker]

Ive recently just noticed the trend of "hunting the way it used to be" comments being made. It got me thinking about how I grew up hunting and all things involved with it.

So now, with changes in license fees, politics, seasons/limits, yeti coolers, tv hunters, etc and all the fuss associated with it, it made me think about the changes Ive seen in my short time of hunting. What affects, if any,those changes had on me are interesting.

For example;
I remember the excitement associated with driving by or stopping at the local check station. Looking at the pictures, awing at a buck hanging from the scale, listening to the older guys talk about...well, all things hunting.

Thanks to change, I dont get that anymore. Social media, Tndeer, e-mails, text messages and online check-in have essentially taken that personally connection away. Is that a bad thing? Is that bad for deer hunting? I dont think so.

What noticeable changes in deer hunting have you witnessed.




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[stringtalker]

The biggest change I've seen is that deer hunting is all about money. It's getting to where if you don't have alot of money you are not going to be able to hunt. It's made out to be that you gotta have this stand or you gotta have this camo or this cover scent and so on and so on. In all reality, none of that is necessary. It's only goin to get worse

 

[catman529]

I've been hunting roughly 5 years so I can't say I have seen anything change yet.

One thing that hasn't changed is the antler lust... From what I've heard here, it used to be people would shoot any deer with antlers, even a spike, and it would be brag worthy at the check station... now that we have healthy populations of deer, and some of them get older and bigger, people will do sick things for a buck with a big rack, even drown them between the pontoons of their boat or shoot them when they are stranded by flood waters of the Mississippi. Yea we all love antlers, that is fine, but what bothers me more than most change in deer hunting is the people who will go to any means to get their hands on that big rack.

 

[catman529]

The biggest change I've seen is that deer hunting is all about money. It's getting to where if you don't have alot of money you are not going to be able to hunt. It's made out to be that you gotta have this stand or you gotta have this camo or this cover scent and so on and so on. In all reality, none of that is necessary. It's only goin to get worse

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

 

[Ken45]

The biggest change I've seen is that deer hunting is all about money. It's getting to where if you don't have alot of money you are not going to be able to hunt. It's made out to be that you gotta have this stand or you gotta have this camo or this cover scent and so on and so on. In all reality, none of that is necessary. It's only goin to get worse

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

The only way it don't cost a lot is,you hunt public land or own your own your land and it cost a lot to own your land

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

Ive recently just noticed the trend of "hunting the way it used to be" comments being made. It got me thinking about how I grew up hunting and all things involved with it.

So now, with changes in license fees, politics, seasons/limits, yeti coolers, tv hunters, etc and all the fuss associated with it, it made me think about the changes Ive seen in my short time of hunting. What affects, if any,those changes had on me are interesting.

For example;
I remember the excitement associated with driving by or stopping at the local check station. Looking at the pictures, awing at a buck hanging from the scale, listening to the older guys talk about...well, all things hunting.

Thanks to change, I dont get that anymore. Social media, Tndeer, e-mails, text messages and online check-in have essentially taken that personally connection away. Is that a bad thing? Is that bad for deer hunting? I dont think so.

What noticeable changes in deer hunting have you witnessed.




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While I totally love the TWRA App and the ability to check deer in via the app I gotta say I totally agree with you on your point. I can remember back as a small child my dad taking me by the check in stations even when we had not tagged just to buy a coke and a sandwich getting to see them weigh the deer and the excitement of watching every deer hunter pulling in to see if they had the "big buck" . Gotta admit even as a adult you would hang around to see what might come in next,,shoot the breeze..listen to the war stories and maybe tell one of your own. I do miss those days. Now days your lucky if you can find a local diner with a group of hunters that want to sit around and talk.

I think the most noticeable changes I have seen have been with hunters and they things use to be have been with the use of trail cameras. More and more hunters are relying on trail cameras to do their scouting or supplement their scouting.
I had a very early trail camera and bought the latest trail camera every year and then dove off the deep end and bought several trail cameras. While I certainly see the benefit from these cameras I think it takes some of the fun and mystery out of your hunting to know the deer you have on your property. I also like the challenge of being about to use my gut to read the land and use the signs to point to where I believe the deer are coming, going bedding and feeding. Besides all bets are off once the rut kicks in as you will see bucks on your property that were never on trail cameras. So the trail cameras have only been a supplement and fun experiment. I doubt I will use them in the future.

 

[AT Hiker]

Imo, the money side of hunting is hear to stay. As much as some of us hate it we all practically need it. The tax and other funds generated from it are much needed, not to mention the public recruitment some of the serve in the form of spokespeople.

