wallslee
Member
Hello to everyone once again, Wallslee (Mike) here. It’s been a while since we’ve talked but I wanted to share some pictures and good news about my season as I harvested my first and must say rather impressive Pope & Young here in Clarke county (Athens).
Following this story there will be a commentary on the two management proposals I posted last summer as I see there is still a lot of talk about our management system. Some of you have read them before and remember it stirred quite a debate here on the forum but for others it will be the first time with all new perspectives. Both proposals are included as attachments for your review as the second was amended according to everyones response on the first. I’m old school and by no means a wizard when it comes to formatting or importing documents with a computer so please accept it for the way it is. The single “1 Either Sex Tag System” followed last and is formatted in yellow. Be sure to read both (if interested) in sequence so you understand the flow as it was designed to improve hunting for all of us and not one particular group or individual interest.
This awesome whitetail is just one good example of what we could have more of if we choose the option of harvesting only one buck per season.
Here’s the story on my biggest buck to date taken on December 15th, 2010.
This season started off rather productively as I took several doe’s well prior to November leaving me ample time to focus on the bucks when the timing was right. As time rapidly evaporated the warmer weather conditions did not and only lingered in the most glooming way as I anticipated the oncoming rut. Some warmer than expected mornings were less desirable than others but it did not seem to matter so long as I was able to intertwine in the elements and that being the great outdoors bowhunting whitetails. Theres no other animal that conjures within me an ardent desire for hunting especially when combined with the timbered setting of Georgia’s woodlands.
Having put away a good provisional stock well before November I looked ahead to cooler temperatures and hardcore rutting action. Just as the bucks were to be gearing up for their competitive pursuits I so began my own in hopes of catching one of these love struck sicko’s in hot pursuit.
As we rolled into November with the late onset of cooler temperatures I ramped up my time on the stand even though conditions weren’t paragon. The area I hunt is typically marbled with white oak acorns at this time of year drawing plenty of doe’s which in turn draw the bucks. Oddly for the first time there were none to be seen or heard falling from the trees and in turn had an adverse effect on the number of deer I saw. The only deer I had seen were typically the ones I had harvested earlier in the season.
Days turned into weeks and I was soon disappointed in the activity part of things as I had only witnessed a few spikes and such chasing doe’s. I knew it couldn’t be long as the weather conditions were becoming more conducive with colder temperatures forecasted in the coming days. With every passing day weather conditions ripened to perfection but it was becoming painfully obvious that something wasn’t on target as it had been in previous years. Activity was meager at best and I had yet to see one mature buck cruising for doe’s. The lack of rubs, scrapes and general sign was an indicator to this anomaly also creating in me an uneasy discouragement. Though determined I hunted with great consistency 3-4 days a week (sometimes 5) so I think I can safely say if there was an active rut taking place during daylight hours I would have seen it. But it never happened.
Throughout the entire month of November it was typically one in the same on any given morning. The only other mature buck I did see this season was tending a doe about a hundred yards from my truck as I walked back one morning (of course). He was a decent 8 or maybe 10 but I couldn’t really tell as he busted out through the timber when we made contact.
By this time I had all but given up on the hopes of harvesting a mature buck this season as the rut had been practically voided out in my area. Some people will typically give up by this time of year thinking the best part of the season is over but over time I had developed a philosophy when it comes to deer hunting and that is “you never know until you go”.
Moving into December my focus once again turned to the task of stocking our freezer so I began looking for additional doe’s. Even though I had begun hunting doe’s again I hunted just as seriously and used every precaution necessary as always. With any post rut there is always the chance that a good buck will make that unexpected appearance.
Because of poor weather and personal obligations the week prior I wasn’t able to hunt at all. By this time temperatures had also taken a bitterly cold grip dipping into the low teens testing any southern hunters dedication and limits. I think there were some mornings that I actually appreciated “having” to miss out on. Luckily the first clear morning following the balmy conditions contained the three “C” conditions I admire most in a day as it was clear, cold and calm. And being the first clear morning in a week I was in my stand slightly before daylight anticipating good movement.
