why does every deer shot have to be huge? - Page 2

Boilermaker · January 31, 2005, 03:17 PM

My recommendation would be to let him run the BBQ the first time you cook any of it(if you already haven't) and then you'll see him just like after he shot it or help him make some jerky out of it and take it to school with him, all his friends will think its the coolest(not to mention best tasting) thing at the time. I remember eating my first deer (a doe) and it was delicious, still to this day any deer I shoot tastes better to me than any gourmet meal. Not to mention if he got a good shot on it just keep bragging on him about how good his shot was.

PaP · February 2, 2005, 06:05 AM

Every shot you take has a story. Any time spent in the woods especially with your son is great. I have a large spike mounted on my wall because it was my first deer killed in my home state of Tennessee and because I was with good friends. I have taken plenty of small does to fill the freezer.

It's not all about the size of the trophy. Congrats to your son.

N.H. Yankee · February 2, 2005, 07:44 AM

3 words, macho, egotism, ignorant. I hunt N.H. where the deer population is 1 per square mile, guys hunt for a month straight without seeing a deer all season so any deer here is a good deer. I find some guys turn hunting into a macho competiton which is not why I hunt, also it can be dangerous if its the first one to score mentality. I have 3 trophy deer registered in N.H. (deer dressed out over 200lbs) and have shot others as small as 80lbs dressed. my hunting partner got one this year dressed at 55lbs and we didnt rag on him, he put in his time, he hunted hard and safe and he deserved to get a deer. I have seen this mentality, the years I got monsters no one knew except my immediate circle of friends, I dont have to brag and neither do the people I hunt with. I feel that hunting is more than a bragging sport and can belittle the sport especially to the ears of nonhunters. Comments like these hurt the sport and do not influence young ones to take up the sport. You can usually spot the idiots, they have a foot long dressing knife, when I see them in a coffee shop I wait till they leave and watch which direction they go in and I go the opposite direction.

Steve499 · February 2, 2005, 10:17 AM

I process all our meat myself. My wife decided to start deer hunting 3 years ago and killed a small buck. When I wrapped the meat, I put her name on every package. Every time we had a meal from her deer, I praised her for providing it for us. I think year long congratulations from Dad will more than cancel out those negative comments made by less important (and more stupid) people.

Now this is just me, but I have suspected for years that a lot of those " I passed up" stories we hear from horn hunters just mean they really didn't have a chance to fill a tag at all. Like the joke, what's the Indian word for vegetarian?---Bad hunter!

wyrdone · February 2, 2005, 10:36 AM

When I hunt I actually avoid the older bucks and go for the younger does or bucks. Got a yearling buck this year that was nice a tender and not gamey at all. (Helped that he was butchered and on ice within 60 minutes of shooting.....got him in the back yard of my father's farm.)

I do hunt purely for meat though. I am not a trophy hunter (though I do harvest and use the antlers in all sorts of projects. My wife loves using the antler buttons I make for her (so simple to make using my drill press and bandsaw).

range dog · May 9, 2005, 01:55 PM

I hunt in west central Wisconsin. The group I'm in have been hunting there for over 40 years. We wieght all the deer we get. The average Doe 90 to 105 lbs dressed out. The avergae Buck 110 to 130 lbs. We shot some smaller and some bigger. All of our boys started hunting deer when they were 12 years old. Anything they shot for their first deer was a good hunt. Starting with the second deer we try to get them to see the difference in size of the deer in the woods. This is something that needs to be learned by experience. The more time you spend in the woods the more knowledge you should gain. We all would love to shoot the Big Buck but, that is not reality. I went 33 years before I shot my first buck with a gun and the last 10 years of that I refused to shoot a doe. I wanted a buck gun hunting. I'm very successful bow hunting as far as bucks ar concerned. I just don't see them gun hunting. Was my first Buck a Monster Buck? No but, it was the biggest buck I ever shot with a gun. A safe hunt is a good hunt. The taking of game is secondary.

