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Why such a to-do about antlers? You can't eat 'em.

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George

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For all of my deer hunting career I seem to have been swimming upstream against the accepted opinion as to what it’s all about. For a large percentage of hunters it’s obviously all about the antlers, but that’s a minor consideration for me. I love the hunt, the challenge of outsmarting any deer, so it’s first come, first served with me. I don’t mind a buck having a big set of antlers, but I also don’t mind if it has a small set. Come right down to it, I’m after venison, and am not particular as to the package it comes in. As I said, upstream.

From a biological point of view it seems counterproductive. Mother Nature has it arranged so that the bucks compete, play king of the mountain, and that’s so the best, most advantageous genes are passed down to the next generation. And then we come along and concentrate on killing the winner, essentially defeating Nature’s plan. How is that a good thing?

Does anyone care to discuss why deer hunting should have always been a game of “my antlers are bigger than yours”? What is there about taking a buck with large antlers that’s better than one with small ones, or even a doe? Is it just a matter of machismo?

Incoming. :)

Spence
 
It's never been about the antlers for me. It's always been about the hunt and the challenge. That's what drew me to hunting with muzzleloaders, bow and arrow and trapping at a young age.
 
Meat! That is my trophy. Just ask anyone who’s hunted with me. I am one fussy nut with how the meat is treated. My grandfather’s influence of respect and responsibility for all wildlife. Those not on the same page don’t get to hunt with me.
Regarding antler size. It’s a measure of competition. That’s all. For some reason humans need to complete. Never understood people measuring the spurs on a turkey, length of a trout, weight of a salmon, etc.
Oh, Spence, 100% agree with you on counter productive. Recently I heard a very prominent hunting celebrity speak that there should be no such thing as a “trophy hunter”, or “meat hunter”. There should only be those who hunt “beyond breeding age” animals in order to allow Mother Nature to do her thing, for the betterment of the species, and the overall health of the planet. Not sure yet if I fully agree, still bouncing everything around in my simple blockhead.
Walk
 
Where I live we have many (too many?) deer. From a herd size control point of view, better to shoot a couple of does than a buck.
In my area of Kentucky you are limited to one buck of any size antlers, even button, but you can take as many does as you want, with a permit for each extra one, $10, I think.

Spence
 
Begs the question why such a to-do about things like fancy wood, engraving, inlays and carving on the guns we shoot? What is the point of these embellishments that don’t improve accuracy, don’t shoot any faster or improve lethality of the gun’s we carry? They all just send a bullet or roundball down range........ any device that does the job at hand should be adequate for the meat hunter that doesn’t care about antlers.
 
I agree with all the above. I don’t deer hunt anymore but when I did I passed on bucks for a couple reason. One buck can mate with multiple does and like George said that buck is the king of the mountain. He fought his way to being the heavyweight champ. And I prefer to let him pass on those genes. Also, to me a buck in rut’s meat has a more gamey smell and taste. It could be my imagination but to me that seems to be the case.
 
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that men are inherently drawn to the "Biggest and baddest" stuff, as well as our competitive nature.

We don't want to show off a 6" Bluegill, we want a 12 lb. Largemouth Bass. Would you rather drive a Toyota Camry or an F-350 diesel truck?

That being said, I'm sure there's a few trophy hunters that are overcompensating for, er, a certain male part...
 
Of course I shoot for antlers! Gotta make buttons or thingies ;) Plus it doesn't hurt I hunt moose lol (haven't got one with muzzleloader yet)
 
For all of my deer hunting career I seem to have been swimming upstream against the accepted opinion as to what it’s all about. For a large percentage of hunters it’s obviously all about the antlers, but that’s a minor consideration for me. I love the hunt, the challenge of outsmarting any deer, so it’s first come, first served with me. I don’t mind a buck having a big set of antlers, but I also don’t mind if it has a small set. Come right down to it, I’m after venison, and am not particular as to the package it comes in. As I said, upstream.

From a biological point of view it seems counterproductive. Mother Nature has it arranged so that the bucks compete, play king of the mountain, and that’s so the best, most advantageous genes are passed down to the next generation. And then we come along and concentrate on killing the winner, essentially defeating Nature’s plan. How is that a good thing?

Does anyone care to discuss why deer hunting should have always been a game of “my antlers are bigger than yours”? What is there about taking a buck with large antlers that’s better than one with small ones, or even a doe? Is it just a matter of machismo?

Incoming. :)

Spence
The problem lie between a mans legs. The macho thing gets in the way of logical thinking! The best deer for the table sure isn't a grown buck while he is in the rut!
 
If a large, dominant male is removed from the herd, there are more mating opportunities for the rest, which strengthens the herd. I know this is the reasoning in some controlled hunts in Africa, I imagine it would apply here as well.
 
