Delaney
I think you are taking this to a bit of an extreme Paul in saying that there was an insinuation that those who wish for fair chase trophy bucks are the cause for high fence farming. My point is or was that regardless of fenced farming or fair chase trophy pursuit, both have contributed to a significant affect on the sport of deer hunting. Some possibly good and certainly some possibly bad. Whether I like it or agree with it or not, neither the trophy guy or the maximum opportunity guy is any better or worse then the other, until they unreasonably try to impose their will on the other (of course this is where subjectivity comes into play) or either does do in the manner to harm the resource. I think the foundation of wildlife management was based neither on the production of trophy deer or enabling maximum opportunity. Instead it was about the resource and the personal accomplishment of deer hunting is simply an outcome of the resource management. Too often I think today's hunters put their personal intended accomplishment and satisfaction on front of the resource. Hunting in the most sterile situation, man against deer, was undoubtedly more challenging before trail cameras, species specific food plots, mineral sups, deer farms and such.
Excellent post......now here's my take......
There's nothing wrong with trophy hunting and if that's the standard people want to set for themselves and manage their land to increase their opportunities towards that...great!
What's wrong in regards to trophy hunting is the way it's taken over deer hunting. Just about every company in the industry, most magazines, and nearly every tv show push the trophy hunting mentality. Even QDMA's message is lost to many because they feel it's a trophy hunting organization. Here in Indiana, many deer hunters felt that the few were trying to push a trophy bow hunting agenda @ the expense of those who choose to gun hunt. It didn't pass a couple of years ago, but with crossbows legal now, and bowhunting harvest numbers rising in Indiana, I agree with many that gun seasons will eventually be moved and shortened in this state.
Regardless, this push for trophy hunting has led to people willing to spend huge sums of money to kill a trophy buck. And I agree it's their money and if they want to spend it in a legal manner so be it.
The problems start when it prices the average deer hunter out. Many will say..."tough, can't afford it, go bowling". And that's all fine and good until the sport of hunting loses enough participants that their power in the state house and Washington is diminished to the point that no one listens. Throw in the touchy subjects of preserves and game farms and many non-hunters who supported hunting in the past are liable to look @ hunting in a whole new light and are much less likely to support "trophy hunting". And with fewer hunters in the game and non-hunter support going down, plus the loss of license revenue and taxes from sporting good sales dwindling, I doubt hunting will have much of a future in this country.
As far as high fence preserves and deer farms go, they are gaining a larger foot hold in deer hunting every year. And while many trophy hunters say they wouldn't step into these places for free, it sure isn't the "brown and down crowd" or "joe average deer hunter" keeping these places going.
