Backyard bucks....

[SAMCRO]

Your place, your rules. If you don't want dead does, there wouldn't be any. I've taken to passing a lot of deer in the last year or so. The HFA, I was thinking I would buck hunt. I passed up lots of bucks this year, and lots of does, too. I started taking pictures and videos of them with my phone.

See, proof I let some things breathe:

does.JPG (127.4 KiB) Viewed 19998 times

[Warmouth]

PS- The more I think about this, the more it becomes clear that my mind is not made up. I believe 100% that a guy should have full run of his own place, and hunt it the way he wants. The deal is, when I think of the epitome of deer hunting, sitting in a house on stilts on a green field isn't it.

What my ideal hunting situation is, is setting up on fresh sign on a self scouted grain farm in IA. The difference between the two is semantics, my own attitude I reckon.

It seems that the more we plant and farm specifically for deer, the less hunting skills are needed to be successful.

[Tigerhaze]

Hunting is a lot like real estate- location, location, location. The State of Missouri does not see improving habitat as wildlife farming as the deer are free to travel beyond the property boundaries, unless a person constructs a high fence. I don't think I can personally begrudge someone for trying to improve the habitat they have. Some people don't want to travel hundreds of miles for better habitat when they can have it down the road. As long as "fair chase" methods are used, it's hunting to me.

Having said that, I would much rather see more research on improving numbers of upland game than deer. It's ironic that my grandpa before he passed mentioned how when he was a kid in MO in the 20s and 30s that someone seeing a deer was something to be put in the local newspaper, and I almost feel the same way now about quail and rabbits.

Dave, I know where you are coming from on hunting skills. I tend to prefer "stalk and shoot" methods over stand hunting which is why I guess I like muley and pronghorn hunting out West. I also have changed my approach on whitetail hunting here in MO- I still enjoy some stand hunting during bow season and on opening weekend of firearm but have switched to using my .44 Mag revolver when I can and enjoy "stalk and shoot" hunting over stand hunting once opening weekend passes.

[Warmouth]

I've been considering a .357 or a .44 to hunt the muzzleloader/primative season myself. I've got the reloading set up for 38/357 already so I've been leaning that way.

[RB]

Speaking of back yard deer we have had them roaming behind the house in small groups for weeks. No rack on them but some are big bodied and could have shed. I need to get the camera back out again.

[PoisonSnake]

I pulled the last of my cameras this past weekend. I'll get them out sometime around June 1.