Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

I wanted to find out how many of you feel the same way. If someone shoots a deer with a bow and gets it mounted, I call that a trophy. If someone shoots one with a gun, no matter what size, I call that a nice deer. In my book it's no trophy because shooting it with a gun is no major feat.

For me it comes from the areas I hunt. Several places I can use a gun and I would have a wall full of 160s and 180s if I did. Now, I have no more desire to deer hunt with a gun no matter where I go. I will always choose my bow over my gun.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Honestly why should anyone care, what you think about the deer they shot.

"In your book" you the head of Pope and Young?

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Boy Charlie got up a little grumpy, eh?

Since us hunters shoot deer and get it mounted just to show them off, it's a very valid question. I won't be rude and tell someone it's not a trophy. I will just compliment them on a nice deer.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

That's a mighty prejudiced POV you have there Fieldmouse ,
why not just sell your guns ?

I know a few folks like you , I call them what they are , snobs . Just my opinion , but if you mount it then it's a trophy . :eek:

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

FM, I feel "somewhat" the same way about MY deer. I've only got one deer (a spike) with my bow but I don't feel that it was a trophy. However, I think that I could stick another spike under different circumstances and possibly feel that it was a trophy. Anything bigger than a spike, I know I'd feel like it was a trophy. I've killed 4 bucks with a rifle BEFORE I became a bowhunter, and I feel like they are trophies. NOW, I have zero desire to hunt bigger game with a gun. I love my bow and bowhunting.

I do not feel this way about "non-bowhunter's" kills. If they are excited about they're kill, then I feel it is a trophy for them. JMO

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

What one person considers not to be a trophy may be the trophy of a lifetime to another. I have seen spike bucks mounted and even does and the persons who had them on the wall were proud owners of a trophy in their eyes. I have deer mounted that was killed with bow and gun and they are all trophys to me no matter what weapon was used to harvest the animal. I have also killed many deer that i considered a trophy that isn't on the wall. When my 11yr old son killed his first deer which was a doe it was as much a trophy to him and myself as it would have been if it were a big 12pt buck. We didn't have the doe mounted (although i thought about it) but it will always be a trophy to us both. It's no doubt a feeling of accomplishment to harvest a nice buck with a bow at close range but that feeling is no less when shooting one at long range with my rifle. To be honest every deer i harvest is a trophy to me because i love deer meat!:D

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

So if I go into a highfenced guarenteed hunt and shoot it with a bow it's more a trophy then a buck shot by a guy that packs back into the wilderness and shoots a great buck?

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

The only person who can decide if a deer is a trophy or not is the one who shot it. Wether it be with a gun, bow, crossbow, pistol or anything else. Personallly when I see a mount I base my decision soley on the size of the rack and nothing else. However that is a biased opinion because I don't know the circumstances under which the animal was taken. Therefor I never pass judgement on any deer I see hanging on the wall but rather offer my congrats to the hunter bevause I know to them it is a trophy.

Eric

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Although personally I will most likely never shoot another buck with a rifle, I have learned that compared to some places, it is easier for me to shoot a buck with my bow than it is for someone to shoot one with a gun. So I can't deny anyone's trophy. I do plan the next time I come up short in archery season to try and take a buck with my revolver. The close range hunting that I plan on, holding to my personal rack size standards, and the added difficulty of using the revolver will certainly make a buck taken with that weapon a trophy to me.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Bearklr, you broke the page.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Never thought about a pistol,.....that would be cool too!

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

fieldmouse i think it's harder to get a deer on the ground with a gun rather sitting in a tree and waiting for the deer tcome buy. dont get me wrong there both hard to do but you have to be a lot more skilled to stalk on the ground with a gun

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

What do ya mean?:)

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Charlie, I must have woke up just as grumpy as you , because the concept that the weapon you use dictates the trophy status of a deer is ridiculous. By Fieldmouses logic both the typical and non typical world recoreds aren't trophies. Not only is that laughable i think a person with those views is most likeley admittable. Fieldmouse you are simply stating tha the harder the weapon is to bag a big buck with the more of a trophy it is. And you actually set the cut off at a bow and arrow.

Here is a list of acceptable trophy hunting tactics

hit one while going exactly 5 miles per hour on a ten speed bike.

pelting it with snowballs, sorry no trophies in texas.

swiss army knife.

boomarang.

a rope.

