Like everyone said, it depends on your area. I hunt the same area every year so i have a different mind set than most people. I hunt elk all season, so i have time to look for the big one, but that is not always best. In the rut, spikes and smaller bulls are quite a bit more vulnerable, but i would definately take a cow over a spike.Let the spikes get bigger to help the genetics in that areaI would shoot any satelite bull, not only because any bull elk is a great trophy. Not that i would pass up a huge herd bull if i had the chance, but sometimes it is better to let that larger bull breed. In my area, i have noticed a certain genetic line that shows up in a lot of the elk. Their horns start to have the same frame, and that is good. I have no problem shooting a younger bull and letting the larger bull breed, but that breeding bull is usually hard to pass up. It all depends on your ethical view. Quite a few of the guys i hunt with have passed up 320 class bulls for that reason. They have a few of them on the wall already, so why get greedy? You know you are starting to get in trouble in an area when you notice younger bulls with cows during the rut, and that might mean maybe you should shoot cows to preserve your elk hunting for the future