How many people think that BC score is getting totally out of hand? I say this because it burns my britches when someone shoots a deer and as people look at it, they say man in a couple of years that would have been a good buck. I mean isn't a trophy in the eye of the beholder? Don't get me wrong, I want to shoot a big un, but i would never tell someone, or make the comment if you would have waited it would have gotten bigger.

You are right Coach, welcome to the forum. Especially for kids!

To go a step further, I think most of them would have or have should deer just like the ones that they criticize.... but just don't like to admit it. I've seen that too.

I also think how and when the deer was taken makes it a trophy too

This is the new way of thinking and it's here to stay as long as the craze for giant antlers is around and by the looks of things when you see all the hunting shows and magazines it won't change any time soon.

Just like catch and release in bass fishing, when you don't dare bring in a (legal) giant bass to the the filet table at one of the lakes.

Us hunters did it to ourselves, and there is no end in sight, so we will just have to take the criticism with a grain of salt, and continue on, and not let it get to you.

A witty comeback might make you feel better,...Like... yeah but this is one you won't have to worry about, and I'm thinking about trying a new rescipe to get those horns nice and tender.

Jimbo, I know what your saying, and my comeback is along the lines of "you are wrong to say that, and if it wasn't a trophy then it would not have been shot". The whole purpose of this thread is to see if there are any others out there who feel the way i do, or if the majority of hunters out there are now sold on the if it's not 6.5 years old don't shoot. Personally, I try to shoot older deer, but if one comes out with and has a rack I like, I'm gunna drop it. I mean whose to say it won't get hung up on a fence the next week and become buzzard bait?

Yes, lots of us agree with you, fbcoach.

If I bring a deer into camp someone doesn't like I just say something like "What are you talking about? This deers mature. He sure as hell ain't getting any older; guess that makes him mature, doesn't it??".

What do you say to that? LOL

IMO the hunt is more rewarding than the rack. Sure it is nice to shoot the big boy, however there is nothing better than being with my little brother this weekend when he shot his first deer!

I think its in the eye of the beholder. But I know one guy that probably will hold off a little longer for something a little bigger next time.

A guy from work killed this deer opening morning. He was happy with this deer so who am I to tell him he should have let this one go:


We're in a 1 buck county so the next weekend he was doing a little coyote hunting when he came across this deer.


At the same time I've let one go about the same size as the one in the picture above and from the looks of things I may not get a buck this year. So for him he was satisfied to have meat in the freezer and said he doesn't have any regrets. But I bet he'll be a little more patient next year.

You let a mature 10 walk out right behind a younger 10, and I'll bust the older deer every time.

That being said, I'd never talk smack about something someone else shot. As you said, a trophy is in the eye of the shooter. I've been on leases that would allow guests now and then. My guests would always ask, "what am I allowed to shoot". Since I always invited friends who were relatively new to hunting I'd tell them, "we don't shoot anything under 8 points, and the older the better. But if you see a buck you really want, shoot it. I can not tell you what you'll be proud of. If you just want meat, please let the young bucks walk and kill a doe."

Again, I like to shoot older/bigger bucks when I can. But if it comes down to me shooting a young buck or not having venison in the freezer, the young bucks better look out. I too fell the whole 'trophy' hunting thing has gotten way out of hand. But like someone said above, the hunters have created this and now we as a group must deal with it. No matter how many stupid game laws and lease rules we have to deal with. If we divide and start fighting amongst ourselves, the anti's will jump on us like white on rice. It's better we remain unified.


Jay

If you are going to measure them for comparision...Water Displacement...only true way to compare antlers. B&C cheats deer out of what they grow. It is the reason so many hunters pass on a 9 pointer because that 9th point is a deduction (if you are talking net of course).

A true trophy should be about the experience and not about inches.

Truly said! That's why I go by gross and ignore "net" score-it's not about "aesthetics"- it's all about the BONE!

Psyco...I was looking for a way to word my answer while reading the rest of the posts...you summed up everything I was thinking!!

This is a good post and like what I am reading, maybe by reading this some people will understand why some of us like myself disagree with AR's.

Man this fires me up!!!!! I'm g lad I'm not the only one, my 86 year old grandad shot a 1.5 year old six point this year, I was so proud! First buck i've seen him shoot, ever. First thought in my mind was If I posted it, there would be people saying let it walk and grow. Man I would be fightin mad if I heard that, by the way he's shot more bucks than most. And yes, AR's are for the birds. My preacher shot a 10 pt. this past week with hardly any teeth in his mouth. 13.75 inches wide.

Like it or not B&C is the standard by which bucks are judged and many of us go by that standard when decideing whether to take a buck or not. I apply that standard to myself I don't shoot little buck's, my goal is to take a bigger one than the last one and concidering the size of the last one I may not ever shoot again. This is a standard I apply to myself and no others as you can see from pictures I've posted of others who have hunted my place. Now as far as making comments about others deer' I'll keep my standards to myself unless they ask for my opinion as to whether I would have shot it or not, then I will be honest.

