LOL- I am not a Responsible Deer Hunter

[bowriter]

The size of the deer's antlers no longer matter to me or influence my decision to shoot. Responsibility, to me, means I shoot safely, hunt ethically and legally. I abide by the not only the laws of the state in which I am hunting but the wishes of the landowner and/or property manager.

Within those parameters, I may shoot a deer or let it walk. Whether or not I kill one and what I kill has nothing to do with responsibility. Equally, neither does what anyone else thinks of what I shoot or don't shoot. I care not one bit what someone else thinks of my choice of what I'll kill.

There was a time when I thought I had to kill large antlered bucks to maintain my "reputation". What a crock that was. Fortunately, I matured and realized hunting was totally about what I was happy to kill. So long as it was within the parameters listed above, it mattered only to me. For those who wish to kill big bucks and pass up small ones, I say "Great have at it". For those who wish to kill spikes or any young buck, I say, "great, have at it". Just do either within the parameters I mentioned and I will congratulate you on your success.

I regard myself as a tremendously responsible hunter or fisherman and do not give a flying forget-me-not what anyone else thinks.

 

[Winchester]

I worry none what anybody else shoots, and I worry none what anybody else thinks about what I shoot!

 

[Orion6]

I am a responsible hunter. I follow the rules of gun safety. I hunt in season. I don't shoot more than I'll eat.

Don't care about age, just try to base my harvest on size. Around here if it's 7-8 point or better, I'm probably going to shoot (at) it. Sometimes I'll shoot a six if I feel like it. I've killed a couple of buttons in bow season, don't lose sleep over it. I'll pile the does up when I can too.

I harvest what I want, and don't care if others do the same. Most of the guys I hunt with try to lay off the little ones when they can, but we might shoot 1 a year that would make the QDMA guys wake up with night sweats, screaming.

One thing I think is often overlooked and rarely discussed is that when the rut hits, you're often seeing deer from other properties, and the guys three leases over are seeing (and shooting)the deer you've watched at your salt lick and food plots all summer. QDMA gurus will curse me here, but in a lot of high pressure places if you don't take that 2.5 year old 8 point someone else a mile away will later. I've seen it happen too many times to call it mere coincidence. So unless you have vast, unbroken property and you're the only one hunting it, take what makes you happy, or you'll see it rolling in at the processor in a truck with Bone Collector decals, Ozonics sticker and a Yeti cooler in the back.

I grew up hunting places where we considered seeing a doe per trip a huge deal. My daughter has no idea what it's like to go a full season and see 3-4 deer and nothing more. I was a man before I killed a deer or turkey. She's 11 and seeing stuff every time she goes. So yeah, maybe I'm still in my "killing" phase at times. But I'm teaching her to respect the game and be safe, so to me that's what matters.

If you're being safe and having fun, I don't care what you kill. It's your tag.

 

[BamaProud]

I always say as long as its legal do as you wish. As for the ethical part, I think its kinda silly to discuss ethics since ethics vary between people, regions, countries, cultures, states, etc...

Some people think its unethical to hunt over bait, some people think turkey hunting in a blind is unethical, heck some people even think all hunting is unethical.

...Again as long as its legal have fun.

 

[BSK]

...Again as long as its legal have fun.

If I can add "...and biologically sound" to BamaProud's legal requirements, I'm good with it.

 

[BamaProud]

...Again as long as its legal have fun.

If I can add "...and biologically sound" to BamaProud's legal requirements, I'm good with it.

I can even get past the "biologically sound" requirement occasionally. For example on my farm, if a kid wants to shoot their first deer, they have the green light for any legal deer. It might not be the best plan from a biological/management standpoint, but sometimes other issues take precedence.

 

[Snake]

I think y'all missed the operative word-responsible. He said a RESPOSNIBLE hunter will only shoot mature deer. What he meant was, we should all let little deer walk so he can kill one with big antlers. In other words, we should be RESPONSIBLE for his idea of deer hunting.

Re`spon�si`ble Pronunciation: r?`sp?n�s?`b'l

a. 1. Liable to respond; likely to be called upon to answer; accountable; answerable; amenable; as, a guardian is responsible to the court for his conduct in the office.
2. Able to respond or answer for one's conduct and obligations; trustworthy, financially or otherwise; as, to have a responsible man for surety.
3. Involving responsibility; involving a degree of accountability on the part of the person concerned; as, a responsible office.
If we agreed to hunt by his standards , rules and hunted upon his property then with some justification he may be able to use this term loosely but we know we all cannot do this so IMO this guy is a nut ! Most mature deer hunters (those that have hunted at least 10 yrs) are characterized by what type of hunting property they are able to hunt with exceptions . Those who have property that if they can choose to let bucks mature usually do so knowing that they will have a good chance at killing that buck .Those that hunt public or small properties know that if they don't shoot the first legal buck then their chances are going to be slim at killing a buck at all let alone a mature one . Now some hunters are some what in the middle of this mature to any buck road . They some times shoot the first legal buck then they wait for a bigger one . Some do both , kill mature bucks and a slew of whatever is legal which IMO is great , each to his own . I don't get to hunt were some do and I'm really envious but some don't get to hunt the types of property I get to .Like I first said most hunters are the type they are primarily by the type of property they get to hunt . You sure can't kill a mature buck were one ain't I don't care how good a hunter you are !! Guess I'm irresponsible according to this guy's definition but who gives a rat's tail as long as a hunter is legal !

 

[BSK]

...Again as long as its legal have fun.

If I can add "...and biologically sound" to BamaProud's legal requirements, I'm good with it.

I can even get past the "biologically sound" requirement occasionally. For example on my farm, if a kid wants to shoot their first deer, they have the green light for any legal deer. It might not be the best plan from a biological/management standpoint, but sometimes other issues take precedence.

Excellent point BamaProud. However, I'm a bit more forgiving in my definition of "biologically sound." To more accurately express my opinion, I should have said, "not biologically damaging." In many situations with today's deer herds, I have no problem at all with a few young bucks being taken. As long as a particular harvest strategy does no obvious harm, I'm fine with it. With the buck age structure present in many parts of the state today, some young buck harvest is perfectly acceptable.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I kill what I want to. Usually I'm not picky for the first deer of the year. After that, my second has to bigger than the 8pt I killed 4 years ago. We don't eat much so I'm not gonna be wasteful.