Never said you couldn't hunt them. I'm saying for improved quality, and quantity of the hunt, let a buck walk every third year. Instead of 'old deer' you would have more 'big old deer'. We as hunters need to be concerned with more than just 'The kill'. I believe in the hunters of Oklahoma. I believe there are enough of those in the Hunting Community, that are not short-sighted and selfish, that know people depend on their dollar, and they would continue to hunt and spend money there. Southeastern Oklahoma would still be crowded every deer season, even if it were a doe only year. For those that would choose to not participate, there are many more waiting to fill his spot. Many hunters do not hunt just because they cannot find a place to hunt. I wish I could let more people hunt my place. Everyone that hunts my place come every year. Why? They are participating in 'Management', and don't whine about not killing a buck. The memory and re-telling of the thrill of watching a monster buck on a food plot, chasing a doe, working a scrape, or slinking through and not killing him, has become almost as big a deal here as a 'kill'. They are letting smaller bucks walk on 'off years', because they know there are bigger and better. There has not been a tag go unfilled on my place in 10 years or more, other than me. I did not even carry a gun this year, I hunted with my granddaughter. Don't focus on not killing a buck every third year, but killing a better buck the other two.IMO, your 3rd year harvest will never fly. I'm not going to say it doesn't work, but I don't think it will ever happen. Just because it may work doesn't mean it is the right thing to do either. There are areas of the state that depend on hunting season to make money. Down here in Antlers, the local economy depends on the hunting season to make it through the year. Not necessarily with income from leases, but just out of area money flowing in from all of the people coming in to hunt. You kill that for even one year, and that is going to have a major impact on the economy. So while it may help with letting the bucks age another year, the results effect people that don't even hunt and that right there is enough to make me never support the idea, and I think all the people in this area at least would agree. We've already got some of the oldest deer in the state running the hills down here. I'll be damned if I ever support anyone telling me I can't hunt them. Just my 2 cents...
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