Five Seasons

yeah my wife and i have debated this many times. I just moved in and that's no excuse. But I also like my guns. But I find it better to get a gun club membership and shoot. I think you're right that I shouldn't just sit back. I guess there's just so much antigun stuff that I hate to be that guy.

yeah that would make sense. I have a neighbor that just shoots his pistol in the woods. surrounded by houses on all sides. I don't think he's 500' but I leave well enough alone. It amazes me he thinks it's ok though.

I try to pass on yearlings myself. I'm no saint and have not always followed this. I have purchased land. On that land I am improving the existing apples, planting more fruit trees and improving their habitat. I have friends my age that I have been teaching ethical hunting and QDM principals too. I have offered money to young people looking to buy a bow. I have reported poachers. I buy a supersportsman every year. I have never once killed a deer I didn't eat, out of season or not legally tagged. I will get my son into hunting and maybe even some of his friends. I have joined organizations that have a vested interest in preserving the hunting tradition. Is there more that I should be doing? When it comes down to it, my fan club dislikes me for speaking my mind on subjects they disagree with. I'm opinionated: I don't believe in crossbows during archery for the able bodied hunter. I believe they should be allowed during the other 2 seasons and for elderly and disabled I don't believe in the taking of yearlings with the exception of youth, but I have yet to wrap my mind around a way to make this work for all and I'm still not sure it's beneficial I'm not a fan of killing a deer in late February I absolutely don't support the intentional shooting of BBs That should cover it. Have at it. my question was; does your organization not put a lot of merit in this report? Do you not use it in debates, presentations, teachings and lobbying?

lol it's a .22 most of us had one by age 12 and the majority of those are the semi-automatic kind... but it's scary looking so therefore we should all freak out

unfortunately the press he's getting is exactly what he wanted. new movie coming out. timing is not a coincidence. Again, this is just a Piers Morgan cloan.

1. you selectively quote me. I reposted the actual statement without the part you deleted from my statement. I bolded it and made it red so you can see it easily. But whatever, moving on. 2. I agree that you do not have to follow the organization point for point. But again, I believe they put a lot of merit in their report. I asked if you or culver disagreed and you did not say you did. So again, I find it odd an officer would publicly call out the integrity of the report. I'm not saying you're statement of it being inflated is wrong. I just find it odd you admit it publicly. But hey, it doesn't bother you when someone calls out your organization right? How does it feel with the shoe on the other foot. 3. To yourself and culver. I never said they believe in ARs, I admited that. I just don't believe there is a successful way to implement yearling protection without them. I've heard the argument before on education. But then the same people think the rules are confusing enough. We have trouble enforcing the rules we have, we're worried about turning hunters away from hunting by not allowing xbows... but we're then going to try and convince them not to shoot a buck? How is that going to help youth get into the sport? The QDMA or any hunting organization is too small to educate the masses. without regs, there will be no protection. http://www.qdma.com/articles/qdmas-position-on-mandatory-antler-restrictions In general, QDMA prefers the voluntary passing of yearling bucks to mandatory antler regulations. However, we recognize that antler restrictions may be justified in some situations to achieve specific deer management objectives. Regarding our position on specific antler restriction proposals, QDMA examines each on a case-by-case basis and applies a three-part test. I think this statement agrees with my position. While they're not advocating them to be mandatory, they realize in some cases it may be the only way to manage a heard successfully.

how do you accidentally shoot someone in the leg? must have been within 50 yards right? what else would you be aiming at? I'm thinking it was Daryl from walking dead. Pissed about his brother and taking it out on people.

holy crap for a first buck ever. You might be disappointed going forward haha. Congrats on a great looking mount.

If you believe the quote above is not "spouting stupid crap" yourself than I'm not sure we can debate. At least the majority of other crossbow guys will admit that it is indeed easier to hunt with a crossbow. How it "kills an animal" has never been a debate.

