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Hunting is such an individual thing. This year’s bow buck would have been bigger next year (I think he was three and a half,) but for me he was just right. I shot my biggest buck a few years ago, and some of the guys here would have let him walk (which is fine,) but I was and still am absolutely thrilled with him, and nobody can (or should try) to take that feeling away. I let so many small and medium bucks walk over the years, and it does feel good knowing that they have a chance to grow, but it also keeps me out there hunting longer. I love hunting bucks so much I don’t want it to be over too soon. Yes I shoot does, and I am very happy when I get a doe and I try to take more does than bucks, but you all know what I mean. The lure of the whitetail buck is why we’re all here.


Baby-G is right about the cave paintings, the spears are always going towards the biggest animal. Mankind has always been fascinated by huge racks. I think that the ethical pursuit and taxidermy of a mature buck is actually honoring the animal, just like the cave art did. But why do some trophy hunters sound like they don’t want or use the meat? That’s just more fuel for the antis. It sounds like they just cut the head off and leave the rest in the field (I know they don’t, but it sounds like it to a non hunter when they say ‘If you want meat shoot a doe,’ or ‘if you want meat then go to the store.’) A buck won’t make as tender of steaks as a doe, but it makes a lot of burger and jerky.
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Peace.
 
Sorry if I offended anybody, never meant to.
First of all the crack about the brush in the hills was a joke, just noticing a habitat difference, a joke.....really.

I apologize for stating I didn't like the pic, I don't, it looks like a slaughter to me and now it's on the net. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers and if I offended anybody I apologize.
 
I wasn't talking about you Sask, I was just speaking in general.
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I find the picture to be in poor taste as well, I'm sure they took other pictures, it's just too bad that this is the one that got out.
 
Ya know something, I agree with Teeroy and BabyG as well. It's up to the individuals who possess that deer tag. They spent their hard earned money on these tags to hunt these beautiful animals - good for them. Some of you guys talk out of both sides of your mouth to the point I want to puke. I know some of you will come up for air after this post, but I'm just tired of the "perfect whitetail hunter" attitudes which you possess. And yes, you know who I'm talking about. Half of the time I'm afraid to post a picture of a buck on here because if it isn't 180" or bigger and not the PERFECT field picture it is a disgrace to QDM and the hunting community. There are more deer than you know what to do with in the state of Iowa. Good for these gentlemen and a very successful hunt. I think the picture shows what outstanding deer quality there is in the state. Sorry for the rant, just tired of the all the negative replies on such a cool picture and awesome bucks.

p.s. Thanks for pic Marco. Some of us do appreciate large deer (in our minds)and a cool pic.
 
excellent photos, beats the hell out posing and primping the deer and the hunter........ gimme that "back of the truck" pic over a posed pic anyday!!! congrats to the hunters!!
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Did you forget your medication today SplitG3?

It is not the worst back of truck pic I have seen. Would look better without the farmhouse in the background. There are some nice bucks in the group and some youngsters that had some potential. I think with a little work, they could have made it more tasteful.

I still prefer the individual shots of deer with the hunter as it seems to tell more of a story rather than a slaughter.
 
I see Allamakee County has an antlerless allotment of 2500 tags indicating that a lot of does need to be taken. I hope they shot four mature does for each buck harvested!
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Half of the time I'm afraid to post a picture of a buck on here because if it isn't 180" or bigger and not the PERFECT field picture it is a disgrace to QDM and the hunting community.

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firedog, i know a couple guys that posted almost the same thing last year
 
I have yet to see the perfect hunter. Probably never will... But I do see alot of people putting in the extra effort to ensure they had a quality hunt that gave the upmost respect to the animal they harvested. I have never seen anyone get shunned on this site for shooting a 120 inch deer they harvested. That's all the bigger deer some people have the chance to take. For the respect of the animal you harvest, if you aren't proud to post a picture of it on here, maybe you shouldn't have shot it. This is a personal issue and perhaps you should stop hunting and find something else to do.

You'r responsibilites as a "SPORTSMAN" are to ensure hunting has a positive influence in the public's eyes, and also to pass on a tradtion to a younger generation in the most ethical manner possible.
 
Back to regards with the picture...