Take governor tags for example; these practically go against all things democratic of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model. The more money you have the better chance you have of purchasing the tag. Like it or not most of these states need this revenue. I believe AZ auctioned a sheep tag off last year for over $200,000!


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[Hunter 257W]

I've been hunting roughly 5 years so I can't say I have seen anything change yet.

One thing that hasn't changed is the antler lust... From what I've heard here, it used to be people would shoot any deer with antlers, even a spike, and it would be brag worthy at the check station... now that we have healthy populations of deer, and some of them get older and bigger, people will do sick things for a buck with a big rack, even drown them between the pontoons of their boat or shoot them when they are stranded by flood waters of the Mississippi. Yea we all love antlers, that is fine, but what bothers me more than most change in deer hunting is the people who will go to any means to get their hands on that big rack.

Catman, I think you've been given the wrong impression of how hunters used to view bucks(antlers). I started hunting in the mid 1970's. Back then you pretty much couldn't shoot a doe anywhere except for the special "Doe days" that started sometime maybe in the 1980's??? As a result of all this "buck only" hunting, bucks were wary as could be and didn't live very long. It was a big deal just to see one at all and if you did, you didn't let that opportunity pass you by. You shot the buck regardless of rack size. It was the only deer you could shoot. Total Deer numbers were low too, so the odds of seeing any deer wasn't good. Seeing a buck was something special. That's why people shot anything - not because they were rack crazy like nowadays. Back then nobody had any idea of how to measure and quantify a rack. I remember when I was in high school and every kid seemed to be into deer hunting, but I was the only one I ever met who had even heard of Boone & Crockett scoring. I only knew about it because of all my reading about African hunting. I never really thought about it applying to a whitetail deer's antlers. At that time you had little bucks and big bucks and no other way to measure them. :)

 

[Headhunter]

I've been hunting roughly 5 years so I can't say I have seen anything change yet.

One thing that hasn't changed is the antler lust... From what I've heard here, it used to be people would shoot any deer with antlers, even a spike, and it would be brag worthy at the check station... now that we have healthy populations of deer, and some of them get older and bigger, people will do sick things for a buck with a big rack, even drown them between the pontoons of their boat or shoot them when they are stranded by flood waters of the Mississippi. Yea we all love antlers, that is fine, but what bothers me more than most change in deer hunting is the people who will go to any means to get their hands on that big rack.

I have been hunting over 30 years. Sorry, that is not a change, as long as I have been hunting and stories from before, there has always been people who would do most anything, legal or illegal, to kill a bigger or the "biggest" buck. Even in the 11 buck days, yes we tried to kill the biggest buck we could, even when there were not as many deer as there are now and just like now, when someone killed a great buck, people would get excited like they do today. There were many people who hunted for big bucks only then. To me, the majority of deer hunters, will kill most anything legal and then after killing some number of deer, then change what their goals are.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I think most change has been for the better.

Like you, AT, I read on here how people are complaining about change, and how they liked the "old ways" better. I like how it is much better than how it was. I guess I've never killed enough deer to spend too much time at check stations. I remember going and visiting with the folks, but it's so much better with the new system. I can kill a deer and have it checked in before I even touch it. Then, it can go straight to a cooler then a deep freeze. I don't have to drive out of my way to just get to a place that will check it and hope they aren't too busy to come outside and do it. If I want the social interaction, the check stations are still open. I can stop and buy a cup of coffee if I want.

I also hear about how expensive hunting has gotten. I do hunt tons of public land, but this mostly has to do with the fact that I like hunting mountains. I also have permission to hunt thousands of acres of private property throughout this state and others. Some of this has just "fallen into my hands", so to say, but most of it was gotten by simply showering, shaving, tucking in my shirt, washing my car and knocking on doors. So many people think leasing is the only way to go, they fail to realize how many people welcome a regular person hunting their place. Getting permission to hunt is far easier now than it has been in the past.

The internet and forums such as tndeer have also been great for my hunting and fishing. I've met many folks from this forum and others. Several have gone on to become good friends. I regularly get to go on hunting and fishing trips with several of these folks. Without the internet, I'm not sure if this would have happened.

There are aspects that have changed that I don't like so much, such as the whole hunting "team" concept and deer contests. But, I also realize, that not everyone hunts for the same reasons as I do. If this is what "lights their fire" and keeps them in the woods, who am I to have a problem with it? As long as their actions aren't causing damage to what I value, have at it. I'll still mildly ridicule them on these forums, but they'd be welcome in my hunting camp.

 

[Hunter 257W]

The lack of checking stations is one of the big losses for me too. I always used to love to swing by their after a morning hunt to see what had been checked in that day. There was always somebody telling a good story about the one that got away or whatever. You'll never capture that feeling on the internet.

