Your buck is a TROPHY!!!! & maybe some could classify as cull but I do think those terms can go together. I’ve hunted a LONG time & I’d shoot that buck every time!. Or have a happy hunter tag him & be stoked. Congrats!!!!I personally agree 100% with everything you said. My problem is with the people that think a change in regulations is going to automatically increase their chances on “trophy” deer. Let’s just say mature deer to simplify things. Those of us who can even talk about the management of cull bucks have it great! I can see why many who have had it great for a long time are totally happy with thinking one buck a year is good enough for them. I get it. When you’ve been there and done that it’s not hard to get to that point. It’s awesome that you are so comfortable to get to the point where you allow others to come over and harvest cull bucks or whatever we want to call them. You have without a doubt reached the pinnacle of deer hunting and that is awesome. My issue is with all the people blaming the neighbors or blaming the regulations for why they can never harvest or consistently harvest mature deer. It was never supposed to be easy! That’s what makes it so awesome when you get one! I might have even been the same way at some time. I know for sure that I am %100 my biggest enemy for lack of success at times. It’s very easy to get on the internet and blame party hunting and multiple tags and multiple seasons and everything else under the sun for your lack of success. It’s a lot harder to look in the mirror and realize it’s you! Once you stop looking for excuses and start really figuring out what you are doing wrong things get easier. Are deer numbers down in the state? Of course they are in some areas. Do we need to do things to help increase the population? Of course. Do we have to cave to the complaints of everyone who is unhappy and think one or two regulation changes will make their hunting “better” or as I’d say easier? Of course not!
I agree with all above. That it may be more complex than…. “Change in regulations will automatically do _______”. Agree with that too. Some perspective or “food for thought”…. I think the regulations have been changing & it has hurt our resource. So, it’s not like regs have stayed THE SAME. We added new weapons, new seasons & we have far more tools to be drastically effective. Straight walls, late shed buck season, cell cams, higher anttlerless tags, etc, etc. Which- all good but it’s hurt the herd when it all gets added together. I personally don’t feel like dialing back a few things would hurt anything & I do believe it would help. Long discussion on “what is it?” Might be stopping the sharing of tags. Ending shed buck season. Lowering anterless permits.
HERE IS HOW I’D SUMMARIZE Iowas deer hunting & herd & can add many other states to this BIG TIME…..
we ask through POLLS nationally.. “is the country going in the right or wrong direction”. I think it’s hovered around the 60%+ mark “wrong direction”. It got high enough that was a big reason trump won & got house & senate. People want change & action!!! I would pose this… to Iowas deer hunters…. Is the hunting, management & resource going in the right or wrong direction?? I don’t need to be the one to answer that- the public does. My GUESS would be, majority would say WRONG. My gut tells me 2/3rd. Maybe I’m wrong. If I am right- why can’t we look for changes or even demand some? I personally think we are due. Less Doe tags in wide open counties & ehd areas (which is happening). Shed buck season gone. More ehd research & response & IMHO- all funding for CWD is cure/resistance research vs ONLY TESTING! Maybe we look at 3 bucks for LO’s going to 2? Maybe we don’t do tag sharing where countless guys we’ve all seen pile up 2-3 young bucks in one deer drive. I personally think 1 should be it per hunter in that gun season. Sure can’t hurt Likely will help. SORRY ON RANT . We on same page. I’d simply ask- is your region, state or neighborhood going in the right or wrong direction for hunting & the resource?