The Core Contradiction of letting deer grow and holding them on small properties? The conflict lies between the goal of growing mature bucks and the reality of small property limitations.

"Letting Them Grow" (The Goal):

To harvest mature bucks (often 3.5 to 5.5+ years old), you have to pass on younger bucks.

The mantra is "Let them go, so they can grow."

This requires a long-term investment of time and restraint. "Holding Them" (The Problem):

Home Range vs. Property Size: A mature whitetail buck's home range is typically much larger (often 640+ acres or a square mile) than most small hunting properties (e.g., 20, 40, or 80 acres).

The Risk: You cannot physically "hold" a free-ranging buck on a small property 100% of the time. When you "let him grow" and he wanders off your property (which he inevitably will to feed or breed), he is at risk of being harvested by neighbors who may not share your management goals.

The Paradox: By improving your land to hold more deer, you may attract more bucks, but you also risk feeding and housing them only for them to get shot the moment they cross your fence line.

Common Discussion Points on This Topic

Becoming the "Core" Area: Accepting that you can't hold a deer 24/7, but striving to be the place where he spends his daylight hours (bedding) or feels safest.

The Sanctuary Concept: Designating a large percentage of a small property as a "no-go" zone for humans so deer feel virtually unpressured, encouraging them to stay during daylight.

Neighborhood Co-ops: Trying to build relationships with neighbors to get everyone on the same page about age-structure goals (though this is often difficult).

Attraction vs. Pressure: The balance of improving habitat (food plots, timber stand improvement) without pressuring the deer off the property with too much human activity.

"We discuss the self-defined 'hunter' versus 'killer' labels on social media. Honestly people, what the hell is with the killer labels in social media? The word 'killer' should never be associated with hunters or hunting. A killer is in jail! A good hunter is a totally different thing!

The guys talk about this label that many hunters nowadays think is a sign of excellence. In reality, it's disrespectful to hunters in general and makes us all look bad in the public eye. Being a good hunter starts with respect for the game you are hunting. We talk about excitement, respect, and remorse—the three main things we think every hunter in the world experiences with the harvest of any animal he or she pursues.

As always, we want to hear your thoughts. Leave them right here in the comments. We appreciate each of you! Have a great week and good luck out there if you are still hitting it hard." #theobsessionpodcast #hunting #deerhunting #outdoorlife #bowlife #hunting #landmanagement #huntingtips #whitetailhunting #whitetailhunting #huntingtips #outdoorlife #huntingethics #rushoutdoorswi #iamatthegymwhereareyou #iaminthewoodswhereareyou #bowandarrow

Social media and how much worse it keeps getting our rant on this subject. The guys sit down and talk about what they have seen change this year even more then the past few years on social media. We discuss what we see happening good and bad in our industry. Is all of this B.S killing hunting? Are you actually learning anything, and most importantly. How do you guys feel about what you are seeing here on social media? We really want to here your views so leave a comment here in the comment section on our Youtube channel. As always thanks for watching and we appreciate each of you. Have a great week we will see you next Saturday.