Many hunters would frown and get denfensive if given the lable "trophy hunter".

What is a "trophy hunter"?

-If a hunter passes up a smaller buck because he knows there are bigger bucks in the area, is he a trophy hunter?

-If a hunter passes up the oppturnity to shoot a doe in hopes that a buck will come out, does this make him a trophy hunter?

-A hunter selects the biggest buck or doe out of a group, trophy hunter?

-How about a hunter that doesn't care for the taste of deer meat, but still loves hunting and donates his meat to a local kitchen that cooks deer meat for the needy or gives it to a friend that likes deer met. Trophy hunter?

-If a hunter pays $3,000 for a hunting trip to the mid west in hopes of bagging oneof the many 150''-160'' class deer there b/c his state's avg. buck is 100''? Trophy hunter?

-If a hunter hunts a 30,000ac high fence ranch. Trophy hunter?

-If a hunter hunts a 30,000ac low fence ranch. Does this make him a trophy hunter?

-If a hunter has no reguard for the meat, so he capes out his kill and leaves or disposes of the rest of the animal?

-What if a hunter mounts what he/she kills?

-If a hunter only shoots animals that he/she will mount?

-How about a person that hunts just for a rack? But does this person even exsist? If you don't like the aspects of hunting or the challenge, wouldn't you just buy a rack off of ebay?

Many people say that they hunt not b/c of the kill, but b/c of this and that and they would still go hunting if they didn't kill anything. But, if that person would go say three years w/o shooting a deer. How many do you think would still hunt as much or if at all?

A little about myself:

I love hunting for a lot of reasons, but if I said that the hopes of taking a record book deer wasn't one of the reasons I spend countlesshours planting, scouting, preparing, and hunting, not to mention all of the money, I would be lieing. Does this make me a trophy hunter?

Most of the time I do pass up smaller bucks in hopes that a larger one will appear and to let this deer mature. Most of the time I pass up does. I like to keep them around for the rut. Trophy hunter?

I eat the meat from my kills, but I aso give some to friends that don't hunt, but still like to eat deer meat.

I mount the bucks that I think I would like to see on my wall. Trophy hunter?

I haven't done it yet, but soon I plan on mounting a doe. I have never hunted in the med west, but I do plan to. For one, the change of scenery will be good. Second, to get a chance to hunt a place where 150''-160'' class deer are very common. Trophy hunter?


My conclusion:

In today's soceity, there are very few hunters that have to hunt to survive. I very seriously doubt there is anyone reading this that can't afford beef, pork, fish, or chicken. If so, I would hope that you would cut out your ISP, take the money and put some food on the table.

So in my opinion, unless you depend soley on hunting for a source of meat. In some shape, way, or form, we all are "trophy hunters".


I would like to read some views from others?