I live in Missouri also and don't have that much land to hunt on. If I get a good clean shot at a nice buck, you can bet I'm going to take the shot regardless of age because if I don't, one of the neighbors will.
There was a really really nice buck I hunted for the last 3 years. We are talking 10-12 points and lots of mass. I saw the old boy several times during both bow and gun decision by he never presented a decent shot. At least not one that I felt good about, so I never launched arrow or bullet in his direction. Last year the neighbor's 7 yr old kid shot him on the afternoon of opening day of gun season. The rest of the season wasn't nearly as exciting.
