big racks big hype
 

First off,I've never shot a big buck with big rack so maybe what I'm about to say may be chalked up to "sour grapes". Why the big push for the big rack? An older deer is a tougher deer and if it weren't for the food i wouldn't be hunting. To put it another way, if the GW (or DEC) said that you could not eat what you kill because of of CWD or some other disease,i probably wouldn't hunt. I've watched a zillion videos where the hunter picks and chooses which rack to kill (He's a shooter,he's a shooter!),whereas my experience is if i can get ANY deer within the crosshairs once a season i'm truly excited. How many times have we heard it on this board that any deer you get is a trophy deer? I believe that,i mean i REALLY believe that. I'd appreciate hearing from those of you that live to get that typical or atypical rack for the record books so I can try and understand what I'm missing...

RE: big racks big hype
 

I hunt for the biggest trophy possible in order to make deer hunting a challenge and to extend my season.I could easily go out opening morning and shoot a legal deer within a half hour.My season would then be over and there would have been no challenge at all.By passing up all but the biggest deer my season usually lasts much longer and I actually have to work at filling my tag.If it were too easy it wouldn't be interesting.

RE: big racks big hype
 

where I hunt there are no trophy size bucks,by that I mean the 130s and up score. the largest I have ever taken in over 40 years of hunting was scored 119.this area of Fla. just does not have BIIIIIG deer.that is not because we take the younge ones before they get big,we have 4 and 5 ,6 year old deer that are 120s.we just don't have the stock for good trophy size bucks.
so every deer I take is a trophy,I would like one time be able to turn a real big one down to look for a better one.
I have turned a few bucks dowm because I had already taken several that year.
I also hunt for the food,although if I spent the money for food,I could almost buy that amount of meat.so I guess you could say I am not a trophy hunter,just a hunter.
I would like to go north or west to just see them,then I may understand also.
:)

I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

RE: big racks big hype
 

Stubblejumper took the words right out of my mouth.
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I hunt for the biggest trophy possible in order to make deer hunting a challenge and to extend my season.I could easily go out opening morning and shoot a legal deer within a half hour.My season would then be over and there would have been no challenge at all.By passing up all but the biggest deer my season usually lasts much longer and I actually have to work at filling my tag.If it were too easy it wouldn't be interesting.
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RE: big racks big hype
 

thats a good point...it took me 4 yrs to get my first buck..ive taken 2 does in previous years and another one that day i killed the buck...the 3rd doe i got (that day i got the buck too) i was excited and all but not as much as my first...i mean..i took a ton of pics and am proud of all 3 of the does i was lucky enough to harvest but when i walked up to that buck i was jumping in the air saying loudly to my dad A BUCK A BUCK I GOT A BUCK!!!! it had to look pathetic..im a decint sized kid and turning 16..i hope nobody filmed me lol...i think thats the feeling that drives people for the racks..its not everyday you see a big racked buck..and when you do chances are its not hunting season...big racks get you bragging rights and glory...you can brag about that nice basket 6 you dropped..but compare him to your buddys monster 10pt...big racks are pretty uncommon(here anyways) so its a challenge and when you get one you are alot more pround and everything..i duno its hard to explain but you get what im saying?? my dad took a nice buck or 2 in his day but he doesnt care about racks anymore for some reason...he drops the first deer he sees now...its all on what you want..me...after my first bow kill i plan to be a trophy hunter..but also take the does...as many as i get tags for...i love the venison...but love the racks...so i will give it my all for a nice buck....but alot of people dont care about horns so they dont care about big racks...

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RE: big racks big hype
 

I get MUCH more excited about harvesting large does than big bucks...I passed up several opportunities on two eight point bucks this year for their fatter girlfriends, turned out with a doe dressing to 177#. When I saw the gnarly nontypical fatbody that passed through my area during late bow season, I almost cried because I didn't have a rifle, but I just wanted a deer that would be over 300#, not the rack, even as impressive as it was.

Screw the 10 ring, keep them in the zero!!!

RE: big racks big hype
 

Holding out for large racks is a personal thing. Stubblejumper hit the nail on the head. It's to easy to take anything. But don't get me wrong. Again this is an individual's choice and sometime this depends on the availability of deer in your hunting area.

I hunt for large antlers with a bow (my favorite) because of the number of deer in our area and the long season. My choice and no one elses business really.

Gun hunting is different for me though. I buck hunt only but I don't trophy hunt because I don't have the same passion to hunt with a gun. It's my meat time. Again, my choice and IMO if others don't like that.....too bad. What you want to harvest is only your business.

&quot;Semper Fi&quot;

RE: big racks big hype
 

If the DEC told me I could not hunt mature bucks I would quit hunting.