If you use any other tactic that these you are simply a paocher that only wants to hunt canned hunts with sophisticated weapons where the deer stand no chance.

THats my story and im sticking to it!




(Note: I do not endorse or realisticaly believe in anyhting after the first paragraph. If i did I would be an egostistical elitest )

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

missing the boat again....

the reason most people get their deer mounted is to (should be to) preserve the memory and honor that animal that we killed! so what does it matter if it was killed by a gun or a bow???

at least thats what i believe.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Bearklr,I know"size matters" but couldn't you shrink your team name a little.[8D

Don't know about that motown, you can still whack' em from a good distance off the ground with a gun.

I've killed four with my bow at ground levelfrom ten yards out to about twenty two, what a rush.

My point is this.Today's hunter can basically buy their trophy, gun or bow , so the weapon you use to kill it isn't as big factor.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Off subject but what the hay, B&C you been out doing any Salmon fishing?

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Charlie, is that better? I didn't mean to strain your eyes:D

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

To me the trophy is in the eye of the bow holder.:D Seriously though I myself will never take another deer with a gun, but I don't begrudge my best friend for having 2 150's on the wall that were gun killed. It's been my preference, for the last 20 years, to bow hunt only. But who am I to judge how another person hunts. hang in there FM you'll take a beating on this one.;)

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

In my opinion, it's a trophy if you consider it important enough to mount and display on your wall. If it's just another deer, then you won't bother to mount it. The method used to kill it, is completely irrelavent. Heck, you might have been hunting with a self-bow and homemade arrows, but the deer simply walked up to you while you were sleeping and you bounced one off a tree to kill it. It could have been the luckiest kill in the world. On the other hand, a gun hunter might have patterened the deer for weeks, and purposely stalked to close range in heavy brush, skillfully making the kill. Who gives a rat's rear end what the weapon was? Nobody records the details of the hunt, and that is what really makes a kill memorable.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

I have a little diffrent view but I can understand your point. In Maine and New Hampshire there are very few 150"+ class deer taken. Any deer that goes book (B&C) is a trophy around here. There just aren't that many bucks sporting head gear of that calibre.

I personally get more satisfaction from hunting with my bow. When I was younger I was happy with every deer I took no matter the mothod it which it was taken. Now I've got a buch of deer behind me the method I take a deer is more important then taking one. I suppose some day I'll put down my compound and go old school as I feel I'd get more out of it, Personally.

I won't and don't force my views on others as to what weapon they hunt with. As long as a hunter is hunting within the law and practicing fair chase, how they choose to take an animal is none of my bussiness. I do feel deer I take with a bow are more of and accomplishment then a deer taken with a gun but that can't be imposed on others IMO.;)

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

i have been hunting deer since 1955 and have taken them with rifle,shotgun,muzzleloader and bow.some from the ground and most from a tree.a trophy is in the eye of the hunter that took it,period!there is no question in my mind,that a mature buck with a bow is the ultimate challenge due to the fact you have to get so close to make the shot.i have deer on my wall that do not make the B&C OR P&Y but they are trophies to me because of the shot,how long i had to hunt it before getting a shot, or any number of other reasons.a trophy to someone like myself,is not going to be over 140-150 class deer due to pressure and area i have to hunt.the point i am making is that a 21/2 year old buck with a bow for me would be the equivlient to a 160 class killed by a member of primos,realtree etc. in the spots they get to hunt with guides telling them where to hunt. maybe i am alone on this but that is how i see it.there is no question in my mind that bowhunting is much more difficult than taking a deer with a gun.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. However for me, if i get my deer with the bow or the rifle i am after a 150 class deer at least. For me it makes no difference what i killem with but i want a good buck. If i pass up a buck with a rifle i would also pass up that same buck with my bow. But everyone has their own judgement system.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

If I knew this was going to get such a response, I would have posted this a long time ago. Keep your posts coming.

I do think it's interesting I've been called a snob because of my view. I've stated this several times, I bowhunt purely for the sport of bowhunting.

Why own guns? I love shooting sporting clays. I won't turn down a any type of bird hunt, though I want to hunt geese with a bow. I just don't actively seek bird hunts. Also you never know when you might have to shoot someone breaking into your home. I can tell you it's not an fun position to be in.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

I think everyone's idea of a trophy differs. I don't care if it's taken with a gun or a bow... If the deer is nice and the hunt was special, it's a trophy. Who cares what it is taken with...
But, would I rather kill a monster buck with the bow or gun?... Bow of course! ... but he'd still be a trophy either way...