Luthier · May 9, 2005, 02:09 PM

My first deer was a yearling that weighed 68 pounds dressed out. Shot with a 45-70 from about 60 yards. I was happier than all get out! Dang thing tasted awesome too.

keano44 · May 9, 2005, 02:54 PM

The taking of does is also an important management tool, which youngsters need to be taught.
This may be one of the reasons fewer young people are getting into hunting, and the shooting sports.
My son's first deer may have spoiled him. He was 14 years old, and I had been invited on a hunt by a vendor (from my work) to a ranch in central Texas. Long story short, my son also got to come. Basically, the feeder went off, the deer came, the rancher pointed out the one to shoot, my son shot, and I video taped the whole thing. While I appreciate the luck in getting to experience this first deer kill with my son, and don't want to take away anything from his experience, I wanted him to understand that this wasn't the same thing as really working for and earning your deer. This season, he hunted with me at my deer lease. We didn't always see deer. He finally killed an 85 pound doe on the last either sex weekend. He was in a stand by himself and did it on his own. He got to experience the nervousness, and "buck fever", and the pressure of making the shot, all on his own. He got to help load it on the four wheeler, and skin it back at camp. He got to get his hands bloody, and even got his face bloodied (initiation). No one at camp made him feel bad about his deer. Killing does is an important part of our management plan. I was very proud of him, and he was as proud of himself for this deer as he was for the big nine-point buck from the ranch hunt. I think he understood the difference; this was "real" hunting.

Bic · May 10, 2005, 08:18 AM

Calvin
You've done a great job, just something to consider if u haven't already is a diary. I purchased our camp and property in 96 and have kept a log at the camp. The log is filled out every night before bed. I always encourage the kids to make their entry for the day, this log has become priceless, first squirel, partridge, and hopefully deer this year for them. The past few years I've been fortunate enough to have fawns come out first. You know the ones that are so tender on the plate. I've chewed on the big ones long enough, mind you if you marinate them long enough there fine, but I still prefer the little ones, congrats to your son on his first harvest.
Seriously consider that log though, you'll be glad, your son will be glad, and perhaps his son, that you did.

Bic

Malamute · May 10, 2005, 06:28 PM

People come here to Wyoming to hunt trophy deer and elk. I wait til doe season to even go out most of the time. I like doe and young buck meat better.

jefnvk · May 10, 2005, 07:01 PM

The only time you'll hear me say 'too small' is if I am hunting a deer management area (some around here, one side has to have 4 points, IIRC), or if my general tag is filled (two Buck tags, one can be used on anything, the other has to have 4 points on one side)

We have a saying. 'If it's brown, it's down', but obviously not refering to the UPS man. Once I have a deer or two down that season, maybe I'll start worrying about size.

locked'n'cocked · May 10, 2005, 07:02 PM

there is nothing better than doe meat but nothin beats a big buck on your wall

. me, id be happy to have either. your son shoud be proud to have taken his first deer, no matter what it is.

artsmom · May 13, 2005, 10:56 AM

Congratulations on the deer!

You are just dealing with bad manners. Most of the guys who turn up their noses at a doe would shoot a little forkhorn, whose rack could be covered with a teacup to say "I got my buck!"

Trophy hunters are another matter, since a trophy hunter is judged by what HE won't shoot, not by what he does shoot. Most real trophy hunters are delighted to see someone bring in a doe instead of a 2 1/2 year old buck. I have a lot of respect for a guy who figures he will only see a "shootable" deer every three years or so, and is content with his lot.

I shoot the first legal deer I see, usually. Yearling, doe, big, little, it doesn't matter to me, I will lgenerally leave the antlers to those who appreciate them more than me, I just like making a good shot that anchors the deer and doesn't ruin any meat.

taralon · May 13, 2005, 01:04 PM

I'm going to have to go with the general feeling on this one.

I don't go out every year to get a deer/big game animal It is usually every other, every fifth year. I was out in the woods one year with a female elk liscense and an over the counter black bear. Well I'd been meaning to take a bear for years, but since I was principly out for elk, I passed up the bear I came up on the first day. Long story short, 2 weeks in the field and I didn't again get close enough to an elk or a bear to get a good shot off.

