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Re: Change in Conservation Mind Set... [Re: BOBO the Clown] #749035 06/06/09 04:03 AM
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Not keeping the deer population at a reasonable level can be as bad or worse than over shooting a deer herd. If the deer population is not controlled a long period of drought could kill more than any group of hunters.

A properly controlled deer population also increases the size of the deer and overall quality. Look at the quality of deer on some of the better managed ranches. Not necessarily the high fence operations but also the others. If TP&W says you have 4 or 5 tags for your county, you really need to consider what area ranches are doing so that the overall result is a better herd. In some area if every hunter only shot 1 doe and a buck that was 3.5 years or older in a few years the deer population would devastate the local vegetation.



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Re: Change in Conservation Mind Set... [Re: dogcatcher] #749036 06/06/09 04:29 AM
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This is a good topic I think.

Like Cody's grandfather, mine was basically the same way. I remember going out onto my grandfathers wheat fields with him and watching him shoot down three or four deer in a spotlight. He used all the meat, nothing went to waist.

Me personally, I may shoot one deer a year. I don't care about the age, or the horns. I know some people may cry "FOUL!!!!" when shooting a 3 year old buck, but thats just me. And until they pass a law restricting at what age a buck can be harvested, I'll probably shoot whatever hits the feeder when I am ready to kill one.

BUT, if I am hunting someone's place and they care about that kind of thing, then I respect it. Even if they tell me I can shoot a buck, I go for a doe or a spike.

The thing you got to understand about the age/conservation thing, is that it's mostly about the horns, IMHO. People say it's not, it's about the deer's health and whatever.

But they don't cry foul when you shoot a perfectly healthy spike buck, now do they?


Re: Change in Conservation Mind Set... [Re: cody] #749037 06/06/09 05:36 AM
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Quote:

That other post on "How young" got me thinking. How much do you feel like ideas of conservation and (I hate to use this word because it doesn't seem like we can't remain civil in debates about it but...) ethics have changed over the last 30 years? My grandfather killed deer like mad, they ate every scrap of every deer killed, in fact that's all they ate most times. He killed them year round. They were food, and he grew up in times when ranching in south Texas was tough. He had mouths to feed and a family to raise. He carried this mentality throughout his life and almost had us convinced that killing every deer around was a good idea. I can remember killing 6 or 7 bucks between 3 of us on one weekend when I was in jr high and high school! I've since become much more picky on what I shoot. I'll not kill a buck unless he's significantly bigger than the last one I killed and that's been almost 10 years ago. I kill a doe or two every year and now that my son is hunting I'll let him shoot them. He knows that he'll not need to kill a buck unless it's bigger than his first one and is a mature deer. My dad is coming around but if it's 8 points or better he'll shoot it doesn't matter if it's 2 years old. I think all of us would be stretching the truth if we said that we were or grew up as conservation minded 30 years ago as we are now. Thoughts...Opinions?




I learned a lot from my granddad. Some learn from history and some don't. Those that don't will regret it.


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