Bobdale

" Every deer is a trophy" . However, the satisfaction in the kill is directly proportional to the degree of planning, preparation, effort, time, and work preceding and leading to it which, in turn, are proportional to the challenge and improbability of success. The kill is simply the culmination and validation of the total hunting experience (the above factors), just as a mountain climber strives to reach the summit to validate all of the previous climbing experience or a marathon runner strives to reach the finish line even if not placing in the competition for awards. " I kill to have hunted" , not hunt to kill per se. Obviously there is not as big of a thrill for a climber to reach the crest of a small mountain/big hill in the Ozarks as in reaching the peak of Mt. Everest. Certainly, if deer are running around everywhere as plentiful as squirrels and one is nearly guaranteed to bag one, particularly a fawn and/or a doe, the first day or two, the thrill is not as great as if one finally bags one, particularly a mature buck, after many days of hard, smart concerted hunting. These mature deer, especially big racked bucks, are the Mt. Everests of deer hunting while the fawns andd does are the hills. That all being said, I still, after all of these years, get the shakes and a machine gun heart rate at seeing the first deer of the season, even if a young one. There is something fundamental, deeply fulfilling, and even primal at working to finally harvest an animal that doubles as good food. If one ever gets to the point that he loses the " natural high" of the hunt and the kill and gets bored with them, he should consider hanging his gear up. You can' t really explain it to a non-hunter but once a new hunter experiences it, he is a hunter for life! Bob Dale

BOWFANATIC

Jimmy S

I grew up hunting deer in the national forests of northern Wisconsin during a time that if you seen a single deer during the season , it was a good season. The area I hunt now happens to be farm country with alot of deer. Like I said , it' s still plenty challenging , just not as rewarding as finding that needle in a hay stack.

FL/GA Hunter

I hunted both last season, actually. The property where I hunt every year in Florida has pretty low deer numbers; I' ve gone entire seasons without seeing a whole deer, and I actually hunted for five years before my first buck. By contrast, every year my family takes a trip to one of the lodges in Alabama. Well, after four years, this year was the first where I came home from Alabama with a buck. That, of course, is because they have the 8 point / 16 inch rules up there, so it makes it tougher to find a buck to shoot.

I' ll say this - the larger number of deer helps me relax in the field. When I' m hunting in Florida, every sound I hear is a possible deer, and I spend a lot of time on the edge of my seat. In Alabama, I know I' m going to see plenty of deer, so it' s just a matter of finding out which ones have the headgear we' re looking for. It' s rewarding every year to go up there and not have to fight for every deer you see.

It' s both easier to kill a deer, and to kill a larger buck in higher density states; I' ve hunted a combined two weeks in Alabama, resulting in a 9-point and a doe. I' ve hunted Florida the past twelve years, translating into a forkhorn, a small 8, and a few does. I think what everybody' s trying to say is that your strategy has to change with the area to keep the same level of challenge. Killing a doe here is the same as getting a small 8 in Alabama, etc.