Havent heard from ya in a while BOWDACIOUS. Great post and well said.

BOWDACIOUS you are so right, the trophy is the hunt itself and not the deer, there are to many elitist out there that look down their noses at people who take a doe or a spike, or those that gun hunt. In reality they have lost the concept of what the hunt is all about. It is not a P&Y buck, nor is it the number of deer, it is the hunt, deer harvested or not. The guys that are out there strictly for that P&Y buck need to take a step back and think about why they hunt. If they are hunting to be #1 then they are not hunters, they are competitors. True hunters are outdoorspeople who are there for the hunt and not the #1 buck. Do not get me wrong, if I am given the choice between an 8 and a 10 point I will take the 10. Do not misunderstand what I am saying, I have no problem with some one practiceing QDM to increase the size of bucks on there property, but those that hunt strictly with the purpose of taking a trophy and nothing else are no longer hunter, but competitors.

The Tazman

Well ole Hatracked an I had a similar discussion at one other time in one other dimension on some other board..

I'm proud to announce, racked that my son finally scored his first this past season. Not with a bow, with a 243. A small doe to be exact. Was it a trophy? You just ask my 11YO that question. Heck, ask me. That is one that'll never be equaled.

It's even in one of the the most prestigious of books:

My home huntin photo album..

"Will Hunt for food"

amen bowdacious!!!

Nice post Bowdacious!

True character is derived from what people "care" about most. I often question the motivation of why some people hunt. On the other hand, I enjoy sharing what we are so blessed with. Those that respect creation enough to consider and make animals and future generations of hunters their top priority,your welcome at in my hunting areas anytime.

I will live, teach my children and die by the following philosophies.

1."Its not the size of the animal that counts, it's how you go about it!"

2. Respect all of Creation, by putting the heath and wellness of the animals first. (Quality Managment)

3. Something earned means much more than something handed out.


IHW,
Shed





Edited by - shed1 on 01/18/2002 14:10:37

I have a couple of small antlers that I havn't given away yet, skull, skins, teeth, claws and snakeskins but my biggest and best trophy to date is an arrow shaping tool made out of stone that I found in a coastal cave while hunting. It would be nice to get a book rack, but it isn't why I hunt or even in my thoughts when I go afield.

Nice Post Bowdacious! It only applies to a
select few here in NY. 85% of the bucks taken
in a year are 1 1/2. I look for something 2 1/2. If I can get one fine. If not I have
nothing against taking a doe

WOLFEN68~~Here is the buck I shot with my shotgun. A 9 pointer (should've been 10 but had a broken G2 on the right side) He's 17.5&quot; Wide. A very, very nice deer where I hunt considering the neighbors practice the brown and down approach. Not bad for a rookie's first deer huh? Nobody can decide for <font size=5>me</font id=size5> what <font size=5>I</font id=size5> consider a trophy...so don't even try. IMHO <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> Please do not think from my post that I shoot brown and down because I don't I would rather shoot a doe than a small buck any day I would've e-mailed this to you, but your addy is hidden

Dan Blair

Edited by - Dan B on 01/18/2002 15:13:46

Edited by - Dan B on 01/18/2002 15:25:51

We shouldn't put hunters down for shooting small legal bucks, but at the same time it is no less honorable to be a trophy hunter. Each of us has a different standard as to what qualifies as a trophy and what gives us satisfaction when we hunt. In other words - to each, his own. I know several &quot;trophy&quot; hunters that are great guys, who are not obsessed by their pursuit. They feel no pressure to succeed. They do it, because they enjoy it. Actually, I don't know a single trophy hunter who isn't in this catagory. I'm sure obsessive ones exist, but I don't believe they make up a significant percentage of trophy hunters.

My own goal is to simply kill a bigger one than I have in the past or to kill it with a more difficult hunt. I love the challenge and I love the hunt. I am not hard to live with if I don't get a big buck. In fact, I derive a certain satisfaction from passing up several small bucks each year. It leaves me with the knowledge that I don't have to kill to have hunted and to have enjoyed the hunt. Sometimes I lower my standards if the season is coming to a close and I haven't seen any sign of a deer in the catagory I'm looking for.

The pleasure I feel when having succeeded in my goal is far greater than the one I would have if I shot the first deer that walked by. The fact that I've chosen to hunt like this, doesn't mean I expect anyone else to. I hunt for my own pleasure, and no one else's. I expect everyone else will do the same.

Dang it Bowdacious, its about time you showed up again. Now this is the sort of post you are known for, dang it again, don't take so long it making them! Well said Bow!