Sure enough an hour after daylight (0800) a few doe’s appeared and with the so called rut far behind us I focused on the meaty aspect of this hunt. The doe’s came in perfectly and the last one in line gave me a ten yard broadside shot directly in front of my tree. On impact she ran around to my right rear and fell at twelve yards giving me a sigh of relief that there was no tracking necessary. I knocked another arrow, hung my bow, sat back and relished in the moment. Having the day off, deer moving early, one on the ground and it being a beautiful morning I then decided to stay in the stand until ten o’clock just to see what else might be moving.
I saw several more doe’s as the morning blossomed and even contemplated shooting another if it came by as I have on other occasions but that creates a lot of work when you hunt alone and do your own processing so I accepted the one I already had on the ground. Around 0920 I heard the distinctive sound of a deer walking through the leaves but couldn’t quite make out where it was coming from. Looking about I finally caught movement a good 60 yards out. When he came down the wood line I caught a glimpse of what looked to be a good antler and couldn’t believe there was a buck out walking around so late in the season after a beautiful November chiming with perfect rutting conditions. As he walked along the wood line he was cautious of course taking only few steps at a time hitting licking branches along the way. Apparently this guy was trying to make something of the post rut. As he moved along and passed through various windows in the timber I noticed more and more horn first thinking he was only an 8 pointer. It wasn’t until he finally stepped into a full window that I saw he was at least a solid ten and a big one at that. At that distance I figured he would score maybe 135/140 but again at that distance his rack didn’t appear to have the mass is actually did either. My first impression was that he would tuck back into the timber after he worked the wood line but luckily he turned and came directly in at me. Excited that he was going to give me a shot I grabbed my Matthews Switchback XT and turned to my immediate right to meet him. When he was about twenty yards out I drew back and then it suddenly hit me. The doe I had shot earlier was lying at twelve steps almost directly between me and him. She was laying only a few steps off the trail and he would without a doubt walk right into her. My immediate impression was that he would become alarmed and turn to walk away so I started thinking ahead about my options. Sure enough when he got to within 15 yards of the doe he looked right at her and locked up. He was angled almost straight at me and stood directly behind a pine with plenty of limbs to cover any possibility of a shot so I had to wait for his next move. I knew if he stood there to long I would possibly fatigue before the opportunity of a shot presented itself or that he if he turned to leave I would need to be steady on a quick draw shot if that’s what it came down to. Because he stood there for a while I decided to let down so I could draw again when needed. Just about the time I decided to let down he backed up from around the tree and starting walking at an angle that would bring him to the right front side of my stand instead of behind. Turns out the doe was a blessing to me but a dead beat for him. Walking only a few more steps he locked up again to access the does presence. Waiting I silently ordered him over and over to keep moving but he just stood there suspicious of the situation. When he finally turned back to me it was then that I recognized his rack as being quite large but I kept my eyes focused on his shoulder. He eventually walked to within ten yards of my tree and stopped to take one last look at the doe. Even though his chest was fairly open I noted that only a few more steps and he would be completely open with no possible interferences. Locking in on this window ahead I suddenly noticed the arrow I had shot the doe with earlier sticking up in the ground a short distance in front of him. I knew right then not to gamble and that I had to shoot him where he stood or he would see or maybe even smell the arrow and surely alarm, a situation which has happened to me before. Because I had been at full draw for a while I could feel the strain in my shoulder as I began to shake in my attempts to hold back. Frightfully I found that my sight pin was all over the place when I tried to settle in behind his shoulder. Worried now that I may not be able to make this chip shot I took a long deep breath and gained the stability I needed by pulling my string hard into the wall. When I thought I had the pin centered and steady enough I hit the trigger sending a 250 carbon express maxima hunter arrow tipped with a 100gr 3 blade Muzzy to it’s intended destination. Instantly I heard that familiar impacting thump of an arrow finding it’s mark. Dropping slightly he ran out about twenty yards, stopped, looked behind him for about 15 seconds and then began to walk away. He then took another ten or so steps, looked back once more and began to walk away again. Now I began to doubt my shot as he was not acting like a mortally wounded deer and considered that I might have just blown the opportunity of a life time. Comically I looked back myself to see if the arrow was sticking out of the tree he was standing next to but I couldn’t see it anywhere. After walking a little further he gave me the one sure sign I needed to see. On a occasion when a deer takes a fatal shot but doesn’t go down immediately their tail will start to twitch back and forth very rapidly in succession as they are beginning to feel the full force effects of a fatal shot. When he did this I knew then I had made a good hit and that he was going down within seconds. Still walking away he began to stagger but caught himself once or twice before finally falling at about sixty yards and within sight. What a relief that was. Easing my nerves back down I told myself I would wait my standard thirty minutes following a shot and hung up my bow for the second time this fateful morning.
