Not entirely sure what you’re pointing out here. I thought I was agreeing with you.
I try not to judge hunting practices I don’t understand but I’ll never understand dog driving (like we do in the south) nor shooting anything that’s technically legal. Dog and man drives are de rigueur in other places. When in Rome I’d give it a try but not my cup of tea at home.
Don’t have any problems with bait. Does go to it but I’ve rarely seen a trophy over a feeder. Just makes it more convenient to collect some venison.
I was talking to a cousin-in-law last year who hunts moose in Maine where she lives. She was appalled that we hunt out of stands. She thought it was lazy and unsporting. According to her if you weren’t tracking and stalking you were shopping, not hunting. Tough woman.
I think practices are all pretty regional and often have more to do with terrain and proximity to civilization than anything.
Seems like you understand my points, by your comments. The part about your cousin-in-law. You may have personally only seen does at baits/feeders. Have you watched any of the TV hunting shows where the hunter sits in a raised box blind watching a timed feeder, waits and chooses the buck he is going to shoot(?).
I have participated in both dog and man deer drives. I call it rabbit hunting deer. This type of hunt has its pros and cons. Done properly I have no harsh qualms. Conducted improperly, I most certainly have a lot of opposition to this type of activity.
Your last sentence pretty much nails it. And why I refrain from, to some extent, judging what or how others consider what it means to hunt.
Should those that choose to shoot an animal at extreme long range [vs getting as close as they can] call it hunting, its not for me, but okay as long as it is a legal hunt.
If a person chooses to hunt from a tower, all weather, temp control, box blind at a timed feeder where they can pick and choose a deer of their choice, want to call that hunting, as long as it is legal, okay, but it's not for me or what I call hunting.
Regardless whether it's a tower box blind or ground blind that's not what I have a problem with, as I do build/use natural blinds and naturally created blinds made from tree limbs and brush for deer hunting. I also occassionally use pop up blinds and netting material for blinds, however mainly for turkey and waterfowl hunting.
I have a qualm with timed feeders, because they condition game to come to the sound of the feeders whether feed is being dispensed or not, and unlike regularly packed in placed baits which can be devoured before the next time the placed bait is replenished or hunt. I compare both types of baiting to fishing not hunting. But hey, as long as it is legal where you are at, okay.
I have tried treestand hunting in thick woods with heavy under brush. I had a broken toe so stalking was out of the question and four other times after my toe healed. I can understand the advantages of treestand hunting, I just don't care to.
As to the OP's question on preferred deer caliber. Without specifics there are too many calibers to choose from and why I carry 2 types of weapons; a rifle or shotgun and a revolver. Certain areas I hunt can go from one extreme of clear open woods in one place to extreme dense under brush and everything in between in another place or depending on which side of the trail or mountain I'm looking at.
Then there are the threads of preferred calibers for those taking youngsters and the recoil sensitive family and/or friends hunting.
And now back to my initial response to the OP's question: as to season muzzle loading or gun; On special quota hunt areas that only allow the use muzzle loaders or shotgun. Or in states that only allow the use of muzzle loaders and shotguns; use slugs only or choice of slugs or buckshot. Tennessee only allows slugs for hunting big game where as North Carolina allows the option to use slugs or buckshot when hunting big game.