This site has been under quite a stir this week with alot of good view points. It seems like the control of the deer population was always mentioned regardless of the topic. In a time when everyone is so concerned about the number of tags to be issued in the future, this picture and post is proof positive that we as residents don't take any sacrifices with the use of our anysex tags. Now possibly they have taken alot of does, either this year or even better yet, does only were taken last year, and they decided to reward themselves. Good for them. Everybody likes to receive a small reward for all their hard work. Yes, what they choose to do with their tags is their private business. But when you release this into public eyes you had better be prepared for some criticism from people that have committed themselves to better the sport, not only for themselves, but for thousands of people they don't even know but will effect in their efforts....
 
After reading a lot of these posts I looked back over a lot of the pictures that we have from my teenage years of hunting. Almost all of them are with the deer in the back of the truck or hanging in the shed. I think we all need to realize that most of us are a little obsessed with deer hunting. That's why we spend so much time on here talking and reading about them. Most of the guys that I know that hunt in the big shotgun groups love to shoot big bucks, but they could care less about showing off a pretty picture. Heck, most of those guys wouldn't have had their pictures taken at their own weddings if they weren't forced into it. My point is that just because we like nice pictures of our hunts for our memories doesn't mean that everybody thinks that way. My bet is that these guys had one camera among all of them and that nobody wanted to pose for any pics.

QDM? Most of the guys I know in these bigger groups either don't know what that is or don't have time to worry about it.

As for disrespect of the animals, alot of the guys I know are either farmers or grew up on a farm. They may not hold deer in as high regard as a lot of us do. I don't think that is wrong, but pictures like this may give a bad impression to people who are either a little more "into" hunting or are a little more liberal in their thinking ( Iowa City ). No offense to any of you Iowa City guys,you know what I am talking about.

Man, a few of those deer sure are nice though. I would have liked to hold a few of those racks in my hands and get the full perspective.
 
One thing that I have personally NEVER seen on here or anywhere else is a picture of a bunch of does that have been shot.Why not?Because hunters would rather take pics of their bucks,and their is nothing wrong with that.It doesn't mean no does were shot.The groups I have hunted with do the same thing and I can tell you in the end there are far more does shot to fill tags than bucks in any given year.We just don't bunch the does up and take pictures of them,that is all.
 
Re: Just for balance...

First, I congratulate the group for their harvest. 99% of the shotgun groups I see harvest any basket rack that moves. They are not all shooters to me, but 3 or 4 may be over the age of 3 with a couple of those probably at 4 years old. That's a great start.

Second, where were their antlerless tags at? In my opinion, they made a mistake not harvesting does to compliment their buck harvest and they did nothing to help curb our deer herd growth.

Honestly guys, I would wager everything I own that there was a hot doe on their ground when the majority of these bucks were harvested. We saw it happen this year on our ground during 1st shotgun season. The neighbors had a tough time while we watched 22 bucks in a very small area loiter around one hot doe. It was the opposite last year. They had the hot doe on their ground and unfortunately killed 14 bucks with only 4 over a year and a half. I have seen it many times before and I'm sure I will see it again.
 
Good post tracker. However, I would like to add that our PRIMARY responsibility as a hunter or sportsman is to assist in the management of the wildlife we hunt.
 
I have been reading all the posts on this subject over the past week. There are a couple of points people have made that I do not think anyone can really dispute. The first one being that the picture of the bucks stacked up did not give the animals the respect they deserve. When the people that I hunt with and around take an animal we are proud of we stop to take field pictures and try to capture the moment so we have it as a memory down the road. We do not look at the sport as being a contest as to how many animals we can kill. I remember that the first deer I shot with my bow was a small 7 pointer, I was extremely proud and excited. Now when I bow hunt my goal is something over 150", and if I do not kill a deer that is ok because it is the challenge of the hunt that motivates me, a long with the love of the outdoors in general. I guess the point I am trying to make is that all of us are on different levels in our deer hunting. That doesn't make one person's level better than another's as long as we continue to enjoy and respect the deer that we are hunting. But if we are killing small bucks just because they happen to cross our paths first then maybe a hobby change is in order, like prairie dog hunting. Most people I have heard from on this site sound like they live and breath deer hunting like I do myself, but there are a few who need to push themselves more in our sport.

Just another opinion....
 
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