Better to take the chance you have than to let it slip away. After all a doe in the freezer is better tasting than an unused tag. Better memory too

.

**Mike Irwin** · May 13, 2005, 01:47 PM

Some people are fixated on trophy sized animals, envisioning a den with lots of Boone & Crockett type glassy-eyed mounts staring down at them as they sit reading the paper in front a fire while sipping 100-year-old brandy.

Me?

I went for the younger, smaller critters.

Better meat. Not as much, but tastier.

Fred Hansen · May 13, 2005, 06:29 PM

Quote:

why does every deer shot have to be huge?

Because some men are angry that their underpants are always way too roomy up front, and they have to take it out on somebody.

MeekAndMild · May 14, 2005, 12:10 AM

I went into a pawn shop not too long ago and they had maybe a dozen deer heads on the walls for sale. To tell the truth they were really kind of creepy.

jsinon · May 15, 2005, 03:29 PM

Tell your son, "job well done",and give him a pat on the back for all of us. There is nothing wrong with a nice rack on a deer, BUT, I have yet to find a good recipe for it. Nice small doe = yummy. Big ole buck better have a nice rack so you can stare at it to take your mind off how tough the meat is.

LAK · May 18, 2005, 05:45 AM

Quote:

I'm still proud of him but he has started to feel bad because it's not a 12 pt buck, doesnt weigh 250 lbs, he didnt shoot it from 400 yds away

My bag this last season was zero.

But it is not the kill - it is the hunt. The hike, the climb, the stalk. The sights, sounds and smells, the natural elements, relaxation and companionship - or solitude. These are what make hunting worthwhile in itself and should be impressed upon all new hunters IMO.

willsjeep · May 18, 2005, 07:39 AM

I have to agree with the way this has gone so far, any first deer is a great one. I packed my first deer out of the woods over my shoulder, and carrying my 20 ga single. I was 13 at the time. (I still only weigh 140 at 35 yrs)
Definately not a big deer, but huge in my memory. I can still remember the taste of the meat when we grilled it that evening.
Your son's first deer will be like that hopefully, just keep up the good words to him so that he knows what You think.

artsmom · June 15, 2005, 01:42 PM

I remember antelope hunting in Western Nebraska one year, and stopped to help a bunch of Game Wardens who lost an alternator belt on their pickup. One had been hunting and had an awful nice buck in the back, so I gave him our ice to keep it cool until they got mobile again. He went on at length about size, spread, bases, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, until another old beat up pickup with an old(er) rancher, who stopped to see if we needed any help.

Well, the game warden started in on him, and the rancher went over to the back of his pickup and dropped the tailgate, revealing a buck that had everyone's jaw dropping. The now dethroned hero, stared at it while doing the mental math of the measurements, before starting back up:

"Well, you may have (may!?!? how about half again more) on length, but my bases are close (you wish!) and with the heart shaped horns, they will look good polished and painted with ivory tips..."

"You are going to paint your horns?? It doesn't have ivory tips now, why would you put them on?" I asked.

"Well... to spruce it up, so it looks..."

"Might as well give it boar's fangs and a great big honkin' rhino horn and red eyes, as long as we're makin' something up!" said my brother.

griz · June 15, 2005, 03:57 PM

I'm with you Calvin. It bothers me that some people would take a poor shot at a buck instead of an easy shot at a doe.

Tell your son that this hunter sends his congratulations.

Steve Morgan · June 16, 2005, 02:46 PM

The boy did good. Tell him to keep on shooting those does and when that big one comes by, he'll be able to put him down.