If any deer that comes by is what YOU want to shoot and that deer is a trophy to YOU then keep it up and ENJOY!!!!

Meat as nothing to do with why I hunt. If I never eat another venison Chop again I will still die a happy man!

For me the challenge of limiting myself to 8 pt's or better on the public land I hunt is the ultimate challenge. In fact its not a sacrafice at all because I really have NO desire to kill a doe or small buck. For me the kill is the worst part of it. It is all about the dedication, and challenge to me. If I havn't worked my arse off and If I don't really, really want that deer - I see no reason to kill it.

Because of this choice my season lasts 365 days. It has too I would never be successful. My scouting for next year starts now. I have to put in 100's of hours scouting during the offseason or I WILL eat deertag stew.

It is a whole different ballgame hunting the bucks you want compared to hunting any deer in the woods. I have been fortunate enough to tag out both my buck tags for the last 5 yrs. For me thats the greasted feeling in the world.

See Ya, gotta go scout<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: big racks big hype
 

Would most people rather catch a 10lb walleye or a 1 pounder? A big buck represents the hardest deer to harvest. He is the monarch of the woods and harvesting him means you have matched wits with the best and came out on top. Big racks are beautiful. They have lotsa stories to tell, questions to ask...why is this tine stunted? why is that tine broken? This guy was a fighter...that buck rubbed pine trees, etc. Sure you can see those on little racks too, but the mature buck is the baddest dude in the woods. I like to see what they score, not to brag, not to compare to another hunters kill, but to compare to other bucks I or my group has shot. Wow, the 8 pointer I shot last year outscored this year's 10 pointer....but the 10 pointer had a much cooler rack...go figure. Because they are rare. I am blessed with a great spot to hunt, I could kill 5 bucks or so per year on average. Usually none are that big, little 6s and forks. To see (and harvest) a mature buck is the ultimate thrill. Yes, we eat what we get, but it is about the experience, the challenge, the ability to spend more time in the woods. This year I shot a decent 8 pointer 15 minutes after the start of the season. I was disappointed not in the deer, but that my hunt had ended so quickly.

RE: big racks big hype
 

I've killed yearlings and been happy as a clam with them. The size of the experience is what matters to me. The trophy is in the meathod of harvest to me.

But when the method is no longer an issue, say as in rifle hunting, with a well broke in gun, then the size of the deer takes on more than it would when I was bowhunting.

A big deer is an awsome thing. A legaly taken big deer is an awsome feat. I also have never taken a real big deer, but the ones I have I wouldn't trade for the world.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: big racks big hype
 

I hunt to put food in the freezer. If a big buck happens by, I'll take him, but I'm not going to pass up a doe or a smaller buck (which are better eating) in the hopes that some trophy is going to put in an appearance. First decent deer dies!!!!!!!



Edited by - White-Raven on 01/07/2003 06:39:44

RE: big racks big hype
 

I call myself a meat hunter, the more doe we kill in my area the healthier the herd is. In my younger days I used to hunt horns and in 74 I killed a monsterous 8 pointer for Va. Since then I have only seen a few bucks that would approach him, right now I have my eyes on the biggest 6 point I have ever seen, I know this buck is at least 6 maybe 7 years old, he has no browtines, but he must be 24 inches on the inside of his beam and has very tall tines and a lot of mass. In the mean time I take what is legal, I am gradually becoming more of a bowhunter than a gun hunter, so this coming year I should be able to fill the freezer with doe and possibly one nice 8 point I saw this year where I bow hunt, but what ever comes first as long as it is not a fawn or a button/spike is down.

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

RE: big racks big hype
 

I also hunt for meat, isn't that why hunting was started? I only shoot mature deer I will let the younger ones go just because if I'm going to take that deer then I want the most meat possible. As some of the other people here have said if a deer with a big rack comes through then he's mine. For those guys that can pick and chose then do it, if thats what you want. Where I live there aren't that many big rack deer, not enough nutrients.
I think instead of worrying about rack size so much the country should worry about teaching safety and respect to other people. You can take Jimbob put him on a deer ranch and he can kill 10-12point deer all year long bring him up to my neck of the woods and I'll doubt he would even kill one deer. For those guys that have learned how to hunt and chose to hunt for big game I'm not putting you down. I'm putting these T.V. shows down that Glorify the sport and try to make themselfs look like bada$$ hunters, when half of there hunt is done by someone else or in a cage. When you live in a place were deer are plentifull and they have a wide range of foods and nutrients then your chances of getting a bigger deer are better then the guy that doesn't have a big herd or the land can't support the big herd. Just because a person shoots deer with bigger racks DOESN'T mean he is a better hunter or even more ethical.

