QDM Splinter Group?

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: shaman

JPH:  Just a few months ago, I was kind of saying the same sort of thing and you told me I was missing the point and QDM WAS the thing I was talking about.  [color="#ff0000"]Now you got my head spinning.[/color]

Mission accomplished!

I dunno man, I've just seen a few people drag out the old QDM club and beat the hell out of other people with it. Kind of soured the whole thing for me.

I agree the "quality" needs to go. My only issue is that keeping it denotes that this movement came from that origin. At least as I see it, it does spring from that fountain.

I do think the ground rules should remain. I admit that they need some tweaking, but I like rules. Remember, I'm a militant. 

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: Patriot

ORIGINAL: Goose
To me, a year and half here and there to a person who is happy with it, does not bother me one bit. I was there and enjoyed it as well, I look forward to enjoying it with you.

I'll tell you what...I'll smoke the first 1.5 year old that comes by.  After that I will pass on them for the rest of the season.  It's like Diet QDM I guess.[:)]  I like to get some meat in the freezer and taste the feeling of the kill....I'm not going to lie to ya.

Rule #8 "Experienced hunters must make an effort to pass on yearling bucks, unless special circumstances exist" was the one I worried the most about in the writing. I don't really like the way it came out.

Here is what I was trying to get at. I am of the opinion that in many places, yearling bucks make up too much of the annual deer harvest. The consequences of this are well documented. On the other hand, the damage done to relationships between hunters when we force arbitrary restrictions on them may be as bad or worse.

I think many QDM dissidents would agree this is a problem. So rule #8 needs adjustment. How do we re-word it?

[smitty]

Maybe we can change the word "must" to "should."  It may sound a little more inviting.  I have never shot a buck with a bow.  To me that is a "special circumstance."  I will probably try to shoot the first buck I see that is legal, and work my way up from there.   Hopefully. 

[buckhunter21]

Rule #8 "Experienced hunters must make an effort to pass on yearling bucks, unless special circumstances exist" was the one I worried the most about in the writing. I don't really like the way it came out.
 
Well, Patriot is a little special, so maybe it applies to him?  [:D]   Sorry, it was there for the taking!
 
On a serious note, I love what you're saying here JPH.  I think you have some good points.  I like to think I'm a big QDMer, and maybe they are putting too much emphasis on antlers.  It's definately a fine line between what you are saying and what the official QDMers say.  But I do like what you are saying about making the property your own, and don't worry about your neighbors...If QDM doesn't make your neighbors happy, they should do what makes them happy, whatever that is

 

[willseyville]

i don't belong to QDM  because you can do deer management on your own. here in ny they're trying to get a.r passed and i hear the meeting get pretty wild. there are still a lot of guys like me who hunt deer for meat  that being said i will let little bucks walk and fill my doe tags. i have a guy up the road who is a member of QDM and he gets on me about what i need to do he once said to me do'nt be shooting any of my bucks that cross over on you. i said are your bucks branded he gotten over him self. but for the most part i feel maybe QDM is a some what like NWTF which i was a member for 21 years it started out as a grassroot org to improve the habitat and hunting of deer and turkeys now it looks to me it's about selling the name to companys and rakeing in the money[:)] wayne

[stumpsitter66]

It has been a long time since I have been on this site. My spouse has been ill which has taken up a lot of my energys. Interesting points JPH. If I recall Charles Alsheimer suggested something very recently called Percentage Principle Management. Basically he said revert to having fun for all but if you are a buck hunter then challenge yourself to hunting your land's Top 10 percent for bucks. IMO the qdm bubble has burst, as has been documented so well in all of the points made in your post.

Stump

[ranwin33]

ORIGINAL: JPH

No, you are misreading me. This new form of QDM must me founded on the idea that all are welcome. It just strikes me, from this conversation and others, that you are part of the "QDM establishment". Nothing wrong with that.

I'm just rocking the boat.

Then let me rock it back.
 
From what you have described, IT IS QDM.  I'm not seeing the splinter group thing here, because basically all 10 of your points tend to be subscribing practices of QDM'ers.  I think upatreestand75 hit it on the head when he said the biggest difference is just not griping.
 
I do not and have not seen a majority of QDM'ers wrapped up in B&C scores, food plots and snobbish attitudes, unless they are wrapped up in those things as they relate to Quality Deer Management.  Granted, I don't visit a great many other forums, but I have not seen those characteristics you describe on this forum. 
 
I am happy with the QDM movement because I choose not to look at the extremes of it and focus on the core elements and founding principles on which it was built.  Which takes me back to my original point in this post, I'm not seeing the splinter group thing here - what you describe is pretty much QDM.

[ranwin33]

ORIGINAL: JPH

I think many QDM dissidents would agree this is a problem. So rule #8 needs adjustment. How do we re-word it?

Just a quick question - is this splinter group actually going to have standards people should abide by, or is it just going to have a set of "rules" that if you want to abide by them fine, but if not, that's good too.
 
Anyway - here is rewording for #8.
 
8) Experienced hunters should make an effort to pass on yearling bucks and button bucks, unless special circumstances exist. Hunters should take into account the age structure of the herd specific to their hunting area when making decisions about shooting deer beyond 1.5 years of age.

[JPH]

How does this sound?

Rule #8 Experienced hunters shall mutually agree, for biological reasons, that yearling bucks should represent a small percentage of the deer harvest. The method for controlling yearling buck harvest is up to the individual hunting parties and landowners. Any restrictions beyond 1.5 years are strictly up to the individual hunter. We must celebrate this event with them. We must mean it.

[msbadger]

What a differance a year makes,,,,,God bless the forums and enlightenment [;)]