Over and over again I looked to not only see that there was a big buck on the ground but to convince myself of the reality that I had just shot what was surely my first Pope & Young whitetail after decades of bowhunting. As long as I could I waited but fifteen minutes later I had convinced myself that this giant was down for good and felt no concerns of leaving the stand early. It wasn’t until I actually walked up on him that I realized he was truly as big as he was. Turns out the arrow hit low catching the left lung and the bottom of the heart, not the center of the chest where I was aiming. Another inch lower and it would have been a one lung hit and a lost deer with a lifetime of plaguing nightmares. I can only assume the fatigue was still a factor when I hit the trigger.
While at the cooler where pictures were being snapped with cell phones a call came in from a local B&C scorer by the name of Matt Haun. As we spoke about the mornings hunt he found the description of the deer somewhat familiar. A picture was sent by phone where he identified the buck as one that had been frequenting some property he hunts some distance away. Turns out there were trail cam pics taken at night of him feeding on an entirely different property behind my own as well back in early season before he broke off the end of his right main beam. In all this buck was traveling between the two properties covering about a two mile stretch. Apparently there were quite a few people aware of this brute and in hot pursuit. Guess I happen to be in the right place at the right time and considering I had given up on taking a good buck this year just down right lucky. Patting myself on the back a little here I do say I hunt very hard and if I have the time to go I do so the odds are better than if were fantasizing from the couch or living vicariously through the TV. Working a second shift job also allows me the opportunity of hunting practically every morning when possible.
Jake Rowe (taxidermist) in Watkinsville (see website) mounted a ten pointer for me last year and did a fabulous job so he’ll be doing this one as well. He did a green score of the buck when I brought it in also. The mass was exceptional not only for my area but anywhere in the state for that matter. His bases are both 5.5 with the longest tine at 11. He has nearly 40 in total circumferences with an 18.5 inside spread. He grossed 153.7 with a net of 142.2. Had he not lost 4.5 of the right beam and 6.8 of the right G-4 he would have grossed nearly 160 and netted around 154. Each G-2 sprouted sticker points but the right one had been broken off. I’d like to see the deer that put such a whipping on this one.
When the drying period ends this month Matt will do the honors of an official score. Jake will be taking him to the QDM banquet in our area this April as a display. After the official score is done and the opportunity given for others to see him as is Jake will repair the broken portions for cosmetic purposes per my request. A full 8x10 of the trail cam pics to go with the mount will be a unique presentation.
To have taken this deer with a bow, of which I hunt with about 99% of the time, and the unique situation makes this harvest all the more satisfying. Regardless of the “what might have been score” he is my biggest buck to date and one that’s gonna be hard to beat. But alas, “you never know until you go!”.
Proposals
If you are familiar with this already then you remember this proposal was geared toward improving all areas of deer hunting for all types of hunters fitting into one or all of the following categories as a recreational, meat or trophy hunter. The proposal was entirely unbiased. The either sex tag was combined with a no antler restrictions clause to allow anyone the option of taking what they consider to be a trophy regardless of age, sex or caliber which is a very promoting aspect where kids are concerned. The proposal created quite a stir among the group as well as some ambivalent (wishy-washy) feelings on the matter. The post generated over 4,600 views but less than 135 responses. Of those responding a good percentage were repeats as they debated on the proposal with others in the forum including myself. I understand this forum represents only a small fraction of the hunting populas here in our state but I truly expected a little more participation, concern and input.
