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".