Funny story- the big trophy guy that I knew for years (last name was Dunn), called everybody's deer small, dinky, slick heads etc. and he never hardly killed a thing, and when he did, always talked about how he thought it was bigger - he was indeed, the trophy god. Well, the big one ran across the road in front of him one night.... he swerved off the road, down the embankment, and hit the deer. The deer staggered off into the darkness..... next morning, he jumps the deer and shoots it beside the road. Yes, he was of course, trespassing. Anyway, this was his story and he told everybody. About a year later, he had a big party, maybe 100 people there, and there was the deer - mounted on his wall! I said "Is that the deer you hit with your truck?". He acted a little funny, wanting to keep it quiet and everything. Well, from that night on, he answered to the name "HIT-AND-RUN-DUNN".

Get it?

butch50 · June 16, 2005, 07:07 PM

Hunting is about the quality of the hunt, not the size or sex of the deer you take. A real hunter, in this day and age, is more interested in the process than the outcome. Even trophy hunters, true trophy hunters that is, become trophy hunters because it improves the quality of the hunt, improves the quailty of the process itself. A real hunter, never ever sneers at someone elses kill.

Hunters who make disparaging comments about the size or quality of someone elses deer are those who naturally (and rightly) feel inferior; and try to feel better about themselves by killing a bigger deer than the next guy, or sneering at anothers deer. That is a BS game for the mentally lame.

Lawyer Daggit · June 17, 2005, 07:22 PM

I agree. We are seeing guys shooting caged deer in Australia so they can claim they have shot a trophy. Its sad.

I think we need to start a register of the dimension of the head or the weeny of a lot of the guys who only want to hear about big trophys.

My biggest 'trophy' was the first rabbit I shot 30 years ago. I have been prouder of that rabbit than anything I have taken since.

January 31, 2005, 03:17 PM	#26
Boilermaker Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 30	My recommendation would be to let him run the BBQ the first time you cook any of it(if you already haven't) and then you'll see him just like after he shot it or help him make some jerky out of it and take it to school with him, all his friends will think its the coolest(not to mention best tasting) thing at the time. I remember eating my first deer (a doe) and it was delicious, still to this day any deer I shoot tastes better to me than any gourmet meal. Not to mention if he got a good shot on it just keep bragging on him about how good his shot was. __________________ The desire for peace and the simplistic and misplaced guilt many people have, create a tendency to make everyone who demands a standard of behavior into some kind of Neanderthal.

February 2, 2005, 07:44 AM	#28
N.H. Yankee Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2004 Location: Rural N.H. Posts: 1,586	3 words, macho, egotism, ignorant. I hunt N.H. where the deer population is 1 per square mile, guys hunt for a month straight without seeing a deer all season so any deer here is a good deer. I find some guys turn hunting into a macho competiton which is not why I hunt, also it can be dangerous if its the first one to score mentality. I have 3 trophy deer registered in N.H. (deer dressed out over 200lbs) and have shot others as small as 80lbs dressed. my hunting partner got one this year dressed at 55lbs and we didnt rag on him, he put in his time, he hunted hard and safe and he deserved to get a deer. I have seen this mentality, the years I got monsters no one knew except my immediate circle of friends, I dont have to brag and neither do the people I hunt with. I feel that hunting is more than a bragging sport and can belittle the sport especially to the ears of nonhunters. Comments like these hurt the sport and do not influence young ones to take up the sport. You can usually spot the idiots, they have a foot long dressing knife, when I see them in a coffee shop I wait till they leave and watch which direction they go in and I go the opposite direction. __________________ The real danger to America is not abroad but within.. Having an open mind is a good thing, but not so open that your brains fall out! Save America, abort liberalism.

May 9, 2005, 01:55 PM	#31
range dog Junior Member Join Date: April 16, 2005 Posts: 9	How big is big I hunt in west central Wisconsin. The group I'm in have been hunting there for over 40 years. We wieght all the deer we get. The average Doe 90 to 105 lbs dressed out. The avergae Buck 110 to 130 lbs. We shot some smaller and some bigger. All of our boys started hunting deer when they were 12 years old. Anything they shot for their first deer was a good hunt. Starting with the second deer we try to get them to see the difference in size of the deer in the woods. This is something that needs to be learned by experience. The more time you spend in the woods the more knowledge you should gain. We all would love to shoot the Big Buck but, that is not reality. I went 33 years before I shot my first buck with a gun and the last 10 years of that I refused to shoot a doe. I wanted a buck gun hunting. I'm very successful bow hunting as far as bucks ar concerned. I just don't see them gun hunting. Was my first Buck a Monster Buck? No but, it was the biggest buck I ever shot with a gun. A safe hunt is a good hunt. The taking of game is secondary.

