I dislike the way "TROPHY" has been commercialized to being bucks of massive sized racks.A trophy is in the eyes of the beholder.

Every animal i take is a Trophy in its own class.

It's not how big the Deer,But the size of the experiance that matters!!

I am after the monster, 175 class hopefully, had some nice 4x4's and 5 pointers that would be pope/young borderlines, but the season just started too, later, Bobby

Hmmm let me think about that one....OKAY....a deer on the ground is a trophy to me!!!!!!!!!!! I'm there for the companionship of my fellow hunters, a week away from the wife & life in general, a time to recharge my batteris of life & last but not least...THE THRILL OF THE KILL!!!!!!!!!!! {}

I would say that where we hunt and the type hunters we are, anything over 3 1/2 years old is a good trophy... We like to let the young ones go so that we can have the chance to harvest a big mature whitetail... that is our ultimate goal... the does are for eating, and the bucks are for the challenge... Good Luck out there...

Thanks for the replies.....I consider every day afield to be a trophy in itself.

Be a stewart of the outdoors. Help to keep our heritage.

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I dislike the way &quot;TROPHY&quot; has been commercialized to being bucks of massive sized racks.A trophy is in the eyes of the beholder.

Every animal i take is a Trophy in its own class.

It's not how big the Deer,But the size of the experiance that matters!!
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Carpetguy you said it all and you said it well.

All deer are trophies, and to say one is not, is to say that an animal dying to be eaten is wrong, and an insult to the deer.

I will add a little on a personal note. Right now my ultimate trophy will be my first bow kill. The next deer I will get mounted will have to outdo a big 8 point I killed in 74, 21 3/4 inches on the inside of his beams, 19 1/2 from the top of his head to the two tallest tines, dressed at 175 pounds(weighed). This will be a tough one to beat for an 8 point in Va. I have seen them bigger though, but never in the right place at the right time. The heart breaker to me is the mount burnt up in a house fire in 82.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

I agree that every deer is a trophy, especially to those who are new to our sport. I can't argue with the saying that a trophy is in the eye of the beholder, but let's be honest. All things being equal, if anyone shot a 14 point bruiser, that dresses at 250+ pounds that would certainly be a trophy in anyone's eyes. But, you cannot expect someone shooting a deer like this in East Texas as an example, because they are almost non-existant. I also believe that the longer you hunt, the more selective you become. Hunters seem to go thru phases starting with the beginner who will almost certainly shoot any legal size deer, and ending with the most experienced hunter (in years) that has become almost a trophy hunter. Most of the guys that I hunt with, seem to be a little more picky than when they were younger. They have more of a tendency to let the smaller ones walk and look for something older and larger. This is in a state (NH)that can make for a venison-less year if you continue to do this. My trophy is a buck, than dresses at 200+ pounds. Antler size has almost nothing to do with it. That's my ultimate whitetail trophy...I haven't got him yet, but if I do, I promise, you all will know!.....Good hunting to all.....Jimmy S

I wish you best of hunting situations Tazman!!

This is going to be your Year i can feel it in the winds!!

It's not how big the Deer,But the size of the experiance that matters!!

To me every deer is NOT a trophy.
When you open a hunting magazine to a page with a hunter smiling beside the spike they just killed do you say &quot;Wow what a buck&quot;? If you turn the page and there is a picture of a big massive 5X5 that scores 160 B&C or better, you are quite likley to say&quot; WOW what a buck&quot;. Which is the trophy deer?

I am not saying that the hunter with a spike or a doe should not feel proud and extremly happy about their success. I am not saying the fellow who shoots bigger antlered older deer is anything special. It is just that does and young bucks are not trophy (WOW) deer and the big old mossy horns is a trophy deer.

I think my wife is attractive and desirable. She is NOT a beauty queen. I don't tell her she is and she doesn't pretend to be.

I have shot some trophy (record book) deer in the past. Now I shoot a doe or two for venison and keep my buck tag for a big &quot;WOW&quot; buck.

Robin

One definition of a trophy according to the dictionary is:

1: an award for success in war or hunting.

Using this definition any success in hunting is a trophy.

To me there are many types of trophies, all of which are difined by the individual. What I consider a trophy many others may not and what others view as a trophy I don't.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club