I'm right your wrong

[Bigcountry40]

Personally hunting is something that is supposed to be fun and is about the friendship, fellowship, hard work, patience, success and failure. Once hunting becomes negative or not fun the reason for the past time has been lost. At the deer camp I hunt, there is 5 of us everybody is over 50 expect me (31 I am the group muscle and due a lot of the labor). The property owner's brother comes periodically and he is very unhealthy (in his early 70's, almost died a few times from heart failure). He is very unhappy and I have been told over the years he is the type that is not happy unless he has success. He has been ran off several times for being so dang mean. Last week at late gun he was upset about his limited mobility and was jealous of others success, he just wanted to keep criticizing everybody. I finally spoke up and told him "this is a place fun and happiness, if I wanted to listen to bitching I would stay at work, if you hate it here go home" , the property owner later came up to me and thanked me for speaking up. I don't know if this exactly on topic, but hatefulness toward someone else over a hobby that is supposed to be fun and rewarding. This is why I can't stand major lease payments and the idea of this sport becoming about money (money ruins everything).

 

[PA Bandit]

i personally believe a lot of this stems from technology making it easier for anyone to become more proficient at killing critters thus putting more hunters into the field that's causing a lot of the arguing and pissing matches. Along with all these TV shows glamorizing it and so called "self proclaimed pro hunters" pimping every known gadget from A to Z to help pay the bills so they can travel the world killing whatever.

It's no secret that if hunting was harder less people would do it. Let's say for example that archery season was only legal with traditional gear and compounds and crossbows were not, less hunters would be out there hunting. The same with muzzleloader season with nothing being allowed but a flintlock musket and such. You'd have less participation and the woods woods would be less crowded and game more plentiful but most importantly those who are still taking up the challenge of hunting are much happier. They have more land to hunt for themselves and less competition.

Now everyone from 4 years of age to 80 can have a legitimate chance to kill a deer if they have a place to hunt. Now that the competition is at an all time high next comes the question, "How can I make the land I hunt more attractive to the deer and draw them over here and hold them here so I can hunt and kill the big buck?" So here comes the food plots and henge cutting along with the planting of trees like chestnuts,white oaks and fruit bearing trees. This is great for hunters that have 50 acres or more but what about those that have just an acre or two?

Well they've watched TV and seen these pros set up over a pile of bait of some kind so they just do what they can to give themselves a chance to kill something so they start baiting. This in turn causes friction with the neighboring LO/hunter because he just heard that the big buck he's been chasing and feeding the past 3-4 years was killed by a 10 year old girl using a xbow propped up on a lead sled with her dad,uncle or granddad sitting next to her running video from their ground blind with 2 ozonics running inside.Now hunters are trying to either lease property out from under their competition or out bait them somehow to draw the deer back or keep them from roaming over next door.

This is what hunting has come to today! One big competition and pissing match! There are different degrees of difficulty any challenge a person or in this case a hunter wants to take on. They can try to kill a deer with a traditional bow at 15 yards, a shotgun or muzzy at 200 yards or less or a high powered rifle at 500 yards. As long as they're hunting lawfully and ethically that's all that matters to me. They have the responsibility to make as good of a shot as possible to kill the deer has quickly and humanely as possible.

So in response to your thread Albert I'd have to say that the advancement in technology along with the glamorization of the big buck hunting on TV by the hunting industry helped create an over crowded countryside with everyone trying to kill a big deer is why we have the bickering we have today, IMO.

It truly amazes me how the horns of one animal can change an entire hobby. Generationally speaking most "aged" hunters from back in the day can give a pretty good perspective. Television, social media, but in my opinion things like Pope and Young and Boone and Crockett have completely changed the paradigm of what hunting is today. I have always took a step back and wondered how hunting would be if deer didn't have horns but then again people would start using some other characteristic (weight, teeth, etc...) as a means to brag/boast.

Its almost a change in culture where hunters used to be supportive of one another's success now its almost turned into jealousy and all about the "Big Buck". I think what bothers me is the overall general attitude when you talk to other hunters. When I used to run into people 15-20 years ago people were very friendly, positive, and usually even helpful in the field (asking if I had any luck, suggesting good areas, telling stories) now when I run into people in the woods (which is very rarely at that I don't see near the numbers I used to) they are usually very aggressive, most of the time try running you off, and overall in my opinion just unpleasant to be around and to be honest I am absolutely sick about hearing about the "Big Buck" who cares I wish these people would start hunting other things you know how long its been since I have seen a rabbit or squirrel hunter because I don't even remember.

 

[at1010]

Wow I am on a plane to Vegas for business and I just got caught up on this tread. Fantastic responses. I will try to share more once I digest a lot of this and have time to type not on my phone.

 

[finelyshedded]

Just for the record, I was just expressing my views on how I think some of the hunting community has gotten to the sad place we are in right now. Which is basically competition for big bucks which leads to leasing and less land available to access. I'm saying the advancement in the technology in compounds and crossbows has made it easier for nearly everyone to to kill deer if they practice some. We all know how competitive some people can be and how losing or playing against stiff competition really makes some look like children and show another side of themselves that isn't very flattering. Imo, this is kinda what is happening among the hunting community.

I'm all for better more advanced weaponry if it helps us be more accurate and reduces the number of wounded animals and helps those who are physically challenged whether it be because of age or disability to enjoy the hunt like the rest of us.

My stance is, as long as my competition is hunting legally and ethically no matter what tactic or weapon then I have absolutely no problems with it! I think it's great that technology has helped today's youth get involved with the outdoors with their family and friends. My daughter finally was able to harvest her first deer this year being this was her 3rd year of trying to do it with me beside her every single hunt because of it!

We has a hunting community need to stand together and unite instead of criticizing each other on petty shit. The anti's are loving it when hunters bicker amongst each other and become divided. We better turn our focus on that or it might not matter how we hunt or what we hunt with......just saying.