If they stopped all Buck hunting.

[wolc123]

I have a slight preference for bucks because they are easier to butcher due to less fat to trim, and I like saving the buck horns to remind me of the successful hunts. I have no problem shooting does if the local deer population is above optimum, which it has been in most areas I have hunted in Western NY over the last 20 years.

Meat is the main reason I hunt, so I would continue to hunt as long as it was legal. Most of the venison our family has consumed over the last 15 years, since they loosened up a bit on the DMP permits, has been does. I filled both my buck tags last season, plus we received (2) "gift" bucks, so all the deer we will be eating until next season will bucks for the first time I can remember. We might be sick of "buck-meat" by next season so the doe-only pipe dream might be a good thing.

[First-light]

Love the taste of venison.

 

[Five Seasons]

I would still hunt. But the time and effort would drop off. I'd shoot the first 2 or 3 doe I saw and maybe sit once during gun. I love the outdoors and that's the main reason I hunt, but if that's the case I'd have more fun hunting squirrel or rabbit and moving around instead of just sitting there.

I'd make sure to fill my freezer but the time and money I devote is for the bucks. The money I have invested in gear is pretty deep and I really only need about 10% of it to hunt in general. I'd be sad thinking of the money if it was just to harvest a doe*

*plentiful in my neck of the woods.

Also, I think what keeps a lot of us in the woods is pursuing the buck. Let's say you can take 2 doe. Why pass any decent doe? Seems a lot would be done early because there is no passing. Maybe this applies more to bow hunters than those who just hunt gun. Bow plus gun is a long time...

Edited January 11, 2015 by Belo

[Jennifer]

It would make no change for me.

[NFA-ADK]

I would start a revolution!  Hell No We wont Go! 

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

The DEC would go bankrupt ...

[nyantler]

Can't say that I'd stop hunting all together in NY... probably spend more time hunting with friends to get some venison and to do my part for conservation... but the challenge and enjoyment would be gone for me. I'm not ashamed to say that I like hunting bigger bucks... maybe I'd start hunting for piebalds or 3 legged does just to make it more challenging. 

 

Actually it might be kind of cool to hunt all season with a stick bow, wood arrows with flint broadheads on the ground just to make things more interesting in NY... and travel out of state for my buck hunting

[Doc]

That's an easy question for me. When I first began bow hunting, that was pretty much the scenario. Not too many of us even talked about harvesting a buck because frankly, they just were way too few and far between. Monday morning conversations at work centered on who actually saw a deer. My gosh back then if anybody even got a shot, they dominated the conversation for the whole morning. And if somebody actually got a deer, there wasn't any of this nonsense about asking what it scored .... lol. Score? .... What's that? It sure was a fun kind of hunting and it really didn't take a lot to get everybody excited. So bucks were out of the picture in a practical sense, and bowhunting was never as exciting and rewarding. Not having trophy bucks behind every tree didn't dampen our spirits any and in fact I think we enjoyed our hunting much more back then.

[philoshop]

I've pretty much always hunted the does anyways, whether I'm actually looking to take a doe or not. This is especially true during the rut.

So the only difference for me would be to take the doe rather than wait for the buck that's following her.

[steve863]

If the DEC told me I was guaranteed a doe permit or two during gun season for the rest of my days I'd be a happy camper. That is not the case for me now, and I also have AR's in my area. I could give a crap about a deer wearing antlers just to boost my ego and to have something to brag about. I'd gladly trade for this doe only scenario over what I have now.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Get 4 doe permits and fill them. Then we would see a huge decline in deer population.

 

People would hear me across the state cussing , while dressing out those fatty doe, LOL.

 

edit: Nextbook

Edited January 11, 2015 by landtracdeerhunter

[growalot]

Out of all the threads over the years on this site...this is the biggest eye opener for me....

[Paula]

Out of all the threads over the years on this site...this is the biggest eye opener for me....

Explain

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Out of all the threads over the years on this site...this is the biggest eye opener for me....

Yes me also...But not sure if for the same reason. If DEC watches this page and see's that so many people do not need bucks in their hunting a law or two may be added.  

 

Then again...Maybe i work for the DEC..........