The original proposal consisted of 5 doe tags and 1 either sex tag with the either sex tag allowing for the harvest of a buck or doe as the hunters choice giving a total harvest of six in the season. Lowering the number of doe tags addressed the concerns of what many hunters have reported from around the state as a fewer than ever before sightings or seasonal harvest. The one either sex tag addressed the concerns of growing bigger quality bucks by restricting hunters to one buck per season (no antler restrictions) instead of two. This allows 50% of all potential bucks that could or would have been harvested per hunter each season to walk and grow another year in maturity to build the age structure needed for bigger animals. Included were ideas of a jump start program and how to generate revenue for additional law enforcement officers and management measures. The benefits of each change were explained in great detail for a true understanding of the reasoning behind each. With a poll put up for vote on the initial plan 50% of 259 votes were opposed to the idea of implementing any part of it. I then made a slight amendment and introduced the idea of keeping the doe limit at 10 leaving the 1 either sex tag in place while eliminating the revenue generating portions as the public barked out against more fees. The response on that was again less than supportive as the majority rang out against this option with 75% of 181 voters opposed.
So, we want more deer and more resources but we don’t want the doe limit cut in half even though reports and commentaries for several years now claim fewer deer and disappointing seasons for most nor do we want our money in the tip jar for additional resources. We want bigger bucks but the majority of us are not willing to accept the option of harvesting one buck per season with a “let one go so it will grow” philosophy for a more desireable outcome. So what do hunters want? With this proposal addressing everyones needs or concerns and this small fraction of forum disciple’s as indecisive as they appear to be I can only assume the feelings of our family will always be an alloy of mixed emotions, desires and shortcomings.
One of the greatest controversies and conundrums we face is that of the doe harvest limit. Those who oppose a lower limit believe they see to many now. Those who believe they don’t see enough favor lowering the limit. A benefit to keeping the limit where it is at 10 allows anyone individual or group to manage the population according to their own geographical location anywhere in the state. This creates equality across the board on a county by county basis as it empowers every individual to create and satisfy a desired result. The drawback is that the unscrupulous will abuse this liberal and opportunistic advantage adversely affecting the ethical efforts of others. I believe the good people outweigh the bad and if the revenue generating ideas outlined in my proposal were put into play we could put more officers in the field to be more effective against the illegal activities of others bringing about a quicker and more successful outcome.
If you would like to read the viewers comments to understand the feelings of the people on this matter when the proposal was first posted you can archive them as titled.
Page 39 - Statewide trophy/deer management proposal
Page 38 - Proposal of the one “1” either sex tag system with no antler restrictions
Following this story there will be a commentary on the two management proposals I posted last summer as I see there is still a lot of talk about our management system. Some of you have read them before and remember it stirred quite a debate here on the forum but for others it will be the first time with all new perspectives. Both proposals are included as attachments for your review as the second was amended according to everyones response on the first. I’m old school and by no means a wizard when it comes to formatting or importing documents with a computer so please accept it for the way it is. The single “1 Either Sex Tag System” followed last and is formatted in yellow. Be sure to read both (if interested) in sequence so you understand the flow as it was designed to improve hunting for all of us and not one particular group or individual interest.
This awesome whitetail is just one good example of what we could have more of if we choose the option of harvesting only one buck per season.
Here’s the story on my biggest buck to date taken on December 15th, 2010.
This season started off rather productively as I took several doe’s well prior to November leaving me ample time to focus on the bucks when the timing was right. As time rapidly evaporated the warmer weather conditions did not and only lingered in the most glooming way as I anticipated the oncoming rut. Some warmer than expected mornings were less desirable than others but it did not seem to matter so long as I was able to intertwine in the elements and that being the great outdoors bowhunting whitetails. Theres no other animal that conjures within me an ardent desire for hunting especially when combined with the timbered setting of Georgia’s woodlands.
Having put away a good provisional stock well before November I looked ahead to cooler temperatures and hardcore rutting action. Just as the bucks were to be gearing up for their competitive pursuits I so began my own in hopes of catching one of these love struck sicko’s in hot pursuit.
As we rolled into November with the late onset of cooler temperatures I ramped up my time on the stand even though conditions weren’t paragon. The area I hunt is typically marbled with white oak acorns at this time of year drawing plenty of doe’s which in turn draw the bucks. Oddly for the first time there were none to be seen or heard falling from the trees and in turn had an adverse effect on the number of deer I saw. The only deer I had seen were typically the ones I had harvested earlier in the season.
