Let them walk.

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As a hunter education instructor we taught that hunters can go thru stages in their lives. Level one is the excitement of hunting for the first time. The sounds, the mountains, the smells, the gun or bow, the not knowing but soaking it up, is all part of what causes the next hunt to be a sleepless night in anticipation of the season opener. Level two is bag limit level if you can legally have 10 rabbits you are trying your very best to get 10 rabbits, or three pheasants or a limit of ducks or trout, etc. Level three is the method level where you go from one caliber to an other or one gun to another, or a gun to a bow. Level four is the trophy phase where the sportsman only harvests trophies. If it is not big enough he will not take it. level five is the top of the game level where it is all about the experience, the friends and comradery, the location, the mother nature beauty, the weather. Level five hunters don't have to harvest to be satisfied. It's almost spiritual it's when the passing of the torch to younger hunters most often occurs. I'm 64 now and I have been hunting since I was 11, my sons and daughter since they were seven. We have hunted for food, for fun and for the heritage on the same mountain as my great great grandfather. I do believe in stewardship. I have passed on many animals and I do not fault another hunter for anything in any of those levels that is legal. To me it is all a part of participation. My suggestion is for every hunter is to enjoy every level and try to experience them all. By the way some people fly through the levels, some people skip levels. some stall out in certain levels and some people quit hunting all together with out experiencing multiple levels. View attachment 376825
Couldn't agree more with this post. There are multiple things wrong with today's society. Hunting for meat, trophies, or something in between is not one of them. I let the smaller animals walk. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars hunting and left empty handed because I didn't see what I was willing to kill. My choice and I don't regret it. I used to be a meat hunter and I don't think less of anyone for meat hunting. Taking yearlings or females with yearlings is a different story but that is my opinion and I don't expect anyone to see it the same way.

Primal- Of first importance. Right- Something to which someone has a just claim. This doesn't add up with your statements. Hunting's first importance was food and for some people that remains true today. To hunt for "the proper specimen" is subjective to what your first importance is.

One of the biggest problems in our society today is people not minding their own buisness in my opinion. This goes for the people running their lips about trophy hunters as well. This thread is a prime example.

"Let he without sin cast the first stone."

"And that's all I have to say about that."
 
As a hunter education instructor we taught that hunters can go thru stages in their lives. Level one is the excitement of hunting for the first time. The sounds, the mountains, the smells, the gun or bow, the not knowing but soaking it up, is all part of what causes the next hunt to be a sleepless night in anticipation of the season opener. Level two is bag limit level if you can legally have 10 rabbits you are trying your very best to get 10 rabbits, or three pheasants or a limit of ducks or trout, etc. Level three is the method level where you go from one caliber to an other or one gun to another, or a gun to a bow. Level four is the trophy phase where the sportsman only harvests trophies. If it is not big enough he will not take it. level five is the top of the game level where it is all about the experience, the friends and comradery, the location, the mother nature beauty, the weather. Level five hunters don't have to harvest to be satisfied. It's almost spiritual it's when the passing of the torch to younger hunters most often occurs. I'm 64 now and I have been hunting since I was 11, my sons and daughter since they were seven. We have hunted for food, for fun and for the heritage on the same mountain as my great great grandfather. I do believe in stewardship. I have passed on many animals and I do not fault another hunter for anything in any of those levels that is legal. To me it is all a part of participation. My suggestion is for every hunter is to enjoy every level and try to experience them all. By the way some people fly through the levels, some people skip levels. some stall out in certain levels and some people quit hunting all together with out experiencing multiple levels. View attachment 376825
I am not sure that I have had those levels in that way. I do greatly appreciate your presentation and hope that many experience the joys of hunting as you have. I have different joys based on the method of hunting. With my bow, I like to hunt from the ground, even though I have several stands. It is more about stalking and feeling the heightened senses, truly absorbing my surroundings. Wit a rifle it is mostly about being out, enjoying the day. I am good if I don't harvest anything, it is about being out, and enjoying the peace that closing out the world brings. Even in stormy weather there is much to enjoy. Some days I would be just as good hunting with a camera. I do take the time to appreciate the animals that I harvest as well. I process all of my kills myself, the meat tastes so much better that way. I hope that all hunters can take the time to enjoy their surroundings and the totality of the experience.
 
One of the reasons I posted Bible verses is because it gives guidelines on what we can eat. Although much of it is a parable and more of a guidance on how we should treat each other. Context is everything.
 
There's quite a few of you that will read this post and you'll just get mad and try to tell me how it is. Cool, you do that. I will hit "ignore" on every one of you without hesitation. If you want to disagree, you better do so in a manner befitting a Christian. Fact is, I have almost nothing in common with most "hunters" these days, and I'd rather be disliked by all of them than be "popular" among that crowd.

This post is for the rest of you. The guys that are trying to be good responsible sportsmen that know how to manage our resources.

My request is this: Learn how to score on the hoof. Stop shooting immature animals. If you want food and the joy of the hunt... do it with a doe. They taste better.

That is all.

I'm out scouting for pronghorn, as I usually do this time of year. Some areas of the country you see massive pronghorn regularly. Tags are hard to get in those areas. Permission to hunt, even harder to get. They grow big there, because most hunters are kept out.

