Thoughts about what makes a "trophy" animal

[Rag Horn]

I read some thoughts I in a book titled "All About Elk" written by Mike Lapinski, Dwight Schuh, Wayne Zwoll, and Duane Wiltse I thought were good and wanted to share. I felt it articulated well my thoughts on what was and was not a trophy animal.

 

From the bottom of page 6

"The word trophy implies work, sacrifice, perseverance, and dedication to a preset standard."

The top of page 7

"Big elk antlers are interesting objects to most hunters. They are only trophies to those who have earned them in fair chase, after paying the price. To consider any elk a trophy without taking into account the way it was hunted and killed is to cheapen the meaning of the word. There is so much to enjoy in hunting elk and there is legitimate prize in the kill hard won. But the joy and the pride are not a function of antler size, nor is the steel tape a measure of the hunt. Big antlers can be bought and sold; accomplishments afield cannot. There is a difference between a trophy and a souvenir. "

 

 

[Snapshot]

Amen! Even though I always try and harvest the largest animal I can on a given hunt, I don't consider myself a trophy hunter. I don't get too wrapped up in "inches"

The trophy is in the hunt itself!

[123456]

I guess that both of those responses are the correct ones, however a trophy is a nice rack as well. Most of us want to say that it is all in the experience and what not, but I have been on plenty of hunts that I worked my arse off to only come back with a small racked animal. At the time the PC answer is what you tell everyone, but after a few years and having tagged a bigger buck, bull or whatever, the big ones get all the attention. I find myself doing that all the time. When people walk into my unting room, they usually do not ask about the small ones. they seem to congregate to the larger ones which I consider my trophy animals.

[THOR]

I have thought about this many times.

I shot a buck last year that was the smallest buck i have ever taken, but the range i took him at and who i was with, made it a trophy to me! We can all say this buck or bull scores this, it made book, or was just shy of it. Enjoy the moments leading up to the kill, we all over look the things that we are part of that so many people wont ever see. So many people dont know what it is like to see the world come alive in the morning.....A " Trophy" is the hunt and all that is part of it! dont get me wrong i want a buck or bull to score high, but when all is said and done i love the time that is spent in the hills.

 

Mark

[BASS]

OWe all want huge racks to show off, if you say you don't and still do bull hunts "for meat" I'm calling BS. Opening day, it better be big, day two, maybe something smaller and by the last couple days it better have something hard sticking out of its head! I don't get to hunt all that much anymore so sure, I want a nice animal to show for it, but as "MissedAgain" can vouch for, my whitetail antlers look perfect on a small dog! Still two of my top favorite hunts.

 

I get a kick out the guys on archery talk who will rag on anyone who doesn't shoot atleast a huge 4x4. Some people.

[ThomC]

I have passed a spike elk to get nothing. I have passed a fork Deer to get a 4 point. I am not a trophy hunter. Now days I just want to see a Bull in heat. I just want to get a spike with my bow. Only you can determine what a trophy is to you. You know what trophys do, collect dust. I love to see the old bad mounts you will see in old bars etc. I do not think that if you hire someone to hunt for you that you should brag but that is just me. Beauty is in the mind of the Beer Holder. LOL

 

Remember every post on Fri. PM may be in the mind of the Beer Holder.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

To me a trophy is good enough to put on the wall...which doesn't take much for me since my wife lets me decorate the house with mounts.

[Snapshot]

What's that old saying? "Never pass up on Monday, what you would gladly shoot on Friday"

[tjhunt2]

Most all of my mounts are the very first animals I shot here in az and they are all small but are my trophies. Trophies don't have to be big to be considered trophies in the eyes of the beholder. If your idea of a trophy is big numbers on the tape then be it. It's all good. My very first deer I killed was a spike and I consider it my first trophy.

 

TJ

[donniedent]

To me the trophy is in the eye of the beholder.

 

That being said, it is perfectly natural for a human being to be competative. Back in the day, guys bragged about how much their deer weighed, now we compare horns. Human beings are competative by nature. It will always be that way. I think it is about the challenge you present yourself with and the goal you set for yourself. I love to chase big muleys but my last deer was my smallest to date. Why? Because I wanted meat and there was a spike standing 62 yds away.

