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Nice buck and looks like perfect shot placement. Kudos to the kid.Nice buck.
I know they do things different in the south and state by state, but personally, I don't like the idea of shooting deer over bait.
Nice buck.
I know they do things different in the south and state by state, but personally, I don't like the idea of shooting deer over bait.
Yeah.....don't know where that whole ethics thing about ducks on the water came from but if youve been out in the cold and wet for a few hours and some some ducks swim into your area of operations......boom boom boom......I see no issue with that at all.I hear ya. Sometimes I feel bad about shooting ducks on the water or pheasants on the ground. But then when I'm making an epic meal out of them my guilty conscience slowly dissolves. LOL
agree...not sure there's much skill in that. Good for people who are only really interested in filling a freezer though.Nice buck.
I know they do things different in the south and state by state, but personally, I don't like the idea of shooting deer over bait.
agree...not sure there's much skill in that. Good for people who are only really interested in filling a freezer though.
Nice buck.
I know they do things different in the south and state by state, but personally, I don't like the idea of shooting deer over bait.
I hear ya. Sometimes I feel bad about shooting ducks on the water or pheasants on the ground. But then when I'm making an epic meal out of them my guilty conscience slowly dissolves. LOL
I agree. And what’s up with the 60 day drying time. I assume that means he will not eat the kill?Nice buck.
I know they do things different in the south and state by state, but personally, I don't like the idea of shooting deer over bait.
If your hunting alone, there is no dog/people around, pheasant on the ground is fine if you want. To me its not exactly about ethics, its more about safety. Clean kill, no issues meat is meat.
If you shoot a pheasant on the ground being worked by a dog, your an idiot, as you risk shooting someones dog.
This happened to me once with a client that I took on a hunt to a private club. My dog was working a bird in thick brush, and the bird popped out and he shot it on the ground.
Since he was a client I had to try to be polite, however, we had gone over not to shoot birds on the ground before hand and I thought it was understood, evidently not.
This time I was not as polite, I said to him, the dog is here to work for you, it will find the bird no matter where it goes, and put it in the air which is a more sporting way of shooting game. That is the goal here. Plus with the dog near the pheasant if you shoot on the ground you risk shooting my dog, which by the way, is my kids pet who sleeps with my kid every night in the same bed. If you shoot that dog even by accident, I will lose my shxt to the extent that you just shot my kids best friend. It will not end well for you, or me. So please, do not do that again. He apologized....and we moved on and was more clearly understood.
However, after that I never took anyone as a client out again on a hunt, the people I hunt with wouldn't think of shooting a bird on the ground EVER, and I know that, so that's who I hunt with. Shxt, even the kids we teach in youth pheasant would NEVER think of shooting a bird on the ground with a dog present.
Just a question......should nobody shoot cotton tails when your hunting with your dog?If your hunting alone, there is no dog/people around, pheasant on the ground is fine if you want. To me its not exactly about ethics, its more about safety. Clean kill, no issues meat is meat.
If you shoot a pheasant on the ground being worked by a dog, your an idiot, as you risk shooting someones dog.
This happened to me once with a client that I took on a hunt to a private club. My dog was working a bird in thick brush, and the bird popped out and he shot it on the ground.
Since he was a client I had to try to be polite, however, we had gone over not to shoot birds on the ground before hand and I thought it was understood, evidently not.
This time I was not as polite, I said to him, the dog is here to work for you, it will find the bird no matter where it goes, and put it in the air which is a more sporting way of shooting game. That is the goal here. Plus with the dog near the pheasant if you shoot on the ground you risk shooting my dog, which by the way, is my kids pet who sleeps with my kid every night in the same bed. If you shoot that dog even by accident, I will lose my shxt to the extent that you just shot my kids best friend. It will not end well for you, or me. So please, do not do that again. He apologized....and we moved on and was more clearly understood.
However, after that I never took anyone as a client out again on a hunt, the people I hunt with wouldn't think of shooting a bird on the ground EVER, and I know that, so that's who I hunt with. Shxt, even the kids we teach in youth pheasant would NEVER think of shooting a bird on the ground with a dog present.
Guess you didn't read my whole post. My last couple of sentences covers that.whacko, I guess you have never hunted pheasants with an english setter because they will point a pheasant within a foot of the bird. Many dogs have been killed because of hunters shooting the bird on the ground and hit the dog with the same shot. It happens all the time.
Just a question......should nobody shoot cotton tails when your hunting with your dog?
I was talking about if I'm by myself and there are bird hunters arpund but not in my direct area. I may have not made that clear. I know hitting rabbits around pointers trained on birds is not good.No they shouldn't. In fact, they are told not to shoot at rabbits, or encourage the dog to chase rabbits. I don't want my dog chasing rabbits its a pointing bird dog. Most bird hunters will tell you the same thing, they try and keep their dogs off rabbits, and squirrels,etc.
Why, because the dog starts chasing rabbits, and then will range too far, and get sucked in to hunting stuff I don't want. Or worse, lose it's pointing instinct and start chasing and flushing birds wild.
If I wanted to hunt rabbits I'd get a beagle or a hound.
As I said, no dogs or people around, dogs far off in a safe distance, shoot what is legal....don't care.
Dog in bush next to pheasant that pops out. Not good.
I agree. And what’s up with the 60 day drying time. I assume that means he will not eat the kill?
I was talking about if I'm by myself and there are bird hunters arpund but not in my direct area. I may have not made that clear. I know hitting rabbits around pointers trained on birds is not good.