A truly wild big buck is a trophy for reasons other than the antlers, however the antlers are the billboard. The "bigger" antlers are usually relative to age and fitness. There's a time period where the antlers should get bigger each year. If the buck can keep the antlers in good shape he is a combination of smarter, stronger and better adapted than other bucks. It is infinitely harder to hunt and kill this large antlered buck than other deer. He didn't grow the antlers to that proportion being just like all the other deer. He is a small percentage of all deer. In the wild, you must be a very good hunter to beat him. He won't be out in daylight often. When he is out in daylight it won't be the first few hours or the last few minutes of the day. He is going to make one quick move sometime in the middle of the day. He may get distracted when he is following a hot doe and this is the most likely time a hunter will get him. A hunter can get lucky but if you are targeting him and working to get him you might be able to genuinely outsmart him. Taking a big buck is an accomplishment that is not on par with taking any deer. One big deer is impressive but someone who has taken several big bucks has defied odds and is obviously a good hunter. Whitetails being on top of the list with Coues, Columbia Blacktail and a few others and, in my opinion Mule Deer being less difficult just because of the terrain some live within that makes them easier to detect (but not necessarily to collect).

I think the hunt should be fun and simple in most cases. Success is important for wildlife management, hunter retention and creating interest of others. On the other hand, I would like to take a big buck one day on a focused hunt. I've been a Professional Hunter and a Registered Guide until retiring, but I did not do much with whitetails or any wild deer. My biggest buck is just 8-point and if you want to put a # on it, it scores just 127 SCI. It was judged as a 7-year old by the Parks and Wildlife Dept based on the lower jaw with teeth. The day I got him I was lucky. I had no idea he was in the area, didn't even see the antlers when I shot. I have deer with more points and two that are wider but none that score that high nor are that old. The next oldest that I had confirmed was 6-years old and only had a broken rack of 6-points. I have many 4-year olds, some with a lot of points but not a lot of mass or width. I have taken several deer every year, from several states equaling well over 100-whitetails. Most would say I am very successful. Some would assume I am above average in skill. Really, I put in more time than most so I odds start to tilt a little in my favor. But the guy that knows there is a mature big buck somewhere and he focuses on that buck and gets him, then repeats the drill another year - that guy has really accomplished something most people wont or cant.

This year there's a 13-point buck and a 8-pt buck on my property that are both at least 5-years old and I have seen them on camera and in person. I have yet to see them while actually hunting. My 15-year old son marked rubs, patterned scrapes, set up a mock scrape, watched the moon and barometric pressure and charted the does behavior. He picked the time and place he thought he'd see one of these big bucks. He sent and arrow of the back of the 8-point. Meanwhile, he and his brother and I could literally shoot a doe every single day and we could fill a 55-gallon drum with antlers under 100 SCI if we shot the bucks we had an opportunity at this year (mostly on our property which is archery only).

Big bucks are sometimes a motivator to keep somebody out there hunting. They are always an accomplishment but when it is intentional it is an achievement that is above and beyond the average hunters ability without the sheer luck factor.

Deer farms, "tame" deer, fenced in deer .... I am not a fan of that kind of deer "hunting" but don't put down someone that does that. However, that "big buck" is a totally different creature than a truly wild one and is 1) not natural and 2) no big accomplishment.
 
It’s been hyped in outdoor magazines for generations. We often don’t realize how much we’ve been influenced. Plus we’ve been taught to win and be competitive. Antlers can be measured. It’s even become a big money industry, whitetail pay to hunt farms.
Folks who primarily hunt with muzzleloaders trend toward meat in the pot.
 
When I was fifteen the lady who let me hunt on her land at Marble Falls was very specific, to bring her a fat doe because she wanted some good eating. That and being served up excellent taters and fresh fried liver stayed in my young mind.

Antlers are for patch knives and powder measures.
 
I’be been playing catch-up on deer hunting. I started hunting as a kid, but for reasons beyond the point of this thread, hadn’t hunted at all for ~30 years. I returned to it a few years ago with gusto, and so I’m teaching myself and learning from a brother how to hunt again (and better).

When I hunt with my brother(s), we hunt on mostly private land that is buck-only, where PA laws require “3-up” antlers (3 points on at least one side, not counting a brow tine). So we don’t have the option of shooting smaller rack bucks there.

Similarly in my home state, the DNR puts point restrictions on bucks as wel, though this year due to increased CWD, they are experimenting with relaxed antler restrictions. I only have access to public land here, and still have only seen 1 small buck, no doe...ever. I haven’t found good land yet (just starting in MI), as I am successful when I hunt PA lands, so I know I’m not just a horrible hunter!

When laws and landowners permit, I’ll gladly take a doe or smaller buck for venison and to make the sport more fun, as I’ve still not seen legal buck in either state.
 
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