Okay, let's run with that. If I'm understanding you correctly, you consider deer hunting a sport, complete with competition. But competition with whom? The trophy deer itself, or other hunters? You eat trophy deer meat because you hunt, and you give away what you cannot eat yourself. I totally agree with that philosophy. But we agree that eating the trophy deer is most certainly not your primary reason for killing a trophy buck, correct?
You also mention deer control, and the need for me to be appreciative of hunters' efforts to reduce their numbers in order to reduce auto accidents. By that same reasoning, am I therefore justified in chastising those who plant food plots, and manage their resources in order to improve habitat? More food and additional habitat = more deer, right? More deer = more chances for me to plow one with the pickup, right? If population reduction is the legitimate reason for killing trophy deer, then why spend time and money encouraging an increase in their numbers?
Something doesn't quite add up here. Again, I'm all for shooting a deer. I just gave another neighbor and his young son permission to hunt on me this fall. That brings the number of hunters in my woods to 4 this season. I'm just advocating for honesty regarding trophy hunting. There really needs to be blood, doesn't there? We can tiptoe around it year after year, but the real, actual, honest reason may not be quite so noble after all.