One big change too is in the guns. When I started, iron sighted lever actions accounted for probably half the rifles in the woods. Back then i always tried to convince everybody that they'd be better off with a flat shooting scoped bolt action. Now 2 years ago I bought a lever action in 35 Remington and started hunting with it using cast bullets. Funny how that happened. :)

Trail cameras are a positive and negative for me. Mainly out of curiosity, I started using the 1-event trail timers that used a piece of sewing thread and cable tie stretched across the trail to time a deer's passage sometime back in the late 1980's. These timed 1-event only and you had no idea what had tripped the thread - could have been a dog for all you knew. Then they came up with a multiple event timer that used infrared but still you had no idea what had triggered it since there was no camera. Finally December of 2004 this all changed and I got one of the early 35mm film trail cameras. I was hooked. Once you start with cameras it's hard to stop, but all the while I sort of wish the things had never been invented because they do take away some of the mystery.

 

[280longshot]

I had to go back and read this pertains to deer hunting only.... but I do want to rant about when I was a younger and first started small game hunting, I could walk out of my house and hunt anywhere I wanted the landowners didn't care.... don't even try that now!

The little public land I once hunted is now 9pt or better and killing a nice 9pt buck on John Tulley is slim, the woods are super thick and roads aren't maintained so that's what lead me to hunting private land. I once paid around $650 to lease said land and now it's over $3,000/person. I love to deer/turkey hunt but the cost is getting to the point I question myself is it worth it anymore. I do hunt in unit L and the price per acre is as high as 20/acre in some areas, which is a price I can't afford and will not pay.

Trail cameras have helped me and my club just to get an idea of what's there and what's coming to our property.

This online check in makes it easier for people to cheat the system in my opinion. It's convenient but I have my doubts about the accuracy of what is actually killed.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I've been hunting roughly 5 years so I can't say I have seen anything change yet.

One thing that hasn't changed is the antler lust... From what I've heard here, it used to be people would shoot any deer with antlers, even a spike, and it would be brag worthy at the check station... now that we have healthy populations of deer, and some of them get older and bigger, people will do sick things for a buck with a big rack, even drown them between the pontoons of their boat or shoot them when they are stranded by flood waters of the Mississippi. Yea we all love antlers, that is fine, but what bothers me more than most change in deer hunting is the people who will go to any means to get their hands on that big rack.

I have been hunting over 30 years. Sorry, that is not a change, as long as I have been hunting and stories from before, there has always been people who would do most anything, legal or illegal, to kill a bigger or the "biggest" buck. Even in the 11 buck days, yes we tried to kill the biggest buck we could, even when there were not as many deer as there are now and just like now, when someone killed a great buck, people would get excited like they do today. There were many people who hunted for big bucks only then. To me, the majority of deer hunters, will kill most anything legal and then after killing some number of deer, then change what their goals are.

I think Catman is saying just what you are - that nothing has changed with antler lust. :)

 

[benellivol]

The only thing I've seen really change is there's no longer a specific spot you go to check in and shoot the bull with people. I learned a lot listening to the older men talk about how and where they killed deer. With the ability to electronically tag deer in, that's gone.

 

[Mike Belt]

I've been hunting for a long time and the biggest change I've seen is how deer changed hunting. I used to walk out my door and begin hunting squirrels, rabbits, and quail. You seldom had to ask for permission to hunt a property. For some reason around the mid eighties as land owners died off leaving their land to their heirs, property was either sold off or split between them making for smaller parcels. This is when I first began having problems hunting land I had previously hunted and not being able to get permission to hunt it. This is also about the time I began losing a rabbit dog or two from running some of the first deer to migrate into an area. I finally sold my dogs.

In the beginning not many people were hunting with dogs anyway and no one was deer hunting. As more and more deer poured into the area people began shooting one occasionally. That fueled the fire. More and more people began deer hunting and now land that you had been able to hunt was off limits because of it. It finally got to the point that you had to pay for that privilege. Now I'd be hard pressed to drive any direction for miles and pass by any property that wasn't posted or already leased out as deer hunting property.

 

[AXL78]

I still like going to check stations to see what people bring in and hear the stories. Not as much comes through, but I go by to see. A lot of times people will bring a big one by to get there picture taken and check it in. I enjoy that. I really enjoyed it when I was younger. Access to land over the last 20 years has been one of the biggest changes to me. Seems like you used to could ask someone if they would let you hunt and they may let you, now somebody has either leased it or told the landowner they'll "watch it" for them (control the hunting) etc. 20 years ago it seemed like if someone said they saw a buck, I held on to that really hard, now I don't give it a passing thought, and killing a doe back then was neat to me. I dread it now really. I don't mind if I have help, but it certainly isn't the thrill and story it once was. Some of that change is me, but some is attributable to shows, herd dynamics changing, etc.

