Rant: Why are some dads like this?

[godogs57]

It saddens me when dads (and granddads) deliberately do not allow the young hunter they are with to shoot a nice buck that comes by. WHY? Two recent examples come to mind and, to me, it just screams “hoarding” your bucks all for yourself.

One man had a grandson come clean across the country to hunt with him in middle Georgia. Young child had never killed a deer. He took a doe, but wasn’t experienced enough to thoroughly check out his surroundings....he had a whopper of a buck, in the 140’s, off to the left of the doe and granddaddy deliberately didn’t point it out to the child! He wanted that nice buck for himself later on by his own admission.

Same story, different day: another grandchild wasn’t allowed to shoot a (again) 140’s class buck....had to watch him stroll by and told to take the doe because he “didn’t want to make it too easy on him”....got to pay your dues before you can pop a biggun.

Another friend of mine was hunting with dad, also a friend, and a huge buck comes out. The kid was, oh, about ten, twelve years old. He asks daddy if the buck was big enough to shoot, as the property was strictly trophy managed. Dad says he’s gonna check him out through the scope and you know what happened next. Kid has zero interest in hunting now.

Another middle Georgia hunter buddy was so strict with his son that he wasn’t allowed to take anything less that 140. 140’s don’t grow behind every tree. Let the kid bloody his hands some before he has to grow up! Kid was scared to pull the trigger on anything for fear of being in trouble. Another kid that couldn’t care less about hunting now.

I don’t understand why this happens.

 

[Nicodemus]

Greed and jealousy.


May The Good Lord strike me dead if I ever exhibit these behaviors.

 

[twoheartedale]

My friends an I share the same hunting philosophy, none of my friends reflect this view. I can only surmise that people are selfish in all aspects of life, including hunting.

 

[dtala]

I approve this message X 1000. I also do not understand this behavior.

 

[Railroader]

Those "men" are claw-hammer stupid.

That's why...

 

[Resica]

Pretty sickening!

 

[Kev]

I like hunting big bucks but I’ve realized the deer/trophy means nothing to me, it’s the experience and memory that I see as the trophy. Being a part of a child or new hunter killing a big buck would be more memorable/thrilling to me than if I killed the biggest deer in the world.

 

[buckpasser]

I’ve seen it firsthand too. Out of three kids only one of my friends children hunt at all now. That one is about to graduate highschool and has only killed one buck. I guess he’s okay with it, but he really enjoys duck hunting comparatively. Wonder why?

I try to get my little man to shoot ‘em and he’s holding out for “big boy”. I’m fine with that if it’s what he wants, but I constantly try to dissuade him of being too picky.

 

[Danuwoa]

My sister in law’s uncle is like that. He owns a bunch of land with a lot of deer on it. One of his great nephews killed an eight point as his first deer and the child was crying because he was so afraid the man was going to be mad at him. I can not begin to understand this and I really don’t want to.

 

[The Original Rooster]

While I've seen grown men act like spoiled brats and display antler envy, I've never seen one act that way towards a child.
It's probably best that I don't because I might say what I think.

 

[blood on the ground]

It saddens me when dads (and granddads) deliberately do not allow the young hunter they are with to shoot a nice buck that comes by. WHY? Two recent examples come to mind and, to me, it just screams “hoarding” your bucks all for yourself.

One man had a grandson come clean across the country to hunt with him in middle Georgia. Young child had never killed a deer. He took a doe, but wasn’t experienced enough to thoroughly check out his surroundings....he had a whopper of a buck, in the 140’s, off to the left of the doe and granddaddy deliberately didn’t point it out to the child! He wanted that nice buck for himself later on by his own admission.

Same story, different day: another grandchild wasn’t allowed to shoot a (again) 140’s class buck....had to watch him stroll by and told to take the doe because he “didn’t want to make it too easy on him”....got to pay your dues before you can pop a biggun.

Another friend of mine was hunting with dad, also a friend, and a huge buck comes out. The kid was, oh, about ten, twelve years old. He asks daddy if the buck was big enough to shoot, as the property was strictly trophy managed. Dad says he’s gonna check him out through the scope and you know what happened next. Kid has zero interest in hunting now.

Another middle Georgia hunter buddy was so strict with his son that he wasn’t allowed to take anything less that 140. 140’s don’t grow behind every tree. Let the kid bloody his hands some before he has to grow up! Kid was scared to pull the trigger on anything for fear of being in trouble. Another kid that couldn’t care less about hunting now.

I don’t understand why this happens.

When my daughter killed her first deer she got a really nice 8 point. I overheard one of the guys in camp saying how it was a shame that one of the men in camp didn't kill that buck. Had I not been able to control my anger that night one of us would have left camp in a bad way.

 

[blood on the ground]

In today's times with all the technology and video games available, if you don't teach a child to love the sport of hunting early you probably never will.

 

[F.A.R.R.]

I don’t get it.

