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Post by lugnutz on Jul 26, 2006 17:06:23 GMT -5
If none us were into antler "worshipping", then wouldn't we shoot the first buck we seen? Besides, if you don't care about antlers, then what would be the point of hunting them? Since the size of the antlers doesn't always have anything to do with how mature a buck is, you wouldn't be able to argue that bigger antlered deer are always harder to kill. Lets say it gun season and you have a spike under your stand, with a big ANTLERED buck closing in at under 40 yards, which will you take?
So many people claiming not to be into antler "worshipping", i just like to see how many really aren't.
Lug
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2006 17:25:44 GMT -5
Since the beginning, hunters have always sought out the male species when they hunted. we know because of drawings on cave walls and other signs left by cavemen and Indians that were here long before anyone ever heard of Jimmy Houston or the Outdoor Channel. I'm not a "worshipping" type of person, but I sure enjoy hunting big buck deer, even though I also hunt does and take a far many more than the number of bucks I take. Just like me not getting on anyone that wants to shoot the first thing down the pike, you shouldn't be worried about those that want to hold out for a big one, what ever that is to you?
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Post by racktracker on Jul 26, 2006 18:35:26 GMT -5
Lets say it gun season and you have a spike under your stand, with a big ANTLERED buck closing in at under 40 yards, which will you take? Now that is a downright silly question, don't you think? One that didn't even need asking was it? I am surprised that anyone would even ask it. Why of course we would ALL shoot that big ANTLERED buck. There is a lot more meat on a big ANTLERED buck than on a measly little old spike. Fatten 'em up and then kill 'em. "Worshipping" to me is putting something above everything else. Even your friends and neighbors wants. Keep it up and you'll get the wooden spoon award for stirring it up again.
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Jul 27, 2006 9:18:35 GMT -5
Lets say it gun season and you have a spike under your stand, with a big ANTLERED buck closing in at under 40 yards, which will you take? Now that is a downright silly question, don't you think? One that didn't even need asking was it? I am surprised that anyone would even ask it. Why of course we would ALL shoot that big ANTLERED buck. There is a lot more meat on a big ANTLERED buck than on a measly little old spike. Fatten 'em up and then kill 'em. "Worshipping" to me is putting something above everything else. Even your friends and neighbors wants. Keep it up and you'll get the wooden spoon award for stirring it up again. ;D ;D
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Post by kevin1 on Jul 27, 2006 10:21:20 GMT -5
I would take the one that looked like it would dress out the most weight of desireable meat , and it wouldn't necessarily be deer #2 .
Last year was the first time I've shot a buck in 6 years , and it was a spike during the muzzleloader season . It was the only deer I had seen all day , and the size was in it's favor , so it's in the freezer . Antlers have no value to me , but when someone starts bullying in rules that only serve the real worshippers of bone then of course I object to that . A huge 12 pointer that you would drool over would probably get a pass from me for being too old and tough , we have different standards . Set restrictions on yourself , leave the rest of us out of it .
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Post by hunter7x on Jul 27, 2006 10:25:44 GMT -5
yougsters are much easier to take than mature deer. Shoot a button buck or a mature doe? Which is easier ? Same with bucks. I'd wait on the biggger antlered buck and let the spike go. And I'd say 90% would answer the same and the 10% who say they wouldn't are full of deer poopy !
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Post by dec on Jul 27, 2006 11:56:50 GMT -5
Lug, to answer this and your last post to me in the 13 pages of garbage debate, yes in fact as I've stated on here before, I am an antler junkie. The fact that I am willing to pass up 120's and 130's bucks (which I do a lot of) in hopes of hunting down that one big buck that I typically have pictures of, does in fact make me an admitted antler junkie. A junkie that is more than satisfied with one mature buck, or in some cases, NO mature buck. But not to delve into the OBR debate again too much, I still argue that anyone wanting to shoot two bucks is even more of an antler junkie. If your goal is a 130 or 140 or higher buck, then why would a guy even entertain the thought of shooting a 100" buck with the hopes of scoring on a bigger one later? I can't for the life of me understand the thought process, unless it is one that if you don't end up getting the bigger one later, then at least you got to hold onto some antlers. So is that not pure anlter worship? It might be for some of you, but I don't need that ego boost, I'll be content filling the freezer with does and trying (likely failing) to score on that one real good buck. In the mean time, those smaller bucks that I passed either had an opportunity to grow up, or presented another hunter an opporutnitiy to kill one of them. Either way, I am 100% cool with that.
By the way, there is nothing wrong with being an "antler worshiper". The only thing wrong, IMO, how many sets of headgear per year that some people feel they need. But again that is just my opinion.