May 9, 2005, 02:54 PM	#33
keano44 Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2001 Location: Lafayette LA Posts: 177	The taking of does is also an important management tool, which youngsters need to be taught. This may be one of the reasons fewer young people are getting into hunting, and the shooting sports. My son's first deer may have spoiled him. He was 14 years old, and I had been invited on a hunt by a vendor (from my work) to a ranch in central Texas. Long story short, my son also got to come. Basically, the feeder went off, the deer came, the rancher pointed out the one to shoot, my son shot, and I video taped the whole thing. While I appreciate the luck in getting to experience this first deer kill with my son, and don't want to take away anything from his experience, I wanted him to understand that this wasn't the same thing as really working for and earning your deer. This season, he hunted with me at my deer lease. We didn't always see deer. He finally killed an 85 pound doe on the last either sex weekend. He was in a stand by himself and did it on his own. He got to experience the nervousness, and "buck fever", and the pressure of making the shot, all on his own. He got to help load it on the four wheeler, and skin it back at camp. He got to get his hands bloody, and even got his face bloodied (initiation). No one at camp made him feel bad about his deer. Killing does is an important part of our management plan. I was very proud of him, and he was as proud of himself for this deer as he was for the big nine-point buck from the ranch hunt. I think he understood the difference; this was "real" hunting. __________________ I've seen good, and I've seen bad. I've seen fire, and I've seen rain. I've seen war, and I've seen peace. I've seen mountains, and I've seen desserts. I've seen the world, and thought I'd seen it all. But of all the scenes I've ever seen, I ain't never seen no scene, like the scene I'm seein now!........keano44

May 10, 2005, 07:02 PM	#37
locked'n'cocked Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2005 Location: MN, USof A Posts: 214	there is nothing better than doe meat but nothin beats a big buck on your wall . me, id be happy to have either. your son shoud be proud to have taken his first deer, no matter what it is. __________________ locked 'n' cocked "Make haste, slowly." Wyatt Earp

February 2, 2005, 06:05 AM	#27
PaP Member Join Date: January 12, 2001 Location: Hixson, TN Posts: 58	Every shot you take has a story. Any time spent in the woods especially with your son is great. I have a large spike mounted on my wall because it was my first deer killed in my home state of Tennessee and because I was with good friends. I have taken plenty of small does to fill the freezer. It's not all about the size of the trophy. Congrats to your son.

February 2, 2005, 10:17 AM	#29
Steve499 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Central Missouri Posts: 533	I process all our meat myself. My wife decided to start deer hunting 3 years ago and killed a small buck. When I wrapped the meat, I put her name on every package. Every time we had a meal from her deer, I praised her for providing it for us. I think year long congratulations from Dad will more than cancel out those negative comments made by less important (and more stupid) people. Now this is just me, but I have suspected for years that a lot of those " I passed up" stories we hear from horn hunters just mean they really didn't have a chance to fill a tag at all. Like the joke, what's the Indian word for vegetarian?---Bad hunter!

February 2, 2005, 10:36 AM	#30
wyrdone Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2004 Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA Posts: 246	When I hunt I actually avoid the older bucks and go for the younger does or bucks. Got a yearling buck this year that was nice a tender and not gamey at all. (Helped that he was butchered and on ice within 60 minutes of shooting.....got him in the back yard of my father's farm.) I do hunt purely for meat though. I am not a trophy hunter (though I do harvest and use the antlers in all sorts of projects. My wife loves using the antler buttons I make for her (so simple to make using my drill press and bandsaw).

