willfrye027
WKR
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2018
- Messages
- 2,812
It’ll be interesting to see what comes out of the southern Idaho and Utah experimental weapon restrictions. Maybe there will be more big bucks on the hill because of it, and maybe not.
I’m all for experimenting with open sights. Heck I don’t own a rifle with open sights but I’d be happy to go on a hunt with open sights IF it meant I’d probably see bigger/more bucks. Or if that was the only way to get a tag every year.
To be fair, right now I’m in the “there is no problem” camp. I seem to find some nice deer now and then even with crappy/otc type tags. I can shoot long range, but that is always a means to an end—if my odds are better killing an animal at 600, I’ll do it. If there is a high percentage stalk that will put me at 300, I’ll do it. I think the vast majority of “long range guys” fall into that camp, with a select few attention-seeking types who title their YouTube video 1000 YARD KILL SHOT GIANT BUCK. Those guys are a different problem entirely and a small minority of hunters out there. I don’t think you can really fix that short of demonetizing hunting content on YouTube/insta/whatever. Even then they would probably still do it for attention.
I don’t see a compelling need to drastically change regulations across the board. I also don’t see a problem experimenting with and implementing some open sight seasons/units and see if that has a positive affect on numbers of big deer, and potentially allowing more tags/engagement so we can all continue to have a tag every year.
Keep in mind we as hunters need to have the long game in mind. 30 years from now, can we still get a tag? Can we still own a gun? Are there deer herds left to hunt? Those kinds of things matter..someone taking a shot beyond their capability and wounding..does not matter in the scheme of things.
I’m all for experimenting with open sights. Heck I don’t own a rifle with open sights but I’d be happy to go on a hunt with open sights IF it meant I’d probably see bigger/more bucks. Or if that was the only way to get a tag every year.
To be fair, right now I’m in the “there is no problem” camp. I seem to find some nice deer now and then even with crappy/otc type tags. I can shoot long range, but that is always a means to an end—if my odds are better killing an animal at 600, I’ll do it. If there is a high percentage stalk that will put me at 300, I’ll do it. I think the vast majority of “long range guys” fall into that camp, with a select few attention-seeking types who title their YouTube video 1000 YARD KILL SHOT GIANT BUCK. Those guys are a different problem entirely and a small minority of hunters out there. I don’t think you can really fix that short of demonetizing hunting content on YouTube/insta/whatever. Even then they would probably still do it for attention.
I don’t see a compelling need to drastically change regulations across the board. I also don’t see a problem experimenting with and implementing some open sight seasons/units and see if that has a positive affect on numbers of big deer, and potentially allowing more tags/engagement so we can all continue to have a tag every year.
Keep in mind we as hunters need to have the long game in mind. 30 years from now, can we still get a tag? Can we still own a gun? Are there deer herds left to hunt? Those kinds of things matter..someone taking a shot beyond their capability and wounding..does not matter in the scheme of things.
