Setting goals and being "goal orientated" is a good thing...to an extent. Striving to be a "trophy deer hunter" is not a bad thing. I don't think you will find too many folks who would turn down the chance to kill a B&C buck if the hunt was freely available to them. However if taken too far it has the potential to turn your experiences sour and remove all the fun out of the pastime that is hunting.
BigJ....I know you wrote that to GR8....but it sure hit home, here in NC
. I need to find "balance" between my competitive (internal) nature and my love of hunting. I can go into a mountain steam and flyfish for hours on end.....and although catching a 15" rainbow is a thrill......the 6" brown or speck is great. Also just being there in the stream is heavenly (I mean that....it's surreal).
I need to find THAT in my hunting. I push myself too much. I went to the place I hunted when i first started, yesterday.....just to get back to basics. Cool sit. Saw two little bucks fight.....and 7 does. That's just having fun standing in the stream.