Where Have All the Big Bucks Gone?
Mar 18, 2016 14:07:26 GMT -5
hartman756 and daappleknocker like this
Post by ridge on Mar 18, 2016 14:07:26 GMT -5
Where Have All The “BIG” Bucks Gone?
And Why?
Recently while grocery shopping at Meijer, I visited the magazine rack to view all the hunting related materials available. While I rarely buy anything, I like to peruse the pages of those I do not receive at my home. The February-March issue of Field & Stream caught my eye, especially an article entitled, “Our State of the Whitetail Union”. On pages 50 & 51 under the heading “Deer Downturn” and the “Trophy Buck Bust”, it states, “Amongst states with 25 or more Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young entries in 2014, all but one (Arkansas) are down since 2010. Five of these states including Michigan are down over 50% in the “trophy” buck category. We must ask ourselves why?
Now if you ask the “professional sportsmen” this question, they will answer with many excuses. Weather, predators and overharvest of yearling bucks would all be at the top of THEIR list. But, what is the REAL truth? In my humble opinion the responsibility for the decline in their prized “trophy” bucks is something they have created and pushed for years, MANDATORY ANTLER POINT RESTRICTIONS! How so you might ask?
It is very simple. In their desire to create a “trophy” buck behind every tree, they have removed yearling bucks from the harvest by forcing state agencies to mandate APR’s. In doing so they have put added pressure on two and a half year old bucks and older. By over harvesting this advanced age class, they have unwittingly caused the reduction in bucks reaching the four and a half and older class. They have nobody but themselves to blame. With yearling bucks off the table, you will always have a supply of two and one half year old bucks available but few will advance to the B&C and P&Y class animals.
With MAR’s being advanced in most states now the rallying cry is, “if you want venison in your freezer, SHOOT A DOE”. This too has backfired on the pro-MAR’s enthusiast. With the overharvest of antlerless deer, resource populations have dropped drastically in most of the former great deer hunting areas. They will NEVER admit that their flawed agenda of MAR’s are responsible for the decline, but WE know the truth, don’t we?
Concerned Wildlife Resource Advocate,
Curtis Stone
Cmstone51@comcast.net
3-17-16
And Why?
Recently while grocery shopping at Meijer, I visited the magazine rack to view all the hunting related materials available. While I rarely buy anything, I like to peruse the pages of those I do not receive at my home. The February-March issue of Field & Stream caught my eye, especially an article entitled, “Our State of the Whitetail Union”. On pages 50 & 51 under the heading “Deer Downturn” and the “Trophy Buck Bust”, it states, “Amongst states with 25 or more Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young entries in 2014, all but one (Arkansas) are down since 2010. Five of these states including Michigan are down over 50% in the “trophy” buck category. We must ask ourselves why?
Now if you ask the “professional sportsmen” this question, they will answer with many excuses. Weather, predators and overharvest of yearling bucks would all be at the top of THEIR list. But, what is the REAL truth? In my humble opinion the responsibility for the decline in their prized “trophy” bucks is something they have created and pushed for years, MANDATORY ANTLER POINT RESTRICTIONS! How so you might ask?
It is very simple. In their desire to create a “trophy” buck behind every tree, they have removed yearling bucks from the harvest by forcing state agencies to mandate APR’s. In doing so they have put added pressure on two and a half year old bucks and older. By over harvesting this advanced age class, they have unwittingly caused the reduction in bucks reaching the four and a half and older class. They have nobody but themselves to blame. With yearling bucks off the table, you will always have a supply of two and one half year old bucks available but few will advance to the B&C and P&Y class animals.
With MAR’s being advanced in most states now the rallying cry is, “if you want venison in your freezer, SHOOT A DOE”. This too has backfired on the pro-MAR’s enthusiast. With the overharvest of antlerless deer, resource populations have dropped drastically in most of the former great deer hunting areas. They will NEVER admit that their flawed agenda of MAR’s are responsible for the decline, but WE know the truth, don’t we?
Concerned Wildlife Resource Advocate,
Curtis Stone
Cmstone51@comcast.net
3-17-16