listen. I figured you'd respond to that post. But i believe your organization puts a lot of time, effort and money into that report and therefore touts it highly. Am I wrong? Do you not think it looks bad for an officer to publicly claim it as inaccurate? Whether it's true or not? I'm an advocate for the QDMA. I guess I just don't see why this guy seems to nit pick at any report or fact that doesn't report his side. Referring to his own observations on number of trucks at state land as why he thinks numbers are declining. These kind of observations and statements are the type of things that would get you laughed out of the room at a board meeting at my company. You need data and statistics to support your argument. How do you know more people aren't hunting private land vs state land? How do you know people haven't been tagging out early and spending less time in the woods? How do you know hunting is up in some areas and down in others due to the economy or housing in the area? How do you know people aren't buying hunting camps in other areas and just "hunting elsewhere"? I've seen more pumpkins the last 2 years in the nice n' easy in Tully valley than I have in the past but I can't use this observation in my argument about increasing numbers. Don't forget upstate has been shrinking in population since the 1950's. we had a very lengthy discussion on ARs a while back. Saying you do not support yearling buck harvest but dont support ARs is a bit of a stretch. I think you'll remember which side I'm on. I guess I don't see how you can ever enforce yearly protection without ARs. It's too difficult for the average hunter to age a deer without going by horns. There are also yearlings with big racks in some areas. but we digress. From mission statement This approach typically involves the protection of young bucks (yearlings and some 2.5 year-olds) combined with an adequate harvest of female deer to maintain a healthy population in balance with existing habitat conditions and landowner desires. This level of deer management involves the production of quality deer (bucks, does, and fawns), quality habitat, quality hunting experiences, and, most importantly, quality hunters.

i need a cup of coffee at work before I can function. Helps pass the time

I'm not sure I follow your point. It sounds like you're stating these organization are not interested in conservation?

I went back and looked. Here is your response to my statement below. I guess I'm a buffoon then. If you didn't mean it, you should be careful what you quote. Sounds like a great organization if their officers bash their own study's and reports not to mention don't advocate ARs which they put right in their mission statement. Glad I turned down an offer to join.

and in reference to crossbow hunting, the bow hunting tags have increased in NY.

please see your first quote. This was in response to me claiming the lack of crossbow hunting in the state has not negatively affected hunters. How else am I supposed to interpret your comment about declining numbers? Were you just throwing out a random incorrect factoid, not in response to my statement? You're confusing dude. I don't get it... and I cant believe I keep saying it, but I support elderly and disabled using a crossbow. You know that. Stop bringing it to the table. QDMA, NYB etc. They're all a bunch of lying agenda pushing anti-hunters to you. I've asked you before why you don't belong to organizations and I think it's obvious you have some sort of issue with them.

there are differences between everything and one of their main missions/goals. That's like joining the LGBTA and being against gay marriage. statistics prove you wrong. And bowhunter numbers have increased. I've posted the stats here before, maybe you forgot to click the link. And there is noway you could prove it's the lack of crossbow hunting if they were declining. There are so many other factors at play. The "hunting in 50 years" thread is a great source for info.

got my bb gun around 7 or 8 (crossman 760 pump) ruger 10/22 on my 12th birthday (legal small game age at the time) browning 12 gauge on my 16th (legal deer hunting age at the time)

I love this general assumption making. I'd like to know who these folks are that fork over their annual membership fees and attend banquets but disagree with their organization. The NYB are very public and upfront on their stance. Hopefully any new member visits their website before they join and it's all right on the front page. I would seriously question any member of any organization who disagrees with their organizations opinions. In fact their stance is one of the main reasons I joined.

you make many good points, but I'd argue that this debate doesn't seriously hurt the hunting community. You take a side and you continue to hunt. If someone can point out some individuals who have quit hunting because they cannot use a crossbow then maybe I'm wrong. But hunters will still hunt. Ours rules and regs have been modified several times and we as hunters simply adapt. Few quit. If you don't love it enough to adapt, then you weren't a serious hunter to begin with. and also, like it or not. We're all judges. I'm not speaking of scoring a rack, but anytime you post a picture or tell a story or go the taxidermist, you're judged. no, it's just that both sides have brought up the same points over and over again. It's not a matter of stamina or gathering additional facts, it's a matter of understanding you're not going to change anyone's opinion; so what's the point? And it's been pretty civil by both sides for most of this post. exactly. agree to disagree.

love mine as well. but you should post pics.

if that's what you believe Antler, that's fine. We will continue to disagree. We've all made our cases. I will yawn with fast eddie unless someone throws some more interesting gas on this fire.

grow, i'm assuming you're retired? Wish I could spend my tuesdays in the woods

i haven't played a sim city since 2000 back on my mac. Absolutely loved that game and was thinking of picking up the new one eventhough I know they're time hogs and I have little to spare. It was the reviews that turned me off. I'm all for social gaming on FPS and what not, but not a sim city game. I think they dropped the ball big time with the small cities and requiring you to rely on your neighbors. I get it. But it should have been an option, and not a requirement.

nothing funnier than calling someone AN idiot and writing below a 4th grade level.

It's the same old arguments, but the distance a crossbow will shoot and the fact i can set my crossbow on a bipod and not have to draw the string back also makes a bow hunter's job more difficult. Getting the deer in under 30. Knowing when to draw when he's in that close etc.