Trophy Hunters are to blame

B_F_E

Long Time Member
Messages
3,860
Interesting if you think about it that there is always someone to blame around here for the various bad things that go on in our sport. Very seldom do we see people here stand up & take any blame for all the negatives that are eloquently detailed in MM land.

Here's a short list of some of those topics;
1. Ethics
2. Shed hunters
3. trophy hunting
4. chute planes
5. poachings
6. Quads
7. Long range shooting
8. Governors tags
9. Game farms

The common denominator of the above is the pursuit of big horns.
The generation before ours loved having an excuse to gather together the extended family tell story's & shoot the deer with the most meat, not the deer with the most Bone. Unlike that generation we have became obsessed with trophy caliber. If this were not the case then why are you on this board ? Monster Muleys ? If it was only about pursuing & taking game you would be content reading the antlerless addendum. So who is fanning this fire ? That would be both you & I

Agree / Disagree ?
 
First of all I have nothing against meat hunters, but they shoot most of the deer before they grow up. In Utah the lack of deer to hunt was not caused by trophy hunters. Trophy hunters do more good than harm. They contribute more time and money to preserving the resource and many times go home happily with tag soup. Trophy hunters don't ride around on quads. You do have some good points though.
 
WAIT A FRICKEN MINUTE Beefy!!!

YOU KNOW!!!

SOMEWHERE IN THAT BIG LIST OF COMMANDMENTS!!!

AND I BELIEVE THERES 9 OR 10 OF THEM!!!

THERE'S ONE THAT SAYS "WE SHALL NOT COVET"!!!

I GUESS THAT DON'T COUNT WHEN IT COMES TO BIG BONE???

YA SEE MULE DEER & BIG STINKY ELK ARE JUDGED KINDA LIKE THE OPPOSITE GENDER OF HUMANS!!!

IF CERTAIN PARTS AIN'T BIG ENOUGH SOME OF US ARE CONSIDERED JUNK!!!

SOMETIMES WE ARE NOT EVEN WORTH A SECOND LOOK!!!

AND YES IT HAS BECOME VERY "BIG BONE" ORIENTED!!!

I DON'T AGREE WITH ALL OF IT BUT YOU ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL!!!

SOMETIMES TAG SOUP AIN'T SO BAD!!!

NOW Beefy!!!

IF YOU HAD YOUR CHOICE BETWEEN AA'S & DD'S WHAT WOULD IT BE???

THE ONLY bobcat THINKING Beefy MIGHT BLOW A FUSE IF HE KEEPS THINKING ABOUT THAT 'BIG BONE'!!!
 
>First of all I have nothing
>against meat hunters, but they
>shoot most of the deer
>before they grow up. In

Its called "Tender". Those old stinky bucks are tough chewing. Give me a young buck for eating anytime.

>Utah the lack of deer
>to hunt was not caused
>by trophy hunters. Trophy hunters
>do more good than harm.

Thats a blanket statement. A good many poachers "did it for the horns". Trophy and non trophy hunters both have the capability to do good or harm to the sport.

>They contribute more time and
>money to preserving the resource
>and many times go home
>happily with tag soup.

Proof please. Show me statistics that back this up. What percentage of the 97000 deer hunters are even "trophy hunters" ?

>Trophy
>hunters don't ride around on
>quads.

HAhahahaa omg! Are you serious? That has to be satire... very, very funny.


-DallanC
 
Sorry ever since I was 13 it was always about how big the bone was.. I confess..
 
I really do not think there are that many trophy hunters. People talk big, but when it comes down to it, I believe the majority of them just take small animals after a few days of hunting. Very few are willing to go the last second and take tag soup in pursuit of a trophy caliber critter. Maybe the majority of trophy hunters just happen to visit this board.
 
"First of all I have nothing against meat hunters, but they shoot most of the deer before they grow up."


Isn't that the definition of meat hunting? To shoot something for meat? Not wait for it to grow up with big horns to shoot it for meat.



As far as the list goes, I agree with some of it and disagree with other parts of it. You don't have to be a trophy hunter to come to MM. As far as why we are so obsessed with horn, just look at what it brings. With all these smaller local (Western) hunting publications, it is not that hard to get your story into one of them if you hit the magic 200" or 400" marks on deer and elk. The publicity, the free gear, the possibility of selling replicas, photos, etc, is what probably drives most people. Hunting is a reflection of the way society is, everybody has to have the next bigger better thing than the next guy. Society is what drives this obsession with horn.

