FOUNDER-
I respect that you created this site that gives me something to do once in a while. I also understand that it takes money to do so, I am not a hippy living on a commune. HOWEVER, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE between guys like Big Fin, and guys like Denny Austad. I don't expect you to take a side, you have skin in the game I do not, BUT, if you can buy the tags in the best areas, you WILL kill the best deer. IF I HAD $175,000, I WILL KILL a bigger deer than this. Saw 5 of them last week on the island. Lets not pretend like that doesn't have anything to do with it. Also, I watched the Spider Bull video on youtube last night. Doyle and his guys(who are very good at what they do, whether I like it or not) are giving the background. At one point doyle is talking about Denny, his line is "denny stayed in camp with us most of the time", perhaps not a direct quote but pretty close. If you don't have a guide and your not in camp your not killing an animal. DIY and professionally guided are NOT THE SAME, and anyone who says they are is kidding themselves. Doesn't mean they didn't hike, or shoot, just means that anyone of us that draws the tag and follows it through the butchering, are FAR more invested then the fly in, hunt 5 days guys.
I don't know Mr. Ulmer. I am glad he doesn't have a possee, a cool nickname, some new urban camo, some eye candy in a tight shirt with him. I am not hating on him at all, that is a cool deer. But the fact remains, IF(there seems to be debate) he is guided, and IF he is on closed land, and IF he is buying auction tags, then its just not as challeging as old joe blow who drew the Pauns tag and killed a 200+ deer with his 5 year old tagging along, and to pretend they are the same is naive at best.
If we are going to celebrate the hunter, then it should be the total package, not the guy who pulls the trigger and is in the pic. Doyle Moss forgot more about hunting today, then Denny Austad ever knew.
When they came for the road hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the oppurtunists I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the public land hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for me there was no one left to say anything!