There is also nothing wrong with harvesting a small buck. The harvest of any buck is a very personal thing and everyone has their "trophy" standard. My only word of caution is that if you take a small buck, please never let me hear you complain about not ever seeing any big bucks.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Jul 27, 2006 13:11:07 GMT -5
Well put dec
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Post by dwhunting on Jul 27, 2006 15:13:54 GMT -5
I second that Notion!!! Long live the Antler "worshipper" '
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Post by woodmaster on Jul 27, 2006 17:38:11 GMT -5
I would take the one that looked like it would dress out the most weight of desireable meat , and it wouldn't necessarily be deer #2 . Last year was the first time I've shot a buck in 6 years , and it was a spike during the muzzleloader season . It was the only deer I had seen all day , and the size was in it's favor , so it's in the freezer . Antlers have no value to me , but when someone starts bullying in rules that only serve the real worshippers of bone then of course I object to that . A huge 12 pointer that you would drool over would probably get a pass from me for being too old and tough , we have different standards . Set restrictions on yourself , leave the rest of us out of it . I don't understand hunters saying this! Betwen my Dad and myself we've probally killed 10 mature bucks in the last 5 years. Aging from 3 1/2 to 6 1/2 years old. Deer just don't get any older than that in the wild. Some of the meat we have given away, some we haven't. [glow=red,2,300]I have yet in my lifetime had "tough ole buck" meat. [/glow] I guess what I'm saying is you guys pass on those ole big bucks. When I look at the horns on the wall and eat that "tough meat".....I'll LOVE them both!
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Post by jajwrigh on Jul 27, 2006 19:22:40 GMT -5
Well said man!
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Post by dwhunting on Jul 28, 2006 13:00:09 GMT -5
It's obvious that everyone has different reasons for hunting. I enjoy to see large antlered deer. I work hard to try and make that happen with food plots, supplements and forrest management. This is what I enjoy doing. You can't go wrong when you improve habitat. Everything in the woods benefits. A group of 8 of us lease a tract in Orange County(about 250 acres) We lease from my father-in-law so we pretty much have the ability to administer a management program. And all of my group members respect that fact. I normally administer and pay for the food plot materials as well as most of the equipment to hunt(ex. tree stands). I enjoy to watch nature grow, whether it was a plant that I planted or something that has been there well before my time. A good quality management program ensures that you are more likely to see deer, and not just large antlered deer. However if that 1 1/2, 2 1/2, or a smaller 3 1/2 year old buck walks by my stand I'm sure to let him walk if he's not large enough for my standards. I do this because I will enjoy to watch him grow. Remember, I did state that everyone has different reasons for hunting and I'm perfectly fine with and always will be. QDM Rules!
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 28, 2006 13:46:58 GMT -5
It's obvious that everyone has different reasons for hunting. I enjoy to see large antlered deer. I work hard to try and make that happen with food plots, supplements and forrest management. This is what I enjoy doing. You can't go wrong when you improve habitat. Everything in the woods benefits. A group of 8 of us lease a tract in Orange County(about 250 acres) We lease from my father-in-law so we pretty much have the ability to administer a management program. And all of my group members respect that fact. I normally administer and pay for the food plot materials as well as most of the equipment to hunt(ex. tree stands). I enjoy to watch nature grow, whether it was a plant that I planted or something that has been there well before my time. A good quality management program ensures that you are more likely to see deer, and not just large antlered deer. However if that 1 1/2, 2 1/2, or a smaller 3 1/2 year old buck walks by my stand I'm sure to let him walk if he's not large enough for my standards. I do this because I will enjoy to watch him grow. Remember, I did state that everyone has different reasons for hunting and I'm perfectly fine with and always will be. QDM Rules! DW, No problem for me as long as it is privately done on a voluntary basis. I was letting little bucks walk WAY before the name QDM was even thought of. .
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Post by schoolmaster on Jul 28, 2006 14:28:35 GMT -5
People that have access to prime hunting ground with large numbers of deer tend to gravitate toward trophy hunting. Trophy hunting is not for everyone. Some are glad just to have the opportunity to shoot a deer,any deer. It all depends on your circumstance. If a person wants to trophy hunt that is all right by me. I just don't want trophy hunting jammed down my throat. I don't believe that the majority of hunters want trophy deer hunting at the cost of a lesser opportunity to take a deer.
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Post by wolfhound on Jul 28, 2006 14:46:12 GMT -5
Lets say it gun season and you have a spike under your stand, with a big ANTLERED buck closing in at under 40 yards, which will you take? It would really depend on the size of the big antlered buck. I would pass on the spike regardless as long as I could see the spikes. My standards are pretty low as far as what I would take for a buck. I just want a buck bigger than what I already have, 12" wide 7. I've taken only 1 buck in 10 or so years of hunting and am happy with taking does. I have shot does even though all I had was an either sex tag. Here in Illinois we are allowed 2 bucks and I know hunters who's world ends if they don't take 2 antlered deer every year. As far as having to take a buck every year I could care less. I have passed small bucks and I have passed big bucks when I wasn't comfortable with the shot. I don't know, am I an antler "worshiper"? This year if I get a really pretty doe I'm gonna put her on the wall. I've been wanting to for a few years but never had the right one.
