I see HNI advertise the deer forum as being the place to learn about the "most popular BIG GAME animal in the world", but I haven't seen it catagorized as a big game animal.

What about you guys? Do you consider the whitetail deer to bea true "Big Game" animal?

I think it isn't, big game hunting is trying to kill a more rare, and harder to killanimal, IMO.

As far as I know It's considered a big game animal in every state that has a hunting season on them.

Okay, let me restate what I said.

Do you guys consider the whitetaildeer to be a big game animal?

I guess I don't get your point. It IS a big game animal. You might argue that it's on the small side as far as big game animals go but it's a big game animal none the less.

Yeah, if a person says it's too small to be a big game animal, we might as well say the antelope aren't. I get your point, I just wonder why they're always seperated in catagories, like there's a deer hunting forum, and they're not in the Big Game forum.

I think maybe that's just because deer hunting is so popular relative to all other big game they just give it is't own forum. I wouldn't read any more into it than that.

Yea, on HNI its a popularity thing....just like there is a Turkey Forum, whichI am pretty sure are also considered "Big Game"

There are more deer hunters on here than Elk, Moose, Bear, etc, so they just gave them their own forum to keep from overpowering the other, not-as-well-represented big game species.

I wouldn't read into it either, nothing but an organizational decision.

That's because deer hunting is so popular, it has it's own section.

Medium size big game (CXP2)
Okay, how about cartridges for the non-dangerous animals called medium size big game, or sometimes just medium game? In North America, deer and pronghorn antelope are by far the most commonly hunted medium game animals. Worldwide, medium game would include deer, goats, sheep, caribou, boar and feral pigs, and several species of Indian and African antelope. Most mature male members of these species average 90-350 pounds on the hoof, although in exceptional cases they can run larger.


CXP1 game = small game, varmints, small predators like coyotes
CXP2 game = middle-sized, thin skinned such as deer, antelope, goats and sheep. May include black bears and hogs.
CXP3 game = mid to large size, thicker skined game such as elk, moose, brown bears
CXP4 game = thick skinned dangerous game such as many African species and American Bison.

I agree that they put it here because it is so popular, but i wouldnt say it is easier to kill than any other big game animals. In my opinion the whitetail is one of the smartest animals you can hunt.