Trophy hunters

[Guest GunTroll]

Is it me are is there a certain stigma that seems to follow trophy hunting? As long as wanton waste isn't happening, why care what another hunter does or doesn't do (your private property excluded of course)? I maybe just picking it up wrong but it appears the way trophy hunting is referenced, here as well as elsewhere it is viewed as a bad thing. Why?

"Can't eat horns" is my second pet peeve. My answer/reply...shoot a doe or three!

[whiskey]

Definitely a negative stigma attached to the term. I think it stems from the safari type trophy hunters more so than the average deer hunter after a wall hanger. I believe that since QDMA became popular, deer hunters have been split into two categories. Those that follow QDMA for herd and buck management and those that still follow the "it's brown, it's down" school.

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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

[DaveS]

Alot of "old timers" (years ago) hunted for food to feed their families. Some of us still do. They believed trophy hunting was just for the horns and many of deer were found dead (horns removed), while another poor family was going hungry, wanting the meat. I remember my uncle talking about this when I was younger. I also remember him saying "he'd skin a man alive" that would leave a dead deer in the woods taking food off his family's table. I think this is the kinda mindset most "real hunters" have against "trophy hunters".

Me? I love deer meat and tat'er tots!

You are both right in your opinions and thoughts.

[Guest GunTroll]

Mmm tat'er tots!

[ttocswob]

How do you look those poor taters right in the eyes before mercilessly skinning them alive, and tossing those nutritious peels into the garbage disposal to be ground into smithereens?...Oh, tater tots are made in a factory...nevermind.

[DaveS]

I peels go to the chickens, rabbits and goats. Waste not want not! We waste nothing is this family. Taters are only killed for food. We do not "remove the buds" and leave it lay to rot!

[Guest GunTroll]

I'm rather appalled at the idea of shooting and taking antlers/horns home only. Not sure I would associate myself with anyone I knew did that.

I seriously doubt anything gets wasted in Africa by the big time trophy hunters though. I hear the tribes get the meat while the gov gets the money/permit fee's and the guides get paid as well. Other than the gov probably wasting the hunter fees its a win win win in my book. Economic stimulus with a bonus in the hunger department all related to one action..hunting for a trophy.

Having said that I draw the line on what I could kill. I just don't think I have the heart to kill an elephant. Can't tell others not to though. To each his own. I hear thinning the elephant heard is good too.

[Guest adamoxtwo]

I am guilty of adhering to that stigma, but for what I consider a valid point. I'll let you decide.

I have seen many hunting shows (and sadly first hand occurrences) of a "Trophy" (which I define as a large mature deer with a rack any man would be in awe of) getting shot at in an unethical manner (just aiming carelessly and shooting at the deer). Yes I know that this is not every hunter out there and that there are ethical hunters in which I have no problem if they are hunting for a trophy and plan to take a mature buck and plan to harvest the meet as well as the antlers. Its the people who shoot a deer take the straps and the bone and leave the rest for the yotes.

I passed on a 6x6 last season because I didn't have an ethical shot. After the deer left the area I questioned my decision, but in the end I knew that it was the better to leave it be healthy then to shoot carelessly and risk injuring the deer and leaving it to rot in the woods. The thought of killing an animal and wasting it's ability to feed a family is the worst feeling I have ever felt. I have taken one bad shot on a doe and I will never ever take a bad shot like that again. I found her skull and bones 4 months later and I felt like crap.

[Guest GunTroll]

Ah 90% of those idiots on TV suck. Its like watching an infomercial most of the time. Not sure whats worse, them doing what they do or us watching them do what they do and therefore creating a market or need to have them promote more crap to us.

[ShaunM]

Im not a trophy hunter by all means but I do like to shoot nice bucks and I will shoot o.k deer also. I agree with everyone. I have seen to many deer on roads with only their antlers removed. We hunted a place next to some fellows from Nashville and they done this kinda crap. My cousin and step dad confronted them about it and they thought it was no big deal. My cousin told them they could give the deer away and they said they would. Unfortunately this never happened. This type of behavior makes me sick. Whether your a trophy hunter, meat hunter, or you shoot any buck that walks by I don't care its your God given right to do so but I will take offense if you waste what God has given us.

[Guest adamoxtwo]

Im not a trophy hunter by all means but I do like to shoot nice bucks and I will shoot o.k deer also. I agree with everyone. I have seen to many deer on roads with only their antlers removed. We hunted a place next to some fellows from Nashville and they done this kinda crap. My cousin and step dad confronted them about it and they thought it was no big deal. My cousin told them they could give the deer away and they said they would. Unfortunately this never happened. This type of behavior makes me sick. Whether your a trophy hunter, meat hunter, or you shoot any buck that walks by I don't care its your God given right to do so but I will take offense if you waste what God has given us.

AMEN!

