I guess I think in the original scenario, someone should have stood up to the ones who were giving the new hunter grief. The point being, shooting a young deer is neither inethical, nor illegal, nor in anyway wrong or stupid. It's a mistake only in terms of holding out for a larger deer if a good supply of meat is the goal, or if a trophy is personally important to the guy.

In fact, an arguement could be (and should have been) made that shooting a young deer, is much smarter than shooting an older deer, especially a big antlered buck. It's easier to handle and is more likely to have tastier meat. Better for population control - male or female, this deer will never breed. Better for QDM: this deer, with a lower natural survival rate than a mature deer, is better to shoot than a prime mid-aged breeder that hasn't achieved trophy status. This should have been stated loud and clear to the ones giving grief as well as the proud new hunter.

The last thing that should have been done is to give him any indication that he shouldn't do it in the future - unless, again, the idea is to hold out for a larger deer for the sake of more meat.

Assuming antlerless is legal, it is in no way "better" to hold out for a buck. Other than the trophy factor, which is strictly a personal decision.

The word Bambi was used in the original post (and I know it was just a phrase, not really meaning doe-eyed, cute Bambi). But I do think there is a touch of the Bambi syndrome among those who think shooting small, young deer is wrong. A minor and harmless variation of the same Bambi Syndrome that non, or anti-hunters have in thinkng a cute, lovable animal shouldn't be killed. A fawn is small and cute and therefore is more worthy of protecting than it's grown mother or father. I just don't see any logic behind this, and therefore think it's emotion.

Remember, I said **minor** and **harmless** type of Bambi Syndrome. It's a FAR, FAR cry from the full-blown totally unrealistic Bambi Syndrome that anti-hunters have which they try to plant on the rest of us. I really don't care if a person choses not to shoot any particular animal, for whatever reason they have, even emotional reasons. Really, I'm sincere about that. There is absolutely nothing wrong in making hunting decisions for personal, even emotional reasons. But that's different than actually thinking or telling someone it's wrong for them to do it, when it plain ain't wrong! Just the opposite, it's good for many reasons.