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Post by hunter480 on Jul 28, 2006 16:34:06 GMT -5
Lug, to answer this and your last post to me in the 13 pages of garbage debate, yes in fact as I've stated on here before, I am an antler junkie. The fact that I am willing to pass up 120's and 130's bucks (which I do a lot of) in hopes of hunting down that one big buck that I typically have pictures of, does in fact make me an admitted antler junkie. A junkie that is more than satisfied with one mature buck, or in some cases, NO mature buck. But not to delve into the OBR debate again too much, I still argue that anyone wanting to shoot two bucks is even more of an antler junkie. If your goal is a 130 or 140 or higher buck, then why would a guy even entertain the thought of shooting a 100" buck with the hopes of scoring on a bigger one later? I can't for the life of me understand the thought process, unless it is one that if you don't end up getting the bigger one later, then at least you got to hold onto some antlers. So is that not pure anlter worship? It might be for some of you, but I don't need that ego boost, I'll be content filling the freezer with does and trying (likely failing) to score on that one real good buck. In the mean time, those smaller bucks that I passed either had an opportunity to grow up, or presented another hunter an opporutnitiy to kill one of them. Either way, I am 100% cool with that. By the way, there is nothing wrong with being an "antler worshiper". The only thing wrong, IMO, how many sets of headgear per year that some people feel they need. But again that is just my opinion. There is also nothing wrong with harvesting a small buck. The harvest of any buck is a very personal thing and everyone has their "trophy" standard. My only word of caution is that if you take a small buck, please never let me hear you complain about not ever seeing any big bucks. I take exception to your categorizing wanting to kill 2 bucks per year as just so much more antler obsession. To begin with, we all love bucks, there`s just something about seeing that deer with the bone on his head that makes us all jittery. And for me at least, it doesn`t matter if it`s a spike, a basket 8, or a Booner, bucks just make us get goofy. Myself however, and I believe the majority of those who want the silly OBR rescinded, simply have not taken well to your, and other’s management philosophy being foisted upon us. OBR proponents simply want bigger bucks in the woods to satisfy their obsession. You are correct, that there is nothing wrong with being an antler “junkie”, so long as your fix doesn`t cause us to have to change OUR hunting. You should take note too, that it was a relatively small number of hunters who routinely killed 2 bucks per year, but much of the thrill was the “chance” to take a buck with archery tackle, then “potentially” tag another buck with long arm. This whole argument is just a symptom of the bigger issue, which is this obsessive-compulsive illness of believing that we have to manage to have “quality” deer, or that any buck scoring less than, (put your number in here), is “inferior”. And I`ve seen guys nearly come to blows: the happy hunter is at the check-in station, checking in his basket 6-pointer when the “serious” hunter asks him if his kid killed that deer, `cause no REAL hunter would have shot that buck. Now the happy hunter is ed off enough to bust the serious hunter`s butt, and so much for feeling good about his kill. The OBR is so disliked because we`ve been placed subject to YOUR hunting and management philosophy, and we just don`t like it, whether you can see that or not.
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Post by semisneak on Jul 28, 2006 16:43:16 GMT -5
Shoot the big dog and send the spike running thru the woods so the guy a hundred yards away can drop it................The big antlered deer probably would have got dropped long before he got within 40 yards. ;D
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Post by deerdude on Jul 28, 2006 19:30:12 GMT -5
i think it comes down to getting the freezer full, at least for me. where i hunt at there are some junk racked bucks , i guess due to bad genetics, and for 2-years i took one out each season just to get them out of the area.now i would love to see a big tined bruiser come through and i bet i would at least hunt him for awhile before taking anything else. i guess my stance is,meat first then the rack.(hopefully)
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Post by lugnutz on Jul 28, 2006 20:20:15 GMT -5
My point in this thread was to show people that the people that they are calling other people "antler junkies" are antler junkies themselves, or else they wouldn't be hunting any size buck. They'd be filling the freezer with whatever walked in front of them. Isn't the same amount of bucks being killed annually now, about the same as they were prior to the OBR? Am i so narrow minded by looking at the harvest numbers and only to see that the Archery season numbers are down, and the firearm season harvests are up, but yet they are close to equal of that prior to the OBR. Besides does anyone have any significant proof that the OBR is the best way towards QDM or any proof that it helps the herd? P.S. I'm not here to start a in match between anyone, just trying to get the facts right. Sorry if i've offeneded anyone! Lug
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Post by RiverJim on Jul 29, 2006 6:47:36 GMT -5
Maybe I'm the odd ball here but I look at antlers differntly than most I guess.
I see knife handles, lamps, dresser drawer knobs, knobs for my truck bla bla bla........... I think maybe the indians seen them in this light too.......... a material that last forever!
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