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

This topic bugs the hell out of me. I am a bowhunting fanatic and believe every deer I shoot with a bow is a trophy. I don't mount every deer, but I had to do a lot of things right to get that deer on the ground and in my freezer. I enjoy gun hunting as well, and the only deer mounted on my wall is a gun shot deer. I haven't put any bowkills on deer because I haven't shot a pope and young buck yet. I consider my wall hanger a huge trophy. I put a lot of years into getting that deer and wouldn't trade it for the world. It is hard to believe anyone who hunts with a bow could post this, but everyone has the right to their own opinion. I just wonder if you are one of the people interested in joining Clinton and getting rid of all of our guns? If this happens you can bet it won't be long and the bows will be gone too. Then deer hunting will be but a memory and we will all be in a pickle. A trophy is just that, something that means alot to the individual who holds it. Please don't discredit them on their achievement.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

The above should read, I haven't put any bowkills on the wall because I haven't shot a pope and young buck yet.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Amen to that!

Size of the kill or weapon aren't everything,
- Location
- Circumstances
- Personal effort
- First kill or 15th P&Y
Many factors affect YOUR satisfaction level.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Fieldmouse, I'll agree with you, whether right or wrong, because that is the first feeling I get when the inevitable 'comparing of the the bucks' happen at work and in church or wherever in December. I show pictures of my bucks, and everyone else shows pictures of their's or their friend's deer and when a nice one is shown that was taken with a gun, I sort of dismiss it. Is that snobbish, sure it is, but when I have seen bucks of equal or better quality at distances that I could not reach with a bow but could have taken with a rifle, why should I get all giddy over their deer? Maybe they put on a great stalk to get it, and that changes things a bit, but even in stalking, if both the bow hunter and rifle hunter are stalking, the rifle hunter still has the upper hand, except if the bow hunter is a snap shooter and the rifle hunter is using a scope, maybe.

What I'm saying, and what I think Fieldmouse is saying, is that with all things being equal (ability of hunter(s), amount of time in the field, hunting the same property at the same times, etc.) that getting a buck with a rifle is much easier than getting one with a bow, so yes, it does diminish the trophy status of the rifle kill some, IMO. I have never heard a rifle hunter (which I am one as well) say, "Gee, I saw a nice buck today but I couldn't get it with my rifle. If only I had my bow with me..."

I think what has caused such a debate is that people feel as if you are diminishing the trophy quality for the rifle hunter, as if you tell them, "Hell, who cares? You took it with a rifle." Trying to make them feel bad about it. I don't think that's what you're saying at all. You just don't praise it as much as you would a bow killed deer. I would bet that everyone that is bashing you does the same thing but in different fields of interest. An example would be Joe Montana listening to a guy in a bar brag about the High School Championship game he won as a quarterback. Sure, Joe would be happy for the guy, but would he gush all over it? Hell no, since that does not compare to the SuperBowl Rings he has on his hand. Winning the Super Bowl is a little bit tougher than winning a High School Championship. And I'll say this (and it has been said on this board before), every successful bow hunter would make a great gun hunter, but not every gun hunter could make a great bow hunter. That's a hard fact to dispute.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Fieldmouse, your arrogance is appauling to me. People with holier than thou attitudes are what makes many gun hunters look at bow hunters as a bunch of elitist jerks. And you have just helped prove the point. Division amongst hunters is something I can not sotmach and you and those like you are going to be the downfall of us all. Not everyone has the time it takes to be a bow hunter. Does that mean they should stay on the sofa rather than hunt a few days a year with a gun? Get over yourself man.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Very well stated by23856.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

My first buck was a little basket racked 4x4 which I mounted. I shot it with a shotgun slug. That deer is a very special trophy to me. Over time I have evolved into a bowhunter. I no longer hunt with a rifle, but do blackpowder hunt. Last year I arrowed a tremendous buck for our area. I mounted it and it is a special trophy also. I do not diminish the accomplishments of others when they bag a nice buck with a rifle. However, when I show them my buck picture, with a bow across his chest, gun and bow hunters alike readily admit it is quite an accomplishment to bag any deer with a bow, let alone a mature buck. I do think that we bowhunters get more from our hunting experience than just a trophy or two, though.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