 

I think what the authors were really talking about is the shift in passion. I see guys completely focused on the trophy only considering what others will think of their accomplishment. To me, this is where hunting has lost its soul. If your personal value is based on what others think, you have issues. If you hunt trophy deer for your own satisfation and don't really care what others think, more power to you, I can respect that. I see pictures of huge deer every year that NEVER hit these boards or the pages of a magazine because the hunters aren't in it for recognition.

 

All that being said, I don't think any of us has a right to judge others intentions. If you hunt for horns, great. If you hunt for the hunt, great. If you hunt for meat, great. As long as its done ethically I support your reasons. I've done all three at one point or another and I will do all three in the future. The point is, its my hunt. I think if we spent more time focusing on what hunting means to us as individuals we wouldn't give a crap what reasons others hunt for. We would be able to look at someone elses "trophy" without envy or judgement because we are satisfied with ourselves.

 

To me, the authors of those phrases are no better than anyone else because they are tring to put their stamp of approval on what a hunt should be for someone else. How much difference is there in a person who is proud of their trophy and a person that is proud they aren't a trophy hunter? Its all pride!

[THOR]

To me the trophy is in the eye of the beholder.

 

That being said, it is perfectly natural for a human being to be competative. Back in the day, guys bragged about how much their deer weighed, now we compare horns. Human beings are competative by nature. It will always be that way. I think it is about the challenge you present yourself with and the goal you set for yourself. I love to chase big muleys but my last deer was my smallest to date. Why? Because I wanted meat and there was a spike standing 62 yds away.

 

I think what the authors were really talking about is the shift in passion. I see guys completely focused on the trophy only considering what others will think of their accomplishment. To me, this is where hunting has lost its soul. If your personal value is based on what others think, you have issues. If you hunt trophy deer for your own satisfation and don't really care what others think, more power to you, I can respect that. I see pictures of huge deer every year that NEVER hit these boards or the pages of a magazine because the hunters aren't in it for recognition.

 

All that being said, I don't think any of us has a right to judge others intentions. If you hunt for horns, great. If you hunt for the hunt, great. If you hunt for meat, great. As long as its done ethically I support your reasons. I've done all three at one point or another and I will do all three in the future. The point is, its my hunt. I think if we spent more time focusing on what hunting means to us as individuals we wouldn't give a crap what reasons others hunt for. We would be able to look at someone elses "trophy" without envy or judgement because we are satisfied with ourselves.

 

To me, the authors of those phrases are no better than anyone else because they are tring to put their stamp of approval on what a hunt should be for someone else. How much difference is there in a person who is proud of their trophy and a person that is proud they aren't a trophy hunter? Its all pride!

 

+1

[Coach]

Great post. A while back I posted about this very topic. I had hunted hard all season and blew the chance at a really amazing bull elk at 15 yards. I ended up taking a bull that was much older, and from a scoring perspective, not all that big - maybe high 320's. But the way that hunt came together and the whole experience really made that bull a "trophy" to me.

 

I wish I could find the original post here because it really does touch on what makes a hunt personal, and how measuring inches becomes secondary to the actual hunt.

 

When you are there, close to a dominant bull, inside the herem, you have achieved something that most hunters only dream about. Whether he scores 300 or 400 inches kind of goes out the window. The rack size takes a back seat to what it took to get yourself into that situation.

 

To me, that moment is the one that defines what makes a trophy.

[stanley]

Trophy is DEFINITELY in the eye of the beholder, IMO..... Here is an amazing trophy for Greta!! (and me too.....)

 

S.

 

 

 

Full slide-show of the hunt: http://s379.photobucket.com/albums/oo234/stanleyaz/Kiabab%20Junior%20Deer%20Hunt%20October%202010/?albumview=slideshow

[tjhunt2]

Stan, that is an awesome picture. You bet that is a trophy. The smiles are the best trophy smiles I've ever seen. Thanks for posting that.

 

TJ

[Chef]

Great slideshow Stan.

How did i miss that?!