For you who have private ground: It is apparent that you manage your ground with harvesting a nice buck in mind. Remember, however, it is you and you alone that determines which deer are taken. A food plot and 50 acres will do very well at pulling in good bucks and holding them there in your own sanctuary for you to observe and selectively harvest. Good for you, and good hunting.
I have some ground too, however, it isn't quite big enough to hold the deer, and they must travel across my neighbors' ground to get to me. The last nice buck was killed about 100 yards short of my son on a stand waiting for him. Oh, well.
Public ground has become another story. Yes, there are some nice bucks out there, perhaps a little nicer than before the antler restriction. But there have always been nice bucks out there, one is on my wall across from my Dad's best buck, and was taken with the same rifle. It was taken the year before the antler restriction. There are, however, fewer of them in total. Can you find one? Yes, if you have a bunch of time to locate him, he'll be out there somewhere, just like before. Here the problem becomes time and gun season bad fortune. For me to scout my best area would take me an entire day to get there, sneak in, do some real observation, and get out and home. How many trips would I need to locate and pattern that big guy for the first day, or get within bow range. (Yes, I've done that, too, but it took alot of time. Yes, it was worth it.) As for ambushing him the first day - well, that's if someone doesn't suddenly show up with his gps about daylight, and set up 100 yards away, makes noise and smells and such and take all your careful scouting and dump it into the poor investment in time column. Or, that big guy gets nailed by some 'one day hunter' as he evades his way from the truck door slam noises toward your ambush. Then, where is your effort's payoff? I am sure this is where the complaints come from. And I do believe they are totally, without doubt, justified. Big buck hunters always had opportunities to take a good buck. (That's one of the main reasons I went to archery hunting.) Now he and everyone else MUST take a medium to good buck, and there are damn fewer of them.
I have gone to hunting with a handgun for the specific reason of portability after the shot and getting as far away from everyone else, into the nasties, as I can. Also, it makes it easier to get the harvested buck off the mountain. I spend time and work hard at it. The last buck I harvested is the one I mentioned that is on the wall.
This year, four family members spent about 5 or 6 days each on the mountain. We saw about 30 deer total. We tend toward taking good bucks, but do take the occassional freezer doe. What was disturbing was that we only saw 1 doe that was over 2 years old. We passed on her. We only saw 2 bucks. 1 pickle fork and one very nice 3x3. No shots taken at the 6 point.
I live very near a "Trophy Bass' section of a good small mouth bass river. Bass must be 15" to keep. Pressure has increased a great bit in the past ten years. Fish this section now and you'll catch 14 1/2" bass. I think we're going to see mostly "14 1/2 inch" deer, so to speak. Remember, when the guys or gal takes the spike, he leaves the woods and doesn't know about the better buck that snuck by 2 hours later. Now he stays until he takes the top end buck, or settles for a doe.
No farmer ever kills his cows to have more bulls.
I have more I could add, but I think you know by now that Gary is not on my Christmas card list. I will only add this for now. I am retired and have lived and hunted in a few other states and countries. I am glad to see Gary go, but it will get much worse before it gets better. The damage is already done in the public hunting areas.
Good luck,
Tapper
