re: Why I hate Tree Stand Hunters

I'm not going to read the whole thread. So I apologize in advance if I repeat someone else's insight.

Hydro, I'm not angry at you at all. However, I do believe that your original post reflects some ignorance of how people hunt in different regions of our great nation.
To the point, the majority of the south is private land, private clubs and limited access in terms of range.
In places like Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Washington, etc, the hunting is cut into zones based on enormous tracts of public hunting areas. Areas that lend themselves to hiking, glassing, stalking and accurate shooting of prey.
People who are raised in, perhaps, Colorado would have the worst experience in the world trying to "glass" for, stalk and shoot a whitetail deer in the palmetto swamps near the Baton Rouge area. Not only is it impossible to travel through these swamps quietly, but you can easily cross into someone else's property and get your arse shot off.

In many Western states, there are lotteries and a 4-8 day opportunity to take an elk, cow, muley, whatever. My friend in Arizona just drew a tag for a prize bull in the best part of the state. It took him 19 years of trying to draw this one tag. He will go there with me, two other friends and his dad. We will all spread out each day and help locate the elk, stalk and hope he alone gets a kill. That is very different hunting than on private land in Southern states.
Where I hunt now: I know that I will scout in the off season. I will plow fields, build stands ($200-$300), work the cameras, take kids hunting, donate vension to the needy and I will enjoy the hell out the hunting season.
Although we get to "pick and choose" our deer.....that is exactly what we do: "pick and choose"...
The people I know pass on many, many deer every year. They shoot injured does, old does and mature bucks. They do not make mistakes like shooting a 10 point three year old buck.
We work really hard and we make really good decisions on the land we hunt. AND WE HAVE FUN for the entire season.....not just one week of a season.

Both sides have positives and negatives. It is pretty ignorant and short-sighted of you to say one is better or more respectable than the other.

OH, and by the way.....the states that have a little of both (Missouri, Illinois, Iowa,etc) have both for a reason!!! The hunters of those states hunt open land in a 'western' style and hunt from stands when it suits their advantage; or when they are on smaller tracts of private land.

Good day.