Hunt for the deer, not the score

[Buckshot]

[QUOTE Somewhere along the way some of us have lost sight of what deer hunting is supposed to be — fun and relaxing,
a way to teach our kids about life, time spent outdoors with friends and chicken-fried backstrap.
Somewhere along the way, it's morphed into an obsession with scoring big deer. Trophy deer.
Somewhere along the way, the hunt has gotten lost[/I]"[/QUOTE]

Poor fellow I don't know who the "us" is he is talking about but I feel for you all that fall into that sorry state. "Somewhere along the way" I am sorry but he just doesn't speak to anything I know about hunting. Every hunter gets something different from the sport. I guess he is talking about himself but I'm not sure it's not a thinly veiled slap at trophy hunters.

Originally Posted by Buckshot

[QUOTE Somewhere along the way some of us have lost sight of what deer hunting is supposed to be — fun and relaxing,
a way to teach our kids about life, time spent outdoors with friends and chicken-fried backstrap.
Somewhere along the way, it's morphed into an obsession with scoring big deer. Trophy deer.
Somewhere along the way, the hunt has gotten lost[/I]"

Poor fellow I don't know who the "us" is he is talking about but I feel for you all that fall into that sorry state. "Somewhere along the way" I am sorry but he just doesn't speak to anything I know about hunting. Every hunter gets something different from the sport. I guess he is talking about himself but I'm not sure it's not a thinly veiled slap at trophy hunters.[/QUOTE]
i give that a big ole as well

[BruceBruce1959]

Originally Posted by Hunting Man

I really didn't find a whole lot in that article either. Why do I hunt? That's who/what I am. I hunt for me and if that includes friends, family, kids all the better but in the end it's what I want to do and for the reasons that are all mine!

HM I don't think the story is asking why you hunt or who/what you are as a hunter. The Write analyzes himself in the article so I can see how you would think about ways and what fors.

The way I read it originally is the so called pro's are constantly pounding at us with their "SCORE" hunting videos, books, seminars, product endorsements and all the other garbage that goes along with "Profiting from a hunt" but now after reading it again I can see how ronn would look at this as an attack on "trophy hunters" and become so defensive, defensive enough to resort to name calling. (I forgive ya ronn)

The story begins with the Pro Hunter Ted Nugent incident nothing to do with "trophy hunting" but the story leads into that mindset because of "commerciality"

In my original post I posted a paragraph from the article but I guess I should have posted the text that led up to that paragraph and a little of the text after that paragraph,
here is what I should have posted.


"What bothers me is that this whole thing was not about hunting, but about the spectacle of the event and part of what was essentially commercial.

Somewhere along the way some of us have lost sight of what deer hunting is supposed to be — fun and relaxing, a way to teach our kids about life, time spent outdoors with friends and chicken-fried backstrap. Somewhere along the way, it's morphed into an obsession with scoring big deer. Trophy deer. Somewhere along the way, the hunt has gotten lost.

I feel like we've moved into a look-at-me era of deer hunting, almost solely focused on the hunter and the outcome: killing a trophy deer; or raising a deer that scores over 200 inches; or winning some contest; or breeding a monster buck and selling its semen."


I think when the writer says "some of us have lost sight of what deer hunting is supposed to be" I think he's referring to the Ted Nugents or the other pro's who are in it for commercial profit and not "the hunt".

it was a term of endearment bb. grin

in the context of your last post it isn't as harsh or the focus of the point has shifted, but still who is this guy or anyone else for that mater to cast a disparaging light on what or the way someone else's hunt. it still isn't right. as long as the hunter is enjoying the legal hunt let the person be.

so the counter point to this yahoo's scratchings is, so what if a guy wants to sit in a box blind and shoot a buck over a pile of corn? is it the type of hunt i enjoy? nope but i ain't on that hunt so it should bother me and really is none of my business. if more people thought about it in that light the hunting world would be a lot more peaceful place.

[sdwolfden]

My trophies are how any pounds of meat in the freezer, not the size or existance of a rack. I have my sights set on a massive buck this year, I know he has a rack but his body would feed us for a while. I don't even know(or care) how many points he has. To each his own, live and let live(except during hunting season).

[onehorse]

Man,I'm gone for a few days and miss a whole lot. On this topic, why does
it have to be one way or the other? I think there are good points both ways. If some folks get enjoyment from just getting out and maybe putting some meat in the freezer, that's great for them. If others want more of a challenge and set standards based on whatever, who's to say that they aren't having the kind of experience that is fun for them. As long as we all observe good sportsmanship as it applies to our fellow hunters in the field as well as ethical hunting practices and respect for the game animals, have at it any way you like.

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by onehorse

Man,I'm gone for a few days and miss a whole lot. On this topic, why does
it have to be one way or the other? I think there are good points both ways. If some folks get enjoyment from just getting out and maybe putting some meat in the freezer, that's great for them. If others want more of a challenge and set standards based on whatever, who's to say that they aren't having the kind of experience that is fun for them. As long as we all observe good sportsmanship as it applies to our fellow hunters in the field as well as ethical hunting practices and respect for the game animals, have at it any way you like.

Onehorse, something we can agree on. Well said.

yea onehorse, that was my point. but its the same old jab at another hunter because its not the way i do it. its really got to stop before it really turns into us and them.

[huntr-]

I don't understand. Why is it a us against them thing. Isn't it a difference of opinion ? A hunter that choose to hunt for a big mature buck should get the same respect from other hunters as the hunter who harvests for meat , be it a 100 lb doe or a 140 lb four point. the comradery should be in the sport not the outcome of the harvest.

[Hunting Man]

I think we're all into the same thinking, writers just have to spark controversy just to be heard/read these days. Almost everything out there is a negative report in some way, people seem to respond to negativity. Why? I'd much rather read/listen to good things happening whether its hunting, sports, news ect. I agree, to each their own on hunting and what you harvest, it's an individual's personal issue. I know I tend to wander on posts sometimes, well most times, but its the best I can do.