it's all part of hunting, i don't assume i'm going to shoot a buck every season or heck every decade. but if things work out then i will take one if he is a mature buck.

i understand what your saying that people shouldn't let winning a prize from one of the many contest's they now have in texas define them as a hunter. i myself will not loose any sleep if i don't win one. but you can bet your arse if i ever do bust one that is a bruiser 200+ my truck is going to put some mile's on it making the parade route through south texas at each on of the contests. or maybe if i shoot a real fat doe, i believe they give a jacket for that also.

I ain't buying this crap I don't care about antlers, if you say that it is cause you ain't never taken a true trophy. Meat is cheaper at the locker plant, so don't give me that story either. I hunt the bone cause I can and I want to, and don't need to justify why!

I've killed many younger smaller antlered deer. I've killed a couple of respectable antlered deer. I've come home with an empty tag many times waiting for a big antlered deer. So with this type of experience I am led to believe the older, better antlered deer are fewer and more difficult to successfully hunt. I kill my does to manage the herd and eat. I have a buck tag to use as I wish and I wish to tag a large antlered mature buck.

I'm still waiting.

Still waiting. . .

You don't buy that crap that I don't care about antlers, huh? Wanna come see my "wall of shame"...but hey, they all ate great and it's more fun than going to the locker plant. I honestly don't care about antlers and I don't need to justify why! Peace y'all.

I have not had the pleasure to take "a true trophy" however I want to

This year is my 1st year on a lease, not to hunt in Minnesota and to be honest with you, my plans are to harvest two "slick top " good eating does, because I think there are slim to none chances to take a moster and I want some food on the table.

Next year in Wyoming will be a different story though

Tim

then shoot does and leave the youngsters alone for us that do hunt bone! Save money at the locker plant

I dunno why someone can't hunt deer and not really care about antlers, like in trophy deer. We do does because my wife can't tolerate beef. I get more enjoyment out of someone taking a trash buck than one that could improve "the herd" overall. Like I said, it's probably related to guiding and feeding deer that I consider them $$ and not wall decorations for myself. I like seeing them grow year to year. When they get to the point where you know he ain't gonna make it anymore than I think a mercy killing is in order, but that's just my opinion.

But even when I was guiding I wondered why guys would shell out "big" dollars to shoot a buck that if they were lucky might have been in the 140's. The only thing I could come up with for some of them is that didn't have the time to mess with a lease and going to an outfitter was easier.

for some it is easier and more practical to just pay an outfitter and to increase there odds of harvesting a buck. and with out it you know as well as i do the commercial hunting would cease to exist with out horns and people willing to pay for the chance to hunt them. i would enjoy guiding but i wouldn't want to hunt that way,atleast not for whitetail. i like putting in the hours of scouting and fixing feeders. but there is definitely nothing wrong with hunting what ever make's you happy or how you hunt as long is it is legal.

Because something has to be.

True BIG bucks are hard to come by.Without paying for it...It's not to often the average hunter gets a chance at a brute.So to take one is exciting and fulfilling.
We all pass doe after doe because we can.They are much easier to find and killvest.JMO

Hunting big bucks is addictive, it’s not very rewarding and you’ll go through long dry spells. You’ll get calluses around your eyes from bino’s. You’ll constantly question your own sanity. You’ll spend far more money than you planned. You’ll hunt in weather a normal person would avoid. You’re feet will hurt; you’ll come back sore and mentally exhausted. Why would a sane person put himself or herself through that?

Fill up the truck and break out the spotlight, yall are working way to hard at something that is supposed to be fun.

It's a curse!

Rat, only on Wednesday night when the GW is in church.

Hwy 206

If the Good Lord wants to provide Antlers...then so be it. I hunt for the thrill of it and the meat. Anything with horns is a BONUS! However, with that said, there is SOMETHING about HORNS that makes a man STUPID!!!!!

What is a true trophy? I look it like this it is in the eyes of the beholder. I have a couple of nice ones on the wall. Most will not score over 120 but they are true trophies to me. I could care less anymore about horns, but they just have more meat at the other end. My wife will only shoot does or cull bucks unless a big one comes and then she just shoots a pic of it and tell me that I can't hunt her stand. I guess it is a right of passage for young hunters or old ones that have just started hunting. I know I hunted for about 10 years before I even shot my frist deer. I hunted East Texas and just never saw buck because that was all you could shoot. Now it is time for my kids to start hunting and I hope they will go for the thrilland the fun and a nice buck will be a plus.

There are several sources that state your basic whitetail was meant by nature to be an 8 point in the 120's. I guess that's an average they got from somewhere, so it would seem you are on pretty good ground. Good for your wife and you are lucky by the way that she likes going hunting.

Many people will agree with me, they want to kill a deer big that way they can show it off. I'm a little different, I dont really care about killing a huge monster, if I got the chance that would be great but its nothing that I have to do.

I would much rather be in the stand watching the deer and how they interact, I have done that many times and will keep doing it as well.

BWB, I have spent countless hours in stands; hunting, guiding, feeding, scouting and even seeing deer by coincidence while driving and I too get fascinated by watching how the interact and relate to each other.

I've seen a few monsters for this part of the state on low fence places (150 through high 160s maybe low B & C) and have felt the thrill of seeing them. I haven't really been tempted to shoot them though. It just doesn't do anything for me. Maybe it is because I haven't actually gone hunting for one in the still hunt sense. If they come by a stand it is like anticlimatic to pull the trigger. For me it's the seeing and watching. Damn I'm a voyeur, a peeping Tom!