What most seem to be missing in all this is the variables that happen in a deer herd.
I see lots of generalities that just don't fit.
There are 4 main things that make for a healthy deer herd, and trophy quality hunting.
1) Maturity. You have to let 'em get old enough to BE trophy quality.
2) Nutrition. Much to some people's surprise is the fact that there are good years and bad years as far as what's avl. for deer to eat. And although the comparison has been made here that growing deer isn't like raising livestock...
I beg to differ. The land is still land, no matter if you have cattle, or deer, or trees on it. Lake Guerrero, in Mexico is a perfect example of this... No limits or size restrictions on bass. Catch all you want, have the guide fillet them and take back 3 coolers of bass fillets for a fish fry. Those that know of that lake, know what happened, and what had to be done to bring fishing back up to par...
The land will only support so many of whatever you choose to mention. If things get out of balance, then nature takes over, and she can be a cruel mother.
So, either by starvation, disease, fire, or bark beetle, nature will find a way to balance things.
3) Genetics. Not all deer are created equal.
Some comments in this thread are by people that believe that no matter which bucks are left to breed, and which does get bred, the genetic pool is the same before as it is after a particular animal is taken out of the equation. It just isn't so. A trophy type buck breeds several different does... then 4 1/2 years later you see 5 of his offspring standing side by side... Are they all alike? Are they all trophies? No. Are they all dinks? No.
Is a yearling spike the same as a 3 1/2 year old spike? (Or older) Of course not. It's not all nutrition based.
4) Proper balance. Buck to doe, and nutrition to numbers.
Are you figuring in the drought, or the bad winter? Lots of variables here.
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Lots of people have their opinions and have posted about them in this thread. I grin when their convictions are so strong about one thing or another. "All spikes need to be killed." "Taking a trophy makes no impact on the heard." "I always..." this, or "I always..." that.
What I find most interesting, those that won't accept any personal responsibility, nor do they care, as long as they can say
"I got mine... fugg you. I paid for my license, and am legally entitled to shoot whatever I want."Whatever you hunt and kill makes an impact of some sort on the big picture of things. Some are more long term, while some are short term. Some are a positive impact, and others, not so positive.
I have sure taken my share of trophy bucks. As I have advanced in my maturity as a hunter, I don't feel the need to shoot everything with horns, or hair, and have taken a different stance in what I personally choose to hunt and take, and have learned what those choices may lead to, in times to come, and what my grandkids will have left over to hunt, kill and learn their own lessons on. May even have the chance to take another great buck on day...
But, in the meantime, I'm happy, and more than thrilled to see a big buck that made it through the season too.
