what i think is a trophy
 

I would like to know what you guys think is a true trophy in your own minds?


My own is an animal that you take from it's natural habit, and the shot is less then 20 yards from you. That to me is a true trophy animal.


get close.

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

A trophy is in the eyes and heart of the beholder.
As a bowhunter, anything with a bow is a trophy in my eyes.
Personally, I like something with horns, meaning deer, or especially elk. :D elknut1

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

I like how Elknut1 stated it. For me, it's the something from the hunt that puts a smile on my face and how the hunt unfolded that makes that animal special. It may have been a great stalk to get in gun range, the patience to wait for the right angle when releasing the arrow and knowing you made a great shot, or the people around you during the hunt that made that animal a trophy. Sometimes it's not just the size of the rack that mattered while other times it was. It's all good...

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

I think elknut is right also. It all depends on circumstance and effort put into the hunt. I've had more of a thrill shooting a coyote running at 400yds than some of the deer or elk kills i have made. I'm not into just taking game for sport no more. If I don't want to shoot that day then that animal gets to live another day. When you squeeze that trigger that animal better be a trophy in your eyes or you just wasted its life. Wether its a whitetail doe or a trophy bull elk, the animals life exceeds our need to have wall hangers if that is what we are all worried about when hunting. A trophy is a successful hunt, and if an animal is killed then it was done as humanly possible as could be. I'm a guide I've had hundreds of successful hunts without ever pullin a trigger myself. It's all about being in the woods.

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

A Trophy to me is an animal from a hunt that is interesting and special to me. It might be a liitle buck in others eyes but if I harvest the animal it is a trophy to me!

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

I am a little different while I cherish every hunt and harvest with the same sense of satisfaction and smiles, I would peg them as memorable and enjoyable. At the same time by no means have all my harvested been of trophy status, which to me is an animal that is worthy of a special memory, place or status which gives it the Trophy label.

It boils down to what I or you think and really that is all that matters. I certainly don't set my goals or do what I do to measure up to anybody other than myself. As long as your happy/satisfied that is the only thing that matters and inturn you can put whatever label you want on the hunt or harvest.

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

i archery hunt because here in idaho , you can take either sex of deer or elk, and as far as i am concerned , in my eyes a trophy is an animal that comes close enough for a clean shot followed by a swift death with no suffering , whether it has horns or not doesn't matter to me. now don't get me wrong , i would love to get a buck/bull but i have choosen archery because i am not a picky hunter, i love to be out in the woods, the added bonus is to harvest an animal.

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

As far as I'm concerned, ANY animal you take is a trophy... whether it has antlers or not. If you worked hard, prepared, and made a good shot on it, there's no reason you shouldn't think of it as a trophy. From the smallest squirrel to the largest moose, all of my animals are trophies... and no one can tell me any different. But, that's just my opinion. I know people personally who don't consider an animal a trophy unless it's big enough to be a "book" animal. Actually, when I was younger, dumber, and had a BIG chip on my shoulder, I beat the hell out of guy in the parking lot of a sporting goods store. Why? Because a little kid, maybe 9 years old, was justifiably proud of his first ever deer, a small doe. One guy (a stereotypical "bad apple" hunter... you know, big gut, stunk of beer, knew everything) basically told the kid that his deer was worthless because it wasn't, in his own words, "big enough to hang on the wall." told the kid that he never should've shot the deer and advised him not to hunt again until he learns what kind of deer to shoot. Well, as I said, I had a helluva chip on my shoulder back then (I'm talking a redwood sized chip, and I was BEGGING someone to try and knock it off) and I confronted the guy, as he made that poor kid feel horrible, even making him cry. This was the ONLY fight I've ever felt justified in pursuing and I only hope that, to this day, he remembers the fist that broke his nose before he insults someone's trophy. Sorry, HAD to relate that story.

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

John unfortunately what you saw happens and is not because the guy is a trophy hunter it is more he needs to feel superior than other around him, probably the same guy that wouldn't know a book deer when he saw it. Equally unfortunate is the fact that there many people in this world that need to belittle to make themselves feel happy or good about there choices. Personally I have no room for this behaviour and would have reacted by confronting him as well. I may be considered or dawned with a trophy hunter label as I set certain standards and would rather shoot a doe or hang my tag on the wall then notch it on a immature buck, but at the same token I will never look down my nose or belittle another hunter for there choice as long as they are satisfied/happy with the harvest, same said if they consider it a trophy that is really all the matters. While we may have different views on what makes a trophy we are all doing it for our own enjoyment, which is the most important underlying factor.

I would just caution anyone who hunts for other reason than horns not do yourself the injustice and lump all of us into the category of this loser in John's story. Trophy hunters are no different than meat hunters, we all have our reasons, standards and we do so to challenge ourselves...there are loser in each group but to lump or assume is no better than what this fella did you have gone on the offensive to give reason for your choice, a personal choice I might add that I think only needs to be justified with in oneself not be accepted by others!!!!;)

RE: what i think is a trophy
 

thanks guys

the reason i posted this was to see how many people have the same thought of a trophy as i do. To show any youngster that takes a look at this post can see that we all don't care how big of horns that the animal has just as long is it's a trophy in there mind.




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