IMO a good representative deer for the area is not a "trophy". When i say that keep in mind that i hunt each year hunting for a good representative for my area, which is 110-115 inches. I shot a 100 inch 8 point this year and am thrilled that i killed him. In my mind he is a trophy. In the conversation that we are having right here on this thread though, my deer was not a trophy. The largest deer that i have killed was a 115 inch 6 point, he is the only deer on my wall and every time i look at him i get a warm feeling inside me and a huge smile comes to my face. He is a trophy for me, but IMO when compared to what is out there, he is not "trophy" status. In this thread, a trophy, top end deer, monster, whatever you want to call them are not behind every tree, hell they arent even on every property.
I agree with buckeye, a top end deer to me is one in the top 10% of the mature animals in a given area. Like i have mentioned in past posts, i never thought it was possible to shoot a P&Y deer in NJ, now i know its not only possible, but hunting the right locations and hunting smart, its a goal that can be accomplished almost yearly. That being said, i have never shot a p&Y, but have seen them and muffed up my chance last year.
Location certainly does play a large factor in killing larger deer. One property that i hunt is only a quarter of a mile from another. Both are great spots and i see and kill deer in each. The one spot simply holds more large deer. Part of hunting is finding these locations. Just cause you havent seen a p&Y caliber animal on your property doesnt mean they arent there, they might just not be using land that you have access too. Now dont get me wrong, by hunting out in the midwest, i certainly think you have a Hugeadvantage in killing a p&y than in NJ, Pa, Ny, Nc, Fl etc, but for us in these lesser known big buck states, lets not sell our states short. They are here, just look at the yearly buck contests and shows in the state.