i figure the meats all the same, and the antlers dont make it taste any better, just looks better on the wall. i've been hunting 3 years now and i've gotten 4 does and no bucks. two of which i shot within 10 minutes of eachother this year. ive seen a beautiful 10 pointer during a doe hunt, along with 3 other bucks, but i would never stoop so low as to take a deer illegally just to brag about it. to me a trophy is one that dad cooks up on the grill with lipton onion soup mix!!

To me a trophy buck is best left in the woods. I hunt only for the meat and I will take a doe over a buck for that purpose every time. I have eaten bucks that were not to bad but they are nowhere near as good as the does. The last big buck I shot we ended up feeding most of it to the dog. He didn't even like it very well. When I was a kid I used to hunt for the big bucks but as I got older I would rather watch them rucuss around and just enjoy seeing them . I hate to shoot what took so long to become a trophy. I quess its hard for most hunters to understand. I still like to shoot them but now with a 35MM instead of a 7MM.

To me a trophy buck would be one that is bigger than the previous yr. And if its not then it is still a troph in a sort of sense, it all depends on the hunt that has taken place.

it all depends. any buck is a trophy in my eyes. that six i shot this year and posted, if you saw me in person, you woulda thought i shot the world record. i carry around a picture to show people. what made me so proud was that it was my first deer on public land, and after some close calls with bigger bucks, i finally shot this one. during bow i let him walk during the rut, but that was b/c i knew i stood a better chance at shooting a monster. i shot a doe last year on 12/31/02 and was sooooo proud of it b/c it was my first deer with the bow. i am still sooooo proud of that one. weighed only about 90 pounds, but tasted good. and then there was the doe i shot from the ground this year at 10 yards. and then there was my FIRST deer. and my first buck, shoulder mounted on the wall. he was a weak eight with a 16 1/2" inside spread. probably wouldnt even score that much over 100". i will never know b/c i could give two ****s. the tape will never touch him.

basically, every deer i take is a trophy to me b/c i work my ass off during the off season and keep my grades up during the deer season, and still manage to have a job, play varsity football, and keep my friends, and keep my girl(s). i find something in every deer that makes it a trophy. i shot a deer the same day as my varsity game this year. that made it a trophy. it was my first deer i EVER shot in the morning. ya see what i mean???

trophy to me, is any deer that i shoot -its just that way --4 me

Web. Thats a good way to look at it. I see several others here share your thoughs.

140 and up

As I am only 15 i would say that a trophy is any animal shot within the law. But here in utah a trophy mule deer is over 24" or is a 4x4. some places in southern UT a trophy is a deer that is over 30" and at least a 5x4

I hunt in a couple different counties surrounding where I live. I've seen several 8 pointers pulled out of the woods this year. One had a 22 inche spread. it was truly magnificent. For myself This year has been my very best year. It took a 70-80 lb doe and a 100 lb button buck. I have about 8 years of hunting under my belt and last year was the first deer (doe) that I've taken. I've missed an opportunity tow take two decent bucks. one six pointer and one 8 or better. I will be out there a couple more days this year and any legal deer that I am able to put in the fridge will please me. I suppose that if I continue to have good years I will set my sights a little higher. Right now I'm just thrilled to have about 50 lbs of venison left in the fridge.

David

Any buck over 4.5 years old

regardless of horn size