Go back to this acquaintance of mine. This is a guy who has never killed a deer over 120 in his entire life- he goes on a pay-hunt to Illinois and shoots an absolute freakshow buck 3 days later. What happened? Did he just wake up one day and learn the inner secrets to slaying monster bucks? Should I expect him to shoot a booner back here in PA next fall, now that he has learned these new-found skills?
Do you have pictures of this buck and does this guy live in Westmoreland county?
Back to your original question, I think it all does come down to knowing your area and what it's capable of producing. I answered 110-125 because to me that's a big buck. Prior to 2004, I hunted for a buck. Anything with antlers was fair game. It wasn't until November 4, 2004 that my hunting world changed.
This guy showed up behind my house.
From this point forward, I stared paying attention and over the last few years, have found out my area can produce some extremely nice bucks and it has caused me to 'hold out' for something bigger. The more I watched, the more I realized the bigger bucks were in my area. Last year I took a 7 point that I may have passed on other years but it meant something to me. But I guess my point is, I've found a spot that produces big bucks (big bucks for my area) and that's what I am looking for.
When this piece of property turns into another industrial park or a housing development, and I stop crying, then ask me this question and it may all change.
Edited to add:
Now, let me add this as well. From 2004-2006, I was seeing any number of the bucks in that range I voted for. This was because the property was a natural funnel and the house that sat between the 2 areas was for sale and primarily vacant. Enter the summer of 2007 and a new neighbor moves in and uses the farm as her own personal stomping ground for her and her dog. The for-sale vacant house also was purchased and new people moved in. Now he is a bowhunter but he is also using the entire property and sudddenly, I'm not seeing the big bucks in my backyard like I was. Luckily they still hold up in my other property not 3/4 of a mile down the road but my point is, hunting behind my house for those first 3 years was great. Last season in 7 sits, I saw 1 deer.