My criteria in PA with traditional gear I have a feeling will always be "decentlegal buck"........Take the occasional whopper opportunities as they come but if I hold out every year for a mature buck here my arrows will eventually fall apart from lack of use. I definitely like the feel of just "Deer Hunting" with this gear. I have an almost childlike renewal of interest and love the simple feel of it.
For the past I don't know how many years bowhunting here just became a game of "do I feel like cleaning a deer tonight?" when one was in range.

In Illinois or anywhere in the midwest I stick to "I'll get him mounted".........If he walks up and I'm already picking out a taxidermy form in my head I'm shooting. The location dictates possible realistic opportunities for mature deer 3.5 or olderso that's my goal.