I’m a lot happier when my son kills a deer than when I kill one, and the time we spend hunting together is priceless compared to any deer we kill.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I dont get it. I have zero issue with a kid wanting to hold off for what he or she wants to kill, but have serious issues with someone downing another for what they kill when it's a legal kill

 

[brownceluse]

Yep, nothing but greed and jealousy. Any man that doesn’t want his child do be better at everything daddy does isn’t a man. Or any child for that matter. I’m under the impression anything you make happen for other will happen for you.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Those are the same type of "men" that will yank a pole out of their kid's hand when they hook a good fish. I don't understand it, and I'm glad I don't. That kind of person needs to be horsewhipped. I know that it absolutely sickens and disgusts me to see what deer hunting has become to a lot of folks.

 

[Railroader]

I like hunting big bucks but I’ve realized the deer/trophy means nothing to me, it’s the experience and memory that I see as the trophy. Being a part of a child or new hunter killing a big buck would be more memorable/thrilling to me than if I killed the biggest deer in the world.

I have been fortunate enough to be part and privy to several folks, both kids and adults, killing their first deer, hog, or catching a big fish.

I have ALWAYS enjoyed it more when I was able to help someone else, than when I did it myself...

Guess I have a screw loose somewhere, but the old men who trained me, said this was the right way...

Greedy Antler Worshipers can go pound sand...

Merry Christmas, Ho, Ho, Ho!

 

[godogs57]

Our grandson is now five years old and hunts with me constantly, or with our son, his dad. He is like a rat on crack sitting with me in a box stand....about to wet his pants whenever we see a deer. When his time comes, he’ll shoot what he wants and he’ll receive no grief from me or anyone else. My spot is strictly trophy managed....no exceptions. Our Grandson had been faithfully hunting with me all season long and had seen me pass up numerous bucks. It was getting frustrating to him! Near the end of the season we had a very nice “next year’s” 8 pointer. He was crawling all over me trying to get a better look at the buck 125 yards away.....about to have a nervous breakdown. “Pappy! Shoot him! That’s a big ol daddy buck!” Four years old and he’s judging bucks for me now.

I figured there were enough bucks around that I could relax the rules one time and I shot him. He ran off the field in a death run...he’d be forty or so yards inside the wood line for sure. Grandson saw it all and he was now like a rabid rat on crack. We got down out of the stand and walked to the buck. The 125 yard walk was where I lost all ownership of that buck. At the base of the stand it was “Pappy didja get him? You sure ya got him?” 50 yards out it was “Pappy you sure you got OUR buck?” Get to the field edge and I put him on the blood trail leading to “our” buck. With a few directional changes, I made sure he found him. “Pappy! There’s our buck!” “yeah boy ain’t he pretty? You can reach down and pat him if you want...go ahead...he’s dead now.” He patted him down and then grabbed his antlers, lifting his head a bit. “Pappy! MY buck is a big ol daddy buck isn’t he?” “Yeah he is boy... let’s drag him out to the field.” My four year old struggled with trying to drag him obviously and he asked me “Pappy can ya help me with MY buck?” Life was great. We loaded him up in the truck and instead of his car seat, he insisted on riding through the farm back with his buck. Once we got to the road, he went back into his car seat but not before patting that buck to death on the way out. He hasn’t stopped grinning yet.

I was fortunate enough to take a 160 class buck last year by myself with my first tag. This buck burned up my second tag. Anyone want to guess which buck meant more to me? I’ll give you three guesses.

 

[stonecreek]

I looked at the truck/buck the other day. Dozens of kids both boys and girls in there. Taken to the woods by parents, grandparents and others that let them harvest a deer. Blessings to those that are letting kids hunt and take deer. Shame on those described in above posts.

 

[lonewolf247]

Just greedy and selfish would be the short answer. Not sure if I have time to go into the long answer.

I grew up as one of the most diehard deer hunters I know. I went hunting every available chance I had. However, I've never felt that way my entire life. Once my son was born, I couldn't wait for him to be old enough to go hunting with me!

Once the time came along, it was immediately all about him, and his hunting experience. I hunted hard for him, and put a lot of effort into putting him on deer. (Bucks only, we didn't shoot does) I bought him a nice youth rifle, and when he hunted with me, most of the time, I would not even take a gun. It wasn't the sort of thing where I hold the gun, I evaluate the deer, "there is a doe, come get the gun, and shoot it". He sat in the main seat of the stand, and I sat on a milk crate or a bag chair, lol.

Although he was quickly successful, there is a learning curve, and during that time, there were some missed opportunities on some really nice bucks. Shots that I feel I could have made, I gave him the chance, and some he couldn't get a shot on, so we let them walk. It was not even a second thought on my part, or a moment of regret. I just coached him on what he could do different, and we'd get that deer on another day maybe.

The rewards really came, each time he would harvest a deer! The excitement you remember when you kill your first deer, seems even that much more exciting, when you watch your child get their first deer! Once you see that, you can't wait for them to get another one! At that point, I could care less if a nice buck got away, because I was just there to make sure he could hunt safely. He learned really quick that way, since he did everything as if he was hunting alone. Other than, I gave him a lot of advice on when to take the shot, wait, etc.


I would only hunt for myself during the week, here and there when he was at school.

Now that my son is grown and able to hunt without me, I really miss those days. Nothing beats that time during my hunting career for me. I enjoy hunting as much as the average hunter these days, but it's hard to top that time. Hunters who do as the OP mentioned, are really missing out on a great experience!