I’ve only been hunting for 4 years. For the last 3 I took up bow hunting and was fortunate to harvest a deer or 2 every year.
I totally and fully understand the desire to only shoot big deer, and passing on smaller deer. It helps extend your season and gives you a goal each year. I did it several times this year. At times I definitely had regrets. Other times I didn’t.
With that said there are 9 months between hunting seasons and eating the deer I shoot each year brings me as much enjoyment as the hunt. Each meal allows me to fondly remember the last season and the meat is always superb. It’s also really enjoyable to share it with friends and family. Each year everyone looks forward to my smoked deer sausage at family gatherings or holidays. This is also a big part of why I hunt. Missing out on 9 months of this because the antlers weren’t “big enough” doesn’t work for me.
That’s probably why I enjoy the meat eater show so much, the entire series isn’t based on antler size, it’s based on hunting and eating what you harvest. At the end of the day, isn’t that why most people really hunt? For the whole experience.
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