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Post by Sasquatch on May 4, 2009 15:05:21 GMT -5
I spent some time working with a young man recently. Turns out the fellow was a hunter, so naturally conversation turned to deer hunting. Already an avid bowhunter, the guy was really into his equipment, worrying over his short draw length costing him a few FPS, getting the latest equipment, and all that jazz. Obsessing over minutia is hardly uncommon among bowhunters, so I wasn't hung up on that.....but then the conversation became steadily more depressing.
The young man "took his hunting seriously" and had decided to bow hunt exclusively. Nothing wrong with that, so far as it goes.
He was big into QDMA, and letting them grow. Once again, to each his own....
As we continued to talk, I learned that he didn't appreciate the gun hunters that shared the area he hunted. He also related a story of shooting what he thought was a doe, only to discover that the deer was a short-spike buck. "He wasn't going to waste"
his buck tag on a deer like that, and since it looked sickly, he disposed of the body altogether.
Where does a teen bowhunter learn that a bow isn't worth having unless it is fairly new, that deer are only to be valued by the size of their antlers, that hunting is mostly about outclassing other hunters, etc?
I'm thinking he learned it from US. (the "Hunting community.")
Are we creating the monsters that will eventually turn and rend us? Are we cranking out a new generation of little elitists that think you have to have the latest equipment, shoot the biggest deer, have the biggest food plot, in order to be a hunter?
What happened to just hunting for food, for fun--- for whatever reason? What happened to respecting the animal?
This guy seemed like a good kid, but I confess I would not want my kid to hunt or think like that.
What's going on?
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Post by evolutionsthunder on May 4, 2009 15:28:25 GMT -5
I think alot of comes with peer presure i catch my son when he is talking to friends on how his hunt went on if he seen anything or not. i know that is not how he was raised him i tried to teach him that it was the time outdoors that made the quality of the hunt. i watched who he hunted with to make sure they did not have unetical habits. i hope it is just him talking with friends or that it changes when he gets a deer. but i too have the same fears
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Post by Decatur on May 4, 2009 16:02:13 GMT -5
It's the money in hunting that's killing the sport, and it's such a double edged sword. The popularity of deer hunting is what keeps the sport alive, but that same popularity attracts some of the wrong kind of people.
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Post by hornharvester on May 4, 2009 17:02:24 GMT -5
Where does a teen bowhunter learn that a bow isn't worth having unless it is fairly new, that deer are only to be valued by the size of their antlers, that hunting is mostly about outclassing other hunters, etc? DEER PORN VIDEOS! h.h. |
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Post by jajwrigh on May 4, 2009 17:56:23 GMT -5
A lot of the television shows out there, leave a rancid stain on the fundamental simplicity that is the great outdoors. They focus too much on factors that really do not matter in the grand scheme of things. We can thanks their employers and sponsors...indeed a double edged sword.
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Post by jrbhunter on May 4, 2009 18:30:59 GMT -5
Sounds like he's another dumbass that needs to join these forums and argue his eltisits views.
Without getting wrapped up in the obvious millions of variables involved in this sport, it's past, and it's future... I'd like to point something else out that may have a serious impact in your observation.
As far as values being passed down... how about manhood? How about parenthood? How about work ethic, faith in god, patriotism, dignity and honor?
Young people with slanted views of split-limbs and overdrawls are the least of this countries problems.
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Post by huxbux on May 4, 2009 22:39:23 GMT -5
Sounds like you had a bad day jrb.
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Post by dbd870 on May 5, 2009 7:28:26 GMT -5
Where does a teen bowhunter learn that a bow isn't worth having unless it is fairly new, that deer are only to be valued by the size of their antlers, that hunting is mostly about outclassing other hunters, etc? DEER PORN VIDEOS! h.h. Yep, that's a fair part of it right there. |
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Post by indianahick on May 5, 2009 10:38:01 GMT -5
I would say that he has gotten most of if not all his ideas and values from the hunting shows on television along with the videos. He and his mentor more than likely watch a lot of them and believe that what they push for hunting equipment is the best way to go. Not thinking that Mr. Mathews shooter is getting paid for telling you to buy and shoot a Mathews and that it is the only way you should hunt. Maybe we have let the media and manufacturers have to much say in the world of hunting. Maybe it is time to return to some of the more original reasons for hunting, also good ethics need to be implemented. Where QDMA means a healthy herd and not big antlers as a goal.
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Post by Old Ironsights on May 5, 2009 11:40:25 GMT -5
Never mind that he admitted to a crime by SSS that spike...
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Post by Decatur on May 5, 2009 12:16:12 GMT -5
 OI |
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Post by Old Ironsights on May 5, 2009 12:21:53 GMT -5
TIP Time?
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Post by jrbhunter on May 5, 2009 13:03:23 GMT -5
I agree. At least let the C.O. know for future reference.
Sorry hux, not a bad day- just hard to take the character inspection of some young hunter seriously when I look at the politicians, CEO's and religious leaders that we've all come to accept as our representation to the world.
These conversations OFTEN result in team-building exercizes that further disect the minor/miniscule portion of society that hunts for a hobby. I'm not comfortable with praying to Alah, working for China and learning Spanish ebonics. At the end of the day, I don't care how the kid chooses to hunt or shoot so long as he's not breaking the law (IE- Spike) and he has his head on straight (in the bigger picture). Sorry to be a buzzkill, but "we's got bigga probs esa'".
