Your thoughts on Lakosky, Glesinger?

[6x6]

Hillrunner, our area has had a 200” plus deer almost every year, in the vicinity of our farms, so you can imagine how cool it would be to intensely manage a couple thousand acres, other than ehd. I’ve killed 2 over 200” and another mid 90’s but screwed up on a few more in the last 10 years


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sligh1]

I get both sides of the big deer vs “regular guys” discussion. It’s interesting & NO WRONG ANSWER.... its preference.

BIG DEER:
Let’s say the guys that shoot giants or push things to the limits.... Theres groups of guys that would appreciate that. Maybe they look at it like “I wanna learn, strive, work hard, etc to try & accomplish the top of hunting”. Or “i wanna watch (what they see as...) “experts” hunting. What great looks like. “I wanna see giant wild deer on dream farms” in extreme examples. Whatever. These guys watching “regular dudes shoot smaller deer”....”I’m bored & doesn’t do anything for me to see guys shoot young bucks”. “I don’t learn anything. I hunt in Iowa where we can shoot big deer & I don’t want to watch “the regular guy” “. - WHATEVER- u get my point. The next group rolls their eyes at this “big deer group”......

The Meat Eater & Public examples:
On the “meat eater or dudes hunting public”.... guys would say “I can relate to what I see”. These guys deal with same stuff I do. These are deer I shoot. Or maybe it’s hybrid show where regular dudes just do hardcore stuff & connect on dandies but it’s situation the regular guy can relate too. Above “big deer group” might be bored to death watching the “relatable guys”.

I can see appeal for 2 different types of hunters & mind sets & why both groups will probably always be there. I think it’s an ever swinging pendulum. I think it got too far one direction - maybe the sponsors, gimmicks & elite trying to relate to regular guy got to be too much. Created demand for the regular dudes. As regular dudes roll on - the “big deer folks” will change, Adapt & work to build a quality show. The folks that don’t change will go away. Guys making quality content that are decent hard working hunters who make good content will always exist. The industry just changes and the pendulum swung one way for a time. It’ll come back. A lot of folks here might not notice cause they don’t watch it. I do tune in a little here or there. Not a lot but I do watch buddies & some hunts folks send me. I did ONE season of filming hunts. I said I’d do ONE & DONE. Stuck to it. Is there ever a time I’d do it again? Maybe, maybe not. If I ever did - what u see is what u get & id be the same way on vid as I am here ...... open minded, BE 100% myself, not a walking talking advertisement & never have or would say “so I was successful on XYZ deer- do what I did and everyone can shoot this deer” - whatever. I just wouldn’t even get into it.
i remember passing some deer on vid that year and guys from MI “I never see deer like that! Must be nice”..... I didn’t even respond. BUT - DUH- of course u don’t. MI sucks. . & I didn’t see deer “like that” when I hunted MI either. So go hunt KS or IL or whatever & go see deer like that.

On shows with the biggest bucks and insane situations - as long as folks understand it - who cares? It’s like watching NFL.... “well geez, my high school football team never made plays like that. My QB couldn’t pass like that! My team doesn’t have the muscles & physique these guys do” - WHATEVER. Ur life don’t need to be the same as the next. If it is: one group finds that “relatable” while another group finds it “boring”. Another group doesn’t know or care cause they are too busy hunting & not paying attention. Neither is right or wrong. sorry on long rant.

 

[Bucksnbears]

25 years ago in Nw Mn, it was common to take a 100 mile tour n see big bucks. Miles n miles of crp.
Crp went away and now, a 140 buck makes me stop n look.

The good ole days.

