Hunting Leases/Kids Hunting/Drury Syndrome

[TheGreek]

Many years ago, my uncle jimbo told me that deer make people stupid. I reckon he was right.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Got a call from a hunter today wanting to confirm the age of the buck he shot this year. The hunter has been on a large lease for 15 years and said he shot a 180” class whitetail. He said they aren’t supposed to shoot deer younger than 7, and the biologist told him it’s 4 based on tooth wear. He said if it’s younger than 6 there’s a good chance he is going to get kicked off the lease.

7 seems pretty steep threshold for whitetail but maybe that’s more common than I realize? Most folks I’ve talked to in those situations are aiming for 4 or 5+ year olds unless deemed “management buck.”

Talk about knocking the wind out of your sails. Geesh.

Anyway, made me think of this thread, don’t know if the guy has children or not but that’s a heck of an example to learn at a young age to see your dad get what would likely be a buck of a lifetime for 90?% of hunters only to lose hunting access because it wasn’t old enough.

 

[rogerthat]

Got a call from a hunter today wanting to confirm the age of the buck he shot this year. The hunter has been on a large lease for 15 years and said he shot a 180” class whitetail. He said they aren’t supposed to shoot deer younger than 7, and the biologist told him it’s 4 based on tooth wear. He said if it’s younger than 6 there’s a good chance he is going to get kicked off the lease.

7 seems pretty steep threshold for whitetail but maybe that’s more common than I realize? Most folks I’ve talked to in those situations are aiming for 4 or 5+ year olds unless deemed “management buck.”

Talk about knocking the wind out of your sails. Geesh.

Anyway, made me think of this thread, don’t know if the guy has children or not but that’s a heck of an example to learn at a young age to see your dad get what would likely be a buck of a lifetime for 90?% of hunters only to lose hunting access because it wasn’t old enough.

Yeah that’s brutal. Imo you can’t tell the difference between a 5 year old and a 7 year old on the hoof with anything but detailed history with the buck such as trail cam photos.

 

[D_Walt]

Got a call from a hunter today wanting to confirm the age of the buck he shot this year. The hunter has been on a large lease for 15 years and said he shot a 180” class whitetail. He said they aren’t supposed to shoot deer younger than 7, and the biologist told him it’s 4 based on tooth wear. He said if it’s younger than 6 there’s a good chance he is going to get kicked off the lease.

7 seems pretty steep threshold for whitetail but maybe that’s more common than I realize? Most folks I’ve talked to in those situations are aiming for 4 or 5+ year olds unless deemed “management buck.”

Talk about knocking the wind out of your sails. Geesh.

Anyway, made me think of this thread, don’t know if the guy has children or not but that’s a heck of an example to learn at a young age to see your dad get what would likely be a buck of a lifetime for 90?% of hunters only to lose hunting access because it wasn’t old enough.

That will get you kicked off of most highly managed “trophy” leases where I’m from, and they’ll be a line of people to take his spot. Not uncommon.

 

[3855WIN]

That will get you kicked off of most highly managed “trophy” leases where I’m from, and they’ll be a line of people to take his spot. Not uncommon.

Where are you from? I’ve never heard of club rules so stringent.

Some of the Mississippi River equity clubs will require a ten point to be a 150”+ or be 5 years old or older. But no one’s getting kicked out for not making it. Usually cost an additional buck on membership as penalty.

 

[Nuts]

The entire concept of these requirements leaves kids out IMO. And I participated for years. Don't get me wrong. I was right there. But I now see what it has done and I am hoping that this can be changed. I grew up where I couldn't sleep the night before gun opener. We traveled 3 hrs north to family and stayed with them. It was very exciting. Bucks were little. Mostly fork horns and 6pts. Occasionally an 8pt. Doe season would be 2 weeks later. Kids out numbered adults. I didn't have a dad but we all got paired up with an adult. And off we went. As the years went by I got more picky. Then came the management. And the chase for big bucks. Big was 120, then 130 then 140+. The bar kept changing but we were able to find success. Kids slowly were left at home more and more. Additionally hunting competed with year round sports and more stringent school absence requirements. Leases often are grown men only with few kids. It was to expensive. And the number on the lease limited. Yes kids still got some random Saturdays and other days. But it was less and less. And it became blinds and comfort centered around particular deer. And the men. Well we are all busy disagreeing about management plans. Or we are paying someone else to figure it out for us. We just show up and shoot. For a good part of Americans this is not an option. I grew up fortunate but not well off. But yet it was figured out and made to happen. My kids. They are grown. They enjoy the cabin. The hunt and the atmosphere. Now I am trying to make sure that other kids get the same opportunity. I found a new "high". After hunting 4-5 states a year for decades often filling every tag I found that a big buck didn't actually get the juices flowing anymore. Just being out and everything that went into it was more rewarding then the harvest. Sitting with my kids even now that they are grown rewarding. But that new high. That's involving more mentored adults and more kids. Seeing a bunch harvest there first deer and 2nd deer as I sat beside them or them and a parent. This year the night before opening day. I didn't sleep a wink like I was a 12yr old going for the 1st time. Nervous that every detail was accounted for and what the (6) kids excited for the next day would encounter. It didn't disappoint. Way more rewarding then hoping your 180" buck is old enough!


First Buck for this young man

Young man and his dad dragging out. That's what its all about.

 

[CRJR45]

Well , I think you're Nuts , but I agree with you !

