This may ruffle feathers.

[Drenalin]

Because hunters eat their own. For reasons I have no idea how to explain, hunters as a group have an unfathomable amount of animosity toward one another. And it comes out on just about any hunting related topic. Whenever hunting in this country becomes a thing of the past, it won't be because the antis were so strong. It will be because hunters, as a group, were too weak and too divided to stand.

[hunter_mike]

Human nature. Jealousy, envy, so on.

Human nature is what i was going to say as well. Some of us turn everything into a competition.

It'd be great if we all treated each other respectfully and with kindness.

[Crazinamatese]

The only hate Ive seen is on social media and Youtube. Most of those haters are window lickers that suck at life. Take it with a grain of salt.

[dan]

To each there own... who cares as long as you hunt. Hunters of all kinds should unite, but in the quest to make themselves seem greater or more deserving than others they put the others down. Much like at work where the jealous little brown nosing punks want to get a promotion so bad they constantly find things to complain about their co-workers who out perform them...

As long as I can remember there have been people casting stones at other hunters. like Myles Keller... I know the guy from back in my show days, and even in his late 70's he is till my friend on face book. Great guy, and you cant find a better person. Yet every time your in a crowd of bow hunters and you mention someone like that you will get the " I heard he was a poacher" or a friend of a friend said they saw him kill an illegal deer... ETC.. And it dont have to be him it could be me, or any other guy doing well you will hear the same made up crap...

So, a guy with a big ego who cant afford to buy or lease, or is not willing to spend the money puts down those who can or do to justify there lack of performance... Truth is, its not apples to apples and never will be. I could care less if others hunt with a crossbow, a rifle, a long bow, over bait, with an outfitter, or within the confines of a fence. I just worry about me, and being true to me.

Really, it all boils down to money and sacrifice no matter who you are or where you hunt. I obsessed over hunting in my younger days so much my kids didnt have a father during Halloween, or on fall birthdays, I skipped out on hollidays, and took jobs that caused my family to have it hard... It put a lot of giant bucks on my wall, does that make me a better hunter? Or a lousy husband and father? If I buy a $600 Treestand, and $400 worth of sticks, and a $1000 bow, does that make me a better person than some kid in jeans with a rummage bow sitting on a bucket?

There is nothing wrong or right about leasing, buying, or hunting public. Its all a matter of what you want out of life and what your willing to put into it... Guys "hunting" within the confines of a fence are not doing anything wrong either. We raise cattle in a fence to eat... As long as they are honest about it, who cares? If how another man hunts, buys, or kills his deer bothers a person to the degree I see in a lot of folks, they really need to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves why it bothers them ...

[Jrdeerhuntr]

We raise cattle in a fence to eat... As long as they are honest about it, who cares?

I think this might be the problem people have with it, as this is not always the case especially when they are trying to sell something.

[kher]

I think some people just want what is easier. It is easier to spend money on private with big deer v.s putting in time to doing a lot of scouting on public and have to deal with the unknown of other hunters hunting the same area. The end results is still harvesting something you are proud of. For me, Id rather spend and invest my money on equipment or other things v.s paying to hunt on private land. When I see people with pictures of their deer and knowing they hunt on private, I am happy for them how fortunate they are to have that opportunity.

[1STRANGEWILDERNESS]

I could go on and on... and on

I had friends that pulled that out on me several times “ yeah well you can hunt such and such” referring to private ground where I couldn’t even count the number of gun shots on opening morning and afternoon. It was a slaughter the only bucks that made it To the following season seemed to be the ones that got wounded and laid up all fall.. I didn’t shoot the deer to go brag about it anyway. I shot it for myself. Then I shot bigger yet on public

I own a significant amount of land now. My wife and I wanted a secluded place to homestead. I’m a machinist and she’s a medical biller. It’ll be paid for in no time because we’re frugal (far from rich) anybody can do it if we can.

The old cow pastures have food plots in em now and food plots around the ponds. I shoot some geese out of em, and of course I deer hunt my own land but not exclusively. My family likes to come hunt in rifle season. Today’s opener. Guess where I’m hunting? No where near my land. When I do hunt close to home I’ll probably still be on public and not my own land. Guys are so fixated on needing a private parcel and that it’s such a big advantage. There’s some good bucks around the area but they aren’t walking around in my plots for the taking. They don’t walk across a boundary line read a no trespassing sign and say okay I can let my guard down now. Heck I could probably just walk out into these clover plots..

A friend of mine just bought land down the road and he’s got people coming out of the woodwork He hasn’t talked to in yrs trying to gain permission. They haven’t even seen the property!! They just think oh! Private land! I need a hunting spot!! If these guys had half a brain they would just come up here and hunt the federal land. Tens of thousands of acres around here far outnumbering the private. Most of the federal land has less pressure than the private.. except the remote federal bordering private where the landowners make illegal trails and basically claim the land as their own.

[VaBowKill5]

I know where you’re coming from. I’m about 50/50 private and public and anymore it seems like most people act like shooting a deer on private is sinful. Me personally I’m after the biggest buck I can find period, regardless if it’s public or private. I’ve killed good bucks on both but if I know of a 130 on public and a 140 on private or vise versa I’m hunting the bigger buck. There’s nothing wrong with hunting private land and like others have said I’ve seen a lot more pressure on some private tracks than I usually do on public land.

[MuskieHunterDave]

Great topic!

