The Psychology Behind the Quest For Trophy Racks

[Vinny Tagalucci]

 Lots of big deer get killed every year by people who don't need glory or fame or have the need to be a hunting hero.

Usually these same people say nothing about the deer they kill,the areas they hunt and usually hunt solo.

In my experience I've  found  the opposite to be true with the glory hounds who need the acceptance of everyone that will listen to their stories or who will view their pictures..........they are driven by a thirst to kill the biggest deer thay can find.........they usually are also close mouthed about where they hunt...........this is usually because the deer was not killed legally........but this type of hunter is in it for the glory and acceptance of others........nothing more.The loose lips and constant posting of pictures on every outlet available comes back to bite them square in the ass.I find that sad because to me they are missing the point of hunting entirely.

I think everyone should hunt how they like and kill what they like and not feel the need to meet another persons criteria for what a deer kill should be.If you are not hunting for yourself you need to do a serious reasessment of why you head to the woods every year.

[growalot]

I hunt for the experience,words nor picture can always convey what that was at the moment. There are many types of challenges deer can offer, be them big or small. One of my biggest was dumb as a box of rocks, and guys went nuts when they saw him. Another was just running by,probably running from someone else. That said I have had small ones shot because of the challenge they did give me. Like being spooked but then circling into range. Running then coming back twice. Walking around looking up. A buck in the rut is dumb across the board,there wil always be big deer in swamps,corn, beans,ww or under acorns.  The challenge...aaahhhh sometimes I have to laugh...

[nyslowhand]

Growalot eluded to it and Larry302 hit the nail on the head.. strictly a male ego boosting thing that has spread across all hunters. Not sure if this phenomenon started back in Neanderthal time or more recently with the "baby boomer" era when keeping up with (or surpassing) the Jonses became commonplace. Everything in life seems to be dictated by wanting the best job, biggest house, prettiest spouse, smartest kids, fanciest car, landscaped yard ... and brag-worthy buck. All bragging points attempting to make you look (feel?) better about yourself than others do. The advent of the internet and social media definitely has encouraged this ego boosting craze.

I've hunted over 50yrs and shot some nice mature bucks. Okay, so mature bucks do tend to sport better, bigger racks, but IMO are more difficult to hunt....generally.  I've shot a few that were leisurely walking through the woods in October or walked by my stand during the rut with their nose to the ground and unaware of anything around them. At least to me it was sort of anti-climatic after I got my hands on these types of harvests and realized how easy it was and how dumb these mature bucks can be. Some of my most memorable hunts were from encounters with bucks that were .... less than "trophy worthy".

Have never fallen into the dreaded ego boosting trap of "mine is bigger than yours"! Inches, points or bragging rights don't matter to me, it should be about the experience!! 

[jman22]

Good discussion. I would never critize anyone who shoots a deer, whether it be a button buck, a doe or a trophy buck as long as it was done responsibly. 

I will admit I love going after mature bucks. I wasn't always like this, but it's just what I do now. They are a different creature and they do act different than other deer. Sure they slip up and have their vulnerable moments,  but anyone who has scouted and targeted a particular big buck knows they just act differently. Its a challenge and i enjoy trying to figure out the puzzle. Do I feel good when I see the big buck ive been scouting and hunting?..yes.  And do i get a huge rush if im lucky enough to tag that buck?..absolutely!  I'm not ashamed to say that. And I have a SMALL circle I hunt with and am pretty private about spreading my pics all over the Internet.

Maybe growing up watching big buck shows on tv and the interent influenced my style to some extent. Luckily I never developed the ego that many of these hunters posess.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2017 by jman22
Editorial

[nybuckboy]

The way I see it this... and maybe I'm all wrong here. i believe that each and every one of us here go into the woods to enjoy the thrill of the hunt and to hear the woods wake up in the morning and go to sleep at dusk. Along the way we may see squirrels, fox, coyote, does and bucks, a fisher, a woodpecker, a grouse, a bear, and last but not least that elusive big rack buck... a buck that has always been part of the dream that maybe, just maybe this magnificent buck of my dreams may come past my stand and give me the opportunity to kill it. 

Edited June 26, 2017 by nybuckboy

[Uncle Nicky]

It's human nature to be competitive, and want to be the better than the rest. Not really all that surprising. Obviously, some guys take it to the extreme, but the same could be said for fishing, golf, car racing, or whatever your passion is.

