What makes a trophy ?

[Four Seasons]

5 hours ago, wolc123 said:

Belo hit on some good points. I copied that post here where it was on the right topic.  My first Adirondack deer was an early ML week doe and was definitely one of, if not my own personal favorite “trophy”.  This one from last year, was also right up there.  It took me 3 years and about 36 hunts to finally bring her down.  

Some folks make a big deal about how challenging it is to kill “mature” bucks, but mature does can be even more challenging.  A rut crazed buck of any age is the dumbest animal in the woods and can easily be taken by a hunter of any skill level.  No such “free ride” with a mature doe.  
 

Easy to kill a rut crazed mature buck huh???   Says the guy that finally kills a somewhat mature deer and posts it on every thread for months. If it’s so easy why is it it takes you an average of 6 years between your so called mature bucks?  I guess you just let them walk every year huh??  

[Four Seasons]

2 hours ago, Belo said:

I’m not so sure a rut crazed buck is that dumb and that any hunter can just get one, but I get your point.

Totally agree on nanny does too.


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Seems as those that say it’s so easy are also those that very rarely get them. Typical of those kind of people. It’s like giving advise on a hunting site on how to help someone kill a mature buck when they have never killed one themselves. 

[Four Seasons]

12 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I’ve killed around 100 deer and don’t feel like I’ve killed a trophy yet. I have some memories I cherish more than others, some I worked harder for etc. but don’t feel like I’ve ever killed a trophy buck. To me a doe Isn’t a trophy but everyone is different. I can honestly say that when I kill my trophy while tracking I’ll probably quit deer hunting.


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 Your right. A trophy in today Whitetail world is not any of the female kind. A trophy is the biggest and smartest of a certain animal in most cases. In the deer world mature and with that most times comes bigger antlers. Is a Jake a trophy in the Turkey world or is a 22 pound Tom with a 12 inch paintbrush the trophy?  Any person can call anything a trophy in their eyes but in the real meaning of that sport it’s probably not. 

[wolc123]

5 hours ago, Four Seasons said:

Easy to kill a rut crazed mature buck huh???   Says the guy that finally kills a somewhat mature deer and posts it on every thread for months. If it’s so easy why is it it takes you an average of 6 years between your so called mature bucks?  I guess you just let them walk every year huh??  

I killed bucks with bigger antlers than my last year’s 9-point in 2019 and 2018, and one with a significantly bigger body in 2017.  Don’t they count ?  If you don’t remember the pictures; I can provide more.   I even  saved the lower jaw on one.  
 

I did settle for a 2.5 year in 2020 because he met my harvest criteria then of at  least. 3 points on a side.  My venison need wasn’t so dire last season so I upped it to 4 points per side minimum.
 

 It had been over 10 years since I tagged an antlered buck with less than 3 points per side but I still consider myself a meat hunter.  Button bucks are welcome bonuses.  
 

You definitely got the trophy thing down though, and thank you got your contribution.  

Edited January 31, 2022 by wolc123

[CharlieNY]

13 hours ago, Chef said:

Any deer killed illegally is a trophy.


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Chef I believe (and I hope) you meant to say that any deer killed legally is a trophy. If so you may want to edit your reply. I can't believe that you intentionally said that "any deer killed illegally is a trophy."        valoroutdoors.com

[Chef]

Chef I believe (and I hope) you meant to say that any deer killed legally is a trophy. If so you may want to edit your reply. I can't believe that you intentionally said that "any deer killed illegally is a trophy."        valoroutdoors.com

Wow I didn’t even notice that lol. The issue is it’s now too late and the site won’t let me edit it lol


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[suburbanfarmer]

22 minutes ago, Chef said:

Wow I didn’t even notice that lol. The issue is it’s now too late and the site won’t let me edit it lol


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Freudian slip

j/k 

[Chef]

Freudian slip
j/k 

So what is more of a trophy…. From the window of a moving car with a automatic weapon……. Over a corn pile that’s outside the bedroom window.. or in the field with a spotlight while drinking


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[suburbanfarmer]

10 minutes ago, Chef said:

So what is more of a trophy…. From the window of a moving car with a automatic weapon……. Over a corn pile that’s outside the bedroom window.. or in the field with a spotlight while drinking


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You are a good sport my friend

[rachunter]

A buck and doe with good genetics.

[Daveboone]

1 hour ago, Chef said:

Wow I didn’t even notice that lol. The issue is it’s now too late and the site won’t let me edit it lol


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Yep, but when I read it (and I think from the lack of response from others) we all knew what you intended.

[ApexerER]

12 hours ago, wolc123 said:

“Trophy” is probably not the best choice of words, when it comes to discussing a deer kill.  

“Meaningful” would be a lot better, and that is always in the eyes of the killer.  
 

I had never heard of checking a deer’s chest girth until g-man posted that PA chart back in 2016.  That is a hell of a doe and that measurement falls very close to the two largest bucks that I have checked since then.  
 

I am sorry that I never got a chance to check the girth of that doe that I killed up in the Dack’s last year.  She was big but lean, and I got very little meat back from the butcher.
 

I was a little pissed about that, until the Friday after Thanksgiving, but now it don’t bother me much, mostly because of large quantity of meat that the Good Lord blessed me with, starting then.
 
 Had I got a chest girth measurement of that doe, I could have got a rough estimate of how much meat I should have gotten back.  It was so warm at the time, that my biggest concern was getting her into a cooler.  

I am not sure how many deer I have killed, maybe a hundred, but if I thought about it real hard, I could probably remember something about every one.  All were meaningful to me. I could give two shits about what anyone else thinks of any of them.  
 

They were all legally taken, to the best of my knowledge, when I pulled the trigger or released the arrow.  
 

