David - I always enjoy reading your perspective and on this topic, like so many others, I appreciate and understand your point of view.

Long winded reply follows:
EVERY deer I see while hunting is a treasure for me whether I intend to shoot it or not. I have my reasons why I would or wouldn't choose to shoot a deer if presented the opportunity just like everybody else. (some won't shoot mothers with fawns for example.)

Can I be so bold as to compare deer hunting with my other life long passion of Fishing?
With every cast of my line I am hoping for that lunker fish. The biggest bass in the pond so to speak. What fisherman doesn't dream of catching a record book fish?
However, when I get that strike I don't care if it is a 1 pound bass or a 6 pound giant, I am very excited.

David, have you never been excited at the sight of a giant rack coming towards you? It may not be what you were intending to shoot - but doesn't it make your heart beat just a little bit faster when it does happen?

I hunted in southern Georgia when I was much younger - before deer were known to be able to look up into the trees. I sat in one particular stand every day for 2 weeks straight patiently waiting to see my first deer while hunting. When the moment finally arrived the basket rack 8 point stood perfectly broadside and unaware at 20 yards. I was so excited that I forgot to shoot and he meandered out of sight while I stood there mouth agape and shaking uncontrollably. Today my deer sightings are much more frequent but nearly every time God graces me with another close whitetail encounter I still feel like that little boy who forgot to shoot.

I agree that people place too much emphasis on rack size and I HATE the word Cull, but isn’t it all just a natural progression of the passion we have for that elusive mature whitetail orthat lunker bass. I’ve never met anybody who complained about catching too big of a fish.