A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

What is a trophy buck?...... In your hunting territory?
We see all the pictures, we hear all the talk, and we dream all the dreams of that B&C or P&Y buck, BUT, what is reality?
It may vary from state to state, region to region, even county to county!
To some, it may be a true whopper, to others a trophy could be a 4 pointer or even a nice doe!.... A trophy deer is truely in the eye of the beholder!

I read an article by a well respecteed deer bioligist, Dr. James Kroll. In it he said that the average buck in East Texas has an 11 inch spread, with 7 points. That really got me to thinking about what trophies REALLY are. This year, I have taken an 8 pointer, with a 14 inch spread, my second best buck ever!, My best ever in East Tex, was a heavy beamed 9 point, that would score about 115-120, BC!
Granted, there are a few 140-150 class bucks taken each year, and even a rare record book class buck taken in East Texas. (the East Texas region covers a larger area than many states!)

Depending on the area that you hunt, it could take as much or MORE hunting skill to take a 4 pointer or nice doe, than it would take in another region to take a trophy class buck!

So, what is a "trophy" buck for your area? I'm not talking "if you hunt every minute, of every season, for ten years!" I am asking, if you expect to harvest a buck each year or two, what can you REASONABLY expect to get?

As I said, a trophy is truely in the eyes, or literally in the scope of the beholder!

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

Jag, Great Post.

For me it would have to be at least outside the ears. Here in La. that would be about 15-16". I let the smaller ones walk. Granted I have only take 2 bucks of this caliber in the last 5 years, but it is well worth the effort.

My definition of a trophy is: Any deer that makes your heart beat faster, your hands to shake uncontrolably, and leaves you to shook up to get out of the tree or blind for several minutes after the shot.

Note: I have killed 2 trophy does in the last two years also.

Good Hunting.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

I agree jag! As long as your happy then it is a trophy, in this sense any animal harvested is a trophy in my books. It is all about your experience, area, personal goals and standards. One should only measure him/herself on their own personal scale not others. For me the harvest is the reward of the hunting process, it is never a given. Regardless of what head gear it has or has not the experience and journey that gets you to that reward is the part I really love and call hunting.

I look for maturity and 150 class when deciding to shoot a buck. I love the meat as well and have no problems passing a young buck in lieu of a mature doe come crunch time/need some eats for the freezer.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

In our area a 170 class is about as good as you wil find. There was one killed about a mile from some of our land last year.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

Could range from a button buck to the Albia buck. It's all about the hunt.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

I am from West Central Illinois. You have read all the posts.
What do you think;).
To me, they are all trophys.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

One that is bigger than my last 'bigun'. ;My last? a small 8 pt. I do have an eleven point from Ill. when I lived there. But, as dorothy said, I'm not in Illinois any more.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

The lease I hunt on has a 6 pt / 15 in rule, and seeing as how I only have two deer under my belt that fill both requirements, that's trophy-size to me. The biggest deer in my family is my dad's 10 pt that scores about 130, and the biggest deer I've ever seen that came off our property probably scores about 160. Anything over 100, though, looks big to me.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

I shot this buck on Thanksgiving day this year........a deer like this coming out of the woods I was hunting is unheard of. It just doesn't happen. The woods are pounded by hunters and the deer just don't live long enough to get this big. 4 and 6 pointers will stir jealousy in other hunters around there so I guess any buck period is what 99% of the guys out there would consider a trophy.

I have said before in more then a few threads that I believe your land dictates the kind of deer you will take more then anything else. I also believe just as it has been said here that in some places you will have to put in more time and effort and use more skill.....just to take an 8 ptr that doesn't even come close to the record books................compared to taking a 160" deer in a place that they are commonly found.

To me?? The thing that makes my deer so special to me is that I can count on one hand how many people over the years have taken a deer like mine out of where I hunt........out of hundreds of hunters and thousands of deer.......I am the one they are talking about when they all sit around the fire and say "Did you hear about the monster that guy shot on Thanksgiving?"

In many places of the country he may not even be a shooter. Around here he is already a legend. I think as time goes by and things settle back into the normal routine I will really start to realize how special that day was for me and how lucky I am to have even been presented with a chance of a lifetime like that. Thank god my aim was true or I would have an ulcer the size of China by now. This buck had 2 nicks on him by other hunters.......they are probably both in straight jackets right now.

No matter what I shoot for the rest of my hunting days I will NEVER forget the memories of every second of that Thanksgiving morning when in a matter of 2 minutes during a stroll to meet my brother I did the equivalent of winning the deer lottery.

I also took him with my fathers gun.........something that I will cherish forever as well. My dad taught me eveything that I know and his words of "Aim the gun kiddo" echoed in my mind as my heart pounded and my knees shook. I was able to keep my focus long enough to make a good clean shot and track him through the field where I found him laying in the tall goldenrod. Once the job was done then I lost it emotionally and was dropped to my knees.....something I am not ashamed of one bit. Taking a deer like this may only come once in my lifetime. Feeling like my dad was right there with me the whole way is something I don't even think I can explain. It will always be special to me knowing that WE took the deer.

That is what a trophy is to me......the whole experience. Not just his antlers.

RE: A Trophy Buck Is?.....
 

a trophy to me is........a deer that i killed, gutted, butchered and got in my freezer all by myself. and if its a nice buck, it makes it even better:)