 

[6x6]

You nailed it there Skip


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ishi]

In the world of Social Media a guy has to be careful or it can eat you up! It’s human nature to be envious of others and it’s one of the Ten Commandments.
Live your own life and be happy for the next guy when they shoot a deer and life will be so much easier.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Obsessed]

Would I like to see and harvest 200" bucks? YES! (I came close with my 2019 archery harvest.)
Would I emulate the Lakosky's in order to do it? NO!
Am I envious? NO!
Do I consider what they do 'hunting' or 'fair chase'? NO!
Is that buck an impressive animal? YES!!!
Does the Lakosky's achievements make it harder for the average hunter (99.9% of us) to obtain and keep 'free' access to privately owned land? YES!
Does the Lakosky's achievements drive up the value of unfarmable Iowa timber land to an astronomical price? YES!
Do I respect or appreciate what the Lakosky's do to the sport that I love? NO!
Do I compare my HS football team to an NFL team? NO!
Is the football comparison an apples to apples comparison with being in direct competition with Lakosky's locking down thousands of acres to 'farm' deer and drive up prices for the rest of us? NO!

JNRBRONC captured my feelings about this in a single line: "I don’t follow these people due to I can’t relate, like some have mentioned. Not jealous, just not my personal goal of investing tons of time and money to grow deer. I want hunting to be fun and not all consuming."

 

[SB3]

I like this analogy, but it needs a bit added to it. The bodies of water you are fishing are PRIVATE!!! You have underwater cameras all over the place to monitor movement and paterns of each big fish you've identified. You name the big fish. You 'manage' the structure and feed the fish. You know the big fish routines due to your monitoring and feeding. When you go to fish, you basically know exactly where the big fish are at. Etc. Etc.

I have the unpopular opinon on this, as I don't see this as hunting. (Likewise, I woundn't consider it fishing either.) I see it as farming, as it's a stretch of the word 'managing'. But, to each their own. A 200" buck is an impressive animal.

You say "private" in this analogy referencing lakosky's land. To my knowledge he doesn't have any high fence farms does he? I thought he was all free range correct?

 

[MarkF]

A quick search of onX will show you that the majority of the farms these guys own are in the 300-700 acre range. Anyone who thinks that you can get a whitetail to live it’s entire life on that much land is delusional. All of those deer are still subject to being killed by neighbors, hit by cars, getting diseases or anything else that kills wild deer. The lake analogy is silly, fish can’t jump out of your lake and into the neighbors. If these guys have a way of keeping a deer on a farm it’s whole life without high fences I’d love to know what it is. The reason I think they kill these bucks is because they pass deer most people wouldn’t, have access to a lot of ground, a lot of time to hunt and are good hunters. More power to them I hope they kill a bigger one every season, guys complaining about them remind of Bernie sanders supporters.

 

[hesseu]

Glesinger has stated the biggest difference maker for him was doing the habitat work (outside of food plots) the past few years. Adam Keith was his cameraman 10 years ago, and he had him and Matt Dye (Land & Legacy) up in 2017 to work through a habitat management plan. We had L&L to our SWMO farm in 2018 to help us formulate a plan, and that was the best $ spent. We've seen the difference on our 150 acres. I can only imagine knowing the difference over 400-600 acres...or more.

IMO, one of the biggest common denominators for guys who are consistently killing these upper echelon deer, is the TSI work.

 

[breckhawk]

Yeah the key to killing these monsters is passing 160-180 inch deer. Most of us can't do that. I know I can't!

Well i guess that's not really true. I have had 6 chances at deer I believe to be over 160. I have literally blown every one of those chances. So I guess technically you could say I am passing them?

I also hunt in an area that is incredibly pressured...so the odds of me ever killing a 200" deer are very slim. I'm good with it. A 150" gets my blood pumping plenty.

I couldnt care less what these TV guys are shooting. Good for them.

 

[Obsessed]

Agreed, the key to harvesting 200" deer is passing on all bucks under 200" with potential of reaching 200".

When you tie up thousands of 'private' acres and 'manage' the land and deer on it to the nth degree, monitoring every movement with cameras, etc. Well, first off, you have issues... But secondly, you will pass up shots on 160"-199" bucks because you know exactly where at least one 200" buck is, that ONLY YOU have access to.