May 9, 2005, 02:09 PM	#32
Luthier Member Join Date: December 10, 2004 Posts: 30	My first deer was a yearling that weighed 68 pounds dressed out. Shot with a 45-70 from about 60 yards. I was happier than all get out! Dang thing tasted awesome too.

May 10, 2005, 08:18 AM	#34
Bic Member Join Date: January 22, 2005 Posts: 99	Calvin You've done a great job, just something to consider if u haven't already is a diary. I purchased our camp and property in 96 and have kept a log at the camp. The log is filled out every night before bed. I always encourage the kids to make their entry for the day, this log has become priceless, first squirel, partridge, and hopefully deer this year for them. The past few years I've been fortunate enough to have fawns come out first. You know the ones that are so tender on the plate. I've chewed on the big ones long enough, mind you if you marinate them long enough there fine, but I still prefer the little ones, congrats to your son on his first harvest. Seriously consider that log though, you'll be glad, your son will be glad, and perhaps his son, that you did. Bic

May 10, 2005, 06:28 PM	#35
Malamute Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2004 Location: Rocky Mts Posts: 859	People come here to Wyoming to hunt trophy deer and elk. I wait til doe season to even go out most of the time. I like doe and young buck meat better.

May 10, 2005, 07:01 PM	#36
jefnvk Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2004 Location: MI Tech Posts: 1,791	The only time you'll hear me say 'too small' is if I am hunting a deer management area (some around here, one side has to have 4 points, IIRC), or if my general tag is filled (two Buck tags, one can be used on anything, the other has to have 4 points on one side) We have a saying. 'If it's brown, it's down', but obviously not refering to the UPS man. Once I have a deer or two down that season, maybe I'll start worrying about size.

May 13, 2005, 10:56 AM	#38
artsmom Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Nebraska Posts: 334	Congratulations on the deer! You are just dealing with bad manners. Most of the guys who turn up their noses at a doe would shoot a little forkhorn, whose rack could be covered with a teacup to say "I got my buck!" Trophy hunters are another matter, since a trophy hunter is judged by what HE won't shoot, not by what he does shoot. Most real trophy hunters are delighted to see someone bring in a doe instead of a 2 1/2 year old buck. I have a lot of respect for a guy who figures he will only see a "shootable" deer every three years or so, and is content with his lot. I shoot the first legal deer I see, usually. Yearling, doe, big, little, it doesn't matter to me, I will lgenerally leave the antlers to those who appreciate them more than me, I just like making a good shot that anchors the deer and doesn't ruin any meat.

May 13, 2005, 01:04 PM	#39
taralon Member Join Date: October 21, 2004 Posts: 88	I'm going to have to go with the general feeling on this one. I don't go out every year to get a deer/big game animal It is usually every other, every fifth year. I was out in the woods one year with a female elk liscense and an over the counter black bear. Well I'd been meaning to take a bear for years, but since I was principly out for elk, I passed up the bear I came up on the first day. Long story short, 2 weeks in the field and I didn't again get close enough to an elk or a bear to get a good shot off. Better to take the chance you have than to let it slip away. After all a doe in the freezer is better tasting than an unused tag. Better memory too .

May 13, 2005, 01:47 PM	#40
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Some people are fixated on trophy sized animals, envisioning a den with lots of Boone & Crockett type glassy-eyed mounts staring down at them as they sit reading the paper in front a fire while sipping 100-year-old brandy. Me? I went for the younger, smaller critters. Better meat. Not as much, but tastier.

May 14, 2005, 12:10 AM	#42
MeekAndMild Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Posts: 4,988	I went into a pawn shop not too long ago and they had maybe a dozen deer heads on the walls for sale. To tell the truth they were really kind of creepy.

May 15, 2005, 03:29 PM	#43
jsinon Member Join Date: September 15, 2004 Location: Farmington,NH Posts: 18	Tell your son, "job well done",and give him a pat on the back for all of us. There is nothing wrong with a nice rack on a deer, BUT, I have yet to find a good recipe for it. Nice small doe = yummy. Big ole buck better have a nice rack so you can stare at it to take your mind off how tough the meat is.

