Awwww c'mon smoky. You KNOW you really want to wear the snowman!!!!!

Go Dale Jr.!!!!!

PS... forgot to mention. I've been bowhunting for about 22 years and this is my first racked buck. I am what my handle implies....a meathunter. If it's brown, it's down.

And I have taken exactly 3 bucks...2 spikes and the 8. I've killed countless does. I honestly don't know how many..... a lot. I just don't wait on a buck. I shoot the first deer I see, although I try to shoot adult does and not fawns.

Visit my hunting homepage.... http://www.geocities.com/hogshooter_2000

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Amen to that PA! I cherish the memories of every deer I've killed, from the old lookout does, to the bouncey button bucks, to the gray-faced, lust driven old fellas. I hunt for the thrill of the pursuit, for the love of the challenge, to experience the fascination and reverance of nature and animals, and for the raw sense of invigoration...to feel "alive". I do NOT hunt to "harvest" anything like Bubba-Buckmaster, to be some kind of one-man "deer management" tool, or to gleen a feeling of "success" through some notion of antler size.

If I get within range of a big antlered buck, that's great. But if I manage to get within range of a doe or small buck, I'll do my best to arc an arrow through it...and to carry remembrance of that adventure with me for all time. Shot opportunities alone are cherished. I've hunted alot during each of our 6-week archery seasons over the last 15 years and have killed a dozen does and four bucks. Deer aren't running rampant where I hunt and being "selective" would serve little else than to reduce the opportunities of putting my skills to the test.

I don't hold anyone in a lower light who chooses to shoot small deer over large ones any more than I snub rifle hunters or compound bow hunters for using high tech equipment over the meticulously crafted handmade wooden bows and arrows I that I so love. By the way, I shot this "scrubby racked" 8-point buck last season as it interupted my final approach stalk on a doe. A trophy? ...For me, you bet!

Good topic Pa bowhunter they are all gods gift
to us and when we harvest game no matter what
it is deer,varmit,etc.they should have our very
deepest respect and appreciation for reward of
the hunt!

I totally agree beginners will get down because of the big antler race, and that makes them not want to hunt every deer is a challenge some way or another, but im not syaign everybody should go out and shoot a four pointer every tag every year, im just saying its not the end of the world i wish i had the courage to shoot a doe, more power to the doe hunters!

"She said if I hit that fishin hole today, she's be packin all her things and she'd, be gone by noon....I'm gonna miss her, when I get home."

Great post Frank, I remember when last year I got my first buck and was the largest buck I have ever taken and It was with a bow of all things. He was a great little 8 pointer and I have him on the wall and look at him everyday. I am so proud of that deer words can't say. BUt I agree any deer taken legally is a trophy.

Brian

If you claim to be a true meat hunter then you already know that taking younger animals can mean (and almost always does mean) better tasting venison. I enjoy ALL aspects of hunting, and especially enjoy the care and treatment/preparation of the kill. My preference is to shoot 3-4 yr old BIG does from agricultural areas for the first deer in the freezer. If I am successful at that goal I can relax and be picky looking for some horns. But I've killed, butchered, and prepared enough venison to know that the big, burly, mature bucks taste nothing like a 1 1/2 yr old deer. I've been cooking a long time and I'm quite good at it. Have been doing most of the cooking in my home for the past 20 years and am often complemented on the food I prepare. Folks rarely turn down a dinner invitation at my house, and if they have to turn it down, they always sigh and complain about their other commitments, Doesn't happen much.
I have quite a few racks in the garage and basement, but have only paid to have one mount done. None of the racks in my basement, garage or on my wall have any flavor what so ever. Some of the flesh was ok, but the horns never made it to the pan/broiler/grill/stew-pot etc. The one deer that now graces my wall was field dressed immediately, kept cool, and aged for about 10 days. Still tasted like cedars and moss.
Point is, every deer you take can be a fine animal. Taking mature bucks or immature does and anything in between can only be measured in terms of the deer population in the given area.

its unfortunate you think this way wolfen! That book fever has taken over your brain!

I have harvested a fair amount of game, From Dall sheep to whitetails with my recurves and longbows now. But I tell ya, last year when mr 4pt strolled by and I called him to 5 steps, my arrow cut the top half of his heart, and my paps and I trailed him 40 yards into the woods, I never would have thought to regret it! Not one bit...

If you want the state to worry about antler size, then submit a proposal to change your laws. But dont tell me not to shoot a spike moose if the opportunity presents itself!

I think most meat hunters are also trophy hunters. That said, I dont know one meat hunter that wouldnt pass on a big ole whitie or moose if the opportunity presented itself!

We all gang knowledge and self gratification in the years we are able to spend afield and the experiences we encounter along the way. For some its that big ole burly 12 pointer with a drop tine on each side. For someone else, its shoot that nice fat doe.

But to bash someone for harvesting a legal deer....shame on you!

If you want them big, then farm them big, but dont tell me or the rest of use how to harvest our crops! enuf said.



http://www.geocities.com/tradbow007/...dventures.html

Gee , everything I ever have taken is and always be a trophy to me.what someone else thinks I really dont care.Its my trophy not theirs. MY best trophy in the past 55 years has been My wife.I just cant get her to sit on the wall

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Some of the flesh was ok, but the horns never made it to the pan/broiler/grill/stew-pot etc. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Funny how that works. None of my deer meat have ever made it to my wall either!<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

Every animal I've ever taken while hunting has left me a vivid memory that will stay with me as long as I live. All have been extremely enjoyable experiences, but I've definitely received different levels of satisfaction when considering the actual animal taken. My first deer was a trophy in the sense that it keeps an important memory alive. Same with my first buck. However, my expectations have risen as time has gone on. The more I've accomplished, the more I want to accomplish. At this point in time, a trophy has to be a mature buck. That is what I want, and I am somewhat disappointed if I don't accomplish it. I understand that many people have a lower expectation and are thrilled with anything. Nothing wrong there, just that for me, shooting a 1.5 yr buck is a very easy thing to do in my hunting area and it gives me no big thrill.

I still enjoy every minute while hunting, and I love venison as much as the next person, but meat and trophies are two totally different things. When I shoot a doe, it's for meat, althought I can definitely envision mounting one, if I had the extra space for lots of mounts. When I'm looking for a trophy, it's not to put meat in the freezer, although the meat is certainly a nice side benefit.

Not everyone has the same goals. I shoot does for meat and I hunt for the thrill of taking a mature buck. Displaying large antlers is satisfying for me. So remember, you don't eat your antlers, and I don't hang meat on my wall (or tiny four pointers).