To the "draconian" restrictions comment, maybe you misunderstood me, or I you, and if so, my apologies. My comment was in regard to the "QDM" mindset in terms of shooting only big bucks, and if a club member, lease member, or guest made a "mistake" and took a buck that didn't meet the standards (whether actual club rules or just personal preference), said hunter, including kids or first timers, getting hazed about it. I'm talking the folks who value a deer's score above all else. My point was, there have become so many of these "my way or the highway" folks managing leases, clubs, etc. that have run off a lot of folks and caused them to lose interest, and a lot, not all, do it under the guise of "managing the herd". Ironically, many, again not all, of these same folks wouldn't shoot a doe if they had to. That's what irks me.
The farmer I have leased from the last several years has a simple rule - you take "x" amount of deer off the property or else I'm doing it myself in the summer under depredation permits. The small group of us that pay the lease still strive to only shoot mature bucks (based on age, not score), but also take an ample amount of does off the property every single year. And, if a kid or guest is happy with a smaller buck, so be it. We're happy for them too. Point being, we're happy, and the landowner is happy. Win-Win.
Unfortunately, our area is getting overrun with CWD to the point that it's a roll of the dice every time you pull the trigger or release an arrow. For somebody who processes their own game and has a family that typically eats several deer a year, the whole process has lost it's luster. Quartering up a deer, freezing it, waiting weeks on end for results, only to have to toss it out (my choice) if it tests positive, is just not my thing. On the one hand, I understand I gave the deer a better end than CWD, but I'm conflicted on the whole situation. I keep seeing a lot of people on forums who just shove CWD off and make blind comments about what they'd do if they had to deal with it, but I can tell you that when it hits a high prevalence level like it has around here, a lot of how you "thought" you'd deal with it goes out the window. YMMV
Squirrel - I think we'd get along well. Wish you were closer lol