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Post by Sasquatch on May 5, 2009 13:31:12 GMT -5
I agree. At least let the C.O. know for future reference. Sorry hux, not a bad day- just hard to take the character inspection of some young hunter seriously when I look at the politicians, CEO's and religious leaders that we've all come to accept as our representation to the world. These conversations OFTEN result in team-building exercizes that further disect the minor/miniscule portion of society that hunts for a hobby. I'm not comfortable with praying to Alah, working for China and learning Spanish ebonics. At the end of the day, I don't care how the kid chooses to hunt or shoot so long as he's not breaking the law (IE- Spike) and he has his head on straight (in the bigger picture). Sorry to be a buzzkill, but "we's got bigga probs esa'". Yes, we do have bigger problems. I was just trying to get us to think about the problems with hunting.... Like I said, he seems like a good enough kid, just focusing on the wrong parts of a wonderful pastime. As to TIP, I'll be listening, you bet. Not that it will help. I know for a fact about a case involving several untagged deer killed by a guy with no liscense using illegal weapons, and nothing has happened. |
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Post by tickman1961 on May 5, 2009 13:44:13 GMT -5
Every hunter goes thru stages of maturation in there hunting lifetime and this kid is no different than many of us at that stage. The game is different than when I was a kid, our outdoor television was Kurt Gowdy once a week and many of todays hunting products were not invented. This next generation needs time to understand what us old boys already know - it's more about the experience of being in the wild after the chase than it is about the kill. But do not fool yourselfs into thinking we are not killers of game, because it is what we do.
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Post by DEERTRACKS on May 5, 2009 14:17:21 GMT -5
He has been infected with the OBR Flu........
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Post by Decatur on May 5, 2009 14:39:20 GMT -5
It seems to be a terminal illness.
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Post by Ahawkeye on May 8, 2009 11:04:15 GMT -5
I am in no way knocking anyone here on the deer forum nor the turkey forum. But, you can kind of see turkey hunting going the way of deer hunting. That is how long was the beard how much did it weigh spur leingth. I was never in deer hunting when it didn't have anything to do with how big the antlers were I guess I'm too young but all I could think of when I was a kid was the "monster buck" that I wanted to get. I like big bucks and will pass on a small one but I look at turkey hunting and if a jake came by I'd whack em' as for the SSS well that's not my style you have to check that spike in even if it was a mistake. We (the hunting comunity) have created this issue, be it through TV magazines or mentoring. I like the way turkey hunting is "a bird is a bird" but I see that changing. I do like deer hunting and as I grow older and have a son now I look to teach him that the deer or the turkey is just a bonus the time there is what it's all about. Seeing the sun rise or hearing the gobble is much more important than what's laying there after the boom. I think my father tried to teach me these things but I was the one who had a hard time realizing what was important. Now as I'm a little (or a lot) older I see what dad was talking about. This young man has some things to learn and maybe you could plant a seed sasquach but in the end it's his job to figure out what's important and what's not. Maybe w/ a little nudge in the right direction he could find his error and turn his priorities to a better way of thinking. It may take some time though.
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Post by Decatur on May 8, 2009 11:13:40 GMT -5
I am in no way knocking anyone here on the deer forum nor the turkey forum. But, you can kind of see turkey hunting going the way of deer hunting. That is how long was the beard how much did it weigh spur leingth. I was never in deer hunting when it didn't have anything to do with how big the antlers were I guess I'm too young but all I could think of when I was a kid was the "monster buck" that I wanted to get. I like big bucks and will pass on a small one but I look at turkey hunting and if a jake came by I'd whack em' as for the SSS well that's not my style you have to check that spike in even if it was a mistake. We (the hunting comunity) have created this issue, be it through TV magazines or mentoring. I like the way turkey hunting is "a bird is a bird" but I see that changing. I do like deer hunting and as I grow older and have a son now I look to teach him that the deer or the turkey is just a bonus the time there is what it's all about. Seeing the sun rise or hearing the gobble is much more important than what's laying there after the boom. I think my father tried to teach me these things but I was the one who had a hard time realizing what was important. Now as I'm a little (or a lot) older I see what dad was talking about. This young man has some things to learn and maybe you could plant a seed sasquach but in the end it's his job to figure out what's important and what's not. Maybe w/ a little nudge in the right direction he could find his error and turn his priorities to a better way of thinking. It may take some time though. |
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Post by Woody Williams on May 8, 2009 12:41:03 GMT -5
I am in no way knocking anyone here on the deer forum nor the turkey forum. But, you can kind of see turkey hunting going the way of deer hunting. That is how long was the beard how much did it weigh spur leingth. I was never in deer hunting when it didn't have anything to do with how big the antlers were I guess I'm too young but all I could think of when I was a kid was the "monster buck" that I wanted to get. I like big bucks and will pass on a small one but I look at turkey hunting and if a jake came by I'd whack em' as for the SSS well that's not my style you have to check that spike in even if it was a mistake. We (the hunting comunity) have created this issue, be it through TV magazines or mentoring. I like the way turkey hunting is "a bird is a bird" but I see that changing. I do like deer hunting and as I grow older and have a son now I look to teach him that the deer or the turkey is just a bonus the time there is what it's all about. Seeing the sun rise or hearing the gobble is much more important than what's laying there after the boom. I think my father tried to teach me these things but I was the one who had a hard time realizing what was important. Now as I'm a little (or a lot) older I see what dad was talking about. This young man has some things to learn and maybe you could plant a seed sasquach but in the end it's his job to figure out what's important and what's not. Maybe w/ a little nudge in the right direction he could find his error and turn his priorities to a better way of thinking. It may take some time though. I agree... On turkeys ... a bird is a bird... almost. I do pass on the jakes, but I shot a few over my lifetime. If he is a long beard I'll shoot him. On a double coming in I'll usually try and pick out the longest and/or bushiest beard or the dominant beard - the one strutting the most. Single long beard? Boom or twack as the case may be. |
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