Let them walk.

[killitgrillit]

I belong to the Boom and crockpot club

 

[xsn10s]

IMO the people to direct this to are the ones who issue tags each year. The biologists set the criteria for harvest. Anyone operating under the established criteria are following the guidelines. I look at it like how I fish. I caught a 4.5 lb largemouth yesterday. We're in the spawn and that male is a decent specimen for our area, not huge but decent. I let him go so he could fertilize eggs. We kept a few smaller catfish instead. Good eating size catfish.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, "trophy" is also in the eye of the beholder.

Shoot what makes you happy.

 

[OldElkHunter1961]

Your message is a 6 out of 10.

Your delivery of that message is a 2.

Work on your communication skills if you wish to actually influence others to consider your ideas.

You're welcome.

 

[Hard rock]

I've never scored a deer really don't know exactly how to go about it but I doubt anything I have would score 125 ,as with beauty trophies are in the eye of the beholder. that's a great deer in your picture and I'm sure the 125 was a great deer as well!

Personally I try too hunt and shoot mature bucks , if he has nice antlers that is a bonus . I have a place out in west Tx , I don't expect South Tx size antlers , unless you get real lucky . I and my neighbors try too let young bucks mature because young dead bucks don't ever reach there potential. It is hard sometimes letting a really nice 10 point walk knowing if he goes past a certain point on the ranch he is history , I don't shoot because if I let him go someone else will , that's not the way I hunt . I guess you could say I try too manage the best I can, but I am a property owner a lesee may have a different perspective , depending on the lease agreement , or whatever self imposed rules are that's the way we do it here in Tx for the most part . I've have leased and now I own my hunting property , of the most fun and memorable leases I ever hunted was on the Trinity River bottom in Centerville Tx , on opening morning of deer season there were going too be some deer too hang on the meat pole , a hundred dollar pot for the biggest buck killed that weekend . I can remember when you heard a shot you would think that sounds like came from Fred's stand , then the next shot that came from Elwoods stand and the morning went on , you couldn't wait too get back too camp too see what was hanging . We weren't much on management those days but there wasn't pressure on anyone that killed something small , I still have a picture when there was one too many bucks hanging on the meat pole and it broke , a pile of bucks some big some small , it kind of chokes me up thinking about those days , the two names mentioned are no longer here , but I have those memories. Good hunting , treat your neighbors as you would like too be treated and keep it fun .

 

[TX Badger]

As long as it's legal, people should kill whatever they want to. Sounds like you should buy a ranch and start managing it how you want.

The problem with this attitude is that that is what is happening in many areas of the country. It is what we did because we got tired of people not being able to stick to established minimums. Our property used to have 7 hunters on it, now it has 4. The property we left did not offer our spots to anyone else because they want more control.... access gets tighter and tighter. Then people complain about that.

 

[CNY Yote Hunter]

I would disagree completely and respectively. If too many people were shooting the smaller animals then why aren't the ones who wait coming across more of the bigger ones? Secondly, myself and my crew I work with all work 70-100 hours a week 90 plus percent of the year. If and when we get a chance to somewhat enjoy ourselves or can get lucky enough to get one weekend to hunt, I'm taking whatever the good lord blessed me with a shot at taking. Life is too short for me to sit and wait for all the trophy's. I'm glad others have that opportunity and have zero disrespect towards any of you. Best of luck always!!

 

[GregV]

If you want fun and action, then hunt feral hogs. You can get some good meat (with the younger, smaller pigs) and you are doing a pest control service at the same time.

 

[bultinkle]

Your account is one of the most impressive examples of poisoning the well I have ever seen.

Between taking paragraphs preemptively attacking the people that disagree with you and insult them, and going on a side rant about lying to children by acting excited for them when they kill their first buck if it's not enormous it's truly amazing and disengenious because it implies everyone acts like every 4 point a child kills is enormous, we don't. We are excited because they are excited, and it's pretty obvious to everyone with a pulse that the 130+ on the wall is bigger. Kids get that too. The tirades at clouds about undisciplined living are just so far out there man.

I have no issue with the letting walk concept, I think it naturally comes with some age and we try to foster it some with hunters that lease land from us, but in the end they are there to hunt and they get to hunt as they wish. I try to only take bucks that are bigger than what I have previously killed, that's getting harder and I let a lot of deer walk every year. My friend doesn't, he has less time to hunt and if he sees a young buck he is going to take it and eat it. I am happy for him, and grandstanding about how undisciplined he is hardly seems like a good quality in a person to me. He is an American that followed the law and fed his family on game meat, that's damned good enough for me.

The constant implications, nay direct statements insulting anyone that disagrees with you are truly exhausting. They are logical fallacies and they make your points seem weak.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Limited draw areas produce trophy quality animals by creating a situation where trophies are a real possibility.

If you waited 5 years to draw a coveted tag, you will likely wait for a mature trophy.

Private Leases often do the same. If you pay $5k-$10k/year for one Whitetail, you aren't shooting 2.5 year old deer.

There are hunts for every hunter. Pick your hunt and shoot what makes you happy.

 

[xsn10s]

If you want fun and action, then hunt feral hogs. You can get some good meat (with the younger, smaller pigs) and you are doing a pest control service at the same time.

That's a good idea but living in Oregon it's not something I'd want to do. I'd either go to California, which I won't spend any amount to go hunt there. Or travel to Texas, which is fine. But why would I pay to hunt pigs there when I can hunt deer, elk, or antelope in Oregon. I'll take what the good Lord gives me right here.

 

[jshepherd61]

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?

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

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.


-----------
Follow on Instagram
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Affiliate

I'm ignoring, have no use for trophy hunters!

 

[Sikadog]

We in the UK do things in a slightly differant way we tend to not shoot the quality deer and leave them to breed.
I have just taken on a new lease in South west Scotland which is about 600 acres and one day last week the farmer saw 47 red deer in one of his corn fields.
He was not happy.
Last Saturday I shot three 2 year old Red Deer and the guy I was with shot an elderly Roe Buck, a good cull animal, the deer on the farm are not good quality as the poor deer have been breeding with the good animals, and there are far to many.
We will continue culling out the dross until we end up the a good group of deer.
THe farm is only stock fenced so the deer are free to come and go as they like, we have 3 types of deer Red, Roe and Fallow in 3 differant colours.
We estimate we have somewhere between 80 to 100 deer on 600acres we will reduce this to 60ish hopefully and improve the quality.

 

[Radman]

Not everyone is a trophy hunter ,I am a meat hunter .I will shoot a doe just as fast as a buck ,yes I would like to have trophy bucks and I have a few good ones come across my property but I have neighbors. I have only 50 acres I have no illusions that I am managing any deer at least on my property I've been to Wyoming one time a buddy of mine and myself did a DIY hunt I don't know five years ago .I took this one he's not a giant but he's not a baby either as mentioned earlier it is a trophy to me .A trophy is not just the size of the animal it's memories of the hunt the trip there and back the total experience and it was enough of a trophy to me to spend $400+ to have it mounted and shipped back home. Hopefully I run into this guy this season he's definitely a trophy to me and at least for now he's in my backyardView attachment 376503View attachment 376504

Now THAT'S a HOG (head)!