 

[280longshot]

I've been hunting for a long time and the biggest change I've seen is how deer changed hunting. I used to walk out my door and begin hunting squirrels, rabbits, and quail. You seldom had to ask for permission to hunt a property. For some reason around the mid eighties as land owners died off leaving their land to their heirs, property was either sold off or split between them making for smaller parcels. This is when I first began having problems hunting land I had previously hunted and not being able to get permission to hunt it. This is also about the time I began losing a rabbit dog or two from running some of the first deer to migrate into an area. I finally sold my dogs.

In the beginning not many people were hunting with dogs anyway and no one was deer hunting. As more and more deer poured into the area people began shooting one occasionally. That fueled the fire. More and more people began deer hunting and now land that you had been able to hunt was off limits because of it. It finally got to the point that you had to pay for that privilege. Now I'd be hard pressed to drive any direction for miles and pass by any property that wasn't posted or already leased out as deer hunting property.

Well said, Mike

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[Os2 Outdoors]

The biggest change I've seen is that deer hunting is all about money. It's getting to where if you don't have alot of money you are not going to be able to hunt. It's made out to be that you gotta have this stand or you gotta have this camo or this cover scent and so on and so on. In all reality, none of that is necessary. It's only goin to get worse

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

The only way it don't cost a lot is,you hunt public land or own your own your land and it cost a lot your land

FALSE

I don't own a lot of land and lease none with money this year, (i do have rights to some by supplying their firewood.) But I treat people rite and I'm not afraid to knock on doors. Every new person I meet or interact with the conversation always goes to property, whether them or their family owns any.

I'd venture to bet I got more places than most. On top of my network of friends I hunt with where I'm always welcome on their farm.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

The big negative I've seen is that I used to be able to rabbit hunt almost anywhere but then deer came and now no one wants you on their place until after deer season. That really limits rabbit hunting opportunities.


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[Os2 Outdoors]

The big negative I've seen is that I used to be able to rabbit hunt almost anywhere but then deer came and now no one wants you on their place until after deer season. That really limits rabbit hunting opportunities.


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I can definitely see that, rabbits an deer occupy the best habitat lol. My dad deals with it a lot with Coon hunting.

Even me an him bump heads during the rut on our farm lol

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[catman529]

I've been hunting roughly 5 years so I can't say I have seen anything change yet.

One thing that hasn't changed is the antler lust... From what I've heard here, it used to be people would shoot any deer with antlers, even a spike, and it would be brag worthy at the check station... now that we have healthy populations of deer, and some of them get older and bigger, people will do sick things for a buck with a big rack, even drown them between the pontoons of their boat or shoot them when they are stranded by flood waters of the Mississippi. Yea we all love antlers, that is fine, but what bothers me more than most change in deer hunting is the people who will go to any means to get their hands on that big rack.

I have been hunting over 30 years. Sorry, that is not a change, as long as I have been hunting and stories from before, there has always been people who would do most anything, legal or illegal, to kill a bigger or the "biggest" buck. Even in the 11 buck days, yes we tried to kill the biggest buck we could, even when there were not as many deer as there are now and just like now, when someone killed a great buck, people would get excited like they do today. There were many people who hunted for big bucks only then. To me, the majority of deer hunters, will kill most anything legal and then after killing some number of deer, then change what their goals are.

I think Catman is saying just what you are - that nothing has changed with antler lust. :)

yea I was, and kind of confused by HH's post

 

[catman529]

The biggest change I've seen is that deer hunting is all about money. It's getting to where if you don't have alot of money you are not going to be able to hunt. It's made out to be that you gotta have this stand or you gotta have this camo or this cover scent and so on and so on. In all reality, none of that is necessary. It's only goin to get worse

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

The only way it don't cost a lot is,you hunt public land or own your own your land and it cost a lot to own your land

there is a lot of public land in Tennessee with a lot of deer to be killed. So yes you can deer hunt cheap. Just buy your permits, shells for your gun, warm clothes and some gas for your truck, if you really want to keep it cheap.

