Sakuki's point is well taken. On an expensive guided hunt, of course your goal is to kill the biggest buck of your life. That is what you are paying for. I will never go on one of those as I cannot justify paying to kill a bug buck when I have opportunities to do so for free. But I can certainly understand that mindset and agree with it.

However, at home and speaking only for myself, I am just as like to pass up a 16", eight-point as I am a spike. It would depend on the age of each and the potential I can see in each. However, I would shoot a doe before either of them.

Today I received an email from an 8-yr old reader with a picture of his first deer, a dandy eight point with a 20" spread. He wanted to me run it with my column next week and I shall. My thoughts were, what will he do to improve on that and how will he regard a fellow youngster who kills a doe.

The thinking and term, "Oh, it's only a doe." has always set my teeth on edge. I worryonly about what I shoot and as long as my fellow hunter kills his/her deer legally, I am happy for them no matter what it is. After a while, a wall full of horns gets boring. Makes you want to go smallmouth fishing.