Antlers mean a heck of a lot more than a trophy on the wall. Antlers are an outward representation of herd quality, genetics and age. They say a lot about the available diet and the overall health of a herd in the area. The only way you can see what kind of area you have is to let the little bucks grow.
That's why I hunt for older deer with big antlers. They have already contributed to the gene pool for many years, they are more challenging to hunt and the trophy on the wall is nicer. I won't lie, if it was all about meat I load the freezer with cull bucks and does, but the big bucks get my heart racing.