I and my hunting partners have practiced QDM for years. Basically for us the rule has been that a buck' s rack had to be outside the ears. Now here in Wisconsin, we have land just bordering Buffalo County, considered to be one of the best spots for trophy bucks in North America. Most of our neighbors also practice QDM, so we often see big bucks and are fortunate enough to sometimes harvest big bucks. But I also realize that many hunters don' t have the same luxury. To some, a 6-pointer with a 9 inch spread may be a nice deer. If so, that' s great and I can be happy for them

Having said that, I don' t believe that hunting should ever be just about the size of the rack. It is still about having fun. What may be a trophy to one hunter may be a scrub to another. Don' t get me wrong: I wouldn' t like to go back to the " shoot it if it has horns" days, but one needs to be reasonable about things as well. Myself, I' m generally more interested if the hunter is happy with the trophy than if I think it was " one that I would have shot" . What I mean is that I have seen some supposed " big-buck-only hunters" get all lathered up about a 16 year old who shoots an 8-pointer with an 11-inch spread. In my opinion, the deer is probably a trophy to the kid, and he or she will remember it for the rest of their life. Is it worth getting all riled up over that and making the kid feel like they really screwed up? Just my opinion, but I don' t think so.

I think we need to keep our priorities straight with regard to hunting. At least to me, it' s not about who shoots the biggest buck, who makes book, or even who gets the most rings of venison baloney. It' s about having fun. It' s about enjoying the outdoors. It' s about the rush you get when a deer...any deer...walks right by your treestand and has no idea that you are there. Maybe you don' t even see a deer. Maybe you get to see a couple of bald eagles roost in a nearby tree while sitting in the stand. Or maybe it' s a badger or bear that walks by. And most importantly, its about having a good time with your hunting buddies.

To me, that' s what it should be about.