Originally Posted by
rockport
No I really don't know the difference. It seems like most of us that are trophy hunters are pursuing mature deer for the challenge. If I just shot whatever walked out I'd only be hunting about 5 days a year.
So thats the difference? Leaving the antlers at the kill?
A trophy hunter just hunts for the rack. Whether they eat the meat, or not. They wouldn't consider shooting any buck that didn't have a good rack. Some will hire outfitters to make sure they get a trophy. They also spend a lot of money at a taxidermist. Their hunting life is consumed by antlers. it's all they talk about, and can tell you what a rack measures from 100yds away. For them the hunt means nothing. It's the kill that's important. If they don't kill a trophy the hunt is a failure.
That's quite a bit different from the hunter who hunts for meat, but also enjoys the challenge of getting a mature (not old) buck for the challenge, but could care less about the antlers. He enjoys the hunt more than the kill. He rarely talks about the hunt, and never shows pictures. He enjoys the hunt for himself. This describes how my dad was, and he passed it on to me. So, it also describes me.