Handles-Where I hunt elk it takes five years to draw a cow tag whereas three point or better bull tags are available over the counter.I don' t take a small bull to say I got one but rather to fill my freezer.By the way I am hunting on my own without a guide in my home province.I may only see a single legal bull or at most a few each season but I will see hundreds of deer.

Handles,
I will answer this way,Deer live in every part of the forest,plains and river bottom,they are easily accesible and to hunt.Elk don' t live in the forest,they inhabit a chunk of it,in Montana I read that elk are 1:10 sq miles of elk habitat.Those are not very good odds when you put down on paper,let alone a bull and your odds get short if they are in heards and area gets bigger.I' am a resident of Montana a elk tag costs me 17.00 dollars and a deer tag only 15.00.So you ask if you are home state resident your attitude would probaly change,I don' t thinks so.If you are a trophy elk hunter you are not out for meat,if you are a elk hunter you are hunting for elk,and thats any leagle elk.

I' am not a trophy deer hunter,I will shoot a trophy buck of any species if presented,but I make no attempt to harvest a trophy buck,I just hunt deer.If my monster white-tail don' t show,I take down his momma or one of his family at the end of the season just to show him I will be back next year and I mean buisness.BBJ

I am a trophy hunter who likes the meat very much. But first and foremost I am a hunter who just loves the experience, memories & feeling hunting gives me. I know that hunting is not a cheap way to feed my family, it is a pursuit of passion & love of the outdoors that drives me. My trophy hunting is largely contained to deer, antelope and bears. For these animals it has to be my own trophy class (which only I set for myself) or nothing. If I really need to take one for meat I will harvest a doe or over the hill buck, never a young immature animal that may have potential to fill my dreams. With larger game such as moose or elk, it is nice to shoot a big one, but any of these critters to me is a trophy, so therefore I still consider myself a trophy hunter. A trophy is in the eyes of the beholder and if you are happy with your harvest then it should be viewed as a trophy in my mind.

Those who hold out for big then take whatever are the most common hunter, we all have visions of big bucks dancing, just some choose to not go home empty and become an " Opportunity Hunter" . This is also fine, because like i said in the end we all hunt for our own reasons, as long as we are satisfied when we are done is all that really matters. Those who make hunting a competition are not what I call hunters, it should be on a personal level and when this is done the person holding the tag is the only one that can decide and ulitimately go home happy. Basically no right or wrong way, it is all a sport called " hunting" . Yes track/tag soup happens to all hunters and is a part of the sport we all will encounter.

When I stated " hornhunter' ,I should have said trophy, but in reguards to trophy I mean any species, anywhere, not just deer. This includes elk, moose and bear also. I love the meat also but the satisfaction of fullfilling a predetermined goal is sweeter than any steak I' ll ever eat. Afer waiting for four years I finally got drawn for an elk tag, but went home empty handed. I saw lots of 4x4' s,some 5x5' s but when I applied for my tag I went for a 6x6 or better zone. My first bull elk HAS to be a royal or better,just like my first grizz HAS to square 8ft. or more.As we all know hunting is not cheap so why SETTLE FOR LESS than it will take to fulfill the dream,goal or challenge? It would only leave me feeling like I shortchanged myself.All I know is the sweetest honey could' nt compare to standing over a perfect 8x8 bull. Just my 2cents anyway.
While I' m at it, best of luck to all this season, may you all bring home plenty of meat and memories.

Their is nothing wrong with trophy hunting aslong as you harvest a trophy and let the little ones go,shoot a doe on the last day for meat

BBJ In some states, like WA, you can' t hunt for Does unless you put in for permit. And I refuse to " raffle" my hunting rights each year[:@]. BUt on the other hand I will not shoot a toe head no matter what, even though I am more on the meat side of this argue meant than the trophy side. I will not shoot anything less than a solid forked horn.

Trapper T,
I understand in some states you can not harvest does,be the population or deprevation what ever the case.I know in some states a forkie or a small buck or any deer is trophy.I also know with big hunting and lots of hunters,you come across a 2 point(eastern terms a 4 point) you better shoot him cause someone else will.I also know that if a Montana, started making their hunters put in for tags and not offer a general tag(Over the counter) for deer or elk in most hunting areas I would move some where else.
BUT I' am PRIVLEGED to live in a state that alows me the right to shoot any deer shootable or elk or moose or bear,antelope,MT Goat,Big Horn ect... that my tag and state game laws allow.
[quote] plainsman

Trapper,
I understand in some states you can not shoot does,I alos understand thet when you find a leagle buck you better shoot him cause someone else will.
But I live in a state that allows me to shoot any leagle elk,deer,moose,MT goat,Big Horn ect...I wan' t,under state game laws and tag restriction.
If it were not for pepole who " Trophy Hunt" you would not have a chance at the bucks you get,someone has to pass them up.

Thanks Plainsman cause someone will gladly harvest that 4x4 or 5x5 and call him their trophy.
As for the grizz,when Montana allows grizzly hunting I hope I draw a tag,and any leagle grizz will be a trophy,same as when I draw a moose,Big Horn tag.I will shoot the first leagle one and with horns.
Hunting is exspensive,I cannot afford a Alaskan Grizz hunt,or Yukon moose hunt,I will raffle my hunting right for a in state tag,for a once in a lifetime hunt.

This is where I say to each their own. It doesn' t matter to me what you hunt for, how you do it, as long as it is within the law. I hunt how I hunt, and I would never push it on anybody to hunt that way. Likewise, I do not want to be told how to hunt by somebody else. The energy put into these arguments should be saved for our showdowns with the antis, or someday they will all be a moot point.

I also say to each his own. I don' t have any problem whatsoever with trophy hunting. If thats what you' re after, nothing wrong with that. Even though no one has directly said it I get the tone from you " trophy hunters" that because I like to fill my tag even if its a less than boone and crockett animal, that I am somehow not as good a hunter. Someone said that taking a smaller animal makes you a the " most common type of hunter." What does that even mean? I could care less what statistical category I fall into as far as rack size. One could even make the arguement that trophy hunting is a vain practice. Not that I' m saying that.

Hunting is its own reward to me. Bag filled or not. Harvesting an animal is a somewhat sprirtual experience for me. A two point muley gave its life for me to put meat on the table just as much as a monster B&C 5x6 with drop tines.

Again nothing wrong with trophy hunting in my book but I don' t think I' m somehow less of a hunter because I settle for anything but a trophy. Its just a difference in perspective.

This post was NOT started to condem anyone for shooting forkhorns and such, only to find out who' s got the conviction to only shoot trophies.What you decide is a trophy is all in you' re own perspective,to me a fine rack with good meat is a trophy,to others only horns matter, and others, meat is trophy enough. In our own right we are all trophy hunters,maybe we just have a different idea of what TROPHY means. With that cleared up, lets go trophy huntin' !!![8D][8D]