I've been thinking about this lately more and more and been thinking about making this post. This post is not to start a debate. It is just my opinion. You can add yours, if you want, but again, it is not to start a debate, just stuff I have been thinking about.
The reason I decided to post this is the, "2 buck limit saves another", the "Freezer trophy vs. Wall trophy", and the "37+ years of deer hunting" threads.
I am on this forum, and several private groups on FB and they all talk about the same things. The buck limit, meat hunters vs. trophy hunters, whether you should be passing small bucks, etc. etc. I have heard on there and here, hunters (trying to be optimistic I assume) saying we are in "the good ole days of deer hunting." This claim is made because we have an abundance of deer in most areas of the state and even in the areas that we don't we probably have more deer now than say 20 years ago. I've been thinking a lot lately about taking my 5 year old hunting this year a couple of times and decided if a young buck walks out and he wants me to shoot, I am burning my last tag. Normally I would not (my preference) but in thinking about this, I also have been thinking are we really in the "good ole days of deer hunting." The more I think about it the less I agree. You see with the prospect of shooting that smaller deer (if it should work out like that) the more I realize that when I post about the experience and the memories made THERE WILL be those that will say (either here or on FB) something negative about MY CHOICE to shoot that buck and that I should have shot a doe instead. However I have decided, I am not shooting any does on my land this year and I'm sticking to it (at least I think I am
).
The more I think about that, the more I think back to better times IMO when you could just go knock on a door and get permission to hunt. We all had plenty of places to go. We took kids hunting and when we killed a deer we were happy with it, no matter what it was. Now don't get me wrong we were happier with a big buck, but that wasn't the aim. We just viewed it as luck that we were graced with the opportunity to kill a big one. IMO those were the "good ole days of deer hunting".
Over the last 15 years or so, hunting has become a competition. Some are more open about their competitive nature than others, but it has become about how big a buck you can kill. Land has disappeared for reasons out of anyone's control, but the most prime spots and really any private land out there is now sought after for leases, thus pushing folks that do not want to pay to play off. In short we have literally pushed people out of the sport and in turn they didn't get their kids into it. Couple that with kids being more and more "indoor kids" and helicopter moms not wanting their kids to get hurt, and I'd say we are in the "downfall days of deer hunting". With more and more states going to the trophy mentality and people here wanting to go to a 1 buck limit in hopes that it will produce more big bucks and make TN a big buck state, land prices will continue to increase, and more people will quit hunting. I can't see how that is the "good ole days of deer hunting". I miss the days of killing what came by and being happy with a successful hunt and BTW the level of ease does not dictate whether it was successful hunt or not. We all kill deer. None of us go to just watch deer. Sometimes it turns out that way because we decide we don;t want to shoot any for whatever reason, but eventually we all pull the trigger or release an arrow and kill a deer. I think if we want to get back to the "good ole days of deer hunting" and I think we can, we just need to get back to hunting and treating every hunt we kill or see a deer as a success. Even if it is super easy to succeed. Remember deer hunting is supposed to be relaxing not frustrating and stressful.
Again, not a debate, and I know everyone will not agree, but just something that has been on my mind a lot lately. Enjoy the Christmas seasons with your families and the last few days of deer season. Try to take a kid if you can and shoot a deer, because that is what you are there to do and yo may just add a new member to our ranks.
The reason I decided to post this is the, "2 buck limit saves another", the "Freezer trophy vs. Wall trophy", and the "37+ years of deer hunting" threads.
I am on this forum, and several private groups on FB and they all talk about the same things. The buck limit, meat hunters vs. trophy hunters, whether you should be passing small bucks, etc. etc. I have heard on there and here, hunters (trying to be optimistic I assume) saying we are in "the good ole days of deer hunting." This claim is made because we have an abundance of deer in most areas of the state and even in the areas that we don't we probably have more deer now than say 20 years ago. I've been thinking a lot lately about taking my 5 year old hunting this year a couple of times and decided if a young buck walks out and he wants me to shoot, I am burning my last tag. Normally I would not (my preference) but in thinking about this, I also have been thinking are we really in the "good ole days of deer hunting." The more I think about it the less I agree. You see with the prospect of shooting that smaller deer (if it should work out like that) the more I realize that when I post about the experience and the memories made THERE WILL be those that will say (either here or on FB) something negative about MY CHOICE to shoot that buck and that I should have shot a doe instead. However I have decided, I am not shooting any does on my land this year and I'm sticking to it (at least I think I am
). The more I think about that, the more I think back to better times IMO when you could just go knock on a door and get permission to hunt. We all had plenty of places to go. We took kids hunting and when we killed a deer we were happy with it, no matter what it was. Now don't get me wrong we were happier with a big buck, but that wasn't the aim. We just viewed it as luck that we were graced with the opportunity to kill a big one. IMO those were the "good ole days of deer hunting".
Over the last 15 years or so, hunting has become a competition. Some are more open about their competitive nature than others, but it has become about how big a buck you can kill. Land has disappeared for reasons out of anyone's control, but the most prime spots and really any private land out there is now sought after for leases, thus pushing folks that do not want to pay to play off. In short we have literally pushed people out of the sport and in turn they didn't get their kids into it. Couple that with kids being more and more "indoor kids" and helicopter moms not wanting their kids to get hurt, and I'd say we are in the "downfall days of deer hunting". With more and more states going to the trophy mentality and people here wanting to go to a 1 buck limit in hopes that it will produce more big bucks and make TN a big buck state, land prices will continue to increase, and more people will quit hunting. I can't see how that is the "good ole days of deer hunting". I miss the days of killing what came by and being happy with a successful hunt and BTW the level of ease does not dictate whether it was successful hunt or not. We all kill deer. None of us go to just watch deer. Sometimes it turns out that way because we decide we don;t want to shoot any for whatever reason, but eventually we all pull the trigger or release an arrow and kill a deer. I think if we want to get back to the "good ole days of deer hunting" and I think we can, we just need to get back to hunting and treating every hunt we kill or see a deer as a success. Even if it is super easy to succeed. Remember deer hunting is supposed to be relaxing not frustrating and stressful.
Again, not a debate, and I know everyone will not agree, but just something that has been on my mind a lot lately. Enjoy the Christmas seasons with your families and the last few days of deer season. Try to take a kid if you can and shoot a deer, because that is what you are there to do and yo may just add a new member to our ranks.