What puzzles me more is the whole obsession with antlers and sheds. Not trying to insult anyone, but just don't get why anyone would be interested in old antlers laying around the woods. I found an old elk shed in PA once, just left it there. I told the guys back at camp, I though they were going to strangle me, I went back and got it for them, just to keep the peace.

[fasteddie]

The obsession with racks is nothing more than a Macho thing . I have friends that don't hunt and will say things like , "you didn't get a buck , my son shot a big 4 point and all you got was 2 doe " ! Then I ask them what they got and they shut up . 

Would I like to shoot a deer with a big rack ? Sure , but I am not obsessed with doing it . 

[rob-c]

I like the challenge of hunting older deer, be it a buck or a doe. Which I think a old doe is harder to kill than a old buck.the thing I enjoy the most about hunting is the preseason, figuring out where to hang stands and the deer patterns. Putting my woodsmanship skills to the test. If I do my part and I put my wife and son consistently on deer, well that makes the season for me. I am to the point where I would rather see them have the successful hunt than myself. Neither has shot a buck yet so any buck taken they will be happy with as will I. 

[growalot]

Quote

I like the challenge of hunting older deer, be it a buck or a doe. Which I think a old doe is harder to kill than a old buck.the thing I enjoy the most about hunting is the preseason, figuring out where to hang stands and the deer patterns. Putting my woodsmanship skills to the test. I

In a nut shell ...and shot placement...I take more pride in shot placement then the deer...I had little or nothing to do the what the deer grew into, nor the fact it came within shot range at said time and said spot...I move like they do. So it is luck,pure and simple...but my shot placements are me. Nothing can effect that but me and my judgement at the time. I have mentioned this in my deer take  posts..nice deer but proud of the shot.

[moog5050]

8 minutes ago, growalot said:

nor the fact it came within shot range at said time and said spot

Really - putting yourself in the right position at the right time is a critical part of strategic hunting IMO.  Sure one can get lucky, but to do it season after season requires some skill or woodsmanship as Rob suggests. I know we have some stands that are really doe stands and others where we wait until the right time and circumstances to try to knock down an older buck.  Different places, timing and other factors all come into play.  Obviously sealing the deal with good shot placement is a final step.

[growalot]

I don't think that in an area of diverse food sources, high pressure and large doe populations can be strategically calculated as far as time nor distance. I haven't seen it here. When I shot one of my 8pt a few years ago...not a big 8, but surely a trophy for the poor guy that scouted and filmed him all summer and set up at just the right times...to have me shoot him 1/2 mile away during one of those "routine" times he'd so carefully recorded prior to season. He sent me a trail cam pic of him. Who knows what caused his change...luck as far as I'm concerned. All areas are different. I shot my big swamp buck a few hours after setting up...I mentioned on here hadn't been down there for years but knew big buck hit that area..he just cruised by with an easy shot...the big ten the following year same area no scouting..it's not needed it's a swamp...but see he had the luck and never gave me a good shot be fore spotting me and I shot high as he loaded his legs for the jump his good luck...This is what skill is:

Skill is what people have when they spend a lot of time before and during season and get a big deer..sounds great he had the skill...but same scenario with no deer...he had bad luck

Guy knows an area and gets a deer 5mins after sitting down, he's just lucky...never mind he knew where to go to sit.

Eye of the beholder.... just as the size of a trophy...each beholders tag for it....

[moog5050]

Sorry Grow.  I will agree to disagree.  If you want to kill older bucks on a regular basis, it requires more skill than just making the shot.  The rest is not all luck as you suggest.  Of course not every plan results in a dead buck, but the goal of the plan is to put your self in the highest percentage under the given conditions and knowing how to do that takes some hunting skills.  Implement a well reasoned plan enough times in a season and your chances are much better than sitting anywhere hoping.  It would be easy to sit the same stand and hope for luck, but I really don't think I would kill many 3 plus year old bucks doing that.  I guess your mileage may vary and, if so, good luck this year.

I could also just drop lines anywhere in lake Ontario with any lure and hope to catch a nice salmon and I just may get lucky on occasion.  But those that catch them regularly have the skill to do so by constantly analyzing how to put the odds in their favor and aren't fishing anywhere with any lure and just hoping. 