That's not true of my area. Here, there isn't much for sizable pronghorn. Fewer and fewer sizable anything, actually.

It's a sad reality when in order to foster trophy animals, hunters must be kept away. Yet, despite how sad, that is very true of many hunters. We're suppose to care... not just look for instant gratification of a kill on our vacation from our life, wife, and job.

Took this guys picture 15 minutes ago... and I know the majority of hunters would blast him if given the opportunity. Sure, he's a "nice" goat. He's got decent cutters, decent length, decent mass, and there's even some ivory there.

Though he sure doesn't have much of a curl does he? I bet he's 3yrs old is all. Next year he'll be nice. Two years, he'll be a STUD! What do you think he scores?

sGoB5grh.jpg


Now compare what you see above, to a real trophy pronghorn. Here's a 90" goat from pronghornguideservice instagram page:
Uz7qbtUh.jpg


Now what do you think that first goat I posted scored?

I'm talking about pronghorn here, but the same applies to every species. Just let them walk. What is the big deal? Shoot a doe for as many years as you need to foster some proper management of the species. Teach this restraint to the younger generation. If you don't, then $10,000+ per hunt guides will be the only place any of us get to hunt a real trophy. You can very likely still do all the things that are important to you on your hunt without shooting an immature buck.


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You know I was always taught if you have to tell everyone you are a "Christian" you might need to re-examine your life. I have read your post from before and from what I can see and read you like to talk down to people and tell them what they need to do. I agree about letting them walk if you are trophy hunting but it's kinda like "One man's garbage is another man's treasure ". My son was extremely proud to kill a doe as his first deer, it was a trophy to him and people like you want to look down on it. I think you think a little too highly of yourself, you might want to see what the word "HUMBLE " means instead of telling everyone how they should live their life. Sounds like a certain political party. Also, I will save you the trouble of the "IGNORE" list. You made mine. Have thought about you for this list before and with this post,congratulations, you made it. If this post makes you or anybody else mad, all I can say is TOUGH. This is the way I feel too….. Rant Over.. IGNORE DONE…
 
You know I was always taught if you have to tell everyone you are a "Christian" you might need to re-examine your life.
If you listen carefully to what people say, you can often interpret what kind of people they truly are. A friend of mine once said "If I see a bible verse on a check … I know it will bounce." This wasn't a comment on Christians. It was an accurate (in my experience) observation about people who use religion to prop themselves up.
 
I am not sure that I have had those levels in that way. I do greatly appreciate your presentation and hope that many experience the joys of hunting as you have. I have different joys based on the method of hunting. With my bow, I like to hunt from the ground, even though I have several stands. It is more about stalking and feeling the heightened senses, truly absorbing my surroundings. Wit a rifle it is mostly about being out, enjoying the day. I am good if I don't harvest anything, it is about being out, and enjoying the peace that closing out the world brings. Even in stormy weather there is much to enjoy. Some days I would be just as good hunting with a camera. I do take the time to appreciate the animals that I harvest as well. I process all of my kills myself, the meat tastes so much better that way. I hope that all hunters can take the time to enjoy their surroundings and the totality of the experience.
I enjoy hunting from the ground so much more than hunting from a stand. There is nothing like moving along slowly and seeing deer before deer see you.
 
Huh, I'm surprised this still going, I figured it would get so hot that Len would cut off further replies after 3 pages.

Shooting does is a nice option if you have that as free choice. Where I live and hunt shooting does is a special permit draw only, unless you're archery or possibly muzzleloader.
 
Hahah there you go. Perfect!! Lol
Referring back too post 239 , most hunters have too get it out of his system so too speak . A new hunter that's starting out as a hunter on a lease or his own property , public land etc , may not have learned what some has been taught early on as kids ,hunting with a more experienced hunter and may be more inclined too shoot something that you or I would not have shot , that dosnt make him a slob hunter or unethical , he may just need a little more time too come around and see things differently. Some hunters hunt for a big trophy , some hunters just enjoy the experience , some just have too shoot , some fill the hunt is more important than the kill . I have a piece of a large ranch with multiple land owners , some shoot way more than they should and some don't hardly shoot anything unless a big one comes by . The only thing I can do is try too be an example and shoot mature deer , don't over shoot my property and educate some of the other land owners , if they ever want too shoot a wall hanger. I have observed over the years some not all are finally coming around and are being more selective of what they shoot and now we see or have a opportunity too kill bigger more mature deer , it takes time most hunters have too go through a transition. I have been hunting a long time and if a 10 point came by me 4 too 5 yrs old he probably got shot , now if he ain't quite there I let him walk thinking if he made it that long , what will he be next year . It takes a long time too get a animal too maturity and by letting him walk gives me something too look forward too the next yr , unless I hear of a neighbor getting him . Public land is a different ball game and no way too get hunters on the same page . If I don't see what I want, for meat I take a doe spike or a cull buck , but then again some don't know what a cull buck is too some It doesn't matter each too his own don't force feed anything be a good steward of the land and practice what you preach.Good Hunting
 
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