All we can do for those folks who feel the need to shame others harvests, is pray for them.  Hopefully they get their acts together, before it is too late.  

Wow, wolc swore. Never thought i would see that.....!

[ApexerER]

2 hours ago, Chef said:

Wow I didn’t even notice that lol. The issue is it’s now too late and the site won’t let me edit it lol


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I noticed it. Just assumed it was a joke

[GreeneHunter]

The Deer I put in my Freezer is always a Trophy !

[Five Seasons]

13 hours ago, moog5050 said:

Probably anything that the hunter finds particularly meaningful.  I would say maybe 5 of the 50 or so deer I killed over the last 10 years are trophy’s to me.  Some because of the size of antlers, some because of the manner I killed em, some because I figured out exactly when and where to kill em.  But no I don’t think every deer is a trophy although I appreciate the success.   I also think that a deer can rise to trophy status for a hunter for reasons beyond antler inches. 

50 deer in 10 years?

Really?

[WNYTRPR]

2 minutes ago, Belo said:

50 deer in 10 years?

Really?

? That’s 5 a year ?

[Four Seasons]

2 minutes ago, Belo said:

50 deer in 10 years?

Really?

Lol. He said or so.  Most years i thump 4 and a few 5’s after they started with all these tags. Don’t even remember the tag situation bag then. I put the 2 mature buck harvests at the top of the list and let the rest fall in place. 

[Five Seasons]

11 hours ago, Four Seasons said:

Seems as those that say it’s so easy are also those that very rarely get them. Typical of those kind of people. It’s like giving advise on a hunting site on how to help someone kill a mature buck when they have never killed one themselves. 

Yeah, I understand his point though. It's the blind squirrel idea. Even the worst hunter can be in the right place at the right time and if that big buck has his nose to the ground doing the stiff legged zombie walk there's little outside a bad shot that will not end in a harvested deer. 

Now the opposite is true for a nanny doe. All you need to do is blink and she's off blowing through the woods ruining your day.

What I would say about the mature buck though is that not every novice will be in the right place at the right time to take that shot. That's where a good hunter plays the wind, picks the right time and day to hunt a stand, picks the right times to leave a stand alone, uses their woodsmanship or technology like cameras to pattern and evaluate sign.

Most of us have big bucks in and around our hunting grounds and most of us on any moderately pressured land know that there's only a few days a year they come out during the day. Otherwise those bastards are pretty nocturnal. This is where you start to see a good or maybe a better term, knowledgeable and experienced hunter separate themselves. 

[Five Seasons]

4 minutes ago, WNYTRPR said:

? That’s 5 a year ?

 

1 minute ago, Four Seasons said:

Lol. He said or so.  Most years i thump 4 and a few 5’s after they started with all these tags. Don’t even remember the tag situation bag then. I put the 2 mature buck harvests at the top of the list and let the rest fall in place. 

totally legal, i'm just curious if that's what he meant. no judgement. 

[Five Seasons]

3 hours ago, Chef said:

Wow I didn’t even notice that lol. The issue is it’s now too late and the site won’t let me edit it lol


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for arguments sake and because it's the off season, your take is the exact opposite of mine. Care to elaborate on why you think every deer is a trophy?

[moog5050]

14 minutes ago, Belo said:

50 deer in 10 years?

Really?

Really.   Until last season, I had shot 5-7 deer a season except my first season when I killed 3.   But I am averaging down after last year.  lol

[WNYTRPR]

4 minutes ago, Belo said:

Yeah, I understand his point though. It's the blind squirrel idea. Even the worst hunter can be in the right place at the right time and if that big buck has his nose to the ground doing the stiff legged zombie walk there's little outside a bad shot that will not end in a harvested deer. 

Now the opposite is true for a nanny doe. All you need to do is blink and she's off blowing through the woods ruining your day.

What I would say about the mature buck though is that not every novice will be in the right place at the right time to take that shot. That's where a good hunter plays the wind, picks the right time and day to hunt a stand, picks the right times to leave a stand alone, uses their woodsmanship or technology like cameras to pattern and evaluate sign.

Most of us have big bucks in and around our hunting grounds and most of us on any moderately pressured land know that there's only a few days a year they come out during the day. Otherwise those bastards are pretty nocturnal. This is where you start to see a good or maybe a better term, knowledgeable and experienced hunter separate themselves. 

Ive definitely had more mature bucks come in clueless to what’s going on compared to many doe .At least during the rut .Like you said ,good scouting ,good wind ,time in the stand ,and proper execution will get you mature bucks .In the last so many years ,I’ve had more chances at mature bucks during rut than I’ve had at mature doe come early November .I don’t hunt food plots (besides apple orchards)My locations are woods /travel routes mostly

[moog5050]

10 minutes ago, Four Seasons said:

Lol. He said or so.  Most years i thump 4 and a few 5’s after they started with all these tags. Don’t even remember the tag situation bag then. I put the 2 mature buck harvests at the top of the list and let the rest fall in place. 

I am pretty sure that the number is either 47 or 48 with a few more nuisance tag deer that I didn't count.  And yes, I was blood thirsty for a while.  Not so much anymore.

[WNYTRPR]

Quick question .Is a trophy Deer equivalent to a trophy Wife ?Just want to know if I’ve been lucky enough to have gotten both LOL .

[Four Seasons]

25 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

I am pretty sure that the number is either 47 or 48 with a few more nuisance tag deer that I didn't count.  And yes, I was blood thirsty for a while.  Not so much anymore.

I can relate. I still have the drive to try and get two of the best that can be had but after that it is what it is. Would not even harvest doe’s if it was not for the amount of land I have and some need by others.