Days turned into weeks and I was soon disappointed in the activity part of things as I had only witnessed a few spikes and such chasing doe’s. I knew it couldn’t be long as the weather conditions were becoming more conducive with colder temperatures forecasted in the coming days. With every passing day weather conditions ripened to perfection but it was becoming painfully obvious that something wasn’t on target as it had been in previous years. Activity was meager at best and I had yet to see one mature buck cruising for doe’s. The lack of rubs, scrapes and general sign was an indicator to this anomaly also creating in me an uneasy discouragement. Though determined I hunted with great consistency 3-4 days a week (sometimes 5) so I think I can safely say if there was an active rut taking place during daylight hours I would have seen it. But it never happened.
Throughout the entire month of November it was typically one in the same on any given morning. The only other mature buck I did see this season was tending a doe about a hundred yards from my truck as I walked back one morning (of course). He was a decent 8 or maybe 10 but I couldn’t really tell as he busted out through the timber when we made contact.
By this time I had all but given up on the hopes of harvesting a mature buck this season as the rut had been practically voided out in my area. Some people will typically give up by this time of year thinking the best part of the season is over but over time I had developed a philosophy when it comes to deer hunting and that is “you never know until you go”.
Moving into December my focus once again turned to the task of stocking our freezer so I began looking for additional doe’s. Even though I had begun hunting doe’s again I hunted just as seriously and used every precaution necessary as always. With any post rut there is always the chance that a good buck will make that unexpected appearance.
Because of poor weather and personal obligations the week prior I wasn’t able to hunt at all. By this time temperatures had also taken a bitterly cold grip dipping into the low teens testing any southern hunters dedication and limits. I think there were some mornings that I actually appreciated “having” to miss out on. Luckily the first clear morning following the balmy conditions contained the three “C” conditions I admire most in a day as it was clear, cold and calm. And being the first clear morning in a week I was in my stand slightly before daylight anticipating good movement.
Sure enough an hour after daylight (0800) a few doe’s appeared and with the so called rut far behind us I focused on the meaty aspect of this hunt. The doe’s came in perfectly and the last one in line gave me a ten yard broadside shot directly in front of my tree. On impact she ran around to my right rear and fell at twelve yards giving me a sigh of relief that there was no tracking necessary. I knocked another arrow, hung my bow, sat back and relished in the moment. Having the day off, deer moving early, one on the ground and it being a beautiful morning I then decided to stay in the stand until ten o’clock just to see what else might be moving.
I saw several more doe’s as the morning blossomed and even contemplated shooting another if it came by as I have on other occasions but that creates a lot of work when you hunt alone and do your own processing so I accepted the one I already had on the ground. Around 0920 I heard the distinctive sound of a deer walking through the leaves but couldn’t quite make out where it was coming from. Looking about I finally caught movement a good 60 yards out. When he came down the wood line I caught a glimpse of what looked to be a good antler and couldn’t believe there was a buck out walking around so late in the season after a beautiful November chiming with perfect rutting conditions. As he walked along the wood line he was cautious of course taking only few steps at a time hitting licking branches along the way. Apparently this guy was trying to make something of the post rut. As he moved along and passed through various windows in the timber I noticed more and more horn first thinking he was only an 8 pointer. It wasn’t until he finally stepped into a full window that I saw he was at least a solid ten and a big one at that. At that distance I figured he would score maybe 135/140 but again at that distance his rack didn’t appear to have the mass is actually did either. My first impression was that he would tuck back into the timber after he worked the wood line but luckily he turned and came directly in at me. Excited that he was going to give me a shot I grabbed my Matthews Switchback XT and turned to my immediate right to meet him. When he was about twenty yards out I drew back and then it suddenly hit me. The doe I had shot earlier was lying at twelve steps almost directly between me and him. She was laying only a few steps off the trail and he would without a doubt walk right into her. My immediate impression was that he would become alarmed and turn to walk away so I started thinking ahead about my options. Sure enough when he got to within 15 yards of the doe he looked right at her and locked up. He was angled almost straight at me and stood directly behind a pine with plenty of limbs to cover any possibility of a shot so I had