[Four Season Whitetail's]

51 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Sorry Grow.  I will agree to disagree.  If you want to kill older bucks on a regular basis, it requires more skill than just making the shot.  The rest is not all luck as you suggest.  Of course not every plan results in a dead buck, but the goal of the plan is to put your self in the highest percentage under the given conditions and knowing how to do that takes some hunting skills.  Implement a well reasoned plan enough times in a season and your chances are much better than sitting anywhere hoping.  It would be easy to sit the same stand and hope for luck, but I really don't think I would kill many 3 plus year old bucks doing that.  I guess your mileage may vary and, if so, good luck this year.

I could also just drop lines anywhere in lake Ontario with any lure and hope to catch a nice salmon and I just may get lucky on occasion.  But those that catch them regularly have the skill to do so by constantly analyzing how to put the odds in their favor and aren't fishing anywhere with any lure and just hoping. 

Without a doubt!

[dbHunterNY]

sure there's some that would beat on they're chest and look down on others or similar crap.  i don't post many deer here at all.  two i can think of i've posted on here weren't really luck but partially so.  lucky that specific deer showed up but both hunters i'm close to were in spot with likely odds of seeing a big deer.  as in sightings when they were hunting it.  not just i picked an area, NY county, or state that holds big deer.  big racks are rare, maybe due to older age class not as prevalent, maybe above average genetics, or both.  anything rare having to do with anything people do is more appealing.  it's human nature.  nothing to do with trophy hunting, tv hunting shows, antler restrictions, qdm, sponsorships, the brand gun your toting, or anything else.  

by far i think the hunters i know of probably including myself keep to themselves while keeping tabs on bigger deer the bigger deer around an area.  otherwise the curiosity gets the best of some people. heck i don't think i've shot giant deer and i've had ridiculous things happen to me.  people stalking your move and checking out your stand spot once you've hung it and left.  sitting within sight of you (even in the woods), after you tell them where you were going.  i've even been sitting in my own stand before daylight on private property and had a utv drive up to hunt there.  lights lit me up in the stand, had an oh s&^% moment and quickly turned around and left.  i mostly hunt out of a climber now for that reason.  

any big deer i know of has a schoolbus load of kids, nightly police cruiser, and/or half a township watching the thing.  when you can seal the deal when others thought of it as a ghost it's an accomplishment.

[Buckmaster7600]

"In a nut shell ...and shot placement...I take more pride in shot placement then the deer...I had little or nothing to do the what the deer grew into, nor the fact it came within shot range at said time and said spot...I move like they do. So it is luck,pure and simple...but my shot placements are me. Nothing can effect that but me and my judgement at the time. I have mentioned this in my deer take  posts..nice deer but proud of the shot."

I agree that many hunters kill deer because of luck, however for hunters who consistently kill mature bucks most often make their own luck either will skill and/or perseverance.

Shot placement is also something I take great pride in.

The way I hunt still hunting/tracking in the ADKS almost completely takes luck out of he question. This style of hunting is made or broke by capitalizing on opportunities.

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[Four Season Whitetail's]

4 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

In a nut shell ...and shot placement...I take more pride in shot placement then the deer...I had little or nothing to do the what the deer grew into, nor the fact it came within shot range at said time and said spot...I move like they do. So it is luck,pure and simple...but my shot placements are me. Nothing can effect that but me and my judgement at the time. I have mentioned this in my deer take  posts..nice deer but proud of the shot.

I agree that many hunters kill deer because of luck, however for hunters who consistently kill mature bucks most often make their own luck either will skill and/or perseverance.

The way I hunt still hunting/tracking in the ADKS almost completely takes luck out of he question. This style of hunting is made or broke by capitalizing on opportunities.


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Which in turn puts you a step above other hunters because many can't get the job done with that style hunting. That's just the way it is. 

[philoshop]

I've kept the heads, skulls or antlers of only three deer. None of them are impressive in size. The first is from the mid 1970's. It was the first buck I shot. The second is the first buck I took with a bow. The third is the first buck I took from land that I owned. I've taken much bigger bucks than those over the years, but they weren't special.

[jman22]

Many on here have mentioned that the guys with big egos are the the ones boosting about the big bucks they kill. This may be the case for some, but pretty much all of the guys I know that  consistently target and shoot 3yo + bucks in NY do not have big egos and they do not post their pics all over the internet or through text messages for everyone to see. These guys are just as secretive as the big bucks they hunt. And its not because they are doing anything illegal. They just don't want any attention being drawn to them. 