My viewpoints... Agree and disagree with you.

Why would I post my views on age/quality about someone else's deer on the internet. I know nothing about that situation or the game situation in that area.

However, at my lease where we have agreements and we are paying $$$ for common goals/understanding.... "that one could have used another year" is a nice way of saying "why did you shoot that?"

Also - don't agree with those that say it should be different for kids. My nephew is having a great time learning patience. He is also learning that hunting is bigger than the kill. By the way... he is doing great and can't wait to get to the lease to take a doe next week. No buck for him. He shoots off his granddad's allotment (my dad) and granddad took a nice 8 pt last week (1 buck lease).

All that said, fbcoach - I think I agree with you on this from the point of view that I won't post that on the internet unless asked the opinion by the original poster.

Did ya'll age the buck in the picture? (tooth wear) He looks to me like he has a long wide face. Not necessilary a young deer.

So where do we disagree?

Huntalot, if you are hunting with your nephew and a younger 8 walks out and is legal, if that deer fires up you nephew and he wants to harvest that deer will you allow him to?

score dosen't really matter to me...but age does...I will not pull the trigger on anything less than 4 1/2 years old unless its obviously a cull and needs to go.

I've killed buttloads of bucks that were from 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 that would not score 120 b&c.

in all actuallity, if your managing your place, a deer should get considerably bigger from 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 with good range conditions. i've seen deer go up in antler growth at 6 1/2, also go down...it depends on the deer, like people, some age better than others.

I think that the majority of small deer pics posted on here that cause an uproar isn't because of small racks is because of A LACK OF AGE.

Also...I don't know anyone who goes by net score other than for official scoring. los cazadores dosen't even use net


I will add this, some folks spend alot of time and money, not to mention sweat and blood to build up a place because they like to see mature, big bucks running around, not have a herd of yearlings and 2 year olds. this is why nobody wants young deer shot.

it sucks but until they invent catch and release deer hunting some folks are just gonna have to live with the fact that its beginning to not be kosher to bring a young deer into camp.

the state gives plenty of tags for does, and even allows for a few extra buck tags for culls and management deer in most counties, i could see if its a hunters first deer, especially a kid, but alot of deer i see posted on here would be nice deer if the hunter would have passed on them and shot a doe or a True cull.


it all comes down to two types of people...givers and takers. takers take what they want, then justify it by rediculous comments like "I paid for it, or the state allows it so its legal" my favorite one is ...you can't eat the horns.

givers give back to the outdoors, plant food plots to benefit the wildlife, not just to shoot them over. they practice selective harvest, spend alot of time increasing the value of property and are rewarded by killing a nice buck.

i know not everyone has enough land or neccesarilly the means to do all this, but more people than you think can

I shot a decent 8 in Missouri with my bow a few weeks ago. Nice deer but much younger and smaller than I prefer to shoot. I have been trying to get one with my bow there (during the short fire arms season) for 3 years and had already made the decision to compromise my standards and when he came out the decision was easy. I still regret it for the reasons of age. 2 years and he would have been real nice, given he didn't walk past someone else.
The folks I hunt with feel the same and even though they were happy for my success they also acknowledge the other too.

Why do you take the comment as an insult? I know for me it is just an observation. The comment could just as easily be "that deer was past his prime and needed to go" or "that deer didn't have the genetics to ever be a monster". Is that an insult to you too Coach? If so you need to look within yourself and see why you are offended by it because I don't think most of us mean offense by it.

In other words you can tell me I'm short, ugly and not to bright but if I know better or am at ease with who I am why would your opinion mean squat to me? I think you are making something out of nothing.

And by the way WiskyD, he said there was no tag left for the young man to take a buck, not that any size of a buck was an issue. Don't try to turn this into another AR BS post.

How is that rediculous? I call it hunting.

If someone takes a deer within the law there is nothing wrong with it. People spend thousands of $$$ every year to deer hunt, and they have every right to take whatever they want. If they spend all that money and DONT kill anything, thats what I call rediculous.

Seems like every year more and more people buy into this "Texas Trophy Hunters" mindset that the only right way to harvest a deer is to take a 5 year old buck. I think people are forgetting what hunting is all about, which is getting out there and seeing whats going on and filling a tag, and bringing the meat and memories back home.

If you want to "manage" your deer population by taking older bucks, feeding protien, or whatever mumbo jumbo you read in magazines, then by all means you have my respect. I just dont think its right to call foul over someone shooting a 3 year old eight point.

First off passthru I don't remember asking for your opinion. Second I never mentioned anything about tags or AR's. I asked a question for a better understanding of what he is implementing with his nephew.

As for your comment, why are you beating yourself up for shooting that 8 point? You mentioned that you have been trying to shoot one with your bow for three years and you did that, congrats. I think you just made the point of what everyone is talking about here, so I will ask you, are you happy with the deer you harvested in Missouri?

Couldn't say it better myself.