RE: big racks big hype
 

I too hunt for the meat. And for the hunt itself. I will also NOT turn down the opportunity to harvest a trophy buck though. To me, taking a mature doe with my bow is still a monumental challenge. They are just as wary as a buck of the same age, possibly more so.

It's a personal choice thing really, everyone makes their decision and live with it. It's that simple.



Shoot often - Hunt always

RE: big racks big hype
 

I don't want to skirt the issue, because here in NH, if you let any legal deer walk in hopes of getting someting bigger, you just may go home without the venison. We just don't have the luxury of seeing deer every time we go out and some can hunt an entire season and see or shoot nothing. That being said, if I had the choice, give me the big guy. I'm talkin about that bruiser that when we finally see him, he simply takes your breathe away. The kind of deer, that just being able to get a look at him, makes it special. Sure, I'm proud of all the deer I have taken in both NH and Maine, but size and antlers do matter. I don't kid myself on that and although we may not have the big deer numbers, it is still possible to shoot the deer of a lifetime each and every time we go into the deer woods.

RE: big racks big hype
 

Alot of good points have been brought up here. It seems to get back to the area you hunt, number of deer you are allowed to kill, deer population, and quality of the deer herd.
I live in a state with a long season, liberal doe limits, and a 3 buck limit. To enhance the herd, I try to fill my freezer with does, but I hunt for the big antlers. I usually take that doe when I'm about to retire for the morning or afternoon and nothing else is around. I guess that has driven off a few large bucks that were sneaking in, but I'd rather take a doe than a young buck. We don't have monster bucks but we do have 120 to 160 class bucks and that's a trophy to me. I wouldn't shoot a 6 point with the exception of that one Taz saw, a 20+ inch 6 point would be fair game with good mass.
Everybody is different, when I first started deer hunting, I'd shoot any buck that came by but in my old age, I'm happy to let the young ones grow.

RE: big racks big hype
 

This last season was my 1st and I didn't jump into with the notion of taking a huge buck. I just wanted to put some meat in the cooler. But that doesnt mean I would shoot at anything that walked by. In fact, my 1st day out I saw at least 8-10 doe and did not take a shot. I could slap myself around a bit now...cause I didnt see that many for the rest of the season, but even as a newbie rack size is not whats important to me. I do think some people put too much emphasis on rack size.
Hector

RE: big racks big hype
 

But the whole point is: Isn't that our choice, and we shouldn't be chastised for our goals (as long as we don't chastise others):).

I bowhunt for biguns and gun hunt for smaller racks. Does that make me wrong?<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

&quot;Semper Fi&quot;

RE: big racks big hype
 

Well I would say I hunt for both a trophy and meat. Might or might not be the same animal. Here in Central Texas you are allowed 1 buck and two doe a year. I almost always get the two doe but hold out on using my buck tag for what for the area is a trophy(here about 130 or so is good). Why? I don't really have any interest in shooting one the multiple 1/5 or 2.5 year old 6 or 8pt that we see all the time. This means that there are a number of years that I will not shoot a buck or will take a cull buck to help the management of the herd. I think it is unique to each of our areas and interests. It is not unusual for me to see 6 - 10 of these young bucks in a single morning or afternoon hunt. So for my particular case there is not much challenge in taking one.

Later
Gone_Huntin

RE: big racks big hype
 

I use to hunt in Jersey when the season was 1 week with 1 buck tag only. Most hunters went years without a buck so you shot any buck. Now I hunt with lots of tags and can afford to do some pass ups. A few years ago I passed several times the first week of my 60 day rifle season and than it dried up, finally got a spike with a few days to go. My wife and I are venision eaters so now we take them as they come. After 3 or 4 in the freezer I will wait on the last Buck tag for a big rack. Odly enough my 120 and 136 racks were on opening days. Go Figure I seldom see the big ones at any distance the laast half of the season!!! One shot one kill Striper Phil

RE: big racks big hype
 

I know when I began hunting....I was excited to even see a deer....much less get one. It took me a few years to even kill one. And I couldn't have been more excited. Being a self taught hunter, I mad alot of mistakes, and it took me a while to get the hang of it. As I continued to hunt....gradually my outlook changed, a little at a time. To start, I was more interested in just getting a deer...didn't make any difference to me what or how small/big it was. Then, I started really wanting to get a buck...finally I did. Next, it was about how many bucks I could get in one season (I guess so I could bragg to my buddies...(LOL)..even though they were usually all immature small racked bucks). Now over the last 6 or seven years...I could care less if I kill a buck...I shoot about 5 does per year (avg), and hunt for a big buck. I've passed up so many bucks in these last years...that I can't count them(well this year I actually did...I saw 33 different bucks, and could have probably killed 25 of them...I took 1).
I enjoy the hunt now more than anything....not so much the kill. Just being out there has always excited me, but over these last years, that's what it's really all about for me, and it's only gotten better. Also, I see myself getting ready for another change before long. I have a 5 year old son, that I've taken out some the last 2 years, and he's really developing an interest in hunting....so soon I will be devoting alot of time there.

