TN Deer Hunting - Freedom & Opportunity for All

[102]

landman,
OK, in Unit L, let's say the 3 limit put a mind set in hunters to kill 2 bucks and not be too picky. THen for that 3rd tag, they are waiting until the last day of the season for ole mossy, who never showed up (actually he did, he was just an OLD buck with small antlers and that "trophy hunter" with two buck tags already punched failed to recognize him). (interestingly enough, this same "trophy hunter" had previously killed not one but TWO, HIGH end 2.5 year old "nice" bucks because they both had 100 inches of antler showing). Both bucks were killed hunting the same way with the same rifle while sitting on the edge of a clear cut (or field or open hardwood ridgetop) at a distance of over 150 yards. And both were killed around THanksgiving.

Enter the new TWO buck limit. Now repeat this same scenario.

THere will STILL be that same hunter, doing the SAME thing in the same manner. WAITING on a buck with antlers that fit a certain description in this hunters mind (largely because or the media)...and all that will change is that MORE small racked older aged bucks will survive longer because MOST hunters do not want older bucks. THey want bucks (young or old) with BIG antlers.

And there are several places in Tennessee that can produce these bucks with big antlers. Wilson and Rutherford to name a couple. But these are LARGELY private lands. THe VAST majority of my Tennessee brothers and sisters will never gat a chance to hunt there. In these COunties (like a few others) there ar great soils, and deer. THe big racked bucks are already there and have been making news for years.

Is going from 3 to 2 buck limit a step in the right direction? For WHAT?
Growing larger racked bucks? For high end counties like the ones mentioned above...probably yes. But for the VAST majority of Tennessee...NO!!!

So the State Agency has made a limit change to affect a select few (and interestingly enough (seemingly) upper income counties) and HURT the other counties by changing the number of bucks our State residents can hunt.

All this with a pipe dream that "we will kill more trophy bucks in Tennessee".

THere is no sound biological data that supports doing this for the entire State of Tennessee because it will help our herd.

THis change was caused by what is called a "special interest group".

 

[TheLBLman]

. . . . . . .
I don't have anything new to say, but will repeat what was meant to be the main message was trying to communicate in starting this thread.

We all have opinions, and sometimes it's not so much a case of one being right and another wrong, but more a case of perspectives and circumstances. There is much to be gained by listening to different perspectives, and working together towards the best balance of solutions. I believe most of our problems are caused by a lack of effective communications and/or a lack of understanding, while personal greed and attacks on those with different perspectives often stifle what could have been effective communications and understanding. Sometimes, all of us are quick to attack the messenger of any different idea that's not in lock-step with ours.

. . . . . . . "United we stand; divided we fall". I hope more of us can come to see each other more as hunters, rather than deer hunters; more as deer hunters, rather than bow, or gun hunters, or Unit L hunters, or Unit B hunters. Actually, my hope is we all become better stewards of our common interests.

 

[AT Hiker]

Re: TN Deer Hunting - Freedom & Opportunity for All

All this with a pipe dream that "we will kill more trophy bucks in Tennessee".

THere is no sound biological data that supports doing this for the entire State of Tennessee because it will help our herd.

THis change was caused by what is called a "special interest group".

Thats your opinion and I respect it, just as I respect the opinion of those that feel the exact opposite of you even if you choose to ignore their "scientific data" that supports a lower buck harvest.

If this reduced limit allows more hunters to harvest "ANY" buck, then Im ok with the tradeoff of potentially bigger racked bucks (which is an unavoidable consequence of more and older bucks).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[landman]

102

There's that word again
Trophy Hunters

And you talked about 2 Good counties in Unit L

But you left out many counties that may be
Producing Better Animals

I have said this before and I will say it for
the last time everyone ask their GW how he
or she feels about the new limit and effects
They have the biological training too....
And are the real boots on the ground

 

[ratsnakeboogy]

102

There's that word again
Trophy Hunters

And you talked about 2 Good counties in Unit L

But you left out many counties that may be
Producing Better Animals

I have said this before and I will say it for
the last time everyone ask their GW how he
or she feels about the new limit and effects
They have the biological training too....
And are the real boots on the ground

Biological training? Those guys have 4 year Bachelor of Science degrees in Wildlife Biology (minimum), most of them are extremely sharp knives. I've talked to many of them over the last few weeks, getting roughly a 50-50 split as far as if they think it will make a significant difference. The second question I ask them is "what was the reason for the change"? The answer from everyone of them was "hunters want to take trophy bucks, they think this will create them". My next question: do you think this change will do that? Answer was a mixed bag, 3 of them said no, 2 said maybe. The biggest idea I was introduced to was something I had not even thought about until he mentioned it was this statement "bigger bucks=MORE hunters spending MORE hours in the woods, creating MORE pressure". He said the more "trophy" bucks you see taken in a state, the more hunters you will see. Directly proportional he says. I'd truly never even considered that, good for TNs bottom line though.

I know this is not the thread to add this fact, but every single one said he believed the Doe harvest would see significant increase.

 

[landman]

102

There's that word again
Trophy Hunters

And you talked about 2 Good counties in Unit L

But you left out many counties that may be
Producing Better Animals

I have said this before and I will say it for
the last time everyone ask their GW how he
or she feels about the new limit and effects
They have the biological training too....
And are the real boots on the ground

Biological training? Those guys have 4 year Bachelor of Science degrees in Wildlife Biology (minimum), most of them are extremely sharp knives. I've talked to many of them over the last few weeks, getting roughly a 50-50 split as far as if they think it will make a significant difference. The second question I ask them is "what was the reason for the change"? The answer from everyone of them was "hunters want to take trophy bucks, they think this will create them". My next question: do you think this change will do that? Answer was a mixed bag, 3 of them said no, 2 said maybe. The biggest idea I was introduced to was something I had not even thought about until he mentioned it was this statement "bigger bucks=MORE hunters spending MORE hours in the woods, creating MORE pressure". He said the more "trophy" bucks you see taken in a state, the more hunters you will see. Directly proportional he says. I'd truly never even considered that, good for TNs bottom line though.

I know this is not the thread to add this fact, but every single one said he believed the Doe harvest would see significant increase.

I think the records show the year it was a 2 buck
Limit the doe harvest was way higher than the
year before with a 11 buck limit and the year after
with a 3 buck limit

 

[102]

Make no mistake...I totally agree with much of what Wes said.

Mostly understand this...I will totally support the LEGAL, Ethical hunting activity of any hunter.

Especially deer hunters.

And hope them all the best.

I really do not care if Tn. goes to a one buck limit.

But I hate it for those who do.

I honestly believe this is all a waste of time and key punching. I think it will not remain a 2 buck limit long.

 

[Mike Belt]

It will be interesting to see if Tn sticks with the 2 buck limit for 5 years. It WILL make a difference. Whether that difference is enough to justify all the hoopla remains to be seen. I'd like to see the 5 years carried out rather than see Tn jump ship midstream.