I went thru the shoot ' em all stage. I' m now more selective but I' m not a die hard trophy hunter either. I stopped competeing with the guys in camp. Who makes the first kill of the season, who takes the most deer, who takes the best trophy. I no longer care. I hunt for me; call it being more mature or experianced or more secure with my own ability. Hunting should be enjoyable. Do what makes you happy.

If you want to try to exercise some patients then try this mental game. Only shoot a deer that is bigger than the last one you shot. After you tag an 8 point then erase the slate and start over by shooting any legal deer. If you don' t fill your tag but see several nice deer your hunt is still a success!