Amen to that PA! I cherish the memories of every deer I've killed, from the old lookout does, to the bouncey button bucks, to the gray-faced, lust driven old fellas. I hunt for the thrill of the pursuit, for the love of the challenge, to experience the fascination and reverance of nature and animals, and for the raw sense of invigoration...to feel "alive". I do NOT hunt to "harvest" anything like Bubba-Buckmaster, to be some kind of one-man "deer management" tool, or to gleen a feeling of "success" through some notion of antler size.

If I get within range of a big antlered buck, that's great. But if I manage to get within range of a doe or small buck, I'll do my best to arc an arrow through it...and to carry remembrance of that adventure with me for all time. Shot opportunities alone are cherished. I've hunted alot during each of our 6-week archery seasons over the last 15 years and have killed a dozen does and four bucks. Deer aren't running rampant where I hunt and being "selective" would serve little else than to reduce the opportunities of putting my skills to the test.

I don't hold anyone in a lower light who chooses to shoot small deer over large ones any more than I snub rifle hunters or compound bow hunters for using high tech equipment over the meticulously crafted handmade wooden bows and arrows I that I so love. By the way, I shot this "scrubby racked" 8-point buck last season as it interupted my final approach stalk on a doe. A trophy? ...For me, you bet!