From what I've seen about the "good ol days" it seems as though trophy and meat hunting went hand in hand. If there were that many big bucks back in the day, then it would be common to shoot them for meat. Just think about how many huge animals were shot that have never had recognition. The biggest outdoor magazines were Field and Stream and Outdoor Life. They weren't focused on publishing only trophy stories, thus no incentive to send them in. Why do you think there are so many big animals that have never been publicized from the old days? Because there wasn't a desire for it.

As far as trophy hunters not riding quads, BS. You don't have to be a road hunter to ride a quad.

"They contribute more time and
>money to preserving the resource
>and many times go home
>happily with tag soup"


As Dallan has asked, proof please. I'd like to see these numbers as well. Considering most cow and doe tags issued far outnumber the amount of buck and bull tags.






It's Bush's fault!!!
 
I disagree I think trophy hunters are good for the sport. Nothing against meat hunters they by there tags the same way I do and can fill it however they please. Luckily most states have set aside hunts for trophy hunters. I realize alot of people just enjoy getting together and hunting and that is great and they visit this site and dream about getting a big buck. In reality most people will never kill a 180" or better buck, but they can still hope. Bottom line is an ethical trophy hunter is not going to harvest that many animals, but will contribute alot of money to the sport and does so gladly. I dont see how this could be a bad thing. On the other hand those who unethically and illegally pursue game should be held more accountable for there actions and I beleive that we are slowly headed in that direction.
 
>Manny, there you go again, toooooo
>much information!


get your mind outta the gutter man...LOL
 
I hunt because of the challenge..and we all know that older deer with bigger headgear pose much more of a challenge than young, tender bucks..plus I like to HUNT..while I like the meat, I will admit that I wouldn't be into hunting nearly as much if all I had to chase were smaller "meat" bucks because it would be too easy and my hunt would be over opening day nearly every trip out..that's not what I do it for..I like to be in the hills and enjoy my time out there, even if it means passing on a hundred bucks and going home empty handed..
Everybody's definition of a "trophy" hunter is different..I guess I consider myself one, but the guys that buy a tag or get lucky and draw,then have a TEAM of guys searching the hills or flying over it looking for that special buck..this is not hunting to me..That style should be renamed trophy "shooting"..because that's all they are doing..they are just pulling the trigger, and there is more to hunting than that..While I don't consider those people hunter's, I will add that the money that comes from those auction/gov. tags does benefit the game itself..So i guess I can deal with a few goofballs that "buy" their animals as long as the $ goes to what it is supposed to..
..as for the "quad" issue..I would agree with CAMULEYHUNTER on that one..While there are exceptions to every rule, 90% of the guys that I have run into on quads are not the type of guys that like the "challenge" of the hunt..I know that I am going to offend people with that statement, but most that I've dealt with will not venture far from those quads..they hunt off of them, spook the game all over the place, and if they are lucky they will get a running shot at a big buck, but for the most part they just stir things up and shoot the first buck they have a chance at..or they pass up a few and shoot a smaller buck on the second or third day..which is fine if thats what they like to do, but it often times messes it up for the serious hunters..with that said, I'm not blaming those quad hunter's for anything, it's more the states fault for allowing them to ride on trails that they have no business being allowed to be on..Colorado needs to work on that more than any other state I've hunted. it would keep the younger bucks from getting slaughtered..or at least help..
I guess everybody has a little bit different interpretation of "hunting"..those are some of mine...for me it's challenge that makes the hunt so rewarding..
As long as you are going about it in a responsible and fair manner(which is also open to interpretation), in otherwords, LEGAL, I guess there is no right or wrong..
 
If someone draws a tag, whose business is it on what type of animal he puts it on? In a general deer zone in Kali, almost any buck is a trophy so either I don't hunt those units or just go to be with friends/family and I shot any legal buck. If I draw a quality tag out of state after several years of trying, I'd rather come home empty then tag something lesser. Deer meat doesn't get eaten much around here until the elks gone anyways.

On a good elk hunt, I'll hold out for a bull that is tops for that area BUT I will try to harvest an elk the last couple of days just to fill the freezer. Am I right in my standards? Its my tag so why should anyone else care?

If someone else shoots the first, barely legal animal they see, are they wrong? NO!
 
