All hunters treasure a large-racked, mature buck, and record numbers of bucks in this age and antler class are being shot each year. That is great for hunters and the future of hunting. Every hunter who shoots a big buck should be extremely proud of his or her effort, especially when it’s the biggest buck of their life. However, what if you shoot a buck that’s not your personal best? Should you quickly hide the antlers and refrain from sharing photos of it with friends and family?
Far too many hunters feel that way today due in large part to the record number of huge bucks being shot annually. I’ll argue those record numbers are a good thing, but I’ll argue even louder that too many hunters today don’t appropriately celebrate the buck they shoot for fear of being ridiculed by other hunters. What a shame! We’re all hunters and we’re on the same team. You simply can’t kill the biggest buck of your life every year. However you absolutely should celebrate every buck you shoot. Does this mean you should shoot yearling bucks just to fill your tag? No way, but there are situations where there’s absolutely nothing wrong with shooting young bucks.
I’ve been blessed to shoot some very nice bucks. However my favorites aren’t necessarily my largest-antlered ones. For example, in 2008 I shot an 8½-year-old buck on my 35 acres in Pennsylvania that ranks right near the top of my favorites list even though he scored just under 120 inches (he’s seen in the photo above). His age, determined by a cementum annuli lab exam, makes him the oldest buck I’ve ever shot, and I’m super proud of him. If I shared pics of him on social media, some would scoff and some would likely call or text and ask why I shot him. In my opinion, that’s ridiculous. The buck was legal, he met our harvest guidelines, and he was fully mature. I couldn’t care less about his antler score. He will always be one of my favorites, and no one can take that appreciation away from me. I’ll share his photo and story with any fellow hunter. Continue reading – https://www.qdma.com/articles/my-favorite-bucks-arent-my-biggest