I was going to try and stay out of this...BUT

1st of all the night mare in PA has EVERYTHING to do with the herd reductions and little to do with the antler restrictions. There are some places where the herd reductions haven't hit hard, and the AR have worked wonders. But for much of the state there are just far less deer and that is causing the rift.

As for the passing on small bucks thing I am VERY middle of the road. I have shot a tons of small bucks and don't care to shoot another one ever. It's difficult for me to see how someone could keep getting excited over shooting a little first year buck, when basically its a foregone conclusion with them.

BUT I also realize that in my areas 4 1/2 year old deer are as common as big foot. It is still quite a challenge for me to find and shoot a 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 year old buck. That's just the way it is, they aren't a common thing due to the hunting pressure. I think places where mature bucks are running around everywhere are about pointless. If all the bucks are big, it lessens the value.

So if a person is at that point of thier life, or in a location where shooting ANY buck is still a challenge to them, no one should knock it. But if it's pretty much a given that the guy is going to shoot a buck with ease, I'd really hope he'd start challenging himself a little more, and calling him on it, shouldn't be taboo.