I agree with you OP, deer hunting has really changed. I hunt for the trophy "freezer deer" on a small parcel my wife and purchased in WI about 6 years ago. Prior to that 40+ years on mostly public land, with some private back in the 70's. Never really gave a poop about antlers. While I will shoot a buck if/when one presents a clean shot, I mainly hunt for the does. This season I was given 1 Buck and 5 antlerless tags, and was fortunate to bag 3 really nice does. Freezer's filled and life is good! As my Dad would say, "you can't eat antlers", he's gone now, but his words still ring true for me.
Be well folks
Last edited by Divenut2; 12-11-2018 at 11:42 AM.