Yes, it's gotten much, much easier, I believe cameras and corn have had a huge contribution in recent years.

On average the folks that are killing deer without the aid of bait from the comfort of a shooting house are more far more experienced (read better shots under pressure) and less apt to need assistance from the four legged friend.

I suspect most of your calls are from folks that have killed less than 20 deer.

I don't think we as outdoorsmen need to hammer anyone that hunts ethically and follows the law. It isn't for us to throw shade on another. Think of all the shade stand/rifle hunters threw and still throw on dog hunters. Can a stalk hunter throw shade on a ladder/climber hunter? How young is too young to hunt with said instrument, we all know it could be the child in question and where they are in development and the time that has been spent with them. Now, it isn't just kids sitting in houses with their phones, grown men/women are doing it too. They are on f^&*b#$k rather than hunting. Then, a huge 10 pt. walks out, they shoot it over their corn/greenfield and suddenly they are a great hunter.

My thoughts: If it's too easy, then it will not be engrained in the child. They will give it up as they more to other things in life.

QDM has played a part in improving the herd. It's a lot better in the areas I hunt compared to 30 years ago.

It's an ego trip for the dads. Want their son to be the youngest to ever kill a deer and turkey. Kids are killing their firsts so young they won't even remember it one day.

My son turned 9 this year, he has been deer hunting with me a few times before and said how boring it was. I made the mistake of the classic shooting house on green field. This last season I took him on his first Turkey hunt, sitting on the ground backs on trees in the woods, we had success on his hunt and he told me how much more fun it was moving around and hunting like that. I realized then And there I had done the deer hunting with him wrong. I don’t deer hunt out of houses on fields when I’m by myself because it doesn’t interest me and is boring to me too. This year he told me wants to shoot some guns and try deer hunting again if we can do it like Turkey hunting. I now realize he is more like me than I know, I wanted the success of an easy shot and hunt for him, but he wants to be in the woods and to “hunt” the deer. I’m excited for what this year might bring for us in the woods, shot or no shot to have him enjoying the woods with me will make this the best season and if the lord blesses us with a deer it will just be the icing on the cake. I had to rethink hunting and realize the big picture, The success of hunting is not always about a dead animal.

Yep, I killed my first deer when I was 13 and I remember every detail. I was actually able to kill it by myself. My son killed his first deer at 10. Social media and the pressure of social media continues to adjust the values we once had... I also fall victim myself at times.

There's actually a pretty even spread across all levels of experience........I tracked one the other day for a guy who has killed close to 100 deer with a recurve.

Or so young they can't comprehend the enormity of taking a life. Thank you. I was trying to figure how to say this without writing a 500 word essay. I have some strong feelings on this and I know there are those all around us that justify and endorse pre-K age kids killing deer and turkeys. I just can't see why the killing part is so important at that age. It means way more to whoever is posting it or bragging about it than it does the kid.

To the OP's question. I don't know if it's easier but I know I've only got 2 mounters on the wall after 35+ seasons of hunting deer so for me, finding a 120+ class deer is just as hard now as it was in the 80's. At least where I hunt.

Good post bamaeyedoc. All the dads are competing to see their kid kill a bigger deer than all the other kids. It’s so they can post it on social media or so their kid can get bragging rights at school. The act of taking an animals life and what it means doesn’t factor to these people. They just want the picture.

Without all the Hunting Shows on Tv, and without Social Media, would everyone care so much about antler size? Or would just spending time in the woods, and maybe killing a Deer be enough?

If you are aiming and allowing your 5 year old to pull the trigger... you are a bigger part of why America is heading in the wrong direction than the government. Because you can teach real values to your children but you fall victim to the pressure of social media.

👍🏼 I inadvertently omitted “gun shot deer”. I was thinking it but failed to type it.

With a bow all bets are off regardless of skill level, things can and will go awry fairly often.

I have my grandson shoot according to where we are hunting, who property and their rules.

I took him to Thomasville last season, rules say five year olds and up. He comes in with a small racked five point...but he weighed over 180 pounds and aged at five. Pretty damn good live aging on a smalll racked buck. Sitting by himself.

We hunted a place in Bibb Co, no rules. He killed a same size rack buck that was two. Sitting in a shooting house on a power line. He, and I, were happy with the deer.

he's happy just being in the woods hunting.

I’d say if we’re really being honest about the situation then everyone is likely a little bit to blame……Why??.......Because we all have had a hand in making people want to be “the big buck killer”……Think about it for a minute……How many times has someone been held up on a pedestal because they know how to kill the big ones or what have you?? We as a group have given that it’s importance and that is what all of these folks are reaching for. As long as being a big buck killer holds such high value to everyone then folks will continue to go to all lengths to achieve it for the psychological reward.

Hunting land is a deal breaker as well I think. When I was a kid I had 500 plus acres I could roam. Our farm and all the neighbors plus timber companies. It was all free to hunt, kill what you want and how you want. Deer hunt today, rabbit hunt the same woods tomorrow. As I got older in my teenage years, we just hunted with beagles and killed deer or rabbits when they got up. 🤣🤣

Now it seems guest rules at clubs are so strict it’s hard to take other folks kids hunting. And folks seem more Sue happy these days as well.

I miss Dog Hunting. Had a lot of fun as a kid listening to the dogs.

Well it's human nature to want to be the best...trust me if I kill a 150 ill post it on here but I know a couple ol men that just do it for themselves without bragging to anyone...I'm a different kind of hunter than most cuz I don't hold the same standards day in and day out because my objectives are different depending a number of circumstances...it's all a risk reward mentality when I'm deciding on what I need and kill

Funny thing is every year people complain on this forum about how there are no deer, can't see deer, can't find a deer, can't buy a deer, and how the season and limits need to be adjusted. And know we have a thread about hunting being to easy.