Trophy Room

[backyardtndeer]

Late starter here, didn't start hunting until the early 90's, I was in my 20's. Wish I would have had the opportunity to hunt with my dad or grandfather, dad passed away when I was 2 and grandfather passed away when I was 9.

My first deer was in 1994, one of my best scoring deer I have ever killed, the one in the middle of the pic below. Quality and age structure have gotten better here, but overall density has declined. We have too many small properties around us.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Don't know that property. I looked up Westbrook in the property index and didn't find anything. Any idea who owns the property now?

It's the big farm on the south side of Duck river on hwy 13. Mr Westbrook had a collection of Indian artifacts . Many thousands.

 

[BSK]

It's the big farm on the south side of Duck river on hwy 13. Mr Westbrook had a collection of Indian artifacts . Many thousands.

Must be the 1,900+ acres now owned by Smoak LLC, John Smoak and Edward Smoak.

 

[killingtime 41]

I've hear the comment that big antlers have ruined hunting. I can't say for sure if that's true or false.although I do believe it's had an impact. I just know that years ago there just wasn't that many big antlered deer to kill. There was always some being killed of course just not as many as these days. Not as many deer in general. You would go and not see a deer on many hunts. Of course we didn't have big antlered as commercialized as now. So nobody got butt hurt about what was killed. It was a celebration to kill anything at that time. I usually hunt Catoosa or chuck swan trying to bring new memories and some from the past.Problem with wma that are open to same as statewide in my area. No places to camp and hunt . Most of the old mining land has been sold off or timber land. Those were the go to's back then.

 

[JN]

I grew up hunting in the 90's. I would say it was the good ol days because of check in stations and hunting camp. Also hunting with friends and family made it fun. Now most of my family doesn't hunt and most of my friends have quit mainly because life has gotten busy. I have a friend that lets me hunt on his farm and I have no intention shooting a deer when I go there just enjoy the time hunting with a friend but most of my time I am by myself.

 

[Ski]

I grew up hunting in the 90's. I would say it was the good ol days because of check in stations and hunting camp. Also hunting with friends and family made it fun. Now most of my family doesn't hunt and most of my friends have quit mainly because life has gotten busy. I have a friend that lets me hunt on his farm and I have no intention shooting a deer when I go there just enjoy the time hunting with a friend but most of my time I am by myself.

Check-in stations are what I miss most. They were always a place to see what folks had gotten and hear the stories.

 

[Ski]

Late starter here, didn't start hunting until the early 90's, I was in my 20's. Wish I would have had the opportunity to hunt with my dad or grandfather, dad passed away when I was 2 and grandfather passed away when I was 9.

My first deer was in 1994, one of my best scoring deer I have ever killed, the one in the middle of the pic below. Quality and age structure have gotten better here, but overall density has declined. We have too many small properties around us.

Those are some great mounts! Beautiful trophy wall, Sir!

 

[killingtime 41]

Be cool if members on here could get together and have a camp hunt like that.

 

[Rackseeker]

Be cool if members on here could get together and have a camp hunt like that.

Bear Hollow WMA in December would be good place to hold a camp/hunt. I'd be willing to scout and drop a pin for a couple hunters if it happened.

 

[BSK]

I've hear the comment that big antlers have ruined hunting. I can't say for sure if that's true or false.although I do believe it's had an impact. I just know that years ago there just wasn't that many big antlered deer to kill. There was always some being killed of course just not as many as these days. Not as many deer in general. You would go and not see a deer on many hunts. Of course we didn't have big antlered as commercialized as now. So nobody got butt hurt about what was killed. It was a celebration to kill anything at that time.

I'm torn by the major differences in the hunting experience and herd quality from the "old days" to today. The focus on growing older bucks has vastly improved the quality and performance of the state's deer herd and provided far more opportunities for more hunters to hunt top-end bucks. On the other hand, the "trophyism" that developed along with this trend has not been good for hunting. But it also seems the worst of trophyism is behind us, at least if what I see in the conversations here on TNdeer are representative of hunters as a whole.

 

[buckbstr_1]

I sure do miss the 80s/90s hunting era. Numbers were the competition and antler inches did not matter. Fast forward to now and hunters do not harvest enough does, don't harvest enough bucks and the herd is exploding here in west tn. All I have to say is if they cross my property line, I am shooting for the freezer. My grandad would be so irritated at me having the nice gear, quantity of guns and my lacking desire to hunt. We had thousands of acres of public access land to hunt for a $10 permit fee. The public land now is overcrowded and forget finding an affordable lease. I can buy a lot of beef for the price of a lease. The grandad's deer camp created a fun environment for all of us. I have not heard of a good deer camp since then. I guess all good things come to an end.

 

[Ski]

I'm torn by the major differences in the hunting experience and herd quality from the "old days" to today.

