Deer hunting has changed in a huge way from when I first started. Back then we didn’t have deer stands or feeders. We hunted with dogs and shotguns. If you were lucky enough to kill a deer EVERYONE was happy for you. Years later it changed to tree stands (lean to, or board between tree limbs) and 5 gallon bucket feeders with a stick in the bottom. The deer would bump the stick to let corn fall out. Once again, if you shot a deer EVERYONE was happy for you.
Now days we have $1,000 feeders, $3,000+ deer stands, game cameras, and all kinds of gadgets at our disposal. I’m not against any of that technology. What has changed is EVERYONE is no longer happy when you are successful shooting a deer. Lots of the deer are off limits to shoot. Everything is “age and score.”
All I use to care about was is the deer a buck or doe. Now days lots of us have to age it, and score it on the hoof. Some of us need photographic history with a deer and permission from a lease boss before we can kill a deer. Can someone tell me about when it all changed? When did we become amateur deer biologists?
I’m all for growing big deer. This isn’t a rant at all. I’m just wondering when as a hunting community we went from everyone celebrating our kills to “should have gave it another year.” The deer now have lots of parameters that just didn’t exist before. That has definitely changed how hunters react to other peoples kills. Heck I was in my mid 40’s before I learned how to score a deer. I only learned because I had to.
Sometimes I do wish my kids could have experienced deer hunting the way I did growing up.
Well except for the little buddy heater. It sure beats an old coffee can with toilet paper soaked in alcohol for a heater.
Now days we have $1,000 feeders, $3,000+ deer stands, game cameras, and all kinds of gadgets at our disposal. I’m not against any of that technology. What has changed is EVERYONE is no longer happy when you are successful shooting a deer. Lots of the deer are off limits to shoot. Everything is “age and score.”
All I use to care about was is the deer a buck or doe. Now days lots of us have to age it, and score it on the hoof. Some of us need photographic history with a deer and permission from a lease boss before we can kill a deer. Can someone tell me about when it all changed? When did we become amateur deer biologists?
I’m all for growing big deer. This isn’t a rant at all. I’m just wondering when as a hunting community we went from everyone celebrating our kills to “should have gave it another year.” The deer now have lots of parameters that just didn’t exist before. That has definitely changed how hunters react to other peoples kills. Heck I was in my mid 40’s before I learned how to score a deer. I only learned because I had to.
Sometimes I do wish my kids could have experienced deer hunting the way I did growing up.
Well except for the little buddy heater. It sure beats an old coffee can with toilet paper soaked in alcohol for a heater.
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