Do you ever try to gently educate forky hunter friends or just let it be?

[Bamaboy16]

I’ve got a friend who’s “in it for the meat only”, and that’s fine to me. If you depend on wild game for your family every year go for it.

I personally don’t, I ate my deer tag this year and I had seen probably 10 or so forkys. Could’ve backed my truck up and loaded one whole he was so stupid.

It’s just my personal thing that I want my hunt area to get to a mature age class, it trickles down through genetics and is better for everyone. This year wasn’t the first time I’ve eaten my tag over only seeing young Mule Deer. My standard is a mature buck.

I’ve contemplated talking to my buddy about the benefits of an older age class, but I’m not ever gonna dictate what he wants to take nor will I ever judge him. He’s taken forkys 3 years in a row, and when I mention holding out for a mature buck he says I’m just in it for the meat. Again, that’s fine. Just not me. I want the landscape to be blessed with old deer, if any of yall reading this shoot young bucks I assure you I’m not judging. You do you, it’s fine with me.

But for those of yall with standards like mine, again it’s not about the antlers just about age, have yall ever sat down with your forky friend and tried to talk about it or just let them be forever?

I live in Colorado btw, but it’s not a unit known to produce huge bucks. Maybe cause everyone blasts forkys every year.

 

[brymoore]

Don’t Karen your friend about the size of deer he kills. If it’s legal and makes him happy, why ruin his enjoyment of the hunt.

For reference, I don’t kill small mule deer but have helped packed out plenty of forkies. Love the big smiles and excitement from friends and their kills.

 

[Wild Bill]

If your friend is doing everything legally and ethically, and has a good time and is happy, I wouldn’t bother.
Some people are just wired differently than others. Not everyone pines for big bodied deer, or any specific antler size, or age class. Some folks simply enjoy the hunt for what it is and are thankful for what they get. To each their own.

 

[peterk1234]

This is getting so old. You say your fine with people who hunt for meat, but obviously you are not. Ya, we get it. You are morally superior and a way better hunter than us knuckle dragging meat hunters. Keep eating your tags. Us meat hunters thank you.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I live in Colorado btw, but it’s not a unit known to produce huge bucks. Maybe cause everyone blasts forkys every year

Probably because they blast young 4 points.

 

[cgasner1]

Let him keep shooting first buck he sees. Gives you an extra set of eye and back to help pack.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I'd suggest he start shooting does - typically cheaper and easier if you're in it for the meat

 

[TOGIE]

On public land the big bucks primarily come from management strategy.

A couple of you not shooting forkies won’t change anything.

 

[WanderWoman]

Benefits of an older age class are generally a socially-driven concept. When it comes to population dynamics bucks don’t have much impact until the buck:doe ratio drops below a certain threshold. A yearling has the same genetics at 1 year he does at 3 years or 5 years. I’m personally picky, particularly if I have meat in the freezer, but I think it’s wrong to criticize and judge others for their ethical/legal harvests. If they’re stoked, let them be stoked and be happy for them.

 

[Doublecluck]

#unfriendforkykillers

 

[hunter49]

His tag. Not sure why you would care how he wants to fill it.

 

[jimh406]

I'd rather they shoot the fork horns than the young 4x4s that have potential. But, I don't try to convince people what or what not to shoot.

 

[np307]

It's 100% about antlers and you've just convinced yourself it's about age. Let him shoot what he wants to.

 

[Doublecluck]

To me it totally depends on the hunter. If it’s a kid or a person who has never shot a deer I’m all about it. If it’s a person who legitimately needs the meat (probably vary few actually fall in this category) I’m all about it. If it’s a person with the mindset that I payed a lot of money to hunt here and couldn’t find a nice deer so I’m gonna shoot this poor dumb mule deer fork cause I gotta get something and it’s standing there…. Yuck! My family and friends that come to hunt Montana with me know how I feel about it.. yes I will change your contact information.. live with the ridicule.

 

[DFS]

Probably comes back to game agencies pouring the coals to mule deer bucks. Not necessarily a hunter problem but it has become one in Montana and Colorado the last time I was there with tags and season dates. I appreciate people that shoot dinks but when everyone does it we are missing out on mature mule deer bucks. Hell I watched people eat lutefisk yesterday and act like they liked it. Maybe that’s the same when people choke down November muley meat.

 

[DFS]

And yes people can be educated. Deer are incredibly stupid right now, toeing the line of fair chase with rifles.

 

[Wyhunter]

To me it totally depends on the hunter. If it’s a kid or a person who has never shot a deer I’m all about it. If it’s a person who legitimately needs the meat (probably vary few actually fall in this category) I’m all about it. If it’s a person with the mindset that I payed a lot of money to hunt here and couldn’t find a nice deer so I’m gonna shoot this poor dumb mule deer fork cause I gotta get something and it’s standing there…. Yuck! My family and friends that come to hunt Montana with me know how I feel about it.. yes I will change your contact information.. live with the ridicule.


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That's a Cali number isn't it? I'm sure a forky is a trophy to those poor bastards

 

[DFS]

That's a Cali number isn't it? I'm sure a forky is a trophy to those poor bastards

Wouldn’t count on it I ran into a Cali guy the last time hunted Colorado. I told him where I was from and he started laughing, said I quit hunting that 20 years ago.

 

[Mountain Man]

Benefits of an older age class are generally a socially-driven concept. When it comes to population dynamics bucks don’t have much impact until the buck:doe ratio drops below a certain threshold. A yearling has the same genetics at 1 year he does at 3 years or 5 years. I’m personally picky, particularly if I have meat in the freezer, but I think it’s wrong to criticize and judge others for their ethical/legal harvests. If they’re stoked, let them be stoked and be happy for them.

I couldn’t agree more with your comment @WanderWoman. This shaming of people who decide to legally/ethically punch their tags on smaller bucks is getting annoying. They want all the control of selective harvesting on private land without investing a penny in their own property. They just expect everyone to selectively harvest on public land to appease their egos.

 

[Doublecluck]

That's a Cali number isn't it? I'm sure a forky is a trophy to those poor bastards

Yea. Idk hard to say. it took me 12 years to shoot a mule deer over 150” as a Montana resident. When I lived in California you could draw a x zone tag about every 5-7 years. Maybe 8-10 years for a really good tag. If your looking for a 120-140” deer on public on a otc tag Montana might still be your huckleberry but I can think of a handful of LE California tags I would take in a second over Montana’s top couple prized LE tags. If you’re gonna pay to play undoubtably Montana is better.