Not me. I vividly remember hunting the 80's & early 90's with hunt camps, check stations, deer drives, and all the communal comradery that came along with it. I also remember how obsessed I was with big bucks ... just like I still am today. Back then there were a select few who always seemed to get all the big bucks. They were like super star athletes, heroes who walked a different plane of existence. We all wanted to get big bucks just like they did but we didn't know how, and they weren't telling. So we killed what we could and had a ball of a time doing it. We were happy with our dinks & does but we all wanted a big buck.

These days getting a big buck isn't the unattainable pipe dream it used to be. Any hunter who wants big antlers can get all the knowledge at his/her fingertips. Buck habits, hunting wind & thermals, finding subtle edges & other terrain features are free knowledge that anybody can access. Trail cameras & digital map scouting have exposed bucks' hiding places. Killing a big buck has never been as easy & open to any hunter as it is today. We all wanted to know how those super star hunters always seemed to kill the dream bucks. And now we know. Killing big bucks means not not killing little bucks. It means not over pressuring ground like camps & drives do. It means not having an annual party to celebrate a pile of dead does & yearling bucks. Much of killing a big buck requires being a very patient, hard working, high standard, lone wolf style hunter, which is exactly what our big buck heroes of the past were but we didn't realize at the time is what set them apart from us.

I'd say it's all natural evolution, and I've enjoyed the ride. I'll continue looking forward. I have dreamed of giant antlers as long as I've known what a deer was. That hasn't changed. What has changed is my approach & outlook. I no longer hunt deer while daydreaming of a giant stepping out. I now hunt that giant specifically and in many cases have watched him grow from fawn into the trophy he is, much like waiting for a fruit to ripen for harvest. If I could give my current brain to my young hunter self, I'd have not been much fun for my friends because I wouldn't have participated in deer camp or deer drives. And I'd have been robbed of all that fun. These days the kids are figuring out how to merge both worlds where they can hang out & have fun while also killing big bucks. That's one thing I admire about "The Hunting Public" on YouTube. They hunt crowded public land with a group of buddies and they kill good bucks. And they're sharing how to do it with anybody. Lots of folks complain about over crowded public land but in the same breath complain about losing the good ole days. I tend to think we are living the good ole days right now. Hunting has changed for sure but I see much more positives than negatives.

 

[tickweed]

When l did first start deer hunting, 1974, we just didnt have the population here in madison county that later was to come. l was just a 14 yr old kid, had hunted small game as far back as l could remember.Took my first deer Nov, 19, 1978, a small basket rack 8pt. l remember it as if it was yest. morning. You would have thought l killed a Bull Elk. My first of many to come. l would progress to bow hunting, muzzleloader hunting. Then , after taking many ,many deer, progressed to wanting to take a really solid antlered buck. Set my goal at a 140 class here in Tn. Starting passing bucks every season, still dreaming of a really good deer. Hunted Illinois, public, by myself . Became really consumed with a big deer.Took me over 20 years to finally do it here in West Tn. A word of wisdom, you have to hunt where a mature deer is to harvest one. I Now have over five 140 net or higher. Looking back, was it worth it? No. ld tell any younger hunters, dont get pulled into the big horn chase. You will sacrifice way to much, lose way to much of what hunting is really about. Just enjoy each sunrise, each sunset. Each day just being there. The kill is really s small small part of what its about. Enjoy every moment. They will all pass in the blink of an eye. Let every animal be a trophy. Enjoy Gods gifts. As you get older, those memories of the early days will mean the most. Those where the good days .

 

[BSK]

Late starter here, didn't start hunting until the early 90's, I was in my 20's. Wish I would have had the opportunity to hunt with my dad or grandfather, dad passed away when I was 2 and grandfather passed away when I was 9.

My first deer was in 1994, one of my best scoring deer I have ever killed, the one in the middle of the pic below. Quality and age structure have gotten better here, but overall density has declined. We have too many small properties around us.
View attachment 185736

Those are some really nice Tennessee bucks.

 

[BSK]

These days getting a big buck isn't the unattainable pipe dream it used to be. Any hunter who wants big antlers can get all the knowledge at his/her fingertips. Buck habits, hunting wind & thermals, finding subtle edges & other terrain features are free knowledge that anybody can access. Trail cameras & digital map scouting have exposed bucks' hiding places. Killing a big buck has never been as easy & open to any hunter as it is today.

The plethora of knowledge now available on the internet may be the biggest change in hunting. I remember when I first got into deer hunting, and my unquenchable desire to learn everything I could about deer and deer hunting lead me to realize there wasn't any good information on deer and deer hunting. I read every issue Field and Stream and Outdoor Life cover to cover, and it didn't take me long to realize most of what was written there was garbage. That lead me to seeking out scientific data on deer. It was very hard to find, and mostly limited to State Wildlife Agency research, which wasn't much help. It wasn't until the "newer" crop of private land managers and biologists began to publish their research, and organizations like the QDMA and their publication of Quality Whitetails, that good science-backed info became available to the hunting public. And I gobbled that stuff up.

