What has hunting become?

[Beartooth83]

Elkdude23 - I think everyone here honestly appreciates your contribution to MDF and conservation with what you have done in the past and your purchase of the Gov's tag. The foundation is fortunate to have generous people like you who are able to put back so much support into the cause. No doubt about it.

With that being said, the group of guys on this site (at least the vast majority) have a common interest of do-it-yourself, public land hunting. That's the nature of the show that sponsors this forum and that is why we are here. Plain and simple hunting for the average guy or gal. The 5G reward is chaffing us because of that reason. The funds you paid for the Gov's tag go back into the conservation pot. We have a hard time seeing how the 5G reward is going to help conservation. If it were me that found a suitable deer for you, I'd use the money to buy diapers or pay down some debt. You MIGHT find a landowner that puts the money towards conservation efforts, but I doubt it. They will probably use it to buy a set of tractor tires or buy fuel. Your landowner logic seems like a long reach.

If you change your mind about what to do with the 5G's, there's always the ice bucket challenge.

 

[Eric Albus]

Looks to me like the whole topic has turned to a "look at me, I am superior to anyone who would lower themselves to pay for a hunt" discussion again. Even to the point of bringing T.R. Roosevelt into it.....if memory serves correct did not T.R. go on many a paid safari(I forgot, its o.k. to pay as long as it is not in Montana)....Ben loves to tout T.R., but did not Teddy lop the heads off many a bull elk and leave the carcass for the wolves(perhaps that is still conservation in some of your views)? Now before any of you go off....understand the irony w/ T.R.....I think he was the one of (if not the) greatest conservationists of all time...so let's leave that alone...back to the task on hand...

Who really cares if someone is willing to purchase the Gov's tag, then take a shotgun approach to finding a big mature buck.....perhaps the man actually has to work and has his priorities right?

When I was young and broke, I had time to hunt, and would hunt on average 3 months, Sept. thru Nov.....nearly every day...I would look down my nose at "hunters" who would hire an outfitter, and think, very naively, that I would never lower myself to that.....Then reluctantly I started guiding(and I did it for the money)....and slowly began to understand that the folks who paid to go on a hunt were not sissy's or wimp's and they were not incapable....they simply have more money than time. If this makes them evil in your view, then I pity you. Perhaps spending a weekend w/ their children is more important than inflating their ego by telling their buddies the went "scouting". I have been there done that....and would give anything to have some of those days back.

 

[roadhunter]

In fact, when he was presented the opportunity to shoot a large bear that had been found and tied to a tree just for him, he asked that it be turned loose since it was not an actual hunt.

.

Seriously? That sounds like a good story but how exactly would you tie a bear to a tree?

 

[The Hedgehog]

Eric, You're right. Paying by the head is the way of the future, money towards conservation, landowners, sportsman, and more family time. It's less about the ego for sure. Maybe you can collect the bounty and donate it to SFW, or maybe just plant a food plot for Bill Jerdon's next hunt.

I've no doubt this is a great guy, but why'd he change the article's original description of the bounty?

 

[roadhunter]

Well I see the Montana extremist elitist fringe hunting group is now bashing someone who does a lot to help support conservation and the MDF in Montana and a guy who also owns a successful business brings jobs to the state.

So add conservationist to the list of people they hate along with people who use crossbows, muzzleloaders, hunt deer and bear with bait and or hounds, people who go to Africa and hunt high fence, people who use 4 wheelers, people who shoot long range, people who use lighted knocks, outfitters, welfare ranchers, etc... Basically they pretty much hate everyone else who hunts. A real asset to the hunting community they are.

Darren,
I have no problem with what you are doing and although I dont' hunt in MT much I appreciate what you are doing to help conservation in the state. Dont' mind the haters, they hate just about everybody who hunts. It's much easier to sit on the internet and bash people than it is to go out and put your hard earned dollars toward something you believe in like you have done. .

 

[The Hedgehog]

This is for a good cause, so spread the word!

My favorite part. Piss your pants funny.

 

[Eric Albus]

One other thing that most of you have most likely failed to think about.....let's just say this guy here shoots a monster 200+ mature buck....do you not think that it won't drive the price of the Gov's tag up? More $$ for conservation in the future. Other state's Mule Deer Gov' tags sell for 10x's the price of Montana's.......anyone need an explanation?

 

[Eric Albus]

roadhunter, the bear would have to have been chained to a tree...he would have chewed the rope, unless his teeth were removed as well

 

[tjones]

Well I see the Montana extremist elitist fringe hunting group is now bashing someone who does a lot to help support conservation and the MDF in Montana and a guy who also owns a successful business brings jobs to the state.

So add conservationist to the list of people they hate along with people who use crossbows, muzzleloaders, hunt deer and bear with bait and or hounds, people who go to Africa and hunt high fence, people who use 4 wheelers, people who shoot long range, people who use lighted knocks, outfitters, welfare ranchers, etc... Basically they pretty much hate everyone else who hunts. A real asset to the hunting community they are.