Reason I ask......had a guy approach me two wweks ago on a power line that is wma stocked pheasant land when I was hunting alone. He was out with his pointer for pheasant. I had fired at a rabbit (and missed) that I kicked out of a brush pile. He and his dog were about 200 yards up the line on a hilltop. He promptly hurried my way and told me that ground shooting birds was "illegal". I told him I fired at a rabbit not a pheasant.....and that if your 200 yards away I'm not endangering you or your dog.....and to leave me alone. He went his way and I went mine but the experience was unpleasant.
But...Hunting over bait is like steroids in baseball. Yea you still may have hit a lot of home runs, but there's a well-deserved asterisk there.
and hunting "high fence" is like T-ball.
You may have a nice set of antlers on the wall, but did you earn them? Were you respectful of the game and the chase? IMHO - no.
I was talking about if I'm by myself and there are bird hunters arpund but not in my direct area. I may have not made that clear. I know hitting rabbits around pointers trained on birds is not good.
Reason I ask......had a guy approach me two wweks ago on a power line that is wma stocked pheasant land when I was hunting alone. He was out with his pointer for pheasant. I had fired at a rabbit (and missed) that I kicked out of a brush pile. He and his dog were about 200 yards up the line on a hilltop. He promptly hurried my way and told me that ground shooting birds was "illegal". I told him I fired at a rabbit not a pheasant.....and that if your 200 yards away I'm not endangering you or your dog.....and to leave me alone. He went his way and I went mine but the experience was unpleasant.
Hunting over bait is like steroids in baseball. Yea you still may have hit a lot of home runs, but there's a well-deserved asterisk there.
and hunting "high fence" is like T-ball.
You may have a nice set of antlers on the wall, but did you earn them? Were you respectful of the game and the chase? IMHO - no.
Mostly agree.LOL....your opinion. and my biggest deer has not been taken over bait...it's a 150 class that was taken in Western MA big woods.
You may be the best deer hunter in the world, but 100% of the time, it is the land you have access to and the time you have to hunt. You will always be beat out by someone that has better access to quality areas that hold big bucks. Getting that access is "earning" your deer. I have friends that hunt MA for two weeks solid. Yet I can hunt CT for a few days and likely Ill have seen 10 times more deer, even without bait, and likely have had an encounter or killed a big buck. Am I cheating? Should I feel like there is an asterisk next to my big buck. Fxck no....I'm being smart and spending my time where the deer are rather than wasting my time in MA where they aren't, or where I have to spend gobs of time trying to locate one.
Will you learn more about deer hunting where they aren't, absolutely, will it be more fulfilling when you get one, maybe. Is it some super hero feat...NO.
But in general, my goal is to put a big buck on the ground in limited time i have with vacation. I'm hunting where the deer are and spending my time trying to get access to those places. If I can bait, great, but 99% of the decent bucks I've taken have been rutting and chasing and have little to do with bait. In fact, during the rut, i never sit bait because the bucks are on travelling routes, so that's where I hunt.
LOL....your opinion. and my biggest deer has not been taken over bait...it's a 150 class that was taken in Western MA big woods.
You may be the best deer hunter in the world, but 100% of the time, it is the land you have access to and the time you have to hunt. You will always be beat out by someone that has better access to quality areas that hold big bucks. Getting that access is "earning" your deer. I have friends that hunt MA for two weeks solid. Yet I can hunt CT for a few days and likely Ill have seen 10 times more deer, even without bait, and likely have had an encounter or killed a big buck. Am I cheating? Should I feel like there is an asterisk next to my big buck. Fxck no....I'm being smart and spending my time where the deer are rather than wasting my time in MA where they aren't, or where I have to spend gobs of time trying to locate one.
Will you learn more about deer hunting where they aren't, absolutely, will it be more fulfilling when you get one, maybe. Is it some super hero feat...NO.
But in general, my goal is to put a big buck on the ground in limited time i have with vacation. I'm hunting where the deer are and spending my time trying to get access to those places. If I can bait, great, but 99% of the decent bucks I've taken have been rutting and chasing and have little to do with bait. In fact, during the rut, i never sit bait because the bucks are on travelling routes, so that's where I hunt.
I was going to reply about the deer population in mass as well but you beat me to it. Zones 9-14 are loaded with deer. Yes....finding land is challenging east of 495 but the deer are definitely plentiful .I think you're taking it personally bro. Like you said, just an opinion. But the fact that you feel like you need to defend baiting kind of tells me that deep down you feel that asterisk too. But it's all good. Like you said - just my opinion. If it's legal where you're at - have at it.
That said if it is your impression that there aren't deer in MA, I have to strongly disagree. There's a reason the state extended the season an additional 2 weeks this year for most of the zones in the state. We have a lot of deer here. Too many in fact. Maybe not the coveted big boys that roam Iowa, but we have a lot of deer here. Now maybe you have to travel to a different zone, but a blanket comment about the entire state is just, well, factually wrong. That's what the state's wildlife biologist responsible for managing and monitoring the herd say on the matter anyway. Not trying to offend bro, just stating the facts.
IDK why you went on about access, land, etc. Every hunter faces those challenges. My comments strictly revolved around bait and high fence. Hey if you like that stuff - more power too you. It's not like it makes you a bad person. But people who "hunt" like that are a rung below those who do not in my eyes. Don't really care if that opinion is shared by others or not. In my eyes - that's how it is. I don't consider it "hunting" so much as maybe "harvesting" would be a more appropriate word. There's no semblance of fair chase involved in bait or high fence. Really no pursuit or chase at all.