Late Season "Kill deer just to fill a tag"...?

[PlayTheWindMike]

I was watching Babe Winkleman bow hunting in Wisconsin. The area he was in had monsters and they had seen a couple of extremely nice bucks which they had on video. They got to the last afternoon and he called in an 8 pointer in and shot it. Looked like maybe 125 and very young. I just didn't get that. Just because it was the last day there he killed it and the show ended. It was like he killed it just so he didn't leave without killing a deer or wanted to make sure he had a kill for tv. This upset me.

I don't know how you guys feel but that's just wrong. Made me think of my hunt 4 years ago, I still had my buck tag and it was last day of gun season and I was going to be done for that year due to work and other stuff. I knew where I hunt there are multiple very nice bucks. I watched a very nice 8 pointer trot across the field towards my hedge I was standing on. He come down towards me and I slid behind a tree and drew my gun....he walked through the gate which was 10 feet from me and stood there. I admired him but would not shoot him because he was so young. He would probably go around 130ish. I let him go thinking "man he will be a very nice buck in a year or two". I don't know how you guys feel about people shooting a deer to fill the tag but I hate having an empty tag at seasons end but where do you draw the line. I know there are some smaller but older bucks on the property and I will manage those out hopefully.

[Big_Holla]

Hard to say but did he say he set any specific goals of deer size at the beginning of the hunt? Maybe that deer was on the borderline of what he hoped to take, hard to say. I have been there when I am faced with only one week of hunting. To me if it's mature and meet's our guidelines I would be happy to tag it. There are times when I would pass a deer that I shouldn't have, thinking there were better opportunities at bigger and by the end of the week I am kicking myself. If not on his part, yeah he likely should have let it walk but hey, who are we?!?! LOL!

[MICH]

TV is all about getting a kill on camera, they are also taking alot more BAD ANGLE SHOTS, not good way to younger eyes that kind of stuff

[Big_Holla]

TV is all about getting a kill on camera, they are also taking alot more BAD ANGLE SHOTS, not good way to younger eyes that kind of stuff

Very true MICH!

[bds9]

This is the main reason I quit watching hunting shows (except duck dynasty). Almost all of them are worried about just getting a kill on camera. Which I understand with no kill there is no show, but I think they'd gain more respect from viewers if they showed a couple episodes where they actually didn't kill anything. After all that's how hunting is. Plus, you have to factor in that these people don't care about deer management because they aren't the one's hunting the area year after year. I know some shows don't do this (Drury's and Lee and Tiffany etc.) but at the same time they are just as guilty as the others as far as IMO ruining our sport. They buy or lease up every inch of ground they can, end up with thousands of acres to hunt and only allow about 5 people to hunt it! SO the mentality to a lot of newcomers are either pay an outfitter, or buy or lease up as much as you can and you can kill big bucks every time you go to the woods! I'm not a professional, and I have been fortunate to kill a lot of deer in my life so far. Some big, some small. But I WORKED and STUDIED hard for every single one of them! These people now just throw their checkbooks at it and let other people do the HUNTING for them!!! Sorry for my rant, not trying to single anyone out, just aggravating to watch this all go down the crapper!!

[hortontoter]

I'm usually hunting one or two target bucks every fall. Three years ago I turned 58. While on stand one day that year I told myself that my goal was to take 10 more nice 8 points or better before I'm gone. Well I've taken one since. Starting this season I made up my mind that I would hunt my target bucks until my birthday on Nov. 5. Well here it is Dec 6 and I'm getting ready to head out the door to go hunt. Hope one of my target bucks show, but if a decent 8 strolls by in range I will take him. Not so much to say I filled my tag though, anything with less that 8 points will still get the free pass. 61 years old and I need nine more, I'm headed for the deer stand.

[Lord ToneKing]

You have to take in account that these guys are not hunting their home turf. I myself have target deer that I am hunting on the property I hunt, and if it were the last day of the season I still wouldnt shoot a non-target buck just to say I tagged out

These hunting shows are rediculous and quite disturbing to watch most the time

[BowGuy2]

Management deer????? Maybe

[ManOfTheFall]

I would much rather put my either sex tag on a doe than kill a young buck just to say "I got my buck this year!"

[PlayTheWindMike]

Well they didn't indicate management or not. They did see some great bucks on that show and I woulda been happy to see them leave without killing anything.....I got to see the big bucks.....not kill a young 8

[Big_Holla]

I haven't watched many of his shows over the years so I don't really know if he is more of a trophy hunter or is satisfied with just about any animal. Maybe he is similar to Fred Eichler who flat out tells you it isn't the size of the animal that counts to him, it's the hunt. Not sure if Babe still does his cooking section on his show but maybe he needed venison for it or perhaps he donates to a hunter's for the hungry type of program.