Around here we have a lot of nonresident hunters that come to hunt, and we have a lot of deer (mostly Whitetails). now I'm going to speak broadly here and you may be the exception and I realize that. I'm making the following statements off of what I have seen and conversations I've had with nonresident hunters. we have a lot of deer in that 2-3.5 year old range and at first glance they look good. now bring in the nonres hunters who bring their standards from where they are from with them. in MN or MI a 3.5 year old deer is a rare trophy (in many areas) and would probably score around 100"-120" give or take. a nice buck for sure, BUT around here deer like that are not uncommon. they aren't behind every tree, but it's no hard feat to see a couple a day. Most of the folks I know local are pretty selective on what they shoot. it doesn't have to be a monster, but we have a pool we can be selective with. our tags are valid for both does and bucks typically unless it is an antlerless only tag. usually if we don't find a buck we like, we'll shoot a doe or a spike buck for meat. nonresident hunters based on what I have seen and experienced will shoot the biggest deer they can find, sometimes on the last day so they go home with some antlers to make the trip worth it. I've heard the same hunters who as a group do this year after year, on the same ground, and then complain there aren't any "big" bucks around. I believe anyone can shoot what they want, although it is frustrating to see promising deer that I have passed on hoping they get bigger, only to have some out of stater come and pop it because that's big where they come from. I understand it, I grew up in MN where you were lucky to get a buck of any size, so a 3 year old buck was a real big deal back in the 80's and 90's. For all I know it still is, but I hear it's getting better. There are lots of factors to consider when it comes to picking what deer to shoot. I have no problem with the meat hunter, or the trophy hunter. I've been both at times and often will be both in a single season. yes I hunt for meat, but I also like to see if I can get a mature deer if possible. I respect peoples decisions and appreciate the same respect in return. For example: when a meat hunter sees two bucks side by side and one is a spike and the other is a basket rack, which one do you think gets shot first?
I have to pretty much agree with what you wrote here. As deer have become more available here and I have retired and able to spend more than a weekend or two hunting I find myself a bit more selective, and would much prefer to collect a doethan a small buck. I will admit however that I still get a little thin skinned when I hear a so-called trophy hunter berating someone that shot a smaller deer. I mean for goodness sakes get a life, they are just deer and it makes about as much sense as rabbit hunting and stressing on shooting only rabbits that have ears 3.5 inches or longer. It’s sort of the same thing as someone going fishing and keeping 3 or 4 bass to eat. The tournament fishermen will have a cussing fit.
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