And those are some impressive facts.
We all evolve. From being excited about our first deer, then about getting "a" deer, then a buck, then a "big" buck, then a room full of big bucks. I turned 35 this year. I used to scrutinize my cred as a hunter based on what I could harvest and if I was taller than other hunters. I've grown past all of those phases and have found peace and pride in what I achieve each year, despite not having killed a deer in some 10+ years.
I lived and hunted through the brutal triangle of death that hit the MN herd in 2012 and 2013, when the state had the pedal to the floor on harvest, the brutal winters, and wolves decimating my zone. It was then that I realized there was a whole different trophy out there. What I saw angered me and I set myself in a direction to rebuild and stabilize my herd, as much as one tall man could.
Now, despite having no venison in the freezer for years, I have never been more proud of what I've done as a hunter. I am proud of the does I let walk, the fawns they have, the tons of new food I grow, the number of acres restored from mono-speciation back to diversity, trees planted, cover created, natural browse provided, and soil that's been re-balanced and rejuvenated.
Starting next spring, I'll be retesting the soils I've amended over the past few years. I suspect I got them fixed up right given the plants have never looked better, and the deer are responding more than ever. That's what I'll be putting in my frames.