[The_Field_Ager]

It's natural and normal to want to share one's accomplishments in all spheres and endeavors. Anyone claiming otherwise is a pompous ass. We enjoy sharing our successes and we enjoy other peoples enjoyment of our success. I also enjoy hearing about the success of others more than hearing them whine about how much they suck at everything

[Four Season Whitetail's]

1 hour ago, jman22 said:

Many on here have mentioned that the guys with big egos are the the ones boosting about the big bucks they kill. This may be the case for some, but pretty much all of the guys I know that  consistently target and shoot 3yo + bucks in NY do not have big egos and they do not post their pics all over the internet or through text messages for everyone to see. These guys are just as secretive as the big bucks they hunt. And its not because they are doing anything illegal. They just don't want any attention being drawn to them. 

Bingo!!

[growalot]

Papist,

im thinking the sharing of success isn't the crutch of the conversation...its how success is viewed. It's funny that even in a conversation about it, condesending comments were made. Now before that gets jumped on. I believe, I want to believe, they were made unintentionally and without mallace. It's also a double bladed sword...people speak the way they do,and people hear what they hear. Many times  the two don't sync. The written word without facial expressions, vocal expressions, body language makes it all that much more difficult. Then there are the comments that make some not want to share, which is sad.. me I don't care how big  deer is  it will get posted.. i dont post all things just deer and turkey. I don't worry about the comments some do. Great example and a classic:

Congrats nice young deer..  Congrats nice jake, i haven't shot one in years bet it tastes great. There are so many and we've all seen them used. It's all just human nature and funnier as I get older.

[reeltime]

seems to be that far more people concern themselves with folks that prefer to shoot big bucks than folks that shoot big buck concern themselves with those that will shoot any buck that walks by them. 

we all pay basically the same price for our license/tag,  the tag belongs to YOU its YOUR choice what YOU decide you want to shoot. If everyone worried about their own business hunting would be far more enjoyable for all involved.

Are there arrogant folks out there flaunting their success and looking down on someone shooting a sub their standard buck, absolutely. Happens in all factions of life and the best medicine for the such is to ignore them, its not worth the anxiety it brings.

as others have said, those that consistently shoot big bucks are few and far between and generally a large percentage of those folks are not"braggers"  They have set personal goals, work hard, spend their time and money and it shows in their rewards for their efforts.

 

to those that say people consistently kill big bucks must be doing so illegally it is nothing more than pure jealousy talking. It doesn't matter if its deer, turkey or bear people that are consistently successful have been and will be accused of illegal activity,  as long as you keep yourself legal the only one ending up with egg on their face are the accusers. 

 

hunt how you wish, shoot what is legal and meets your standards, enjoy the outdoors and don't be so consumed about what the next person decides to put their tag on.

 

[Buckmaster7600]

Which in turn puts you a step above other hunters because many can't get the job done with that style hunting. That's just the way it is. 

Not a step above anyone in the skill department, just bull headed perseverance and refusing to accept failure has consistently put big woods bucks on my wall.


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[grampy]

I make no apologies, for being proud of how I hunt and the deer I've killed. I don't shoot yearling bucks, because I've shot a bunch of them, and find no challenge in shooting them anymore. I hunt for my own enjoyment, not to impress anyone, or boost my ego. I'm truly happy to hear of ANY hunter killing ANY deer! And will always give a heartfelt congratulations. But I enjoy putting all the years of learning the way of the whitetail, and refining my hunting and woodsmanship skills, to be able to shoot what make ME happy. Hunting is not, or should it be, an everyone gets a trophy activity. Shoot what you like. Like what you shoot. 

[Vinny Tagalucci]

18 minutes ago, reeltime said:

 

to those that say people consistently kill big bucks must be doing so illegally it is nothing more than pure jealousy talking

 

 I would wholeheartedly agree with this if in my experience it was always true..........it may be a regional thing but I know absolutely,positively and without the shadow of doubt that many deer from my area are taken illegally-not bending rules but with total diregard for the law-including some that are listed in certain record keeping orginazation books.It is just the way it is around here and has been so for a long time.Having a record with the DEC seems to be  a badge of honor with some.

No area is off limits.No animal is off limits.No rule or law is unbreakable.

 Not heresy,not jealousy and certainly  not my place to out these people but I don't lke hypocrites that have lots of skeletons in their closet.

I also don't like losing hunting areas because a Facebook hunting hero finds it necessary to top everyone and kill deer using illegal methods in areas that property owners don't want them in.Some people are truly blinded by antlers.