Again, it's an impressive animal, but the way that it was obtained doesn't do anything for me as a hunter. If that's what it takes to harvest a 200" buck today, may I never harvest one.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I think there is another aspect to this that is worth pointing out. Looking at things from a personally perspective, I get more enjoyment out of the habitat/management side than I do the hunting side. Yes one leads to the other, but its something I picked up on internally several years ago. I LOVE creating the habitat, manipulating the landscape, improving the cover, forage, water, etc. Taking something and making it SOOO much better for ALL critters brings great joy and satisfaction. Taking something that is so-so and turning into into a deer paradise is like a great work of art to me. Don't get me wrong, I love to hunt but the other side of it actually brings more joy. AND it is something that will last generations. When I'm dead and gone, the deer on my wall will be collecting dust or end up in a dumpster. The habitat will have forever been changed. There is so much more to it that just the deer.

 

[Bucksnbears]

I think there is another aspect to this that is worth pointing out. Looking at things from a personally perspective, I get more enjoyment out of the habitat/management side than I do the hunting side. Yes one leads to the other, but its something I picked up on internally several years ago. I LOVE creating the habitat, manipulating the landscape, improving the cover, forage, water, etc. Taking something and making it SOOO much better for ALL critters brings great joy and satisfaction. Taking something that is so-so and turning into into a deer paradise is like a great work of art to me. Don't get me wrong, I love to hunt but the other side of it actually brings more joy. AND it is something that will last generations. When I'm dead and gone, the deer on my wall will be collecting dust or end up in a dumpster. The habitat will have forever been changed. There is so much more to it that just the deer.

Bammm!.
I like that!

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

Steve rinella is probably the best spokesman we have for hunting and fishing right now. He's articulate, educated, and his meat first approach to his show is far more appealing to the average non hunter.

Not sure I'd go that far. Used to really like his older stuff. But it is now alot different. Between his link to BHA, the Churnin Group, and some of him and his staffs comments on the 2nd Amendment and certain weapons, I'm not sold I want him to be the sole voice for hunters. His content is better than most out there. Randy Newberg is one of the best spokesmen out there IMO.

 

[iowavf]

Sounds like a few are a little more jealous than they'd like to or will admit to on this site! Habitat and managing your habitat is the big factor because you need to have it or you won't see the deer. Not everyone is interested in killing big bucks and just hunt for meat, nothing wrong with either way you like to hunt. I chuckled at the comments about having cameras everywhere pretty much seals the deal on killing the big buck. If it was that easy then why don't all those hunters who have multiple cameras not kill a big buck every year? I'd love to be able to follow Lee around for a year to see what he does during the off season to improve habitat.

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

Can you provide more detail on above re Rinella?

Sure. The Chernin Group purchased controlling interest in Meateater. They are completely far left, anti 2nd Amendment and have made donations confirming. Steve said his content wouldn't change and he still has creative control over content, but when the profits are going to that does it matter.
BHA. On the local level seems like a good organization. On a national level they won't make comments on predators. Many of their chair people have made comments supporting Colorado wolf reintroduction. That is not what any sportsman or woman from that area want. Also I've listened to and read a few financial experts and accountants follow the money on BHA and it is not being used for public land and also not going to desirable groups. Don't take my word for it as I'm far from a finance guru, research it. Not sure that is an organization a hunting company should hitch to.
And lastly some of his employees have made bold statements stating that ARs are not needed and semi autos have no place in hunting. Hard to said that, and then in the same breath bolster that more public lands are needed and we need to take better care of the ones we have. Those guns and the ammo from them are what pays for those lands. Do you think the guy who busts out his 30-06 once a year for 5 shots to go hunting contributes more, or the guy who gets together with his buddies a few times a month and burn through 1000 rounds with their ARs.
Like I said his content used to be great, but there has been a subtle difference IMO since the purchase. Maybe its just mental for me and knowing where the money is going has me jaded.