RE: WAIT A FRICKEN MINUTE Beefy!!!

crap I actually almost agree with you- crap !!!!!!!! but I'm not that far gone yet- I PREFER THE AA'S DAMMITT !!!!! I'm a rear type anyway- small rear- small boobs- all BLONDE- and I'm in !!!!!!
M WAITE, AZ.
 
I don't think trophy hunting s great for the sport of hunting. Competition amongst the big names in hunting always trying to put together a better video, dvd, etc can stoop to some pretty low means of doing so. Guess who gets the publicity, the guy who does it right and goes off eating tag soup or the celebrity that gets caught hunting in a zoo.

Look at the cost of hunting these days. Now, its all about big bucks and big $. While it has made a small group wealthy or wealthier, it can push hunting out of the reach of some. Not everyone lives in prime country for hunting. They get limited vacation and if they have to spend mega $ to get a chance at a deer/elk/etc, they really weigh "value" of hunting.

Sure everyone likes to get a critter with a big rack. Too many its just a secondary benefit to hunting and bagging their quarry. I think there is a lot of talk with many of the "trophy hunters" in the hunting forums. Many talk big but when a 2 year old deer is standing in front of them, its a different story.

I visit this board not for trophy hunting, but I am new to the west. I can learn some info to help me in my chase of muleys, elk, pronghorn, etc.
 
RE: WAIT A FRICKEN MINUTE Beefy!!!

MICHAEL!!!

NOW WAITE A MINUTE!!!

I WAS ASKING Beefy!!!

AND HE IS AN UPSTAIRS MAN!!!

MAN IS HIS BRAIN CORRUPTED,ALMOST AS BAD AS MINE!!!

I NEVER SAID ANYTHING BAD ABOUT AA'S!!!

HOW BOUT IT Beefy,YOU GONNA REPLY BACK???

THE ONLY bobcat THINKING AFTER hunterman67 TOOK THAT BIG MULEY LAST FALL HE'S SURE BEEN IN A HELL OF ALOT BETTER MOOD!!! :D :D :D
 
You said that very well. You have a little more compassion for the quad hunters than I, but you expressed much of the "hunting facts of life" quite well.
 
It is more than inches!

I love this thread. We all need to ask ourselves "why we hunt".

All of you need to get a copy of Paul Kendall's "Never Enough volume 2" and watch his introduction. It is the best I have ever seen.

Chris
 
Lents (assuming there are a few ladies that roam this site),

I don't respond to very many of these posts, but did find this post to be most intrigueing. It sounds like many have their own views as to whether trophy hunting is good for the sport. I would tend to agree with those that think that it is excellent for the sport. My belief is that the great conservation effort can be achieved by hunting mature animals that have had a chance to spread their seed for many years. It is only through this method that the genetically refined animals can provide a way for other genetically superior animals to be born into this world. If a hunter were able to harvest an animal that is either at his prime or is beyond his prime by a couple of years, he/she would still have the ability to experience the joys of success, while knowing that there are several more animals in the vicinity that will mature into a similar caliber of animal, through the seed that was spread.

Once a person harvests a trophy caliber animal, that animal will typically become the standard for all future hunting encounters of that particular species. Anything less, simply doesn't stack up to the rush of success that is associated with harvesting a true trophy in the back country.

As with anything in life, our goal should be to refine our talents and abilities and work toward improving ourselves in every possible area of our lives. From my perspective, this would include hunting, which is one area in life that can provide a tremendous amount of accomplishment, and a sense of being at one with nature and our maker!

Just my $.02.

Cheers,

Weatherby
 
I am one of those that dream about hunting mature bucks all year long. I was not raised by a hunting dad, but started dreaming about it at the age of 14 and harvested my first buck at 14 with no help from a adult. I have been hunting deer now for 33 years and still look forward to every minute I get to spend looking for these great creatures. I have set my standards very high with some success, but will never look down on a person that harvest a small buck or doe. No matter if we harvest or not we all go to the woods for the experiance and as far as the governors tag, God I wish I could afford it.
 
I agree with the last two posts. Weatherby is right as far as I'm concerned. will apply for at least 6 deer tags for each of the next 15-20 years but will be surprised if I harvest another 5 deer in my life. Lots of $ and very lil impact on the herds.

BUT if someone else wants to harvest the first legal animal they see, I support their decision too.