I personally practice QDM. Because I choose to let the small bucks walk....and hunt for does and a big buck...does that make it wrong? I don't think so...and I also don't think it's wrong to hunt for only meat...or just any deer that comes along. It's all personal preference. Do what you want....and what makes you happy. I do think though....deep down what drives alot of us to hunt, is the chance that a big rack will someday walk into range. I know it was always in the back of my mind. The other thing I think has steered me towards where I am now, is the fact that I've been a serious bowhunter over the last 10+ years. I still have not killed a big buck with a bow, but that is my goal each season. The other plus of bowhunting is that I believe it makes you a better hunter all around.

The bottom line is, whatever the reasons are that you hunt...it should make you happy, and you should not feel bad or be put down for it. Personally, I like the challenge of trying to kill a mature buck, and I kill does for meat.

RE: big racks big hype
 

I agree a lot is dependant on your area and then personal choice. I have been a trophy hunter for 10 years now, i started out with the same goal as most of you did to learn, experience and maybe get any deer, then evolved through experience and time to my current goal. I am fortunate to live and hunt an area that is graced by excellent trophy animals and herd numbers. I still very much enjoy the meat, hunt, experience, friendship and animals i chose to hunt. I am with the others who stated we just wanted to add more challenge to the sport we love. Really, no different than any sport as you become more experienced and better you change your objectives to maximize the experience. This change or goal will obviously be different due to area, experience, etc, but is all evolution in the sport.

We are allowed 1 deer a year, that is doe or buck. I prefer to hold out and wait for an opportunity on a mature buck, this extends my season and allows me more time to learn and be in the field. My personal choice of letting the immature animals go and giving them time to mature and develop has resulted in a better herd and more trophy animals in my hunting areas. I now get almost as much of thrill out of seeing and letting animals walk, as i due in pulling the trigger. Don't get me wrong I still want to harvest my trophy, but I also don't have any problems of burning my tag.

It is all a personal choice. Like most things &quot;It is what you make of it&quot; that really matters.

RE: big racks big hype
 

I'm from Colo. and we are allowed only one buck deer per year. I am a trophy hunter and I hunt for the rack. I do agree that if you like the buck or doe shoot it a true trophy is in the eye of the beholder. I don't care for the meat and i dontate my meat to someone that needs it. This year I gave my elk meat to the Salvation Army to feed their crew of workers. I would rather go skunked than take a 2x2 knowing that I was able to hold out for the ever bigger deer, or elk. I hunt all over and have taken 3 trophy bears back to back to back now I hunt them because I love to hunt them. I took a small brown phase last year because he was pretty and I wanted him for a rug.

RE: big racks big hype
 

In the group I gun hunt with, I was the only person that was looking for a good buck when the openner started. I tell them I am only shooting an 8 or better before the 4th day. Everyone else is shooting meat by choice. I do believe this will change a little after this past year. They all filled theyre tags by noon on the openner!

When everyone was looking to party hunt on my tag(legal). I said sure but it better be the b&c buck thats running around or they wouldnt be back. They all kinda of looked stunned at me! It really openned theyre eyes to sit back and actually see what was running around the property for a couple days!

When someone invites you to deer camp 500+ miles from home and theyve spent 3 weeks scouting and placing stands in the summer, then they say that they wont shoot anything smaller than an 8 before the 4th day, let the forks walk for atleast 1 day!
:)

RE: big racks big hype
 

Well first of i am 29 years old, i am in the US Air Force. and have been hunting for 17 years. don't get me wrong i love deer meat.. but in all of those 17 years, i have only shot 2 buck.. the first one i shot i was 15 years old, all though i have shot a doe every other year i went out hunting... but 1 when i was in Korea. here is where the story gets better, for me anyway... after a year of not hunting last year due to the Korea thing... I went out this year and the first day i shot a nice 9 point 155lb. 15 3/4 inch spred.. all i have to say is that it was the best hunt in 17 years... although if a doe would have came out instead of the Buck i would have killed her.. so i guess that Rack really don't matter... but it looks good on my wall.

RE: big racks big hype
 

Ok, I don't hunt soley for meat. If I did, I would probably hunt rabbits or something that I could get much easier than a deer. I take some kind of &quot;trophy&quot; from every deer I get. Be it antlers or just it's hide. I'm not hard to please. The hides are more useful to me, and doe are easier to tan. I think it is every hunter's responsability to decide for himself what a trophy is. I don't think it is a state's or counties job to decied for us, like antler restictions.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;