Are the glory days of deer hunting coming to a close?

[Cool Hand Luke]

Everyone knows my opinion about banning trail cams during the season and how this is negatively affecting fair chase in hunting I see this as way worse than hunting in a box blind. I see post that guys have 30 cams on 50 acres with up to the second intell and boast that it's fair chase. Wtf

This is good! Your point that is.

 

[SD51555]

You'll never keep up with technology when it comes to our ability to destroy the resource. If man cannot be trusted to do the right thing, we do not deserve the resource, and it should be destroyed. That is the only way we'll learn.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I think we all miss the point in more ways then one, food plots, weaponry, diversity. But truth is, there has to be a limit at some point on hunting tech or we aren't going to have many critters to hunt.

It really is taking the fun out of it.

How somebody else chooses to hunt or what weapon they use....if legal...shouldn't take the fun out of it for you. Some states allow baiting some don't. Some Sunday hunting...some don't. Hunting with dogs, crossbows, deer decoys, etc. Some guys go on wolf and Mt. lion hunts...but don't eat the meat. Should that be banned?

I don't necessarily disagree with you on crossbows. Not into baiting. Not into gadgets and trinkets. I just don't care if other hunters use them. To each their own.

 

[H20fwler]

Crossbows=the devil. When guys tell me they hunt with one, that ruins it for me. Think about how many more deer get killed during bow season because of them! I'm sorry to any of you old timers or youngsters that do it but that killed the majesty of bowhunting. We used to get a 3 month long season to test our skills. Now you basically get to do that with a low power single shot gun that has a string attached. In the old days, only got to use them if you had a handicap. Now every lazy bowhunter who didn't like to practice is a still a "bowhunter", just with a crossbow.

And if anyone wants to argue about age and difficulty with conventional archery tackle, look at what Fred Bear did with a recurve into his 70's!!!!

Also, box blinds ruined a lot as well. My kids are still young and I'm sure when their hunting days come, box blinds will be very handy but I'm very reluctant. My dad used to hoist me up on the platform of his wooden stands or drag out a wooden ladder to prop me up on the base of his tree. He taught me how to HUNT! Not just sit and wait on a deer...

We've got to think about teaching the next generation. Not enabling them.

So you shoot a recurve or longbow deer hunting then right?

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I owe an apology for running my mouth. It's easy to see things one-sided when you're passionate about preserving them. I've witnessed deer numbers drastically decline here due to CWD sharpshooting and habitat loss. I really do worry about the future of our wildlife, hunting and habitat. That's why we're here right!

I'm sorry guys.

 

[Catscratch]

I owe an apology for running my mouth. It's easy to see things one-sided when you're passionate about preserving them. I've witnessed deer numbers drastically decline here due to CWD sharpshooting and habitat loss. I really do worry about the future of our wildlife, hunting and habitat. That's why we're here right!

I'm sorry guys.

I took no offense to your post even though I didn't completely agree with the rant. We all let steam off once in a while. I appreciate you apologizing like this. Classy!

I was against crossbow inclusion vehemently, and youth seasons too. Things change and in my opinion we loose a lot when they change. As a group we've lost a lot of hunting skills, heritage, traditions, etc. I think it started with commercially produced tree-stands and compounds. I think those two things changed bowhunting more than anything else we've seen. Crossbows and box blinds are just another step in the process. I'm very confident that before I die I'll see it legal to shoot a deer at night with a suppressed night vision rifle. Coyote hunters have already made the equipment and idea normalized (at any given stop half the trucks at the gas station will have such a rifle in the back seat). But, change doesn't mean better nor worse... just that it's different than it was.

 

[BenA]

I owe an apology for running my mouth. It's easy to see things one-sided when you're passionate about preserving them. I've witnessed deer numbers drastically decline here due to CWD sharpshooting and habitat loss. I really do worry about the future of our wildlife, hunting and habitat. That's why we're here right!

I'm sorry guys.

We get passionate about things that mean a lot to us. I think most of us here would love to hunt deer with good numbers, a balanced sex ratio, and a well developed age structure. State departments need to make regulations that focus on the best biologically functioning herd. Age structure is a biologic component that they've fallen short on, but is required for a herd to function as intended. We get caught up with the nuances and intricacies of method, but in reality, I think what we all really want is to hunt a deer herd that is biologically sound. I'd love to see hunters get behind making their state game and fish departments be held accountable for managing a deer herd for biological soundness instead of fighting against each other for style of hunting.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

I owe an apology for running my mouth. It's easy to see things one-sided when you're passionate about preserving them. I've witnessed deer numbers drastically decline here due to CWD sharpshooting and habitat loss. I really do worry about the future of our wildlife, hunting and habitat. That's why we're here right!

I'm sorry guys.

Holy crap dude. If we had more people be able to introspectively look at the words they speak, online and in person, and reflect and have the ability to change modify their viewpoints after careful consideration and dialogue with respected peers - THIS COUNTRY MIGHT HAVE A SHOT.

No joke this is the best thing I’ve seen online all week.

And yes everyone - I use a crossbow and a rifle. Hunt from blinds over food plots, and hunt from climbers on public in high pressure states. The most excited and rewarding experience this year was watching my 13 year old son shoot a small deer, with a crossbow, in a tree he picked out himself, on public land in a different state.

 

[Electrodigical]

I was against crossbow inclusion vehemently, and youth seasons too.

Have reasons I'm against all the many seasons, some just a teeny bit, some I'm against strongly. But there's one reason firm reason I'm against all of them, for the same reason. They're a cash grab by the state. They like to tell us they're "management tools", sure. If you need to take more deer, make the bow/gun season longer. Can't do that, then we can't charge you extra for your muzzle loader tag, extra for your crossbow tag etc etc.

 

[SD51555]

It really comes down to culture and people. Government can pull all the levers it wants, but if you don’t have people that culturally value the resource, you cannot save it.

Look no further than what happens to public lakes, public forests, public parks, public schools, and public housing where there this is a lack of value from the local culture.

Not saying all these things will always fail, but when you try to force conservation where nobody values it, you’re still going to lose.

Good people will ensure that something endures, regardless of what government does.


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[Howboutthemdawgs]

I owe an apology for running my mouth. It's easy to see things one-sided when you're passionate about preserving them. I've witnessed deer numbers drastically decline here due to CWD sharpshooting and habitat loss. I really do worry about the future of our wildlife, hunting and habitat. That's why we're here right!

I'm sorry guys.

I wouldn’t apologize for having an opinion. If some folks can’t handle not agreeing with everything they do, that’s more of an indictment on them than you.