ORIGINAL: VA HEAD HUNTER
just out of curiosity. what is wrong with trophy hunting? is it wrong to only shoot a mature old buck? or if i only have one buck tag should i just go after a small buck? i think the term trophy hunter is used about as loose as the term hunting accident. i myself only go after mature animals and that goes for bucks and does but i eat what i kill so am i classified a trophy hunter? if its a small buck i dont shoot them unless they are a big older buck with small racks cause i dont want them breeding on my farm.
There is nothing wrong with trophy hunting at all! What I don't like is trying to take away from another hunters experience by making him hold out for a bigger buck when thats not what he wants! I think any antlered buck is worth taking! Looking at the antlers on the wall makes me smile every time! I'm proud of those bucks! I hunted some of them very hard! Just because thier antlers aren't huge doesn't make them any less of a crafty animal! If taking mature bucks only is what makes you happy then all the power to you! Thats not what makes me happy and why should I pass up on what makes me happy so you have a better chance at seeing a mature buck next year? If we let them all grow to be once in a life time bucks then they wouldn't be once in a life time bucks anymore! They would be par for the course and no different then todays 2,3,4,5,6 pointers! Again there is NOTHING wrong with hunting for the bigger older deer if thats what you want to do. There is somthing wrong with trying to restrict what other hunters can hunt so you have a better chance of seeing an older buck! There is definetly something wrong with making a youth pass on any buck when that buck could and most likely would hook him on hunting for life! My first deer was a small 4 point and is still my favorite hunting memory!