Guess one of the reasons I enjoy getting youngsters involved is because anything they take is a trophy for me.
 
Nice thread guys, way to keep it civil and respectful... lets see if we can keep it that way!
As for my take on the trophy/meat hunter situation, I believe that trophy hunting is good for the sport. First off, my deffinition of a trophy hunter is a person who sets a goal for themself based on what they believe is a trophy... Am I a trophy hunter? Yep I think so. I set out this last fall to shoot a deer with my bow. I succeeded and was able to take my first archery deer this year and had a blast even though it was a doe (shot her on the 15th day of my hunt...).

I believe that Trophy hunters are a breed apart from those that are considered "meat hunters". The reason I think that trophy hunters are good for the sport is that they care enough about preserving and IMPROVING our mule deer population that they are willing to sacrifice time/money to possibly improve our Mule Deer population. The common meat hunter however, is perfectly content to shoot the average 2 1/2 year old 3 point and doesn't really care about improving genetics and herd quality. That is why I think trophy hunters are good for the sport.

Michael
"What I could do, I was doing, and that was simply putting my butt on the line for my country, the country that I loved, so that all the protestors and the academics and the liberal intelligentsia back home could enjoy the right to protest against people like me, the hated middleclass." --Gary R. Smith, US Special Forces
 
In AZ, why are ranchers locking their gates and giving exclusive access to a single outfitter? Because there are complete idiots out there (believe it or not some are on this site) that will pay tens of thousands of dollars to hunt these private rances. Why? To meat hunt right.

So. Who hurts hunting the most? The trophy hunter that busts his butt to kill a big animal and sometimes leaves empty handed, or the yahoo that pays a guide and an rancher a trespass fee to have exclusive access to an area that not so long ago we could all hunt.

Hire USO. This is their way of thinking.

Is that ethical?
 
In sticking to the original topic, I believe the quest for a trophy does indeed lead to a lot of the major problems stated. It's sad what the quest for a trophy can escalate into!?

However, trophy hunting does have it's good points as many of you have stated. Me I don't really care if trophy hunting takes place as long as it is done legaly....same goes for the non-trophy hunters.

I'm to the point now that I will take the largest buck or bull that is presented to me (if it rivals my own personal bests) by chance, coincidence, luck, or whatever it's called (that is how most trophies are taken anyway). With that being said, I have chosen to take the smaller buck or bull during the last several years. If I don't see anything that will rival a trophy I already have, I will take the smaller specimen. Say I came across a small herd of bulls and nothing in the herd is bigger than one I already have harvested in the past. I will opt to take the smallest bull in the group, simply to let the others grow and for the fact that smaller ones are much, much, much better eating.

I guess I could be considered a meat hunter, mostly, but a trophy hunter by coincidence! Do I need the meat to survive or feed my family, no, but my family loves/prefers to eat wild game and it is that choice that influences my decision.
 
I grew up shooting the first legal buck and dad still does. WE love deer meat, it doesn't last long in our freezer and makes a great smoked, home-made german sausage. I do, however love the horns.

Does trophy hunting hurt the sport. Hmm.

On the surface its easy to say that trophy hunters go home empty more often and only harvest mature animals. Both of which would seem to be a positive for deer.

However, it is a very good point that the high dollar leases and exclusive access is not driven by meat hunters. Also, when trophy hunters begin to insist that states manage for trophy harvest, opportunity decreases. You simply can't have over the counter deer tags AND trophy deer, unless you are talking about a wilderness area or limiting factors like large private holdings.

I believe that trophy hunting and management for trophy hunting drives up the cost (look at auction/gov/landowner tags)of hunting, limits access to or across private holdings and reduces opportunity due to limited hunter numbers in trophy units.

I also think that if we could grow more deer, you could balance opportunity to hunt with the chance at a mature deer. A little habitat work and some lion hunting would go a long ways toward growing more deer.

I still like big horns though.
 
I know of a guy who shot a spike bull elk on a Utah LE hunt that he had put in for years to get the tag. He just wanted a bull elk and shot the first one that he could get out easy. Then I know of another guy who shot a 6 point 350-ish bull on the same hunt and was upset becuase one of the points was broken.

They are both welcome in my camp, but the first guy was a lot more fun to have around.
 
WELL CHRIS!!!

JUST THINK!!!

THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE A FEW GUYS BRAGGING,"LOOK AT MY BULL,HE ONLY HAS 5 ON THE ONE SIDE"!!!

HE STILL SCORES 390"+!!!

MAYBE THE TAXIDERMY CAN PUT THIS POINT BACK ON I HAVE HERE IN MY POCKET!!!

I WAS JUST LUCKY & FOUND THE BROKEN POINT 20 MILES SOUTH OF WHERE I TOOK THE BULL!!!

I'M SHOWING HIM TO THE UDWR!!!

I'M ONLY LOSING ONE POINT ON THIS DEAL!!!

AND I'M PUTTING IN BACK FOR IT NEXT YEAR!!!

I'LL SPEND 4 MONTHS LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT BULL!!!

IF I DON'T FIND THE RIGHT BULL I'LL TURN MY TAG IN!!!

I'LL GET MY POINTS BACK!!!

I'LL TRY AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!!

THESE ARE KNOWN AS TROPHY HUNTERS HUNTING ON A MANAGEMENT PERMIT!!!

I CAN'T IMAGINE A POINT OR TWO GETTING BROKE OR SHOT OFF!!!

THIS SHIZZ MAKES ME SICK!!!

I'LL GET MY HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER NOW!!!

THE ONLY bobcat!!!
 
A certain part of the trophy hunting does hurt hunting. IE: the big money game farm stuff and the like. The raffle tags actually do more for the particular species then any particular segment on a per capita basis. Not enough "Trophy" hunters to actually have a more positive effect then then masses of general hunters. Trophy hunters tend to spend more on their activity but just not enough to pay the bill. So, I think we need more trophy hunters to have more political clout. The general hunters will only reap the benefits, but they out pay and out vote trophy hunters 10-1.
 
45ceb3c1179a0554.jpg



Do you blame guys for wanting this head gear?????
 
she is NOT blonde- you can have her.
ANYWAY, I am going to put my other .05 cents in this mess. here is what I was taught about hunting. this is a serious thing and I still do it today. we hunt in the FLAT desert, very few hills and no mountains anywhere. there is NO WAY to have 2-11 guys climb to the top and set up $75,000.00 worth of optics and watch 25 different bucks, score each one of them- then pull a stalk after the largest. it is not the way I was taught to hunt, or the way I am teaching my son to hunt. we drew an ANY buck tag and went hunting. while "spot and stalk" hunting (never even knew there were different types of hunting we just hunted) we leave camp or the truck BEFORE daylight, and begin walking slowly into the wind, hopefully with the sun at our backs. we walk along slowly, looking as far ahead as possible- again you normally cannot see 100 yards in front of you. when/if you saw deer- up went the rifle if it had horns it was legal. I SHOT THE FIRST DEER WITH HORNS I SAW, as did my father, grandfather, etc..... now I will tell you that time of year, time of day, and unit hunted are ALL part of the deal. I have been very fortunate in my 29 years of desert MULE DEER hunting to take a 165 and 180 inch MULE DEER bucks in arizona alone. I am also telling you there were 12 bucks in between 125 and 150, several forkhorns and spikes also filling out the time frame. I also did not hunt alone until 1996 so since there were usually at least 2 sometimes 3 of us hunting there were many times when we were dragging at least 2 sometimes 3 deer out of the flats back to the truck. my father and I took 2 deer each year, same day for 6 years in a row- none scored squat, just desert 2x4,3x4,4x4,etc MULE DEER that were the first bucks we had a good shot at. several years we took spikes- and it did NOT bother me at all. we were also not the only people hunting in this large unit, others took deer too. on december 31st 1984 my dad took the states #10 p&y MULE DEER buck (at that time) from our unit @ 172 3/8" (it is on my wall now) from that day until he passed in 12/1995- whether it be rifle or bow my father never shot anything smaller than a 4x4 buck or he would take nothing. does that make him a trophy hunter ? I think not. he explained it to me as "I've taken 100 deer in my lifetime, with you hunting now too I don't have to shoot the 1st deer I see, I don't NEED to shoot a deer at all, but if I do I want to take a 4x4 or better or nothing" I never understood that until after he was gone. in 2002 I had my scope on a 3x4 at 155 yards broadside, I shot and saw a deer go down. upon walking up to where I knew my buck was dead I found a spike buck of only 3.5 inches tall, between the time I shot the larger buck moved. first I was glad I did not hit a doe, but after seeing that small buck on the ground I was pissed. I decided right then and there that although the 4x4 or better was a good rule that I would only shoot mature bucks, as I know there are some 3x4's and such that are freaking huge. since then I have been lucky enough to take some really great bucks including my colorado buck in october. I passed up 17 legal buck deer BEFORE I even loaded my gun. does this make me a trophy hunter ? I hope not because I only want to hunt my beloved MULE DEER I will pass on every small buck I see but I will shoot what alot of you consider a smaller buck, ie; 3x3's, 3x4's, freaky huge 2x2's. the last time I drew a tag for our unit was 2002 and I hunted for 5 days without seeing 1 live deer or other hunter. on the 6th morning I took a 27" wide 3x3. I am not a trophy hunter by any means I will shoot the 1st mature buck I see, no matter what antler size. there are not alot of people that will do that, but to each his own- I will not tell others what to shoot or not shoot. I won't tell a kid on his deer hunt not to shoot a nice 2x3 because of the things I read online or in "trophy" magazines. it is up to the person who has the legal tag in his pocket, it is up to the guy who has spent $1,000.00 and time from his family for this hunt- he decides what is ok for him to shoot. not us, not trophy hunting magazines, not super cool "hunters" who work for television, or a hunting manufacturer, or website. those people sell thier "hunting ideas" as a product. I won't let companies, exas super deer ranches, matthews bows or lumenock or anyone else for that matter tell me what a trophy is, or what size deer I should shoot or pass on because it is what they do. honestly does ANYONE on this planet/website give a flying bucket of whale poop what size deer mike waite shot this year ? I am not that stoopid I mean if there are 2 deer I could shoot properly I will try for the biggest but c'mon now who really cares ? todays hunters are easily offended and very easily swayed. if they put a 200" MULE DEER buck next to anything- most of you will buy it. it could say "I took this buck because I used supersnotty foot and butt powder" and that day alone 15,000 cases of supersnotty foot & butt powder would sell. it is up to you what you decide to shoot- I don't care how big a buck you take- congrats on taking a buck in the first place- yee ha ! heck I even fall into this myself- I try for the biggest one but will shoot the one I can, I mount every deer I take, I try to score them all as well- I'm not perfect either. but no one REALLY gives a poop how big or small your deer is.