[Guest adamoxtwo]

Ah 90% of those idiots on TV suck. Its like watching an infomercial most of the time. Not sure whats worse, them doing what they do or us watching them do what they do and therefore creating a market or need to have them promote more crap to us.

I think that we should approach VS or the outdoor channel and propose a Ethical Hunters Show geared at teaching the children how to hunt in an ethical manner. I'm sure we have enough youth to film and enough knowledge to share about hunting.

[ShaunM]

I think that we should approach VS or the outdoor channel and propose a Ethical Hunters Show geared at teaching the children how to hunt in an ethical manner. I'm sure we have enough youth to film and enough knowledge to share about hunting.

Not a bad idea.

[Guest adamoxtwo]

Not a bad idea.

Sounds like a planning conference to me:hat:

[Guest GunTroll]

The misconception and derogatory view in general of Trophy hunters needs to be cleared up. I am a trophy hunter. When it comes to male deer type game and beyond. Does this mean I never shoot females. Nope. I like meat too! But if I am going to kill a buck he better fit into two categories. Massive or management. Have I killed dinks, Damn skippy. Got to start somewhere. I'm upping the standard every year I'm blessed to partake. Are you wrong for killing a little buck, nope. Why am I wrong then for wanting and sometimes being lucky to kill big bucks or at least have this perception of being wrongly motivated?

If you stop by the road and cut of the antlers of a road kill deer, that would not be hunting so trophy hunting and hack sawing shouldn't be confused together. If you shoot deer for antlers only and waste the meat, you a POS and using hunter to describe yourself and your actions... I take offense to.

You guys who view trophy hunting as a bad thing need to help change the way people think. Start with yourselves first. If it made it on the wall and has antlers, it also made it to my gut.

Edited August 18, 2011 by GunTroll

[Guest adamoxtwo]

When I made my comment I stated that there are ethical hunters that acquire trophies, but to me they are not trophy hunters. Perhaps I am calling something wrong. To me people who hunt for trophies and do not eat their kill or see that their kill doesn't make to a table are the people I look down upon and call Trophy hunters. You I would call a good and ethical hunter who happens to get trophies in the process of hunting.

The misconception and derogatory view in general of Trophy hunters needs to be cleared up. I am a trophy hunter. When it comes to male deer type game and beyond. Does this mean I never shoot females. Nope. I like meat too! But if I am going to kill a buck he better fit into two categories. Massive or management. Have I killed dinks, Damn skippy. Got to start somewhere. I'm upping the standard every year I'm blessed to partake. Are you wrong for killing a little buck, nope. Why am I wrong then for wanting and sometimes being lucky to kill big bucks or at least has this perception of being wrongly motivated?

If you stop by the road and cut of the antlers of a road kill deer, that would not be hunting so trophy hunting and hack sawing shouldn't be confused together. If you shoot deer for antlers only and waste the meat, you a POS and using hunter to describe yourself and your actions... I take offense to.

You guys who view trophy hunting as a bad thing need to help change the way people think. Start with yourselves first. If it made it on the wall and has antlers, it also made it to my gut.

[DaveS]

Well said. Big differance in "trophy hunters" and "hunters who take trophys".

[Guest GunTroll]

I can buy that. Not the way I see it but I'll go along. I think if you kill it and only take the horns your not a hunter at all but rather POS, but thats just my view.

[DaveS]

You are right. Take it...or don't kill it!

[Guest adamoxtwo]

Tomato Tomato Patatoe Patatoe.....wait that doesn't work out unless you say it............

[Guest ADAM]

I consider myself a trophy hunter I greatly enjoy shooting big mature bucks but, I dont eat alot of the buck meat this is why I shoot a couple of does every year, does taste better. With that said I dont leave them in the woods to rot either, seeing others who do this makes me sick. I donate most if not all of the meat from a buck to the "Hunters For the Hungry" to me this is right, granted the antlers will be on my wall but the meat doesn't go to waste.

[Chris]

I do hunt for trophies, but I make a point of using as much of the animal as possible. That big buck may not taste as good as a doe but he'll make some fine chili meat.

As for Africa, everything... and I mean EVERYTHING... get's used off of those animals. Hunters keep the skull and hides (illegal to export the meat) and the rest goes to feed the camp or local tribals (they especially prize the internal organs), bones become bone meal for gardens and hooves are sold for making gelatin. I was very impressed with just how efficient they are at utilizing everything from snout to tail.

[roverboy]

The last 10 years or so I've been a trophy hunter. I will still shoot a doe or 2 but, if I kill a buck he's a good'un. I try to let everything that looks 2 1/2 years old and under walk. Sometimes I'll let 3 1/2 year olds walk. I know Tn. is not what some other states are but, we still can produce some good bucks. By the way I have no problem with hunters killing what they want. I eat what I kill too.

[hornett22]

Nothing wrong with getting a nice Buck but to kill a creature only for the part you can't eat takes one sick bastard.

[roverboy]

Sick Bastard huh...........