Kentucky Outdoor Laws Changing – Part 1
There is an issue on whether or not to apply certain harvesting to Kentucky deer hunting. The state only allows deer hunters to shoot one trophy buck during the entire Kentucky deer hunting season. The best alternative is to allow a person to shoot two bucks during the Kentucky deer hunting season. The stipulation is that both buck must have a minimum of 4 points on one side. This addresses the quick decision making hunters have to do when seeing a bunch of points on the rack. As that buck comes of the thicket and into a shooting lane, hunters sometimes only have a few seconds to make a decision to shoot, then they need to find the kill shot and pull the trigger! Many bucks are missed because of certain gaming laws, but it really is a part of the sport.
The other option to really help Kentucky outfitters make the turn to an acknowledged leader in world-class whitetail hunting is to only allow hunters to shot one buck to improve this outdoor industry. The same rule as above; the deer must have a minimum of 4 points on one side. Many Kentucky hunting outfitters has this self-imposed expectation during a Kentucky deer hunt. Michigan has the same type of rule except they allow any size buck for their first animal and the second buck must meet the above standards.
In order for the culture of Kentucky to change, we need some laws to govern the size of bucks taken. The responsibility of making Kentucky tourism a marquee destination for deer hunting should all fall on the shoulders of larger property owners. Kentucky deer hunts and kills come from individual citizens who like to go to their friends or grandparents property once a year in hopes of killing that Kentucky Whitetail trophy! Kentuckians really want to change? Many generations of families have been fed by dad going out in the truck and doing a little road hunting of deer for meat. I have family members who do this and I’m certain the fisheries and wildlife factors in the kills from these people who do not report the poached deer. So does that make it acceptable for wildlife management purposes? Maybe, but I don’t know.
People will always poach and break the laws during the Kentucky deer hunting season. I suspect many of us have no problem looking the other way when a man goes out and kills an animals to feed his family on. It’s the people who shoot a deer just for fun or worse yet, because they seen a big rack on a deer consider it a trophy buck. I’m afraid not. That is the same as going to a store to buy your own 2 foot tall trophy made of plated gold saying you did something special. If there is no competition, then is it really a trophy?