How important is antler size to you?

[42769vette]

A true trophy is a yearling doe that I helped a new hunter, or youth hunter harvest.

i couldn't agree more just this weekend a 2nd year hunter called me. he has never killed a deer so i set him in a stand where i thought he could kill one and told him to take anything. he killed a 1.5 yr old 4 point and i was happier than i would have been if i had killed a monster. no i didn't want that buck killed i wanted him to grow but for young hunters all bets are off and anything goes.

personally i take alot of pride in seeing a deer as a 3.5 yr old and knowing most hunters would bust him then seeing him bigger the next year and knowing i allowed that to happen as i could have killed him last year as a good buck. i know if i hadn't shown restraint the year before i wouldn't be looking at this amazing animal now.

ive heard all the bs anti hunters through out about trophy hunters depenting the genetics of a heard and opening it up for extention due to desiese and ?. it just shows how un informed they are. does anyone think that a 4.5 yr old or 5.5 yr old trophy hasent already passed on its geans? the antis dont want to sit and talk in a public forum to trophy hunters because they know there argument has no foundation. its just like the anti gunners who say "when the constitution said the right to bear arms doesn't nessessarly mean guns".

 

[Carp]

Depends on the year and time in the season. The later it gets, the less choosy.

 

[public servant]

You can not eat the rack.

No...but you can damn sure try...

And as for the OP...size does not matter!!!

 

[infidel]

And as for the OP...size does not matter!!!

Hey if that's what she tells you at night more power to ya!

 

[infidel]

"YOU CAN'T EAT THE ANTLERS"

Weird Meat - a food and travel blog: Deer Antler Gum Drops

Their internet wasn't working and I'd failed to bring a book, so I had to resort to shopping at the airport. They had a shop specializing in exotic medicinals from the north-east of China. Deer antlers. Deer penis. Siberian tiger testicles. Weird dried mushrooms. Twigs, branches, and a variety of ginseng-like things. The penises were far too expensive, so I bought a bag of candy -- "Pilose Antler Soft Sweets" -- gum drops made from deer antlers.

 

[gunrunner0]

you can't eat antlers anyways

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Al B]

Meat for the table.
Antlers are for tools. Never seemed to have a need to hang them on the wall.

 

[HICKMAN]

I wouldn't mind one for the wall, but I'm trying to fill a freezer.

 

[kycrawler]

I only shoot does and young bucks now . I would shoot a nice yearling doe standing next to a big 10 pointer . I hunt strictly for meat and old bucks just dont taste as good as younger deer . I do try to take bucks that are deformed out of the gene pool though .

 

[trophy hunter]

well if you shoot a big buck you got antlers AND meat.. win-win if you ask me...

 

[jeremy]

The true problem is I generally shot them in the head...

 

[maarlborogto]

i dont care as long as i get one to have some good eating and enough meat for a couple month it dont matter

 

[DragonGunner]

Back in the 80's an early 90's You could take more than one buck, I hunted for my family an the first thing by, doe or buck got it. Sometimes the first was a buck, I then would wait for a doe, or a bigger buck, but towards the end of archery on the last week I would then take anything. Then during shotgun season you had better shoot the first buck that came by an I did, this added up to the meat my family needed, saving on grocieries....then 10 years I didn't hunt...then last year was my first time out an all I saw were bucks! I saw one yearling doe (archery) I saw 9 different bucks with only one that was big...I took a small 6 pt. on last week before shotgun...I couldn't shotgun hunt the property, but this year I can. With the new rules to me, an not having mouths to feed, I may TRY an restrain myself an hold out for a nice big one....I'll let you know how it works out!

 

[snapping turtle]

I just wish they had something like "EXTENDS" for buck antlers.

That stuff must work well with all the late night advertisements I see when I get up early in the morning. Must be on half the stations. I don't need it myself but a few of the local bucks could use it for antlers size,

I will admit I do not shot basket rack bucks period. Heck for years in the late 1970's and early 1980 if you saw a deer in deer season while out with a gun it was a good season. We did not shoot does and I still have a hard time puling the trigger on them. (I do pull the trigger but It just is not instintive to me on a doe.) The does do taste better.

 

[Hawkeye]

I didn't vote in the poll as none of the 3 options seem to fit me.

I already have a nice buck (10 pt) mounted on my wall from Western Iowa about 17 years back. I'm not really out to take another trophy. I do enjoy deer hunting, though and like venison. I'm probably just as likely to shoot for meat as I am antlers. By that I mean, I'd take a large non-antlered deer (probably a doe) over a similar sized antlered deer.

Of course, if that mythical B&C award winner wandered by and I had an antlered tag...

 

[Mike H]

Very important. I have deer hunted sense 1972 and have killed my share of scrub bucks. I don't do that anymore. I usually kill 3 or 4 does for meat, and if a shooter buck does not come along,......well I'm ok with that. My best buck is a 15 pt. gross score of 177 and change. I also have a 152" 8 point, along with several more in the 140's. Not saying this stuff to brag but to explain why antler size is important to me.
Having deer hunted for so long I would rather shoot a doe than an immature buck.
But thats just me......heck I don't care what you shoot.

 

[DarkRose]

Well, only having been successful the last 2 years, I'm still at the "if it's brown it's down point". Got my first antlered buck last year, it was only a 5 point, but I was proud (that and it was a 70 yard shot with a slug).

Once I get a few more deer under my belt, my philospohy may change, but the young ones are tender...
I'd rather have an old buck on the wall, but any young deer on the grill.

Also part of my reasoning is me and my father only hunt 3 Saturdays a year, firearm season, not past Thanksgiving weeked (his deal with my mom to keep the peace). So our time is more limited and we're in it for the hunt and the meat more than the antlers.

 

[DarkRose]

I truly believe that "trophy" hunting gives anti's more incentive than anything else, the new scopes that "measure" racks and whole articles and magazines dedicated to hunting only trophy bucks are disgusting, I have taken trophy deer, I have taken yearlings, I enjoy hunting for the time out in the woods, I butcher my own deer and eat every scrap of edible meat. If I have a full freezer I will wait on a buck if I've seen it but I don't take pride in getting a big deer because random factors aligned and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, If I work my way into a situation I enjoy a big deer.

One of the most disgusting things I've ever seen is a guy where I work wanting to buy big racks. He said it was just for decoration but I knew better.

A true trophy is a yearling doe that I helped a new hunter, or youth hunter harvest.

I don't like wanna be's

I don't mind "trophy" hunting, with one caveat: The meat does not go to waste. I don't care if you'll only pull the trigger on a 10 or better, just don't waste the meat. If you're a trophy hunter that kills an animal, takes the head and/or rack and leaves the rest for the scavengers, don't talk to me.
If it all goes to good use, shoot what you want!

 

[Jack Ryan]

I would love to see nothing but trophy deer in the area that I hunt but when everyone else shoots at whatever moves it makes it difficult to get those trophies.

Trophies are suppose to be difficult to get. When there's "nothing but trophy deer" then they aren't trophy any more, they are farm animals.

 

[M4Madness]

I'm out for a large rack. I'm more fortunate than many, in that I have at least 75-100 opportunities to kill deer each season. If I shot the first thing to come along, my season would be over quickly and be quite boring. Does and small bucks are a dime a dozen where I hunt. At least by holding out for a large-racked buck, I make my hunting more challenging.

On the other hand, I have absolutely no problem with someone shooting a small buck. Any deer is a trophy, and if someone is happy with their kill, I'm happy for them.