[thphm]

For me is is more of a challenge to harvest a mature doe then a buck. And that is what I hunted for this year but one never showed up until the deer hunting season was over, had a few 2 year old does and bucks and younger go past me every day. It seems as if the older does stayed in the heavy stuff during the daylight hours and came out at night while the bucks were running around sniffing for them night and day.

[growalot]

Paula, the # that said they'd not hunt as much...wouldn't find it a challenge..etc..etc...

There is no way for me to explain my thoughts on this,without it sounding insulting to someone. That said, I actually do not have that in my thoughts...so I'll just say ...it saddens me ...not that I'm sad for anyone..just sad my personal perceptions on hunters was so far off....

Edited January 11, 2015 by growalot

[skully]

I would start a revolution!  Hell No We wont Go! 

 

I would join

[Four Season Whitetail's]

For me is is more of a challenge to harvest a mature doe then a buck. And that is what I hunted for this year but one never showed up until the deer hunting season was over, had a few 2 year old does and bucks and younger go past me every day. It seems as if the older does stayed in the heavy stuff during the daylight hours and came out at night while the bucks were running around sniffing for them night and day.

So you went meatless/deerless because you only had 2 year old bucks and does come by?

[thphm]

So you went meatless/deerless because you only had 2 year old bucks and does come by?

 

Not so a friend of mine gave me some he shot this year and it was good farmland deer.

[Uncle Nicky]

I would still deer hunt, but I'd be less motivated.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Not so a friend of mine gave me some he shot this year and it was good farmland deer.

So any 2 year old deer is not"Big" "Mature" enough for you to harvest?  

[jjb4900]

So any 2 year old deer is not"Big" "Mature" enough for you to harvest?  

from what I've heard about a wild deer's life expectancy, 2.5 years old would pretty much mean half that deers life is already over....how much longer would someone want to wait?

[First-light]

Maybe with age comes change. I just no longer find it exciting unless i can find a nice big mature buck or two and take him on one on one until harvest or bust. That is hunting to me. Shooting a brown deer just does not cut it and shooting a deer that is not mature is out. I believe hunting areas also have a huge impact on peoples thoughts on hunting. When you have great hunting land with piles of deer on that land only the biggest smartest beast on that land works for me. If you can shoot a deer every time you walk in the woods it may change some thoughts.

With age comes just the opposite for me. I was pleased with the mature doe I shot at gun season. Years ago I would hold out on the does looking for a mature buck. It's always wonderful to see the elusive mature buck deer but not and end all with me.

[MountainHunter]

I would hunt but not nearly as much and I certainly wouldn't have the same interest and resolve. I would probably limit myself to bow hunting and crossbow hunting. I don't hunt to fill the freezer and given the area's I hunt and the amount of time I hunt I could do that if I wished to. I do eat what I kill, just to close that possible conversation.

Only hunting does would be more like killing than hunting for me if that makes sense, it just wouldn't be all that difficult to do. I live close to a number of area's that I hunt in and patterning doe groups would not be hard to do.

I do kill does almost every year but I haven't the last two years because I have felt that our deer numbers are down substantially and I wanted to assist in having stronger populations come back.

I would probably become more of a dedicated bear hunter, I like to hunt the mountains and to cover ground and I enjoy all of the experiences that come with that.

 

Edited January 11, 2015 by MountainHunter

[growalot]

Firstlight...I agree though when I was younger any deer was a thrill...I got better at it so it became any mature doe..you know the ones...miss nose in they air..watching every stand...blind...buck were still on the back burner...anyone... though not a spike or 4pt any more....then over the years preferably not a 6pt.(yep took one this yr. to donate). I pass deer each season for one reason or another...a few years back 43 deer between 6-11a.m. both buck and doe.

Now it's still that target doe with a hope for strange racked buck cruising by...or a obscenely wide rack...crazy tall brow tines or a split brow...drop would be nice....but it doesn't have to be the biggest in the woods...just unusual to me...have my goals changed yes. My experiences have changed over the years..I have posted pics here of the huge deer in our area...and I hunt them successfully...for I managed to catch them on my cannon and did everything right to get them on trail cams both day and night...So as a manager and a hunter...I consider myself successful..I don't nor will ever have a mount made...only person I need to prove anything to is me....though I do like to share...the story behind the share is more important to me as a hunter.