Money ruins everything , period .
Look what it's done to college sports ? Or Florida and California , or any beach front property , anything nice , people with money move in and ruin everything .
We as a species suck , IMO .

But I enjoy a hunt either way , trophy or just meat .

 

[D_Walt]

Where are you from? I’ve never heard of club rules so stringent.

Some of the Mississippi River equity clubs will require a ten point to be a 150”+ or be 5 years old or older. But no one’s getting kicked out for not making it. Usually cost an additional buck on membership as penalty.

I’m from South Texas, and I can assure you that most trophy leases down here will 100% kick you off for killing a 180” 4 year old. Down here most big places are managing for 6 year old plus deer, many are pushing that up to 7.

 

[NoWiser]

I would sell my gear and quit deer hunting entirely if I had to try to guess how old a deer was before I shot it. That would take every ounce of fun out of it.

 

[MTTW]

They are turning hunting into harvesting farm animals. It grosses me out.

 

[3855WIN]

I’m from South Texas, and I can assure you that most trophy leases down here will 100% kick you off for killing a 180” 4 year old. Down here most big places are managing for 6 year old plus deer, many are pushing that up to 7.

First offense, they would kick out a member in good standing? A penalty of some sort is understandable, but kicked out of the club for one offense is hard to believe, as mistakes will happen.

 

[huntin24/7]

These deer leases generally sound pretty gross. I’m all about managing herds fur some quality animals, but I’d likely quit deer hunting before going that route. Even if it wasn’t so expensive, the thought of having to spend time with the other people that are on these leases sounds terrible. Plenty of fishing to do that sounds way better than sharing a lease.

 

[3855WIN]

I would sell my gear and quit deer hunting entirely if I had to try to guess how old a deer was before I shot it. That would take every ounce of fun out of it.

What size/age bucks do you normally shoot? One thru three years old is fairly easy to tell the difference. Now the difference between five and six is nearly impossible.

 

[D_Walt]

First offense, they would kick out a member in good standing? A penalty of some sort is understandable, but kicked out of the club for one offense is hard to believe, as mistakes will happen.

Kicked out, death penalty. On places like that the guys on them know what they signed up for; you can’t have a lease with older deer if one guy goes rogue and starts shooting young ones. All in $15-25k/year per spot is typical, and guys spending that amount of money want to kill big, mature deer. It’s a very different mind set than what I would assume the vast majority of HTer’s would consider enjoyable hunting.

 

[3855WIN]

These deer leases generally sound pretty gross. I’m all about managing herds fur some quality animals, but I’d likely quit deer hunting before going that route. Even if it wasn’t so expensive, the thought of having to spend time with the other people that are on these leases sounds terrible. Plenty of fishing to do that sounds way better than sharing a lease.

I hunted a 5500 acre property and worked shift work. I nearly had it to myself during the week. We all shared a main camp house and it was a great place for the kids to grow up. Some of my happiest times were spent on that property. I only left to develop a family farm that we put back into trees. And that’s a great situation, also.

 

[NoWiser]

What size/age bucks do you normally shoot? One thru three years old is fairly easy to tell the difference. Now the difference between five and six is nearly impossible.

I have no idea on age. It’s not something that really crosses my mind. I’ve shot a couple bucks that have dressed out north of 240 pounds, though.

I shot a 10 pointer last year that, I suppose, was a few years old. It had a pretty nice rack. I was mostly excited about it because my 5 year old son was with. I don’t deer hunt as much as I used to. I’ve got nieces and nephews that I take and, in two years, my daughter will be old enough to go. I encourage them to shoot the first legal deer they see.

Hunting thick cover you often have a couple seconds, if you’re lucky, to get off a clean shot. Trying to guess the age of a deer would be nearly impossible and it’s not something I care about, anyways.

 

[Nuts]

"Kicked out, death penalty. On places like that the guys on them know what they signed up for; you can’t have a lease with older deer if one guy goes rogue and starts shooting young ones. All in $15-25k/year per spot is typical, and guys spending that amount of money want to kill big, mature deer. It’s a very different mind set than what I would assume the vast majority of HTer’s would consider enjoyable hunting."

Not to digress the conversation. But what is the point of only shooting 7 & 8yr old deer other then to say you did? I don't believe everything I hear or read however a pretty reliable podcast the other day noted that the majority of the B&C record bucks are held by 5yr old's. So if the point is proper managing I suppose they are managing for age structure. That in itself isn't a bad idea but that's a lot of money to not shoot deer in there prime. Basically by those standards you would have to let the world record Hanson Buck which was 4 walk and had Hansen killed that he would be kicked off

 

[rogerthat]

Kicked out, death penalty. On places like that the guys on them know what they signed up for; you can’t have a lease with older deer if one guy goes rogue and starts shooting young ones. All in $15-25k/year per spot is typical, and guys spending that amount of money want to kill big, mature deer. It’s a very different mind set than what I would assume the vast majority of HTer’s would consider enjoyable hunting.

Genuinely curious how they are “on the hoof” aging these 7 and 8 year old deer.

 

[rogerthat]

Also one of the reasons I hunt is for the solitude. My family gets annoyed because I won’t even tell them about my hunting spots. Come join the club!!! Club? Gtfoh

 

[3855WIN]

Genuinely curious how they are “on the hoof” aging these 7 and 8 year old deer.

Assume they’re going off of trail cam pics, as it’s difficult to tell past around five or so.