I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me why it's such a no no to shoot a buck now without his rack as opposed to a month ago when he was still holding? I'm not trying to be difficult, I truely am curious as to the reason.
I'll give a few reasons since I'm doing a poor job at keeping my threads short....
1) the DNR's ANNOUNCED MOTIVE for the season is to shoot DOES. The DNR has put out NUMEROUS messages for "general public" on best practices to identify DOES and NOT shoot shed or button bucks. It's their position they have created this season for DEER # reduction- DOES & the DNR and everyone else knows the way to achieve population reduction is killing DOES - it takes out 3 in one shot PLUS 2 fawns the next year, etc. It's doe management season- you have to have seen all the DNR tips and articles on its purpose and the tip write up on identifying does.
2) In the areas where Does need to be shot- those areas have poor ratios of bucks to does and more bucks need to live and more female deer need to be taken. My buddy goes out and shoots the "biggest doe" he could find- SHED BUCK. When you hunt a farm like one I hunt near Des Moines, it's no big thing to see 5-10 antlerless deer for every buck. Unfortunately, a good # of those bucks that have shed often get shot at.
3) "2 months ago folks would be congratulating hunter that shot the buck, now it's a NO NO". Ok, 2 months ago they would have had to use their only buck tag (normally just one) and that's it for bucks. Keeps a limited harvest on bucks for management/biological reasons. The season was intended for YOU to shoot 1 buck and buy as many DOE tags (antlerless) as needed. It's all about management, biology, keeping ratios in check and limiting buck harvest to a defined managed level.
4) To piggy-back on #3, if I shot a buck with a 170" rack that was 6.5 - it would be celebrated. If I shot that buck with no horns, I'd have 200 lbs of tough meat and I'd be kicking myself. There's no biological reason for me to shoot that 6.5 and it DAMAGES the herd, ratio, age structure, etc - yes I just said that, it does. If my brother shot a shed buck off my farm, I'd be kicking him in the crotch, I do NOT have that luxary with other hunters, all I can do is educate and respectfully talk about Biology and Deer Management. If you'd celebrate a "180 Class" Buck, would you celebrate shooting that buck 2 months later with no horns???? Make a biological argument that your 180 class buck (shed buck) shot during late antlerless season was a a good deer to shoot.....
5) OPINION here.... Personally it bothers me that a buck eludes youth hunters, then all of bow season, then all of 1st and 2nd shotgun, finally as late muzzleloader season closes- he's been crafty, smart and the wonder of the woods- able to elude all - OR maybe he's a great young buck that was repeatedly passed up- MAYBE he's not old enough to be clever yet BUT was passed repeatedly. Either way- by mid-January to late January, the pressure for him has subsided. He's clever BUT he feels little pressure AND because it's getting later in year, COLDER, less food & no cover- he drops his guard and makes himself more vulnerable (not saying he isn't during ML, later it gets it's worse though)- some group of DOE hunters drops him in his tracks and the hunters of that neighborhood will never get a chance to hunt this majestic & smart buck again. What, for a tough 200 lbs buck that won't taste as good as a doe. I feel it's an un-needed and poor way for a buck to go down and be appreciated by us hunters. I also feel like it does a major dis-service to the other hunters in your neighborhood who would have loved to have a crack at him next year.
