nyantler

Usually, but not always... spikes are just late born deer that have a lot of catching up to do as far as body growth.. hence most of what they eat goes to getting them to body size.. leaving little for rack growth in the first couple years... once their body catches up... their racks will begin to grow as well.. unless of course the food source is limited.

remember you can always still hunt with it.. just limit your shot distance if need be... if it's 10 yards and in right now then so be it.. at least you get to hunt with your recurve.

Except one was planted for hunting and the other was not...thats the difference. A 50 yr old apple orchard has apples that fall from the tree to the ground...a man piles apples up that he brought from home.. one is considered baiting the other is not...they both are apples on the ground, but they are not the same thing as it pertains to hunting. the difference is one is manufactured the other is natural.

Nobody would be held to anything...I'm not even talking about baiting ... all I'm saying is a crop planted with the intent to attract game is not the same as an old apple orchard that was planted to sell apples to make a living 50 years ago.. the orchard would have been planted in spite of hunting and the food plot was planted to attract game for hunting.. that's way different motivation for each. Just like oak trees that have been around for 100 years is natural.. hibrid deer clover is not... I know the food plotters like to think they are the same, but the intent with which each was planted is different. I'm not saying one is better or worse than the other just that they are not the same thing.

Planting something that wouldn't have been planted if you didn't hunt.. for the purpose of attracting game or holding game is far from natural and certainly not the same as a 50 year old apple orchard that was on the property when you bought it... I'm not saying that either is baiting.. just that they are absolutely not the same when talking about hunting over them. That would be like saying that hunting a high fence area where deer have been placed for hunting is the same as hunting deer in open range... just because they are both deer

How about that? They can't even leave the longbow alone.. someone always thinks something needs to be improved on... don't they understand why it's considered traditional equipment?? But I'm sure someone out there owns this bow..

I think some just don't like the word baiting... but are ok with attracting deer to my property, or holding deer on my property using my food plot. I think it's just a word thing. As for using food plots to get deer through the winter... not all deer are suppose to make it through the winter.. thats mother natures way.

Yep thats a nice one!!

lol

http://www.nyantler-outdoors.com/fried-venison-heart-recipe.html

who said I was a deer expert...? And I don't just agree with something because someone says I should. If you didn't want anyone commenting on your post you shouldn't have posted... If you are going to make statements that can be questioned people are going to question them...That buck just doesn't look 3.5 to me and you aren't going to change my mind. Honestly I don't even think its the same buck... thats my opinion. I'm not sure why that bothers you. Other than that.. the pics are nice and he's a cool looking 4 point that I personally wouldn't pull the trigger on.

Dave .. Great pic of the buck at the creek!

You fellas should post some of these pics on my site under cam pics.. there are a lot of guys that would love to see some of these pics...

great buck G... you have some good stuff in your neck of the woods

I have had good and bad.. the best i have had were smoked for hours.. but I'm kinda like you and not real fond of them either... I have to be really really hungry.

I haven't done it in a few years but desided to try it this year again... have been growing mine for a few weeks now

yes on a trail that they are use to having a lot of activity on deer may adjust.. similar to how urban deer adjust to the abundance of human scent in the area.. but in the deeper woods and on there own deer trails you can bet you wouldn't be getting many deer passing by a camera that has a bunch of new activity.. oops you beat me to the punch G

Exactly G... it's like going through your house banging pots and pans.. anyone that lives there is gonna notice.. it's no different in the whitetail world... and when talking about bigger bucks.. forget it.. they won't tolerate even a little commotion before packing their bags for a safer location.

Maybe not really big yet.. but a good up and coming crop of bucks there...

I'm sure some of you are aware of this and are cautious about it.. but do others realize how much scent you leave going to a from your trail cams.. in each location? Just walking on teh trail that you have your cam set up can change deer pattern if you aren't careful about your scent.. especially this time of year when the woods are most active with hunters.

Exactly, That was a point I made earlier... I'm sure hunters out west consider 300 yard shots part of their hunting... not too many pronghorns let you get too close to them on the open ground, a 100 yard shot would be a close shot on an antelope!

Is it shovel season already??

When I was younger I had the same experiences with limited land to hunt and did a lot of stand hunting myself... I got to hate it so much that I made it a point to do anything necessary to find more land... The Adirondacks and some larger tracts of state land was the answer... as I got older I was able to aquire through purchase, lease or permission 1000's of acres to hunt... I now has ample land to hunt.. which I share with many of my friends so that they have the opportunity if they so choose to hunt some other way than just a treestand...

Don't be too certain.

Well I'm not going to be shooting at 300 yards.. so I guess I'm still hunting.. or at least I better be if I'm going to get closer..lol Hunting is what YOU think it is... everyone defines experiences differently...what's hunting to me .. may not be to someone else... what's ethical to me may not be to someone else.. that's just how it is. I personally don't care what others think about my definition of hunting nor do I care about theirs.