I think fishlips hit it on the head with the hunting shows today. They make it seem so simple, on private land, to knock down giant bucks every year. It's easy to think "gee, if I wasn't competing with the 1000 other guys sharing the public land, it'd be easier for me to get those big ones year after year too." Maybe that's true, maybe it's not. The TV show guys are often trying to make themselves look good. So when we see them taking the "easy route", but still acting like self proclaimed hunting experts, it definitely triggers contempt in the brain.

For my part, I'd love to have some private land I could use just to leave permanent stands and blinds on, for the sake of hunting with my kids. There's no way I can carry two stands out onto public so I can hunt with my kids up in a tree. I've had some nice success seeing deer on the ground with them so far this year, but it's not the same.

That said, nothing compares to the fun of scouting out 3000 acres of public land and the sense of satisfaction you feel when that scouting turns into a big buck coming in range. It's a different thing than private hunting. You have to go find the deer, rather than building habitat and food sources so they come to you.

One thing I love about this site is absence of that judgmental attitude for those that hunt different from you. We're all here to learn how to become better hunters, no matter where or how we hunt. And for those of us obsessed, it gives us a place to share with people who understand that obsession. Most my other friends think I'm a nut for walking back a mile into a marsh in 40 degree rain until dark, just for a chance at a deer. But here, people understand that's just what we do. It's really the selfless attitude of the site founder, which rubs off on the whole atmosphere here.

[HeadHunting]

Great topic!

I think fishlips hit it on the head with the hunting shows today. They make it seem so simple, on private land, to knock down giant bucks every year. It's easy to think "gee, if I wasn't competing with the 1000 other guys sharing the public land, it'd be easier for me to get those big ones year after year too." Maybe that's true, maybe it's not. The TV show guys are often trying to make themselves look good. So when we see them taking the "easy route", but still acting like self proclaimed hunting experts, it definitely triggers contempt in the brain.

For my part, I'd love to have some private land I could use just to leave permanent stands and blinds on, for the sake of hunting with my kids. There's no way I can carry two stands out onto public so I can hunt with my kids up in a tree. I've had some nice success seeing deer on the ground with them so far this year, but it's not the same.

That said, nothing compares to the fun of scouting out 3000 acres of public land and the sense of satisfaction you feel when that scouting turns into a big buck coming in range. It's a different thing than private hunting. You have to go find the deer, rather than building habitat and food sources so they come to you.

One thing I love about this site is absence of that judgmental attitude for those that hunt different from you. We're all here to learn how to become better hunters, no matter where or how we hunt. And for those of us obsessed, it gives us a place to share with people who understand that obsession. Most my other friends think I'm a nut for walking back a mile into a marsh in 40 degree rain until dark, just for a chance at a deer. But here, people understand that's just what we do. It's really the selfless attitude of the site founder, which rubs off on the whole atmosphere here.

Very well stated and I agree that the atmosphere of this site is a lot more positive and open to all different styles of hunting. It seems that even if they may not relate to all parts of what you are doing, the members concentrate on what is relatable and focus on the positive side of things. Some topics can see some varying feelings but for the most part it is kept in check.

[wolfie729]

Great topic!

I think fishlips hit it on the head with the hunting shows today. They make it seem so simple, on private land, to knock down giant bucks every year. It's easy to think "gee, if I wasn't competing with the 1000 other guys sharing the public land, it'd be easier for me to get those big ones year after year too." Maybe that's true, maybe it's not. The TV show guys are often trying to make themselves look good. So when we see them taking the "easy route", but still acting like self proclaimed hunting experts, it definitely triggers contempt in the brain.

For my part, I'd love to have some private land I could use just to leave permanent stands and blinds on, for the sake of hunting with my kids. There's no way I can carry two stands out onto public so I can hunt with my kids up in a tree. I've had some nice success seeing deer on the ground with them so far this year, but it's not the same.

That said, nothing compares to the fun of scouting out 3000 acres of public land and the sense of satisfaction you feel when that scouting turns into a big buck coming in range. It's a different thing than private hunting. You have to go find the deer, rather than building habitat and food sources so they come to you.

One thing I love about this site is absence of that judgmental attitude for those that hunt different from you. We're all here to learn how to become better hunters, no matter where or how we hunt. And for those of us obsessed, it gives us a place to share with people who understand that obsession. Most my other friends think I'm a nut for walking back a mile into a marsh in 40 degree rain until dark, just for a chance at a deer. But here, people understand that's just what we do. It's really the selfless attitude of the site founder, which rubs off on the whole atmosphere here.

Well said

[Dewey]

No ruffled feathers here. If your following the rules/regulations and are having fun that’s all that matters to me.

[Brad]

I personally don't have any problem at all with private land hunters, and can't imagine why anybody would have a problem with it. Now, I can say I believe hunting unpressured county park deer, or urban/suburban neighborhood deer, that browse right by your car and walk right up to you is not really hunting, however I don't have any problem with that either. Those areas populations need to be managed, and if I can take a nice buck or even a doe in that manner I would be willing to do so (don't judge me!!!)
Now, do not agree with hunting high fence deer in captivity, but as long as people want to raise deer that way to make a buck (pun kind of intended...) and there are people who are willing to pay to hunt pet deer, then more power to them. What makes them happy is much different than what makes me happy, but so what? I still end up happy, and they still end up getting what they though would make them happy.

[brkissl82]

I guy i work with was a "guide" at a high fence deer ranch. People payed huge amounts of money to shoot these giant deer. He said they would feed them everyday and 2 days before a guy came for a hunt they would stop feeding the deer. Then they would walk the guy to a stand and dump the food. He couldnt take it any longer and quit. To me that is in no way hunting. Sorry not sorry

[Rich M]

Topics like this just get the holier-than-thou juices flowing.