PABowhntr

Every year Rob posts his thread about deer recovery which reminds me to post this thread about being proud of the animal you harvest. A few years back, for those that remember, there was an issue surrounding several members being apprehensive about posting what they harvested each season simply because it might have been a doe or small racked buck. Hence, the need for this thread.

I strongly encourage each and every one of you to share your successful hunts with us...either by story, picture or both. Every animal is a trophy.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Good post Frank.

And, he' s right. If your not proud of the animal you take, why take it. All animals taken with a bow are trophy' s. Share your pictures and especially the stories. That' s one thing I look forward to every year is to log on and read the stories from members here about the animal they take. I get disappointed when I read the words, " it' s only a ......... but here it is, or whatever.


Take great pictures, get them posted and share the stories......I take pictures of every animal I take with a bow......buck or doe and they go into an album....your not only honoring youself, your honoring the animal too.

wolfen68

Yes, every animal is a trophy....some just take up a bit more space on the wall than others Let ' em go and let ' em grow.

PABowhntr

So how much money is it going to take to see what you edited out.

We do not have a choice here in PA wolfen. Must be at least a half decent buck even to be legal nowadays with the point restriction. I would say that it is working to some extent as I am seeing more, larger bucks this preseason.

Ofcourse, there could be that 6 year old spike.......

Rack-attack

Super quote!!!!!!!!!

If that spike gets you up and dancing in your stand - who am I to tell you not to shoot? And if the time comes when it doesn' t make you dance in your stand - then it might be time to up the bar a bit. But don' t be pressured into feeling you " MUST" up the bar. If it happens it happens.

Any animal that you really, really want and dream about taken is a trophy - doesn' t matter how big or how old.

I just don' t like seeing young bucks or does shot just because it represented a kill -another # to the list, an oportunity to draw blood. Unless herd number management is the issue.

So post your trophy pictures - Lord knows I have

Lefty26

You make an excellent point PA. I just read an article in either Field and Stream or Deer and Deer Hunting about this same subject. It pointed out that with the big boom in deer hunting, we are bombarded with all these monster bucks we see being killed on TV and in the many hunting magazines, this has caused many hunters to believe to be successful they have to kill monster bucks scoring 150+. But what many hunters dont understand in the circumstances that surround the places these TV " stars" hunt, many areas the common hunter has access to, flat out just dont have the habitat available to grow the trophys bucks like your seeing on TV. For me hunting is about more than hanging a head on the wall, its about time in the woods (away from the wife...) enjoying everything nature has to offer, if I am lucky to kill a deer no matter the size that is just icing on the cake. Anytime you can outsmart a whitetail no matter how big or small and take it with a bow that is an accomplishment to be very proud of.

rockytop

I' m shooting does this year for two reasons, first, my freezer is empty and second, the tennessee wildlife folks have asked the people in my county and surrounding counties to take does for herd management. Our doe/buck ratio is way out of wack. With my first two rolls of film develped with my new game cam, I' ve identified 19 different doe and yearlings. No bucks so far. I realize the bucks are grouped up now and may not have found my cameral.
I will let the young bucks slide but the does better watch out and the way my last three bow seasons have gone, I' ll be proud to get a doe.

wolfen68

Frank...you know me too well Good luck to you this year!

PABowhntr

RA,

My feelings exactly.

Lefty,

I agree and actually found it somewhat amusing the last time that I watched a Realtree DVD. I was thinking " Gosh what big bucks those are" ....and yet they " only" scored in the 120-130 range. Can you imagine what a let-down it is to some hunters who expect to shoot one in the 150s and 160s? Well, at least in PA that is.

Wolfen,

Good luck to you as well.

formula1

As others have said, any deer with a bow is quite an accomplishment. My best bow buck to date is a 117(gross) 11 pointer, but I' m as proud of that one as others would be of a record book buck. I also enjoy shooting does for the freezer, but really they' re like trophies, too. Try getting the shot on a 3.5 or older doe and you' ll know what I mean.

Where I hunt(club rules), I get two bucks 8 point or better, so I' ll let my son get one of his choosing and I' ll look for one around 120 gross I' ve also set my sights on does for the freezer. We' ll see what happens!