Joe Heller for November 29, 2013

P.T. Barnum was correct about there being one born every minute.

To get a white-tail the size of a German shepherd?

Of course, a lot of hunters don’t buy new stuff every year, so that’s just a bit inaccurate.

Freezer full of venison — Priceless!

Call it hunting. Call it culling the herd. Call it harvesting. That would be respectful of nature, especially if one eats the meat. It would be more respectful of the language, too.Deer just can’t handle firearms. So, how to level the playing field? My solution would be that to qualify as a “sportsman”, the hunter should be equipped only with knives, spears, and a bow and arrows. I only suggest the bow because humans, compared to deer, are pathetic at running.Calling it a “sport” implies that the deer have something of a chance to win, and not merely by running away to be a target someplace else, some other time. No, I won’t call it a sport until I see headlines like “Hunters, 43, Deer, 40”.

Great post!

Dunno where he buys his sporting goods, but he overpaid big time.

Hat $6Vest $102 way Radios are illegal in my state when huntingMy recurve bow and arrows are about $400Compass $40 (GPS is for wussies)Gloves $15Jacket $75Pack (I use my old Army pack)Boots $150 (I put the best on my feet I can buy)Range finders are for wussiesHand warmers are also for wussies but are only $0.50 apieceRain gear $50Knife $40Scent $20Multi tool (highly recommended) $100

The price of a tree stand (if you use one – I do not) is about right.

And once purchased, all but the arrows, scent and hand warmers do not need replacing for a long time.

Deer have increased in my state to the point they are pests. So I only take one buck and the rest females to help with population control. Deer have a better chance of surviving than many think. They have superb senses and reflexes and are savvy when hunted, especially by archery where you have to get in close. Besides, they are rather tasty. Not as tasty as elk or moose, by any means, but toothsome nonetheless. The skins are also useful. I don’t keep antlers from bucks unless they are record-size or nearly so, I use them to make buttons and as scales for knives and things.

Big problem everywhere. Man’s an in-efficient predator in the natural food chain. They need their native predators back in the environment, wolves and cougars. It worked in Yellowstone.Not sure if that would work in all areas. Forest Preserves, parks & even cemeteries in urban areas have seen increasing deer populations. The deer have lost their fear of humans in that environment, & in some places roam the streets, feasting on peoples’ gardens.Most places are coming to terms with the notion of culling the herd. I’ve heard some places donate the meat to food pantries.Men are much more efficient predators than wolves or cougars. Only man can hunt a species to extinction…

That’s hilarious!

While our local deer herd is in decline, because of overgrazing by cows mostly, had a deer on the deck last night eating my wife’s potted plants.

I’ve spent decades as a hunter, and firmly believe you can’t eat antlers, and our feathered friends can provide food for the table. Also spent decades managing public lands for wildlife. One of the problems in the east IS the overpopulation of deer on PUBLIC land ares that are “protected” specifically because these habitat refuges are limited by the development on PRIVATE lands surrounding them. In those cases, as the predators are also gone, “culling” is necessary as a management tool.

The ’toon makes me laugh because having hunted most of my life (including two-legged “game”), the getups some of these guys show up with, yes, to sit around camp drinking, or running around on the ATVs running all the game off, is pretty accurately depicted. The tree stand is also the giveaway this is an eastern area, but Heller left out the bag of apples the “hunter” has to bait the deer. (even where it IS illegal!)

Ha!. I haven’t heard that song in years. I gotta go dig out my old Dr. Demento tapes now.

You can pick out the “hunters” in the comment section. Pests?, population control? oh please.. Try mitigating the damage you did when you played at being “hero” by killing off all the predators who used to keep things in a balance.

You admit to murdering humans?He was in the army. Got anything else to say? An apology seems due, but maybe it’s only conservatives who deserve thanks & respect for their service.

Tigger: my “uncle”, and YOURS paid me $110 a month, plus combat pay, to hunt them. Unlke deer however, or 7/11 clerks popular as “sport” it seems in the U.S., they shot back, so it wasn’t homicide, they called it “war”. Americans, especially those nice chickenhawk “conservatives” just LOVE IT! And with the drumbeat on Iran, never lose interest.

^“roadkill eater”/"deerflatener?? The only poster who could possibly pull “socialsit” into a discussion of hunters? No, we have mule deer, which get very large indeed. I sense prions are still a problem?

Deer populations in urban areas is a big problem. I suggest hiring hunters armed with tranquilizer rifles to harvest the deer. Use the deer to feed the homeless (sell the extra), support food kitchens. The program would create jobs (hunters, butchers&shops, truck drivers, a need for refer trucks and all the peripheral activities. The trank darts don’t present a collateral damage problem and are a humane way to cull the herds. Its a thought…

Not a lie. I’ve read the same story. The price is way out of my league so I didn’t pay much attention to the product or the company.