[quote]missing the boat again....

the reason most people get their deer mounted is to (should be to) preserve the memory and honor that animal that we killed! so what does it matter if it was killed by a gun or a bow???

at least thats what i believe. [quote]

Well said,

I think if you have to rate the hunt and animal by the weapon it is taken with then you are missing the whole point of hunting.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

IMHO, If a deer is hunted ethically and fairly the manner of finally dispatching it should not matter. If our kids play football in High School (obviously not the hardest level), and win every game to we give them a Trophy for that, or just tell them nice season? What I am trying to say is the weapon used should not determine if a deer is a trophy or not. In that case, If I used a knife to hunt could I tell a bow-hunter nice deer, but still think my knife taken deer is a tropy. It would obviously take more "skill" to take a deer with a knife rather than a bow.

My first deer was a doe, and it is my most exciting deer hunt yet. That was my "trophy" and I used a gun. I don't think that using a gun is just like shooting deer in a barrel, but to say that it is a nice deer, not a trophy is making it sound that way. Just my opinion.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

I agree 100%....Great Post!!!:D Always a favorite topic of mine...can't believe I missed it until now. If someone mounts a gun killed deer I usually just say, "hmmm". I had a bro-in-law that rifle killed a 165 inch buck and had it mounted. I admired the deer but didn't comment on anything else...3 years later I found out he threw the mount out to the curb and the trash truck hauled it away...I couldn't believe it. When asked why he did it, he replied that he just wasn't proud of it and in fact was a bit embarrassed that he had not shot anything that big in years with his bow. He still proudly displays his first ever buck with a bow however, although it in no way compares to the size of the 165 inch buck he shot with a gun.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

A deer being a trophy or just a nice deer dependes on the person who killed it not what other people thank. It shouldn't matter what it was killed with a gun or bow. Here is a way to look at it here . Fieldmouse whats the biggest buck you've takin. What was it's measurements because if it don't score over 170 then it's just a nice deer to me but if it scores 180 or bigger that would be a trophy to me. It all depends on who killed it and whats a trophy to them. Some people thank a deer of 150 a trophy but others think anything they kill is a trophy it depends on the person. I've taken bigger bucks with bow than i have with gun. I've seen bigger deer bow hunting than i have gun hunting. But if i would of killed bigger deer while gun hunting would it make then less of a trophy nope. I still took the time to scout them and put myself in a position to kill them whether it was with a bow or gun. it took just as much skill to kill that deer with a bow as it does with a gun.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Wow fletch. Maybe you should swallow your own pill. Talking about

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

You got to be kidding me. You remind me of a fly fisherman I know. He thinks bass fisherman are scum that do not know how to catch real fish the real way.

You have a mighty high opinion of yourself. You need to grow up.

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Thanks adams, I missed fletch's post.

I am very sorry guys for bringing the down fall of hunting. I guess we will call The Elite 8 the winners and move on to the fall fish run.

Wolf Killer how do you derive scum from "that's a nice deer comment". I bet most of your comments of any deer you may have on your wall were "that's a nice deer". I guess the next time you here that you better ask if they mean it in a trophy sorta way.

It's amazing the nerve struck here. It's as if I went and posted this on the deer hunting board. Last time I checked this was the bowhunting board correct?

RE: Trophy or just a nice deer?
 

Well, Guess I gotta get my 2 cents worth in. I love bow hunting for deer. I killed my first deer, a 9 point basket racked buck with a bow after many years of hunting with a gun. Bow hunting taught me more about deer hunting than gun hunting ever could and also taught me a lot about myself. To this day I bow hunt every chance I get until gun season comes in, then I break out the .270 and when muzzle loader season comes in, I do that too. The fact is I hunt deer every season with with whatever weapon is in season and I quit counting how many I've taken a few years back. Bucks or does, it doesn't matter to me or what weapon of choice......they're all trophys because of the memories they've burned into my mind and the time I got to spend in God's great outdoors. I don't worry so much about antler size or even if it has antlers as long as it's legal. I've taken a few nice ones and a lot more that wasn't so nice. Some were pretty hard to come by, some were pretty easy but all were good hunts. I concentrate on the quality of the hunt and enjoy it for what it is and if someone else wants to judge their trophys on antler size then more power to them. Everyone has a goal and mine is to put 6 or 7 more trophys on the ground this fall, gun or bow. To this day I haven't put one on the wall.