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Looks like we got one guy here that hunts 99 % for big antlers and 1 % for meat. On the opposite end is me and I hunt 99 % for meat and 1 % for big antlers. Most everyone else has some other primary driver(s) and/or is somewhere in the middle on those two. The math seems pretty easy.

The Reveal have been our most consistent cameras to date. I was a big fan of the Moultrie XA-7000i; I have three of these still running without a hitch until this year (there has been an SD card error message recently that caused me to remotely reformat the card and lose data, but it turned out that if I ignored the message, it would go away within a day lol). I've run at least one of every model Moultrie has come out with since then, and they are all duds. Some of them eat batteries, some of them have images that palette color incorrectly, some of them have less than 50' detection range, others are just a hot mess of random errors that pile up into a great big glob of frustration. Anyway, we started running a few Reveal three years ago, we are up to nine now, and we are now poised to switch over entirely. I did have an issue with one that took half-a-dozen emails and two trips to the "factory" to get reconciled, but at least they were responsive. In a delay, divert, distract sort of way, but still. I won't say they're bulletproof, but they seem to be better than the competition.

I was talking about the total experience of deer hunting, not just the harvest. There is more to hunting than just numbers and meat. I believe that the whole idea of a scoring system for antlers was devised to put hunters competing against hunters. It is really for the benefit of hunters impressing other hunters with their accomplishments and a numerical method of pitting one hunters harvest against others. One of my best hunts was down in PA., where I came home with a small doe. She didn't score very good, but we all had a great bow-hunt. Another great hunt was my first bow killed deer. Talk about a score .....Lol....He had two 5" spikes and his antlers have a prominent place on the wall and is the one mount that brings back the best memories of all the other mounts. What I am trying to say is that there is a whole lot more to hunting than simply numbers and scores. I have known the people that go at their hunting like their life depended on it. I guess if they want to go at it like that, that's their business and that's okay as long as they don't start with the preaching and trying to make it my business.

I quit keeping my hunting records many years ago . I am 82 and those stone tablets were heavy and took up too much room .

I have witnessed a lot of deer reactions that can only be explained as being "curiosity". A lot of that has to do with ATVs. Sometimes they will just stand there and stare at you.....as long as you don't get too close. Sometimes they just act like a farmer's goats. Maybe they just feel that anything making that much noise cannot be a threat.....lol.

It's pretty obvious that we all have different ideas as to what we need to get out of our hunting experiences. If a hunter needs to hunt for numbers, measurements and other such contrived ways of impressing others, it is entirely possible that they are the ones missing out on the real pleasures of hunting.

They do a fine job. I kinda miss swapping out the SD cards though. We still keep a few, for old times sake. The nicest part is when someone tries to steal the cam, you got their picture..

Okay, so now take the next step and put all that into an Excel spreadsheet. That is where all historical and scientific data belongs. Millions of ways to sort, find, and massage and analyze the data that you accumulate. That is the system that I use to record all the hunting data that I have accumulated over the past 40 years or so. It should work well with gun performance and reload-recipe data too. Just imagine: Bullet manufacturers, weights, styles Powder brands, weights, etc. Case manufacturers comments about case sizing and techniques Primer I.D. Any notes about pressure signs or potential malfunctions Overall bullet length Trajectory Chronograph notes Group size remarks You might even want to include cost data for bullets and components And of course that all important "Comments" column What have I forgotten? there must be something. Oh this might also be a good place to record your inventory of reloading equipment: Powder scales, tricklers, presses, etc., etc. Anytime that I have data to record, Excel is my tool for that. Keeping a good back-up procedure guarantees safe keeping of data. For best records safety, back-ups need to be stored someplace other than where the computer is located. What do you think? Good idea or pain in the neck?

It's ALL just hunting! From the hunter who just wants to put any deer in their freezer. To one that passes multiple bucks, looking for "the one" or anything in between. We are all individuals. With different asperations and goals. Different priorities, and amounts of time, that can be given to hunting. One should never feel superior, or lesser, because of what they choose to hunt!! And one should NEVER as a sportsman, put themselves above, anyone else because of how they choose to hunt!! It's as simple as that. It does not have to be a big argument. Or a condemnation of others, because they hunt a different way, or hold a different view. I stayed out of the thread that was closed. I don't want to start pointing fingers here either. But it was closed because of one person. The detriment of that thread was not the thread itself. But someone with a bigger opinion of themself than the opinion of those participating in that thread.

This is a sincere question, would you have still done the above if you still lived on LI and had a full time job. I do extremely well for a city slicker, but I could see things change if I lived at camp and didn't have a full time job. I think we all have reasons for what we do. The problem is there are some on here that speak to others in condescending ways because they don't aspire to harvest what they consider a trophy.

Yes, and whichever way one chooses to go about it it's still called "hunting". The meaning of the word doesn't change. Hunting has been around forever and I'm sure the hunters of 1000 years ago weren't challenging themselves and holding off for the biggest or best. They killed what they could to survive. We obviously don't need to hunt to survive these days but again the concept is the same as it always was.

I agree with airedale, these kinds of argumentative threads should be taken off into private messaging, just to maintain a little peace in the forum. Let's not get sucked into another one of those thread-fights. The two of you can battle it out privately.

Good to see the same ole same ole. LOL. Back to doing other stuff for me.

Sorry, I am not buying it and anyone with a half a brain knows what you are up to, these arguing bullshit threads need to be nipped in the bud. Al

Hopefully he does because it is nothing more than trolling for the start of a shitshow!!! Al