nchawkeye

In my opinion, any mature deer, buck or doe that is taken ethically with a bow is a trophy...

Hoytail Hunter

Truth be told, the reason why I even posed the question is because I battle this very demon inside my own head. Of the following deer, I'm not absoultely sure which is more of an "overall" trophy:

1) A 144" 9pt (estimate 3.5 to 4.5 yrs age) I took with my 270 about 8yrs ago. It was only a 75yd shot and with a gun but it meant alot to me. Here's why: every gun season I'd hunt the samearea because it was very productive. Almost every year about 10am after I'd already quit for the morning,I'd see huge racked bucks making their way across the road that we allparked along side of. That meant those bucks always snuck passed the hundreds of hunters in those woods to make it to the street then over into the preserve. After afew years of seeing this, I decided to investigate whyit was happening. I figured out their staging area (hideout) and escape route which was right under all the hunter's noses. The following year I sat right in that path and when all the warzone commotion subsided, out walked the first and biggest rackedbuck I've ever harvested. This harvest was actually3 seasons in the making.

2) A 7pt (estimate 2.5 yrs age) with my old Cybertec. It took me 2 seasons to get after making all the mistakes in the book. I was battling a peep problem that nobody was able to resolve for me no matter where I went. I was doing all the stupid things like overhunting spots, not staying out of trees when the wind wasn't perfectly in my favor, scent control issues, etc. I finally got my shhh together and puta buck tag to good use. This took 2 very frustrating and at times desperate seasons to earn.

3) A nearly P&Y 10pt (estimate 4.5 to 5.5 yrs age) that I got this year with my Vectrix. I caught him during peak rut going into a doe bedding area. He was never spoted previously but I knew there was a buck who owned the area around the tree I was in. (big big prints and rubs) He dressed out over 200lbs with tines cracked, chipped, broken, and holes in his head and face from fighting. Got him 3 trips out.

If I can't pick a winner, it probably means all 3 deer are neck and neck. Just curious, where would you place gold, silver, and bronze here?

wallhangr

Too close to call, I'd have to mount all three.

Hoytail Hunter

2 of the 3 are mounted. I wish that I'd've mounted the 7pt also because thinking about it now, when I walked up on him it actually felt better than when I walked up on both the 144 and nearly P&Y.

ranger56528

I agree,iam a meat hunter not a horn hunter so I consider all my deer trophies...But if Iam stalking/still hunting or in my tree and a Big Rack comes by I will take it but around my area thats far and few,so if it comes in from say 1-2 miles away and I JUST happen to shoot it, I wount feel guilty if someone else has spent yrs watching it....If its on my hunting property I will take it plan and simple.
Ive never seen a P&Y or B&C around my property and dont think I ever will.....