"Trophy"

[Dean]

My outlook on 'trophy' has certainly changed and morphed over the many years I have hunted. As a new hunter, any deer - doe, buck - was a trophy, then it was any buck with any antler - including small spike on family land I grew up on. Most recently, the trophy deer have been the ones killed sitting with my hunting kids - their 1st doe kill, then on to their first buck kill. For our purposes today we classify any buck 4.5 or older as mature. While I can speculate, I have no evidence that a 6.5+ yr old buck is wiser than a 4.5 - goes back to that specific bucks 'experiences' in evading death up to that 4.5 or older birthday. So any 4.5 yr old buck, regardless of antler is a trophy. I am also partial to bucks I have had the opportunity to hunt - meaning finding the sign, the preferred food source, have him on camera, know he is in the area - watching my entry/exit, best stand location, watching the weather and the wind for prime conditions --- then closing the deal. Don't get me wrong, killing a buck at 4.5 or older that ambles by that I had no previous knowledge of is still a trophy in my book, but not the same feel. Yes I hunted him, but I didn't HUNT HIM. Blessed to be able to own some private property that originally was farm land. We worked very long and hard at scouting/learning the property, improving food sources, timber management, prescribed burns etc., passed a wealth of younger bucks over the years. Had TC pics of a 5.5 yr old 145" buck show up on camera once, then seemingly disappeared for 1 month, then found him again late season - couple weeks of multiple pics (after moving, and moving again multiple cameras). Ended up killing that buck after almost 2.5 months of "hunting" him and only him. That whole experience was/is the trophy to me. As he is hanging on the wall, that's what I will remember and relive - not the actual kill as much as the work and hunt I put into it. The experience now a days is the trophy - sometimes I win, sometimes the deer win.

 

[antharper]

The 150’ for me !

 

[blood on the ground]

I can't answer that question.

 

[Smokepoler]

Both

 

[sghoghunter]

I run cameras 99% of the year and to me a trophy would be the biggest deer I had on camera that yr not what he would be in 2 yrs. I'm not out there to make a 4yr buck be 160 inch I would be just as happy with the average 120 inch 4yr old

 

[RootConservative]

This likely doesn't answer the question, but I personally have a 6+ year old 100" buck and a 4+ year old 140" on my wall (to be totally honest, dumb blind luck put both of them there...) and to be honest, the biggest trophy in our house is the picture of my 10 year old daughter's grin with her "little" 80" 8 point next to the mount of said buck that was her first ever deer that she got 2 years ago. The picture of my son when he was nine giving me a big thumbs up with his first deer, a 4 point, runs a very close second. I could kill a 5 year old 175" buck this October and it still wouldn't come close to the previously mentioned bucks.

Totally agree. My favorite "trophy" in my house is a European mount and picture of my wife's first deer with her bow. It's a 7 pt.

 

[livetohunt]

I think all bucks should be allowed to reach 5 years old before harvesting them, so I'd shoot the 7 year old. In Georgia, if you have a 4 year old old that is 150, he will really add some inches the following year due to obviously good genetics.

 

[HarryO45]

I am not picky. If I had a “fantasy choice” I would kill both. Either way I am a Great Hunter!

With a large racked deer I would tell everyone “look how big his rack is” aren’t I a great hunter?

With a seven year old buck I would be telling everyone “this deer was smarter than every other hunter for the last six seasons - then he met me... aren’t I a great hunter?

Just joking about the boasting, I am really a humble hunter... but I would like to kill both.

 

[treemanjohn]

I've never used the word trophy in regards to any game

 

[elfiii]

The 7 year old. He's a gamer who has survived it all to old age so he's smart too.

 

[Mr. Fishunt]

I am a trophy hunter with a meat trigger. I would be equally proud of either.
I love the extra meat and the large size back straps and tenderloins off the mature bucks!

Regards,
Mr. Fishunt

 

[swamp hunter]

Hart to say for sure.
Course you could look at it like the old Buck is getting a little dizzy in the brain and he'd get hit by a School Bus soon cause he has to walk real slow across the road.
The 4 year old is old enough to be sharp as a Tack and walks the wind only at night.
Either one would be fine...

 

[buckpasser]

Most of them around here are pegged at 4 as far as the rack goes no matter what the Lee and Tiffany or the Brush Country Monster folks say. Also, a 4.5 is plenty smart and is probably behaving more dominantly than the older option you give. For those reasons, and the fact that I’ve killed plenty of over the hill bucks and not enough 150s, I pick the young bull. Had you said a 3.5 150” the choice would be much tougher.

 

[ShortMagFan]

Been there and done that. Actually the 7.5yo buck I shot probably wouldn’t score over 100. But I’m equally proud of both of them

 

[ripplerider]

Whichever one I had to work the hardest for. My favorite buck I ever killed is a 100 inch eight pt. killed with a cap and ball muzzleloader on the Blue Ridge WMA hunt in '86. I got him on the 4th day of a very physical camping/ hunting trip after a couple of exhausting drags over the course of the hunt. (other folk's kills.) I've killed much larger bucks but he's the favorite of the bunch.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Either would be fine with me. I like to try to pick out a deer to hunt by his sign so as long as I thought he was the sign maker that I decided to hunt id be happy.

 

[rutnbuk]

Both and all in between.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

I’m going to eventually like 99% of the previous posts.

1 They all are trophies to me even the 5 minute tasty easy ones.
2 I’m shooting the 150 ain’t gonna lie about it.
3 The old warriors are nice but they don’t taste as good.
4 I compete with myself and given the chance I’d shoot them both.
5 Depends on location once again as I would love to have the nerve to let the 150 walk and grow.
6 I have a buck that the taxidermist said it had to be about 9 years old but the score seems about 120 max. Nobody believes It’s a Ga buck.
7 I ain’t picky.
8 Honestly 150 beats anything I’ve shot so that buck is going down unless his rack is all busted up.
9 I’ve got a few old warriors and zero 150’s
10 I’m happy with a doe and tempted to mount one someday out of respect.

 

[Buckman18]

Which would you be more proud of, a 110 class seven year old buck, or a 150 class four year old buck?

The 7 year old, no doubt. I’ve killed a few that were that old or older, and so has my brother. There really is nothing like it!!! Here’s one I killed last year that might make 7, certainly 6.

I LOVE hunting the oldest buck on the mountain, or, in recent years, the pine thicket.

 

[Lindseys Grandpa]

Both are trophy's for different reasons. Ain't gonna lie if they walked out together the 150 ain't gonna make it to 5. FYI my aviator was aged at 7 and grossed 148 best of both worlds.