to wait for his next move. I knew if he stood there to long I would possibly fatigue before the opportunity of a shot presented itself or that he if he turned to leave I would need to be steady on a quick draw shot if that’s what it came down to. Because he stood there for a while I decided to let down so I could draw again when needed. Just about the time I decided to let down he backed up from around the tree and starting walking at an angle that would bring him to the right front side of my stand instead of behind. Turns out the doe was a blessing to me but a dead beat for him. Walking only a few more steps he locked up again to access the does presence. Waiting I silently ordered him over and over to keep moving but he just stood there suspicious of the situation. When he finally turned back to me it was then that I recognized his rack as being quite large but I kept my eyes focused on his shoulder. He eventually walked to within ten yards of my tree and stopped to take one last look at the doe. Even though his chest was fairly open I noted that only a few more steps and he would be completely open with no possible interferences. Locking in on this window ahead I suddenly noticed the arrow I had shot the doe with earlier sticking up in the ground a short distance in front of him. I knew right then not to gamble and that I had to shoot him where he stood or he would see or maybe even smell the arrow and surely alarm, a situation which has happened to me before. Because I had been at full draw for a while I could feel the strain in my shoulder as I began to shake in my attempts to hold back. Frightfully I found that my sight pin was all over the place when I tried to settle in behind his shoulder. Worried now that I may not be able to make this chip shot I took a long deep breath and gained the stability I needed by pulling my string hard into the wall. When I thought I had the pin centered and steady enough I hit the trigger sending a 250 carbon express maxima hunter arrow tipped with a 100gr 3 blade Muzzy to it’s intended destination. Instantly I heard that familiar impacting thump of an arrow finding it’s mark. Dropping slightly he ran out about twenty yards, stopped, looked behind him for about 15 seconds and then began to walk away. He then took another ten or so steps, looked back once more and began to walk away again. Now I began to doubt my shot as he was not acting like a mortally wounded deer and considered that I might have just blown the opportunity of a life time. Comically I looked back myself to see if the arrow was sticking out of the tree he was standing next to but I couldn’t see it anywhere. After walking a little further he gave me the one sure sign I needed to see. On a occasion when a deer takes a fatal shot but doesn’t go down immediately their tail will start to twitch back and forth very rapidly in succession as they are beginning to feel the full force effects of a fatal shot. When he did this I knew then I had made a good hit and that he was going down within seconds. Still walking away he began to stagger but caught himself once or twice before finally falling at about sixty yards and within sight. What a relief that was. Easing my nerves back down I told myself I would wait my standard thirty minutes following a shot and hung up my bow for the second time this fateful morning.
Over and over again I looked to not only see that there was a big buck on the ground but to convince myself of the reality that I had just shot what was surely my first Pope & Young whitetail after decades of bowhunting. As long as I could I waited but fifteen minutes later I had convinced myself that this giant was down for good and felt no concerns of leaving the stand early. It wasn’t until I actually walked up on him that I realized he was truly as big as he was. Turns out the arrow hit low catching the left lung and the bottom of the heart, not the center of the chest where I was aiming. Another inch lower and it would have been a one lung hit and a lost deer with a lifetime of plaguing nightmares. I can only assume the fatigue was still a factor when I hit the trigger.
While at the cooler where pictures were being snapped with cell phones a call came in from a local B&C scorer by the name of Matt Haun. As we spoke about the mornings hunt he found the description of the deer somewhat familiar. A picture was sent by phone where he identified the buck as one that had been frequenting some property he hunts some distance away. Turns out there were trail cam pics taken at night of him feeding on an entirely different property behind my own as well back in early season before he broke off the end of his right main beam. In all this buck was traveling between the two properties covering about a two mile stretch. Apparently there were quite a few people aware of this brute and in hot pursuit. Guess I happen to be in the right place at the right time and considering I had given up on taking a good buck this year just down right lucky. Patting myself on the back a little here I do say I hunt very hard and if I have the time to go I do so the odds are better than if were fantasizing from the couch or living vicariously through the TV. Working a second shift job also allows me the opportunity of hunting practically every morning when possible.
