Originally Posted by
iayotehunter
I would pass. I have had my opportunity at a giant my first year bowhunting would have netted over 220 absolute giant. The reason I passed was the fact I wasn't comfortable shooting the distance he was at especially with how bad I was shaking with buck fever... Needless to say I haven't seen him again and nor will I ever. I had passed up many deer 150+ before I even shot my first buck because they were to young. I don't care about antler size though more about the age, antlers are a bonus.
I like to put it this way people are more sad and upset when a child dies than when an older person does due to the simple fact the child never got to live. Why not let the young dumb bucks grow and enjoy life and go after the old wise deer that can are the true trophy
Not that I believe a word of that but IF so, that proves my point that today's "hunting industry" & most of the shows filmed on high fence operations with genetically manipulated deer has done more harm than good for hunting. ESPECIALLY amongst younger or newer hunters as they think that's the way it supposed to be. Whenever a 150 class animal is snubbed, something is wrong. I realize the posters location IS in central Iowa & that IS one of THE greatest monster producers around but it's a simple biological fact that in 90%+ of the whitetails natural range, 150class represents the beginning of the top end of most bucks genetic potential even under ideal conditions! 170+ is a genetic rarity & equal to the rarity of 7ft tall humans! When you start talking about 200+ class then you are essentially "off the charts" as far as odds & predictability are concerned. When you consider all the natural variables like natural selection, genetic variability, natural mortality/survivability, hunter harvests, weather, food, environmental conditions etc... the odds of MONSTER bucks is a very small & fragile proposition to begin with. There's ALOT more involved than just giving bucks decent food & 5+ yrs of age!