M WAITE, AZ.
 
Geez, you fellers like your boxes. I'm not a trophy hunter. I'm not a meat hunter. I'm just a hunter and since the hunt is in the chase, I chase what's worth hunting. It might not be a "trophy" - I wouldn't know. Never put a tape to an animal in all my life and points are just tines.

But archerymuleyslayer put up a great analogy. She looks just like my friend's wife. Sure, he's the envy of every man but after a little more than a year of marriage, he's seriously thinking about divorce. She's a spoiled, self-centered, preening brat who has managed to bankrupt him despite his six figure salary. And worse, every time they go anywhere, other men are hitting on her and the first question that his friends ask him when they see him is how his wife is doing. A guy could support a family just on what she spends on her tan.

The point of comparison is this - if all you're after is eye candy, you're missing out.
 
>I am one of those that
>dream about hunting mature bucks
>all year long. I was
>not raised by a hunting
>dad, but started dreaming about
>it at the age of
>14 and harvested my first
>buck at 14 with no
>help from a adult. I
>have been hunting deer now
>for 33 years and still
>look forward to every minute
>I get to spend looking
>for these great creatures. I
>have set my standards very
>high with some success, but
>will never look down on
>a person that harvest a
>small buck or doe. No
>matter if we harvest or
>not we all go to
>the woods for the experiance
>and as far as the
>governors tag, God I wish
>I could afford it.

I harvested my first doe at 16. That was 39 years ago and like Califelkslayer I will probably only kill a handful of trophy bucks the rest of my life. Although I may take a lesser buck or two with my bow. You stated my philosophy very well.
 
I agree 100%. I'm not saying that Trophy hunters are bad, but the pursuit of Trophy's has hurt the sport that we all love.
 
Moderation...Trophy hunting is good only to a point. Unfortunatley that point was crossed a long time ago. We would not have all these issues around canned hunts, game ranches, etc if bone wasn't so highley sought after. Then again we wouldn't have as much corporate support which contributes the much needed dollars if everyone just wanted table fair. Meat hunters and trophy hunters are both needed to keep this sport alive.

