Published: December 19, 2008 12:14 am      

Should bucks walk?

Apparently, an interesting give and take has started based upon my column “Hunter Up!” that was published in the Dec. 7 Cumberland Times-News.

In essence, I outlined my approach to deer hunting, saying that taking a small buck is just as much a thrill to me as taking a buck that sports large antlers.

Some hunters liked the column, saying it captured the essence of why they go afield during deer season.

Brian Simpson, whose letter appears elsewhere on this page, is of a different school. He makes solid points in his letter. He is absolutely correct, of course, that if young bucks are not killed they become older bucks. As elders of their herd, they should weigh more and carry larger antlers.

Simpson would like more hunters to let small bucks walk so that they age and grow. Fair enough. In my column I said I believe there is room for deer hunters of all philosophies. One private landowner may want one sort of deer hunting and another private landowner may want the exact opposite version.

Hunters on public lands are at the mercy of the state regulations.

Speaking of state regulations, they play a large part in the makeup of the deer harvest.

I would think that in West Virginia, where antlerless deer can be killed throughout what has always been called the buck season, it is a bit easier to let small bucks walk and kill does. You can hunt all day and, if things work out just right, kill an antlerless deer as evening approaches, knowing you can return again tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow for two weeks looking for a big buck. Many West Virginia counties allow for the killing of multiple antlerless deer.

In Almost Maryland, however, that being Region A of the deer management plan, that being Garrett and Allegany counties, antlerless deer were legal fare for only the last two days of the two-week season on private land and only the last day on public land.

Thus, each day a hunter passed up a little buck kept him deerless for that 24-hour period. I have seen many a Maryland rifle season where does were plenty visible during the early part of the two-weeks, but doggone hard to find in the last day or last two days.

In addition, rifle hunters in West Virginia are allowed to kill two bucks, whereas their counterparts in Almost Maryland may take only one. Additional bucks would be OK, however, if the hunter goes to Region B, a suburb of Almost Maryland.

The only way to have widespread quality deer management — a formula that requires hunters to pass up shots at small bucks — is for it to be required by the state, as in Pennsylvania.

Maryland has considered quality deer management options, but balked at instituting them. For one thing, Maryland needs a lot of deer killed in certain parts of the state. West Virginia, however, has some public hunting areas devoted to the growth and hunting of big bucks.

Anyway, I appreciate Brian’s thoughtful and well written letter. I know there are different ways of looking at deer management and hunting. I look forward to thoughts from other readers.

Contact Outdoor Editor Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.