And now look at where we are. I can go on YouTube and find more hunting and management information in 10 minutes than I could have found in 10 years in the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately, I just wish more of it was good, accurate information! We seem to be at a point of overload of marginal-quality information. But at least it's better than what we were getting in the 2000s from the hunting shows on TV.

 

[BSK]

When l did first start deer hunting, 1974, we just didnt have the population here in madison county that later was to come. l was just a 14 yr old kid, had hunted small game as far back as l could remember.Took my first deer Nov, 19, 1978, a small basket rack 8pt. l remember it as if it was yest. morning. You would have thought l killed a Bull Elk. My first of many to come. l would progress to bow hunting, muzzleloader hunting. Then , after taking many ,many deer, progressed to wanting to take a really solid antlered buck. Set my goal at a 140 class here in Tn. Starting passing bucks every season, still dreaming of a really good deer. Hunted Illinois, public, by myself . Became really consumed with a big deer.Took me over 20 years to finally do it here in West Tn. A word of wisdom, you have to hunt where a mature deer is to harvest one. I Now have over five 140 net or higher. Looking back, was it worth it? No. ld tell any younger hunters, dont get pulled into the big horn chase. You will sacrifice way to much, lose way to much of what hunting is really about. Just enjoy each sunrise, each sunset. Each day just being there. The kill is really s small small part of what its about. Enjoy every moment. They will all pass in the blink of an eye. Let every animal be a trophy. Enjoy Gods gifts. As you get older, those memories of the early days will mean the most. Those where the good days .

Excellent post tickweed. I too fell into the trap of striving for only the biggest bucks possible. Part of it was scientific curiosity. How far could you push a single property? How many big bucks could be produced? How many of those could be harvested each year? I too eventually found out that following that track can prove less than pleasurable. Part of that is simply growing as a hunter (i.e. the 5 stages of a hunter), but there is also the fact that what you dreamed of ends up being too much work to be worth it. Eventually I realized that what I killed wasn't as important as the experiences of doing so. The hunting with friends and family. The great stories generated, told and retold. The comradery of hunting camp. THAT is what matters. Now I still strive to kill a decent buck every year, but my standards of "decent" have definitely modified considerably from my "trophy" years. And I'm much happier and enjoying hunting more than the trophy days.

 

[Ski]

And now look at where we are. I can go on YouTube and find more hunting and management information in 10 minutes than I could have found in 10 years in the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately, I just wish more of it was good, accurate information! We seem to be at a point of overload of marginal-quality information. But at least it's better than what we were getting in the 2000s from the hunting shows on TV.

It really is an overload, and I agree much of it is less than trusty. Worse yet much of the nonsense gets regurgitated. It's hard to sift through sometimes because what works in one situation may not work everywhere or every time.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Those are some great mounts! Beautiful trophy wall, Sir!

Thank you.

Those are some really nice Tennessee bucks.

Thank you, there is 25 years between the first and last deer on that wall.

 

[BSK]

It really is an overload, and I agree much of it is less than trusty. Worse yet much of the nonsense gets regurgitated. It's hard to sift through sometimes because what works in one situation may not work everywhere or every time.

And so many of these people just copy each other. As I mentioned in the Food Plot section, the "no-till" food plot thing (basically, "throw-and-mow") is getting absolutely pounded to death, as if it's something new. Some of us were doing this years ago (because we didn't have the equipment to do anything else), realized it wasn't that productive, and moved on. Now it's being touted as the greatest system ever. Yes, it does have benefits. But it also has down-sides no one is mentioning in their YouTube videos.

I've also noticed most of these YouTubers are working/managing in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, etc. What works there doesn't always work in other areas, especially the Southeast. And I guess it is because of land ownership patterns in Northern States, but these YouTubers are all giving advice for the hunter with 25 acres to hunt/manage. I'm sure many hunters across the country are in the same boat, but good advice for 25 acres can be very different than advice for what many hunters in the Southeast have access to (100+ acres).

 

[tickweed]

Excellent post tickweed. I too fell into the trap of striving for only the biggest bucks possible. Part of it was scientific curiosity. How far could you push a single property? How many big bucks could be produced? How many of those could be harvested each year? I too eventually found out that following that track can prove less than pleasurable. Part of that is simply growing as a hunter (i.e. the 5 stages of a hunter), but there is also the fact that what you dreamed of ends up being too much work to be worth it. Eventually I realized that what I killed wasn't as important as the experiences of doing so. The hunting with friends and family. The great stories generated, told and retold. The comradery of hunting camp. THAT is what matters. Now I still strive to kill a decent buck every year, but my standards of "decent" have definitely modified considerably from my "trophy" years. And I'm much happier and enjoying hunting more than the trophy days.

so well said.