Indiana HAS always produced big deer. Fact. Indiana will continue to produce big deer year after year regardless of rule changes. Fact. However, shortening seasons and putting more of a bounty on does will not only increase the number of young bucks that survive every year but will also get the buck to doe ratio closer to where it needs to be therefore increasing the odds of an encounter with a once in a lifetime deer.
When I hunt it isn't just to kill. I am a hunter through and through. I love being close to mother nature as much as the next hunter does. I killed six does last year all with a bow. According to my journal I had 62 outings (either morning, afternoon, or all day hunts) I don't kill on every hunt, but every deer I killed last year was a mature doe. Notice I never mentioned taking a buck as I didn't. I passed up a TON of bucks and passed on some really good deer. Tag soup was bittersweet but looking back I made all sound decisions. Bottom line is I'm not a killer, I'm a hunter.
I don't get into "contests" about who kills a bigger deer than who. I'm equally as happy for a hunting partner to kill a mature deer as if I take one myself. Notice I said MATURE deer not big deer. There is a difference.
The only thing I disagree with is that you shouldn't have a chance to kill a trophy every year. I feel that if a guy puts in enough hours and works hard enough, there is a VERY good chance of having a quality encounter with a trophy every single year, whether you get him killed or not.
When I hunt it isn't just to kill. I am a hunter through and through. I love being close to mother nature as much as the next hunter does. I killed six does last year all with a bow. According to my journal I had 62 outings (either morning, afternoon, or all day hunts) I don't kill on every hunt, but every deer I killed last year was a mature doe. Notice I never mentioned taking a buck as I didn't. I passed up a TON of bucks and passed on some really good deer. Tag soup was bittersweet but looking back I made all sound decisions. Bottom line is I'm not a killer, I'm a hunter.
I don't get into "contests" about who kills a bigger deer than who. I'm equally as happy for a hunting partner to kill a mature deer as if I take one myself. Notice I said MATURE deer not big deer. There is a difference.
The only thing I disagree with is that you shouldn't have a chance to kill a trophy every year. I feel that if a guy puts in enough hours and works hard enough, there is a VERY good chance of having a quality encounter with a trophy every single year, whether you get him killed or not.