I hesitate to jump into this but I have been thinking about starting a post like this for some time.First let me say I have been hunting deer since 1958 hunting with a bow since 1964 I am disabled due to 2 heartattacks.
The biggest deer I have ever taken is an 8 point that scored 130 over the years I have saw l;arger but was not fortunate enough to be able to get them. For the first 10 or even 15 years I was lucky to see 10 deer in a season in places where I could hunt Oh I saw deer and plenty of them on private farms where the only word they knew was NO period. So I took a few small bucks spikes and 4 points. No one I had even heard of practiced management.Then through the 70's things started to pick up deer became more plentyful and some hunters decided to start passing on small bucks and that is their choice. Now here where I hunt 98% of the land is private and the majority of the hunters have to work for a living some are like me and have plenty of time but no land of their own or not in good health there are some nice bucks around not a lot but some because like all the other places in WV 95% of the hunters take the first buck they see. I have passed on small bucks several times to never see them again due to another hunter taking them and to me that is his right every one in the woods are not worried about hugh horns or a deer that is mature they simply want a deer and if it is gun season an a spike walks by then so be it and I will defend his right to do that forever. It was my choosing to let him walk knowing full well what would happen if someone else saw him. The first day of season this year I let a 3pt walk the next day he was dead.
If you live where you see 10 or 20 or even more bucks in a season then consider yourself very very lucky personally I have hunted a lot of days this year I have saw 1 3pt and a spike in season. before season came in I saw a 5 and a 6 both scrub bucks and they both were killed in the first week of bowseason.
To me it seems to come down to this over 90% of the hunters in the woods will take the first buck they see now dp the math that leaves about 10% who will always let the smaller ones pass this is a democracy I would never be in favor of a law that is for 10% just so they can hunt big deer get a life hunt them if you want let all you want pass by but do not try to force your way on the other man. Just be glad that you have he right to hunt and plenty of game to hunt for. Do not slam a fellow hunter because he is proud of his spike or 6pt be glad for him and if you are fortunate enough to get that big one then that is wonderful but I do know this the human being is never satisfied if you get one that scores 170 then you want one that is 200 and there is nothing wrong with that but when the thrill of harvesting a deer of any kind leaves me then I will hang it up forever.