So you get a chance at a really large antlered deer for your area (be that 120 class, 140 class, or 160 class), except it is missing half its rack. It is not late season where it could have shed and should be around next year - it must have broken off fighting or something.

Would you shoot? No right or wrong answer of course, just curious where everyone else stands. If it was a really mature deer, I think I would take it.

NO!

Hatchet Jack

I couldn't do it.
If you are hunting for trophy bucks then horns are what its about. Thats why I don't believe in late season doe hunting,What a waste of QDM if you will kill the bucks you passed early in the year and then shoot them after the have shed.
Until bucks start caring birth certificates maturity means nothing to me I'm going with the horns.[:-]

In the past I would have shot, but now I wouldn't. As Jim said I want the horns. I shot a busted up buck this year with a gunthat had a good portion of his main beam broken off and while I was very pleased to get him I wish I had known how broken up his rack was.

Rob, are you going to post up on this buddy.

It would depend. It's not all that black and white.

I would leave it for the others who would.

NO!

I would take him in a heartbeat. As much as I dream about monster bucks with massive racks, I'm just as happy with any deer I take. I don't hunt for antlers and just knowing I was able to take amature buck like that means I was able to outsmart him (whether he has his antlers or not, he still has the same brain).

Until I start hunting areas where I get multiple chances a season to pass on “shooter” caliber bucks, I’m shooting that busted up racked buck if he otherwise meets my standards. In my eyes, having a busted rack does not lessen the achievement of shooting that deer. I am lucky to get one chance at a buck meeting my standards a season, and I am not going to let him pass just because he’s busted up.
Kudos to those who can, I’m just not in that position to do so.

I voted yes before reading the entire thread. After reading the whole thread again I'll have to say no I wouldn't shoot. Only way possible I would shoot would be if that 120" buck (half rack) looked terrible and was an older deer 5.5+.