Darren,
I have no problem with what you are doing and although I dont' hunt in MT much I appreciate what you are doing to help conservation in the state. Dont' mind the haters, they hate just about everybody who hunts. It's much easier to sit on the internet and bash people than it is to go out and put your hard earned dollars toward something you believe in like you have done. .

You seem to have a problem with most everything about this forum, why do you keep coming back?

 

[The Hedgehog]

One other thing that most of you have most likely failed to think about.....let's just say this guy here shoots a monster 200+ mature buck....do you not think that it won't drive the price of the Gov's tag up? More $$ for conservation in the future. Other state's Mule Deer Gov' tags sell for 10x's the price of Montana's.......anyone need an explanation?

You might then be able to model your business plan to more closely resemble that of Doyle Moss's, from which we would all benefit.

 

[Beartooth83]

I love lamp.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Anyone who does this for only $5000 is getting ripped, the going rate down here is 2x that.

You Montanans stick together and no one sell out for a measly $5000.

 

[RobG]

Well I see the Montana extremist elitist fringe hunting group is now bashing someone who does a lot to help support conservation and the MDF in Montana and a guy who also owns a successful business brings jobs to the state.

So add conservationist to the list of people they hate along with people who use crossbows, muzzleloaders, hunt deer and bear with bait and or hounds, people who go to Africa and hunt high fence, people who use 4 wheelers, people who shoot long range, people who use lighted knocks, outfitters, welfare ranchers, etc... Basically they pretty much hate everyone else who hunts. A real asset to the hunting community they are.

Darren,
I have no problem with what you are doing and although I dont' hunt in MT much I appreciate what you are doing to help conservation in the state. Dont' mind the haters, they hate just about everybody who hunts. It's much easier to sit on the internet and bash people than it is to go out and put your hard earned dollars toward something you believe in like you have done. .

I don't have a big problem with Darren, unless he is one of those yahoos that will shoot this buck at 1/2 mile. But it is pretty dumb for you to think his $5000 fee to a private landowner is conservation or good for public hunting as it just rewards privatizing wildlife. I hate that sort of stuff.

I would also take him up on his offer to transfer his tag to a kid. If not this year, next year he can fund the tag for someone under 15.

 

[Dinkshooter]

One other thing that most of you have most likely failed to think about.....let's just say this guy here shoots a monster 200+ mature buck....do you not think that it won't drive the price of the Gov's tag up? More $$ for conservation in the future. Other state's Mule Deer Gov' tags sell for 10x's the price of Montana's.......anyone need an explanation?

Or it could be like in Colorado where everyone got so sick and tired of the Gov deer tag crap the season ended up getting shortened by a month!!

 

[tjones]

Well I see the Montana extremist elitist fringe hunting group is now bashing someone who does a lot to help support conservation and the MDF in Montana and a guy who also owns a successful business brings jobs to the state.


.

There is a lot of folks in Montana and on this forum that have doing great work for mule deer for a long, long time and don't require headlines.

 

[Eric Albus]

greenhorn, I do not know if me twisting my operation into a Mossback style would benefit you, but it would certainly benefit my local watering hole and ag-dealerships.
...unfortunately I am headed out the door for a week, have cattle to work, treestands to hang, a football game in Colstrip to attend(go Scotties, Hinsdale boys co-op w/ Glasgow for football, mine is a senior), and a harvest to take care of....may not be able to respond to any accusations until December.(rained here again last night, which is gives me a chance to catch up on paper work and waste time on this forum, 6-9 inches of rain the last week, everything flooded, bad deal, flooded out thousands of acres of hay/crop land in the Milk River and Beaver Creek drainages and last night Hinsdale High was flooded by thunderstorm/hail)

 

[Eric Albus]

dink, it could happen.....

 

[jryoung]

What was the project that the $50,000 went to that was funded by CTD?

 

[JLS]

Well I see the Montana extremist elitist fringe hunting group is now bashing someone who does a lot to help support conservation and the MDF in Montana and a guy who also owns a successful business brings jobs to the state.

So add conservationist to the list of people they hate along with people who use crossbows, muzzleloaders, hunt deer and bear with bait and or hounds, people who go to Africa and hunt high fence, people who use 4 wheelers, people who shoot long range, people who use lighted knocks, outfitters, welfare ranchers, etc... Basically they pretty much hate everyone else who hunts. A real asset to the hunting community they are.

No, I don't hate him. Honestly, I'd buy the Governor's tag if I had the money to do so because I know the money is going to a good cause. That shows conservation ethic.

However, I find the "bounty" entirely distasteful. I can confidently say, that even if I had the money to buy the tag (which I never will), I would still go about business just as I do now. I hunt for the experience and the meat, and killing the biggest and baddest buck around makes me no more of a conservationist than killing an average 3 point. Yes, I'm incredibly stubborn and independent and not everyone has to be like that. I work endlessly to promote the image of hunters to the non-hunting crowd. Trying to explain how a "bounty" is a good thing to them just doesn't pass the red-faced test, in my humble opinion.

 

[tjones]