 

[huntforme7909]

I agree with most on here that I have always wanted to kill a big buck and that has not changed and never will for me....and I have too been hunting for 25 + years.....and the going to check in stations and hanging out to see what comes in next is a huge thing I miss....although there are still little local places where people still congregate to tell the war stories....the thing I miss the most is the hunting with my dad as much as I use too.....he still gets out and does what he can in west viginia, but me living in Tennessee cuts down on the amount of time I get to spend in the woods with him....ive made it a personal obligation this year to not hunt nearly as much in Tennessee and to go back home and help him put in food plots and hang stands and do most of my hunting with him and on my old stomping grounds....being his farm and some of the bow hunting only counties there....I am going to try my best to spend what time I have left hunting with him and creating memories that wont be forgotten with him and my own two boys....its easy for us all to gain other grounds to hunt and forget who taught us how to hunt to begin with and gave us that start.....spending time with these people (if they are still around) is way more important to me than killing the biggest buck ever.......

 

[Hunter 257W]

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

The only way it don't cost a lot is,you hunt public land or own your own your land and it cost a lot your land

FALSE

I don't own a lot of land and lease none with money this year, (i do have rights to some by supplying their firewood.) But I treat people rite and I'm not afraid to knock on doors. Every new person I meet or interact with the conversation always goes to property, whether them or their family owns any.

I'd venture to bet I got more places than most. On top of my network of friends I hunt with where I'm always welcome on their farm.

Aren't you into logging though as a profession? That would be a huge advantage compared to most people because your job takes you to deer habitat daily. For most people, they are going to have to hunt public land, buy land of pay to lease.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I don't own a lot of land and lease none with money this year, (i do have rights to some by supplying their firewood.) But I treat people rite and I'm not afraid to knock on doors. Every new person I meet or interact with the conversation always goes to property, whether them or their family owns any.

I'd venture to bet I got more places than most. On top of my network of friends I hunt with where I'm always welcome on their farm.

Aren't you into logging though as a profession? That would be a huge advantage compared to most people because your job takes you to deer habitat daily. For most people, they are going to have to hunt public land, buy land of pay to lease.

I'm not Os2, but I've actually found that it's easier now than ever to find property to hunt without paying a lease. Most folks think that paying a lease is the only way when there are plenty of landowners who don't like the concept of leasing. I work a desk job and just get out and knock on doors when I want to find a new place to hunt. It's really pretty easy.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

The biggest change I've seen is that deer hunting is all about money. It's getting to where if you don't have alot of money you are not going to be able to hunt. It's made out to be that you gotta have this stand or you gotta have this camo or this cover scent and so on and so on. In all reality, none of that is necessary. It's only goin to get worse

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

I disagree to a point.I have friends in Kentucky that can't find good places to hunt because the outsiders have ran the prices sky high.I think the better tennessee gets,the harder it will be for the poorer man to hunt.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I miss checking stations. I remember going by them each opening day to see what others had killed. As for hunting being expensive, it is to a certain degree. Our license fees are ridiculous. Gear is very expensive. Thank God I quit buying the latest and greatest about 8 years ago.

 

[7mminatree]

I started deer hunting in 1968 while living in south Texas. My dad was in the USAF and I benefited from some locals while we were station in San Antonio. And of course a big buck has always been the number one goal. People can say their just meat hunters, but everyone dreams of "the big one". I think we can all agree on that. The biggest change that I see is the use of high tech gadgetry. And I'm as guilty as anyone. But I think it diminishes woodsmanship skills and increases expectations. And when those expectations are not achieved it makes a person extremely frustrated or mad or even envious of others.

I've seen the deer herd in this state grow to unreal denisty in areas. I've been fortunate to be able to hunt high density and low density areas. I've lost track of the number of deer I've killed. I've lost a few great mentors along the way also. So now at 61 years of age, I still am looking for the "the big one", but that fire doesn't burn as hot as it once did.

I would just tell everyone to embrace those changes. You don't have to use them if you don't want. Don't forget where you come from , be a mentor and pass it on.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

That's not true, that's just what advertising says because people are trying to sell their product. It's up to you to make the best of what you have, and it really doesn't cost much to deer hunt if you don't want it to.

The only way it don't cost a lot is,you hunt public land or own your own your land and it cost a lot your land

FALSE

I don't own a lot of land and lease none with money this year, (i do have rights to some by supplying their firewood.) But I treat people rite and I'm not afraid to knock on doors. Every new person I meet or interact with the conversation always goes to property, whether them or their family owns any.

I'd venture to bet I got more places than most. On top of my network of friends I hunt with where I'm always welcome on their farm.

Aren't you into logging though as a profession? That would be a huge advantage compared to most people because your job takes you to deer habitat daily. For most people, they are going to have to hunt public land, buy land of pay to lease.

I was. Haven't been in several years.

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[Os2 Outdoors]

One thing we can say about all this is that. No matter how much we want things to stay the same, they won't. Everything always changes.

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