DEC, I couldn’t agree with you any more. It shouldn’t be any surprise, as this whole country is all about entitlements….. I do disagree with your statement that people DON’T have the time to dedicate to learning woodsmanship. People don’t WANT to take the time to learn. There is no DEDICATION to the sport, there is no RESPECT for the game they want to shoot, there is no COMMITMENT, people do not want to have to WORK for anything any more, there is no PRIDE any more………….****, I work 8 to 10 hours a day in a full time job, an hour from home, take care of a farm, and 60 head of cattle daily, take care of a family, and still managed to put in 108 hours of hunting this year. That’s not including pre-season prep. Come on…..no time??

If a guy is “more into other things”, like trapping, duck hunting, etc., including watching sports on TV, and only wants to hunt a couple of days, that’s just fine. But, I’m sorry, he just needs to keep his azz out of the deer woods, or be happy with not getting a deer. Even with the reduced deer #’s, if a guy can’t go out and get a piece of venison to feed his family in a short period of time with what we can use now, then HPR’s aren’t going to do him any good. But, maybe it is not just about that piece of meat……maybe its all about a big set of antlers that he wants to be able to shoot in a couple days time……..That “excuse” for HPR’s doesn’t hold any water with me.

If I hear one more time “The State wants to reduce deer numbers” as an “excuse” to use HPR’s, I’m gonna puke! Who gives a rats butt what the “State” wants?? What deer hunter in his right freeking mind wants to see less deer anyway? Once again, a lame “excuse” to try to justify introducing yet another way to kill a deer that makes it easier. That’s all that is……..period! I'm all about hunters doing their part, and managing the herd. That's our job. But I'm also not so gullible, to realize what it's all about. Its not about the deer #'s…...

Then there’s the “excuse” “we already have them that can be used in pistols.” “ We allow coyote hunting with them. “ “ Guys with more money than me are wildcatting rounds that are ballistically equivalent to HPR’s, and its not fair”….bla, bla , bla. I bet the % of people actually using pistols, and wildcat rounds is less than 1% of the total # of deer hunters out there on opening day. We don’t have 250,000 licensed hunters out there banging away at coyotes on the opening day of coyote season with HPR’s either. Again, doesn’t hold water.

HPR’s more accurate?? Easier to shoot?? Really? My little ole .357 max shoots sub-MOA groups at 100 yards, and is good to 200 yards. My ML shoots 1.5” groups, and good to 200 yards!!! If the “data” shows that most deer are killed within 100 yards, why is there a NEED for HPR’s! We already have the stuff available to do the job! It’s been proven, as the deer numbers are already being reduced. That’s not an “excuse” to introduce HPR’s! Wounding rates going down??? No long range shots being taken??? Give me a break! :rolleyes: I know **** well that the wounding rates will go up, because people that do not have a history with, or experience with HPR’s will think they can shoot if they can see it. That IS the point of having a “long range” firearm isn’t it?? But, that’s ok…..the State wants deer numbers reduced………They really don't care about the ones that are shot, and can't be recovered. Its a dead deer.

So, quit making up all the lame excuses and just come out and say it. We want high powered rifles because we don’t have to take the time to actually hunt. We want to make it easier. It’s just that simple. I can't believe deer hunters are willing to except the ramifications of introducing HPR's on deer hunting for everybody, just to make it easier for "me". Sad…...