May 18, 2005, 07:39 AM	#45
willsjeep Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2005 Posts: 180	I have to agree with the way this has gone so far, any first deer is a great one. I packed my first deer out of the woods over my shoulder, and carrying my 20 ga single. I was 13 at the time. (I still only weigh 140 at 35 yrs) Definately not a big deer, but huge in my memory. I can still remember the taste of the meat when we grilled it that evening. Your son's first deer will be like that hopefully, just keep up the good words to him so that he knows what You think.

June 15, 2005, 01:42 PM	#46
artsmom Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Nebraska Posts: 334	I remember antelope hunting in Western Nebraska one year, and stopped to help a bunch of Game Wardens who lost an alternator belt on their pickup. One had been hunting and had an awful nice buck in the back, so I gave him our ice to keep it cool until they got mobile again. He went on at length about size, spread, bases, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, until another old beat up pickup with an old(er) rancher, who stopped to see if we needed any help. Well, the game warden started in on him, and the rancher went over to the back of his pickup and dropped the tailgate, revealing a buck that had everyone's jaw dropping. The now dethroned hero, stared at it while doing the mental math of the measurements, before starting back up: "Well, you may have (may!?!? how about half again more) on length, but my bases are close (you wish!) and with the heart shaped horns, they will look good polished and painted with ivory tips..." "You are going to paint your horns?? It doesn't have ivory tips now, why would you put them on?" I asked. "Well... to spruce it up, so it looks..." "Might as well give it boar's fangs and a great big honkin' rhino horn and red eyes, as long as we're makin' something up!" said my brother.

June 15, 2005, 03:57 PM	#47
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	I'm with you Calvin. It bothers me that some people would take a poor shot at a buck instead of an easy shot at a doe. Tell your son that this hunter sends his congratulations.

June 16, 2005, 02:46 PM	#48
Steve Morgan Member Join Date: April 29, 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 35	The boy did good. Tell him to keep on shooting those does and when that big one comes by, he'll be able to put him down. Funny story- the big trophy guy that I knew for years (last name was Dunn), called everybody's deer small, dinky, slick heads etc. and he never hardly killed a thing, and when he did, always talked about how he thought it was bigger - he was indeed, the trophy god. Well, the big one ran across the road in front of him one night.... he swerved off the road, down the embankment, and hit the deer. The deer staggered off into the darkness..... next morning, he jumps the deer and shoots it beside the road. Yes, he was of course, trespassing. Anyway, this was his story and he told everybody. About a year later, he had a big party, maybe 100 people there, and there was the deer - mounted on his wall! I said "Is that the deer you hit with your truck?". He acted a little funny, wanting to keep it quiet and everything. Well, from that night on, he answered to the name "HIT-AND-RUN-DUNN". Get it?

June 16, 2005, 07:07 PM	#49
butch50 Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2005 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 1,403	Hunting is about the quality of the hunt, not the size or sex of the deer you take. A real hunter, in this day and age, is more interested in the process than the outcome. Even trophy hunters, true trophy hunters that is, become trophy hunters because it improves the quality of the hunt, improves the quailty of the process itself. A real hunter, never ever sneers at someone elses kill. Hunters who make disparaging comments about the size or quality of someone elses deer are those who naturally (and rightly) feel inferior; and try to feel better about themselves by killing a bigger deer than the next guy, or sneering at anothers deer. That is a BS game for the mentally lame. __________________ ‘‘Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest.’’ ~ Mahatma Ghandi, "Gandhi, An Autobiography", page 446 ‘‘The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.’’ ~ Patrick Henry

June 17, 2005, 07:22 PM	#50
Lawyer Daggit Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Posts: 1,181	I agree. We are seeing guys shooting caged deer in Australia so they can claim they have shot a trophy. Its sad. I think we need to start a register of the dimension of the head or the weeny of a lot of the guys who only want to hear about big trophys. My biggest 'trophy' was the first rabbit I shot 30 years ago. I have been prouder of that rabbit than anything I have taken since.