See Gus thats where you lost me..it's the challenge of taking a buck with a "trophy" set of horns.
The horns (antlers for purists) mean nothing alone
and a challenge without a prize that you desire, is a challenge to whom?
That's what I am trying to get at GR8. What's all the talk about "letting them go so they can grow" if it's about the challenge. If everyone practiced this, would killing a 4.5 year old still bea challenge? Sure the big horns come with the maturity......most of the time, but if there were a plethora of mature deer "with big horns" how would the challenge thing work then?
If the challenge is "easier" is the prize as desirable?
It seems to me that if it were all about the challenge of killing a mature whitetails then wewould not have many advocating to let em go to make it easier to do. Are you not just wanting to stack the odds in your favorto win the prize?