Myself, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot the first "legal" buck. Sure I'm human, I want that first buck to have a 30" plus spread but I also view every animal taken as a trophy regardless of the size of bone. I guess my point is that I there is no clear answer as to whether or not trophy hunting is good or bad in general. I can only say that we need to prevent it from being the only reason we hunt.

Oh and the reason that most are here on MM. Because where else can you see a trophy sized bull on the same page as young hunters first doe. Both are Monsters in someones book!
 
I agree with most of it. I will give a couple of the main reason's I think trophy hunting hurts hunting.
Trophy hunting has made lease prices increase. In my home state of Georgia, lease prices have tripled in some places in just a few years time, because of trophy hunting. It is becoming increasingly difficult to afford a quality lease to hunt. There is still State Ground to hunt, but it is becoming very crowded, and harder to have a quality hunt.
Trophy hunting also has the potential to discourage hunter recruitment. Can you imagine what it would have been like when you started hunting, and you were told not to shoot anything, unless it is big one. We have several counties, here in Georgia, that are trophy buck counties. In these counties the bucks need to be 15 inches inside, or have four points on a side, depending on the county. I have heard of several kids getting discouraged, & giving up on hunting because of this.
Like most people, I would love to shoot a trophy animal, I however, will not let that dictate my hunting. If I see a smaller animal, and I want to shoot it, so be it. I will cherish the meat,& the memory of the hunt.
I did not read every post in this thread, so forgive me if I am repeating something someone has already said.
Lastly, the reason I'm on the web site is to learn. I have recently been out west Antelope,& Muley hunting, and have become addicted. I want to learn all I can, about hunting out west.


"Easy now, keep the croshairs right behind his shoulder & squeeze the trigger"
 
I disagree.
The listed issues are talked about and debated among hunters. The things that really hurt our sport are the things that effect non-hunters or anti-hunters. Like news stories showing deer with arrows sticking out of them, or Bubba the hunter cruising down the road with his dead buck sticking out of the truck bed and blood dripping out the back, or hunters illegally trespassing on private property, or damaging public property, or acting like ingnorant bastards while wearing hunting clothes and sporting hunting decals on the back of their rig.
It's good, and healthy for us to discuss or argue issues like long range shooting, or what is actually a "trophy" amongst ourselves because it brings out information and let's us all make an educated decision on these issues based on what we learn. When it comes down to it, we are still all hunters and aren't hurting anything with our differing opinions.
What does hurt us is when any of us do the things mentioned above that effect those that don't hunt who working on forming their opinion of their own about hunters.
 
I think that everyone has a good point or two on this thread. I do believe that the almighty bone has had a substantial impact on our sport in both a positive and a negative way. I also believe that meat hunters have had an equal impact. I am with DC on this one. Unless you're an idiot, you all would have to agree that there has to be an equal balance of taking mature bucks and thinning out the herd with either does or small bucks. I consider myself a trophy hunter yet I shot a 130 class whitetail this year in Kansas. Was it what I went for? No. But I had never killed a whitetail before and that little bugger is now hanging on my wall. I will not, however, shoot one that small again. This is my definition of a trophy hunter. I just like to improve on what I have on the wall or I won't shoot it. Simple as that. I will take a cow or doe if need be but not usually. This is a tough subject to find a "right" answer. Has the pursuit of a large rack caused problems? Undeniably yes! I don't think that I would blame it on the "trophy hunter". The one common thing that I see in the list is POACHERS and those that are willing to pay money for their poaching endeavors.

It's always an adventure!!!
 
HORN PORN!

It pains me to agree with BFE, but he is right on!

The odds of drawing an elk tag are gong up!

Can we take some bids,,,, for tags!
 
B_F_E,

I'm glad you bumped this thread back up, because I hadn't seen it. I'm sure many who read my recent post thought that I was commenting on this particular thread! It gave me a quite a chuckle to read this post & see how closely I duplicated your listed topics.

My thoughts are in the other post, so I'll just summarize here.

Yes, all these things create issues for us hunters.

No, I don't think they are the biggest issues. I think our biggest threats are:

Antihunters
nonhunters & hunter apathy
Hunters divided
Loss of habitat (which I forgot to mention in my other post)

I figure that none of the things on your list will matter if hunting is closed to the public or the last clump of sage is paved.

Guy
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom