the only think I would add to it is the fact you need a decent sized piece of property if you going to manage your deer ...
Or all your neighbors playing by the same rules!
You cant' just makea blanket statement that eveyone should only shoot mature bucks and be a trophy hunter. That's just simply not practical. There are way too many uncontrollable variables involved.
There are just some tracts of land people hunt that will NEVER hold a mature buck on it. If this is all someone has access to how can anyone honestly ask or expect them to pass young buck after young buck? That particular hunter should buy a hunting license and sit in a treestand watching buck after buck pass by holding out for the 140 class buck to magically pop out of the brush?
I have 2 main pieces of land I hunt.........
#1
700 acres of hardwoods, food plots, swamp, dense brush, creeks, etc..... It's a great chunk of land with lots of deer and lots of decent to monster bucks on it. We personally know every neighboring property and hunting party that hunts the surrounding area that encompasses our land. We've talked extensively and usually get together every year to discuss things. Everyone is on the same page and practices the same philosophy of only taking mature bucks or cull bucks. We try to manage the buck to doe ratio to the best of our ability. All totalled it consists of about 2500 acres of good land. We have a good thing going there. That kind of opportunity is almost like a fairy tale these days. This piece of land I will NEVER shoot an inmature buck. I know for fact there are bruisers roaming around. There are bucks that I've seen several times that ARE going to be bruisers in another year or two as well. And there are a gazillion young bucks.
#2
This piece of land is about 60 acres in size. It's surrounded by hunters (a lot of them) that could really care less about QDM or trophies. They want to hunt and put food in their freezer. They don't get too much time in the woods and want to shoot A buck period. It is hunted pretty heavily. I've hunted this place for years(since I started hunting).There are usually deer all over the place. Plenty of does andsome young bucks. The doe to buck ratios is absurd however. I go here to take my kids to see deer, to shoot a doe when I feel like it, to give my stands at my main land a break, just because I started out there, or if I feel like being in the great outdoors. I can count on one hand over the years how many "big bucks" I've seen at this piece of land. That includes trail cams, bowseason, spotlighting fields at night, scouting in off season etc.... There simply arent' any there. If a buck makes it past 2.5 years old here he's a magician.
My point is. I go to land #2 with ZERO expectations of seeing a "trophy" buck let alone sit in a stand hunting one that isnt' there. If this type of land is all that is available to some hunters then how can someone expect them to "hold out for the big boys"?
Bottom line is hunt what you want to hunt and harvest what you want to harvest. While Iwould like toencourage everyone to practice QDM I also know it's simply not practical everyplace. Know your land and it's potential and go from there.
IMO hunting is a personal encounter. I don't believe you need to justify, explain, or get acceptance from ANYONE about what deer youchoose to shoot. If it brings you gratification and you are proud of it ........... that's all that should matter.