Yes, it is if the neighbors actually do that. The neighbors say the same about all their neighbors. I've heard that same mantra throughout the country, from Florida to New York and Texas to the upper Midwest. It's not always true but it's easy to say and believe.

It's also frustrating to take young kids who don't understand or comprehend anything about "mature bucks" or QDM or why Billy BuckHunter wants him/her to shoot a "big buck" and are told they can't shoot a deer because the doe quota has been met or it's "buck season" or that buck they are watching 40 yards away isn't big enough and they might be able to see it next season when it's bigger and "gosh, wouldn't you WANT to shoot a bigger buck?" ... the implication being that they're not a 'real' hunter if they shoot something little.

And so unless Little Jimmy or Susie is being indoctrinated in the uber-QDM household, they get bored and decide deer hunting is boring, sucks and they don't want to go again because they were't allowed to shoot something due to some crazy management regulations.

Have seen it first hand. Kids want action starting out. They want to pull the trigger. They don't give two chits at that age and stage about mature buck management and QDM or whatever. They merely want to be included in the hunting fraternity, get bloody, see something die and move successfully into that first stage of hunting: actually killing something to become a hunter.

Not having anything to shoot, or being told they can't shoot something "because it's not big enough," will turn them away quickly. Same with duck hunting or fishing. I feel sorry for the adults who tell their kids that a 18-bass day wasn't good because they "didn't catch any big keepers" or their limit of ducks isn't good "because they shot nasty gadwalls and divers."

Hunters are our own worst enemies.