DaveS

If you hunt "public land" shared by hundreds of other hunters, better shoot that 1 1/2 year old 6 pointer while you can! If you don't, the guy next to you will. I have the luxury to have 200 acres of prime deer land at my disposal. Our trail cams are showing some mighty fine bucks hitting the food plots. An aweful lot does, fawns (some still nursing) young bucks and bucks with crappy horns (3 pointers, crazy looking spikes ect., ect.) Our efforts are going to be the taking of does. I think we'll let the "big boys" breed this year and rid the place of scrubs. Keep in mind though that if a buck bigger than my 10 pointer or my daughter's 12 pointer come within range...the Ol' Smoke Pole might just call down the thunder! But that's not my plan. We'll let the kids on the youth hunt take whatever they want from the food plots. It'll be their call.

Alot of "old timers" (years ago) hunted for food to feed their families. Some of us still do. They believed trophy hunting was just for the horns and many of deer were found dead (horns removed), while another poor family was going hungry, wanting the meat. I remember my uncle talking about this when I was younger. I also remember him saying "he'd skin a man alive" that would leave a dead deer in the woods taking food off his family's table. I think this is the kinda mindset most "real hunters" have against "trophy hunters". Me? I love deer meat and tat'er tots! You are both right in your opinions and thoughts.

I'm not trying to argue, but your statement of "coyote" pelts being worthless....you are wrong Sir! I've made my fortune with coyote....

I think for every deer you take, somewhere you can thank a Coyote hunter for it. Just take the thing out of the woods and use it. A tanned "yote" pelt is very pretty if you'll tan it and hang it on a piece of old "barnwood" and hang a rusty trap on it. Very, very nice! It will add a lot to your "man cave".

You're right Adam. We cannot MAKE people act in a manner of our choosing. They must do that on their own. All us land managers and owners can do is say "no" to hunters whom have little or no morals, and waste game.

I just don't believe in the killing of anything, for the enjoyment of killing. If you take a "furbearer", use it's pelt and/or meat. I have seen so many bucks and does on our WMAs with just horns and/or backstraps removed and the rest left laying. I have found piles of rabbits laying on the edges of parking lots on our WMAs, and un-countable numbers of ducks and doves tossed in the bushes on those same WMAs. We need the "wanton waste" laws, even on private land. Each land owner, manager, or any person who leases land must ensure that they or anyone they allow to hunt, abide by the most elementary of moral standards by assuring harvested game is removed, or DO NOT allow these people to continue to hunt your property and waste our natural resources. If our grandchildren are to enjoy the hunting rights that we enjoy today....WE MUST....WE MUST police ourselves and those that we allow to hunt with us! I don't mean to be on a soapbox, but we must instill some kind of moral standards for folks to follow, to preserve our resources. I work too hard, put in too much time and money on the property that I manage, that I will NOT tolerate "wanton waste" of any type! You shoot it....you remove it! Except right now, and I haven't signed any permission slips.....

Pigs are protected species, and may not be taken without special permit. I agree, let them rest and triple in population this coming year. My question is, with the USFWS and TWRA budgets so tight this year, how are they going to eradicate this rare and endangered species known as "sus scrofa"? Only a couple of WMAs are open and private "pig reserves" (10 paying guest per year) by special permit.

Welcome!

I agree 100%!!

Somethings aren't worth the trouble. Reproductions is the norm now-a-days!

The Doe to buck ratio in the area where I hunt is about 12 to 1 according to research. I'm on a "doe mission" this year. They got to go! I would like it down to about 4 to 1. I'll do my part!!!

I hunt meat deer first, then trophy. If a trophy shows up first, all the better. I usualy get my meat deer with bow. The rut is "rack" time!

Hmmmm.......I'll look into that and get back with you ASAP!

So, Hunting 101, if We get the chance to hunt together any this year....am I to assume it's Crocs and Hawaian (sp) flowerdy shorts? LOL

I also think city ordanances prohibit the discharge of firearms, to include airguns inside their city limits.

You mean you wear clothes when you salmon fish? Sheezzz.....what's the world coming to.....

Oh, that's gonna leave a mark......lol

Just one word about a groundhog. They have about the toughest hide of any animal out there. They will actually dull a knife while skinning one. I remember my granddad telling me how they used groundhog hide for shoes and laces back during the depression. They are very tough skinned animals, so therefore, you should use the best caliber available to you. I personaly don't think an air rifle will work. A .22 will hardly work at times.

Never heard of a "groundhog" living in an Oak tree. Do we have the right critter here?

NRA said it right. Only other choice is a "caddy shack" mission....not reccommended.....Live trap maybe? Remember, any "shot" you fire in a nieghborhood, you have a liabilty issue if something goes wrong. Read "murphy's law" 101.

What he said....

Thank you. See what I can come up with this evening. The albino pig in my avatar, is one of my mounts done a few months ago.

It's a "man thing"....nothing wrong with it as far as I can see....

Kinda what I was going to ask.

TWRA should practice what they preach as far as leaving animals dead or dying on WMAs.....nuff' said!