What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

I am from Saskatchewan, love hunting, and as far as I am concerned, any animal I harvest/kill is a trophy....that being said, what do you consider to be a "trophy buck?" Is it the number of points, or the Boone and Crockett points, or the live weight...on this type of scale I would say anything in the 120's or better could be considered a trophy....some or many may disagree.....What do you think???

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

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

Any buck that I shoot is a trophy to me. Once I get more years under my belt I will probably be more picky.

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

One that will put meat in my freezer for my family to eat! Thats a trophy to me!!

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

As I hunt 4 or 5 vastly different areas each year, with one area having mature bucks tip out at about 120lbs(Pine Barrens,NJ), and another area where they top out at about 240lbs(ME), the measure of a trophy to me is the age of the buck. In my eyes, a 3.5yr old scoring 150 is not the trophy a 6.5yr old scoroing 135 is. Mature bucks are hard to kill everywhere, on pressured property, but they all have different peak weights and antler size, so what I'm looking for depends on were I'm hunting. I want a mature buck, for wherever I'm hunting. Always thought it was silly to look for particular antler characteristics that men think are good for score, vs a big old 5.5 with deductions all over, that would whup his arse in the Nov woods.

"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

At this point I'd be happy with any buck. In this area, most people consider a 10 point a trophy.

Guns cause crime, like flies cause garbage.

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

Well I agree a trophy is what you make it and too each his own. If you are truly proud of your harvest, you deserve a congrats no matter the size, sex or the weapon.

That being said with a number of years & deer under my belt, (and this only my idea)is a mature buck that would score 150 B&C min., I'll notch the tag. I like them all typical, mass, length, width, dark or light...but a nontypical with lots a trash is always a hard one not to have. My standards don't change whether bow, ML or rifle or as the season draws to a close.

Yes "I am a trophy hunter and I am Canadian"

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

To me , a trophy is what you'd get for having the best bowling team. Any animal that I decide to harvest is considered a blessing and a life long memory. I keep every antler wether it's a spike or a big 10 pt. , each one brings back fond memories and great stories to share with anyone interested.

"Nocked,cocked & ready to rock"

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

A trophy to me is a harvest. I just love harvesting an animal. Actually I just love being in the woods.

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

They are all trophies from the button buck you killed when you were fifteen, to the does you take when your in your 70's, Hopefully!:)

That said anything in the 120's is probably getting a serious look this year, 140's im shooting. I've hunted deer for 16 yrs, ive never shot a doe its always been a buck. Ive got enough 6'ers to last me a lifetime. If I dont see what im looking for I will shoot a doe this year in the last couple days.

I've got a couple friends who have never taken a deer, im hoping we can get them a couple trophies this year!

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

They're all nice when you shoot em. I make a trophy out of anything I can fasten to a fryin pan.
Kiddin aside I'll shoot any buck but a if I get another mounted it'll have to be 160 or better. It's just harder to come across mountin money these days.

GOD BLESS
Charlie Patrick
Eastern Ontario Guided Adventures http://www3.sympatico.ca/chazpat/wildcanada.html

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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!!

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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!!!!!!!!!!! {:D}

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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...

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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.

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
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!!
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

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

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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!!

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

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

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

I consider myself a &quot;trophy hunter&quot;. By that, I mean that I do not hunt to fill my freezer. In my family, I'm the only one that will eat a lot of venison. My son likes it, but he's only 6...not like he can put away several pounds all on his own ;) One deer a year in the freezer is plenty for us. Thats why when I go into the deer woods I'm very particular about what I harvest. Many years I pass on everything and do not harvest a deer at all. I just enjoy being out there as much as anything else. So..to me, the definition of a tropy changes over time. Its got to be a bigger typical buck than the one I have mounted now...or its got to be my first non-typical. Other than that, they get a free pass from me.
Good luck to all this season,
SC

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

The term &quot;trophy&quot; is just that a trophy something you hold in high regard and show off. Yes put it on a shelf, sort a speak. But what makes a &quot;trophy&quot; to me isn't the same to you. A lot depends on area, experience, up bringing, needs, etc. A harvest is a reward, rewarding yourself with meat and the experience...it should be all taken with graditude and the feeling of great accomplishment.

I am a &quot;trophy hunter&quot; i get a thrill out of the rack, I also live in an area that a &quot;rack&quot; is always a real possibility. I believe in harvesting does, not small immature bucks, I also believe in harvesting large mature buck that don't carry the headgear of my min. standards...why I believe all will lead to healthier, better quality & larger deer heards. Shooting a 2 year old buck presents little challenge or worth to me. Harvesting a vet is a &quot;trophy&quot; experience plus it allows the heard to get stronger. Now I said this you'll all say....you do look down your nose at the spike, etc hunters...no I don't &quot;I said to me!!!!!!&quot;. I also said &quot; in my area, it is not shoot or hang the tag in the closet&quot; I also never started out as a &quot;trophy hunter&quot;. But as my experience, knowledge and confidence grew...&quot;I&quot; desired more.

Do i think big racks have been over commercialized, &quot;oh yeah&quot;. I teach hunter saftey and the kids that have never toted a weapon are telling me they want a big buck (which is every one dream), 150 B&C min. and are trohpy hunters all the way. Well this is unrealistic, you have to start somewhere IMO. I feel that a lot probably comes from the parent who is a avid deer hunter...but to rob these kids of the rewarding experience is a bad thing. To me hunting is nature, experience, friendship and evolving ( you can't evolve if you ain't been to step one, however same said if your stuck on step one!)

I often here from others from different places, they think Saskatchewan, Alberta etc has big deer everywhere and that it is simple to kill a record deer. Well this is a direct product of tv and hunting shows, that show 3 hunts in 20 minutes. This is not the case, yes we have loads of good quality bucks, but finding them and tagging them ain't to easy.

If I want eats it's doe's & other big game for the freezer.

I don't expect or want anybody to be like me. we are all individuals and hunting is are common ground. I see or make no division between the &quot;meat hunter&quot; and the &quot;Trophy hunter&quot;, we are all hunters and most of us respect the land, animals and sport we hold so &quot;deer&quot;.

Wish you all the best of luck, whatever you may look for. Remember be safe and continue to pass on the worths and joys of this sport!

RE: What do you consider to be a trophy???
 

I'm a &quot;trophy hunter&quot; too I guess. I am not willing to shoot just any buck that walks by. For example I have not killed a buck since 1998, because I have been passing up the young ones, waiting on a big one. I also stand by the rule of, &quot;if you kill them young, they can never grow big&quot;. I am not a meat hunter but I do love venison.

I live in an area that is not known for big bucks but because of more people practicing QDM in the last 10yrs, there are getting to be some very nice deer around. I have killed two nice 10pts both scoring around 120-125. They are very nice deer for our area and I'm super proud of both of them. However, I've seen bigger deer in our woods in the last 3-4yrs that are really monsters. Now, I'm hunting them. I've passed up some very nice bucks waiting on one of these big bucks to step out and if it takes another 4yrs for me to get one, that's fine by me. When I want meat, I will kill a doe. By doing that I kill two bird's with one stone. I've helped the deer herd by getting rid of a doe and I got good tender meat on the table.

I don't think I'm a better hunter than guys who kill the first buck that walks out, I think I'm just a more patient hunter. It's just like baseball; you can be happy with those base hits but I'm waiting on the perfect pitch for a homerun. If I get 3 strikes and go to the bench, big deal, there is always next time.

--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.