I didn't read all these threads, because honestly I get tired of reading this stuff. I will give my opinion though. (When don't I?)

I truthfully believe it depends on the area you hunt and what the patterns and pressure is like. Some places you simply don't see mature deer unless it is during rut. By the time they reach that age they have figured out the game and just don't take the chances the younger ones do. I have hunted places where you just don't see big mature deer until it gets too dark to shoot. They become mostly nocturnal animals until the rut starts. And then it is pretty much a luck thing if you see them or not. I see plenty of large mature deer when I hunt, just never during legal shooting hours.

I have also noticed something else. Most of the trophy or record deer I have seen, especially in my area are not shot by hardcore trophy hunters. They usually get shot by some weekend warrior or some ones wife that just happened to be in the right spot at the right time. It is very common to see a picture of a really nice deer and next to it is someones kid, wife or some hick slob hunter that got lucky during shotgun season.

I would say this website is made up of some fairly exceptional hunters. Very passionate about what they do and put extra effort into what they want to do. How many here hold state or county records or have multiple high scoring deer in the record books?

Makes you sort of wonder doesn't it.

My opinion anyway.

Paul