I wasn't going to chime in on this one until I read Elgrasses' excellent post and it inspired me to log in and post my two cents worth. First, back to lifeisgood's original post on doe's, if you truly hunt for the meat, then taking a doe makes sense in most places. Personally, I do not like killing baldy's, deer or elk, so I often eat elk tag soup, but rarely eat buck tag soup as I have earned my name here. But, to the issue at hand on does, bucks and controlling the deer herd. Are there too many mature bucks? NO Are there too many does? Yes in some places, but mother nature usually has her say, as was pointed out. The real question I have is>>>>>>>>Are there really too many deer or are we commercially developing this country to darn fast and encroaching on them faster than we realize? Are the deer proliferating on us faster than we are developing on them or vice versa? I am lucky that I often can hunt in 3-5 states each year, not because I have excess money, cause I don't. But, each year I usually visit Montana, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico, each year I am taken back by the residential and commercail expansions, each year farther out, farther into the woods, where we hunt, where the game lives. Even more confusing, are some of my urban friends and people I meet who tell how they don't hunt but hate the deer, so kill them all. Huh, you just built your $500,000 home out in the suburbs on a large lot, cut down very old trees and now complain about the deer. These people who have good jobs and influence complain to their community leaders who complain to the wildlife agencies who keep saying kill more does. Hmmmm, I am in know way suggesting we should maybe keep the people in check along with the deer, but I am saying that we are developing this country like MAD (Ok, the economy is slowing) and our longer term problem as hunters ain't too many does or bucks or really the antis, but land development in general. This is why I staunchly support RMEF and organizations like them who preserve and protect our lands. We talk alot about the antis and the pros (hunters), but the land development is screwing us all. Sorry to go off on a tangent here, but I been out of town alot this summer and drove out to one of my hunting areas yesterday and there was a new development sprouting up on top of what was a beautiful ridge line above the James River, then down the road a few more miles a brand new timber harvest butting up to the Appalachian Trail, digusting site I must say. Anyhow, since this is a hunting site, back to the post at hand, no not too many mature bucks, but this is what drives alot us, that illusive trophy, the big one that is out there somewhere. I spend so much darn money on hunting each year that I could probably buy 2, 3 maybe 5 beefs, so the vension which I love is great, but not the real driver as the experience in the woods and pursuing teh goal of that big elk or buck. Its all about getting in the woods, away from it all and pursuing that mature buck-the goal for many and there are enough good racks out there that if you pay your dues, you will be rewarded.
Hunt hard and have a great season!
JL