Jake Rowe (taxidermist) in Watkinsville (see website) mounted a ten pointer for me last year and did a fabulous job so he’ll be doing this one as well. He did a green score of the buck when I brought it in also. The mass was exceptional not only for my area but anywhere in the state for that matter. His bases are both 5.5 with the longest tine at 11. He has nearly 40 in total circumferences with an 18.5 inside spread. He grossed 153.7 with a net of 142.2. Had he not lost 4.5 of the right beam and 6.8 of the right G-4 he would have grossed nearly 160 and netted around 154. Each G-2 sprouted sticker points but the right one had been broken off. I’d like to see the deer that put such a whipping on this one.
When the drying period ends this month Matt will do the honors of an official score. Jake will be taking him to the QDM banquet in our area this April as a display. After the official score is done and the opportunity given for others to see him as is Jake will repair the broken portions for cosmetic purposes per my request. A full 8x10 of the trail cam pics to go with the mount will be a unique presentation.
To have taken this deer with a bow, of which I hunt with about 99% of the time, and the unique situation makes this harvest all the more satisfying. Regardless of the “what might have been score” he is my biggest buck to date and one that’s gonna be hard to beat. But alas, “you never know until you go!”.
Proposals
If you are familiar with this already then you remember this proposal was geared toward improving all areas of deer hunting for all types of hunters fitting into one or all of the following categories as a recreational, meat or trophy hunter. The proposal was entirely unbiased. The either sex tag was combined with a no antler restrictions clause to allow anyone the option of taking what they consider to be a trophy regardless of age, sex or caliber which is a very promoting aspect where kids are concerned. The proposal created quite a stir among the group as well as some ambivalent (wishy-washy) feelings on the matter. The post generated over 4,600 views but less than 135 responses. Of those responding a good percentage were repeats as they debated on the proposal with others in the forum including myself. I understand this forum represents only a small fraction of the hunting populas here in our state but I truly expected a little more participation, concern and input.
The original proposal consisted of 5 doe tags and 1 either sex tag with the either sex tag allowing for the harvest of a buck or doe as the hunters choice giving a total harvest of six in the season. Lowering the number of doe tags addressed the concerns of what many hunters have reported from around the state as a fewer than ever before sightings or seasonal harvest. The one either sex tag addressed the concerns of growing bigger quality bucks by restricting hunters to one buck per season (no antler restrictions) instead of two. This allows 50% of all potential bucks that could or would have been harvested per hunter each season to walk and grow another year in maturity to build the age structure needed for bigger animals. Included were ideas of a jump start program and how to generate revenue for additional law enforcement officers and management measures. The benefits of each change were explained in great detail for a true understanding of the reasoning behind each. With a poll put up for vote on the initial plan 50% of 259 votes were opposed to the idea of implementing any part of it. I then made a slight amendment and introduced the idea of keeping the doe limit at 10 leaving the 1 either sex tag in place while eliminating the revenue generating portions as the public barked out against more fees. The response on that was again less than supportive as the majority rang out against this option with 75% of 181 voters opposed.
So, we want more deer and more resources but we don’t want the doe limit cut in half even though reports and commentaries for several years now claim fewer deer and disappointing seasons for most nor do we want our money in the tip jar for additional resources. We want bigger bucks but the majority of us are not willing to accept the option of harvesting one buck per season with a “let one go so it will grow” philosophy for a more desireable outcome. So what do hunters want? With this proposal addressing everyones needs or concerns and this small fraction of forum disciple’s as indecisive as they appear to be I can only assume the feelings of our family will always be an alloy of mixed emotions, desires and shortcomings.
One of the greatest controversies and conundrums we face is that of the doe harvest limit. Those who oppose a lower limit believe they see to many now. Those who believe they don’t see enough favor lowering the limit. A benefit to keeping the limit where it is at 10 allows anyone individual or group to manage the population according to their own geographical location anywhere in the state. This creates equality across the board on a county by county basis as it empowers every individual to create and satisfy a desired result. The drawback is that the unscrupulous will abuse this liberal and opportunistic advantage adversely affecting the ethical efforts of others. I believe the good people outweigh the bad and if the revenue generating ideas outlined in my proposal were put into play we could put more officers in the field to be more effective against the illegal activities of others bringing about a quicker and more successful outcome.
If you would like to read the viewers comments to understand the feelings of the people on this matter when the proposal was first posted you can archive them as titled.
Page 39 - Statewide trophy/deer management proposal
Page 38 - Proposal of the one “1” either sex tag system with no antler restrictions
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