New flash, Booner, if I want to call them "immature deer hunters" I have the right to do so because that is what they are. If the fact that I won't kill an immature buck makes me arrogant, then I will gladly be called arrogant the rest of my life and most guys who deer hunt that aren't beginners feel the same way.

I never said you couldn't do it, or that I was better, but let's call a spade a spade. Does have meat too, but if you're killing immature bucks for meat then it is what it is.

Unless you are hunting with a sharp rock, naked, from a tree limb, and you walked to get there, it cost you way more than $100.

My point is there are many public land hunters that aren't spending thousands of dollars every year on a lease and feed. For those that spend a lot of money on hunting the meat hunter term makes no sense but lots of people hunt public lands and family land for way cheaper than people who lease and some of us kill better deer than the guys who spend thousands

I've stayed out of this thread because the title doesn't apply to me. But now that I've read through the comments my take is to each their own as long as it's legal.

The ethical part of it is personal to the killer, and what others think isn't what's most important. Having the right to legally kill game is.


Now if your my neighbor and you kill young bucks I would most likely high fence my side of the fence to protect the young bucks born on my side of the fence.

Well you are from Louisiana!

I can kill a buck and put him in my freezer for about a 25 cents. And 25 cents ain't much in my book. I don't shoot young bucks because I prefer to eat doe and yearlings. But if someone else wants to do it well that ain't none of my dang business. Trophies are in the eyes of the beholder!

Yes sir!

I hunt a section for free, me and my 2 kiddos, so the argument that deer is the most expensive is way off. I buy a super combo, shells, and 2 youth licenses, so $150 maybe for the season there. Processed 5 deer last year for $300 and got over 200lbs of meat. That's $2.25 a pound. I could add 10 feeders and expensive blinds to run the price up I guess, but there's no need.

If everybody would stop worrying what everybody else shoots we'd be better off. I've watched 3 yo 130 class bucks camp out in my wheat only to get whacked by they neighbor, and here's the shocker....I wasn't mad. He wanted the buck and he was happy to have it and got it mounted so I'm happy for him. I'll shoot what I want, within the law, and not give a dam what people think or call me. I suggest y'all do the same, you'll be happier.

They taste good as Fred Eichler would say.

I shoot what ever makes me happy. I could care less what age the deer is. I dont understand the hang up on shooting a old buck. Nuff Said!

On average, the cost of deer meat is higher than most. There are exceptions, but the majority of hunters in Texas do not hunt on a free place, public or Core Land. Most have feeders, some kind of stand, guns, gas, etc. that would be added to the cost.

I agree 100% with your second paragraph. People sure get butt hurt over what someone else has to say if they disagree with it. At the same time, people are really quick to jump on the "holier than thou" train, so I can see where it ruffles the others. Ah, the joy of random people in the dog days of Summer waiting on hunting season

Those who shoot the young bucks because they can and do enjoy the meat are not the same as the individual who really enjoys seeing a buck with a nice rack. Two different peoples with different viewpoints.

The "meat hunters" (those who generally shoot any deer without regard to age or conservation/numbers), are the first ones to get butt hurt & whine when their neighbors high fence them out.

"I used to shoot 5 deer a year on muh 20 acres, but ever since those jerks high fenced on my side, I don't see any deer. What about muh freezer!"

That's why there are so many high fences around.

Did you shoot the deer with a gun and scope? Did you hunt from a deer stand or blind? Did you drive to the lease? Do you have an ATV? Do you have camo clothes? Do you have any feeders? Do your kids have guns too?

My point is that all of that stuff costs a lot of money and it is unlikely you are deer hunting without some, if not all, of those things. When you add it all up, that deer cost you a lot more than $2.25 a pound. Most people aren't lucky enough to hunt a place for free. I really don't care how you hunt or what you kill, but hunting is not a cheap sport any way you slice it.

Bought my gun almost 20 yrs ago, don't even remember what gave for it, and the kid's I got from a pawn shop for less than $300 a piece. I don't run feeders and have one pop up, but kill a bunch of them just sitting on the ground, no blind or feeder in sight. No atv, and my lease is less than 10 miles from the house. I get what you're saying doc, lots of guys are $10,000 into a trophy lease, but I'm not and I don't spend that much hunting deer. Willing to bet I spent more duck hunting last year than I did on deer.

Calling a man names because he shoots what he wants on his place is ridiculous and childish, period. Half of what's said on the forum wouldn't be said face to face. Everybody is tough behind a computer screen. Y'all keep arguing over stuff that doesn't matter is my point. Lots of these "future trophy" 2 yr olds that people get bent about won't break 130" ever in their lives, so whys it matter? It's just a deer.


Come on deer season!!!

Well, sounds like you are the exception, you're lucky to have that option. Not sure what you mean about calling names, but I agree that deer season can't get here fast enough.

I shoot young bucks because I want to drive DocHorton crazy.

Nowhere in this thread did I say I care....I just said to call it what it is. As long as I don't hunt with you and you want to kill scrub deer then go right ahead. It's the mentality of just wanting to kill something for "meat" that I've moved on from. I like the challenge of wanting to hunt something bigger than what I've already killed, I guess it's just a personal thing for me to try to be a better hunter and manage my property to grow bigger deer and kill a mature buck. I can buy steaks if I want meat and they taste better anyway. I deer hunt for fun, the challenge, and to be in the great outdoors with family and friends. Killing a scrub 6 or 8 point doesn't excite me anymore.

I'm confused. Why does wanting to hunt something bigger than what you've already killed make you a better hunter?
It seems to me that makes you a better livestock manager, or a better trophy collector.

I've moved on from shooting deer at 200 yards with a 25-06 to shooting them at 50 yards with a .54 caliber flintlock. I don't think that makes me a better hunter - just one doing something the way I enjoy doing it.

Given that hunting in the modern world is a recreation, not a necessity, how I go about it and what I choose to kill requires no justification. Nor do your choices. Don't demean mine and I won't demean yours.

Have you ever tried to strictly hunt a mature buck? There's a reason you see less of them killed than 2.5-3.5 year old 6 and 8 points, they are harder to hunt and there is less of them around. It usually takes more time, effort, knowledge of patterns, scent control, stand positioning, etc, so yes, if you can do that it makes you a better hunter in my opinion. Anybody can sit and a stand and kill scrub 6 or 8 point bucks all year long. Sure, you can get lucky and go kill a monster the first morning, but that is not typically how it happens. It's not "wanting" to do it, it's actually doing it.

Same as people who work a job and make $30k a year versus someone who works the same job and makes $60k a year, or a golfer who shoots 80's versus one who shoots in the 70's, or baseball player who hits .300 vs one who hits .260, or the guy who kills big bucks with a bow vs someone who does it with a gun at 200 yards, or the business owner whose company has profit of $100k versus the business owner whose company has profit of $1.0 Million. It is harder to do and they are better at it. Typically it takes more skill to accomplish the more difficult task. I've never been satisfied with not trying to get better at everything I do, and that includes hunting by doing something that is harder and more of a challenge.

And you and others in this thread are awfully sensitive....I didn't demean your choices, I just refuse to call people meat hunters because I think it's a silly term used for justification by people who kill small deer for whatever reason and I don't have to agree with it, just like you don't have to agree with me.

In my experience killing mature deer is much more about patience than how good a hunter you are.

I definitely agree that it typically requires more patience, but maybe that is just a trait of becoming a better hunter.

Hunting where there is a lot of them also helps

"Stuff that does not matter" statement, is not true for all of us. What is important to one may not be to another.

Clearly, but as long as someone is obeying the game laws, no one has the right to dictate their own preferences or priorities on others.