ANDY LARSON - thanks for "What Is A Trophy"

[JimT]

A great piece of thoughtful writing. You might want to post it here for the Levergunners to read? I have never hunted for a trophy or record book. We (my wife and I and later my kids) hunted for meat. And what we took was always a "trophy" to us. Thanks for putting it into words.

[ANDYLARSSON]

Hello Jim,

Obviously, I'm not spending enough time here. Just saw this...

What is a Trophy....

To the Hunter that Harvests a doe whitetail or the kid that catches their first fish, any fish, they are trophies. A mature old bull that has peaked in his breeding years and is starting to decline may never have been blessed with large antlers/horns but lived the same honorable life as one who did. He had no choice in headgear. He may well have even been smarter and craftier than the over achiever but, just didn't have the “Rack”

We have even developed our own linguistics to soften the presentation of our choices. “Cull Buck” “Meat Buck” “Backstraps right there”

When it becomes about inches rather than experience, maybe we have missed the point.

Everyone wants to take a Booner but how many really will. Seeing those freaks of nature (what a booner really is) is awesome. This is what keeps some of the dream alive. With the current trend of breeding in enclosures for trophy quality it makes finding a trophy easier and depending on the circumstances can still be a challenging, rewarding, true hunt. Other times it’s canned and predictable.

I’ve shot one Cape Buffalo. He was old, beat up, and not exceptionally wide with bosses that didn’t close in the middle.

It was an amazing experience.

After the hunt, all the “hard boss” “deep hooks” “How wide” thoughts started to come to mind. I wondered briefly if id made an error or didn’t understand what a trophy was. Was it a Buffalo no one would respect?

Be assured, those were brief and fleeting thoughts.

Taking inventory of what I did know put this to rest in my mind. A. I shot a buffalo. B. He was quite old and had been hunted by many hunters for three years, eluding them all. C. He eluded me for two days in the thorns. D. The shots were well placed and effective. E. No one got hurt. F. I was thrilled with him

Is he the biggest buffalo out there? Nope. But he’s MY buffalo and no one's need for a tape measure on success is going to take anything away from that.

When someone shows you a hunting picture and the first question you ask is “What did it score?”, what are the hunters thought options? 1. If it didn’t score enough, I’ll look like I failed. 2. Will it measure up to expectations?

I remember when Dan L (My Son) brought me a “gasshopper” head mounted on a small chip of wood. At 3 he hunted with a rubber tipped dart gun. He said, “look dad…. It’s a big one!” I kept that on my desk for the next 10 years because it represented his effort, imaginations and dreams. Qualities that still live in him.

I'm not for rewarding mediocrity when better is more attainable but let’s always celebrate responsible efforts and dreams.

Andy

406-745-4570
Skinnersights.com
“Saving the World, One Gunsight at a Time”

[JimT]

THANK YOU for getting the Forum back in service! I know it required a lot. We do appreciate it!

[Ysabel Kid]

THANK YOU for getting the Forum back in service! I know it required a lot. We do appreciate it!

Plus infinity!!!

[ANDYLARSSON]

THANK YOU for getting the Forum back in service! I know it required a lot. We do appreciate it!

Welcome!

[Walt]

Yep, thanks Andy!

[Griff]

Thanks for the story Andy. My sentiments exactly. As a CA hunter where statewide hunter success was measured at 7% most of the time I lived there, my personal success at 3 deer in 10 years, all of mine were trophies, be they "forkhorn" or the 3 x 4 Coastal Blacktail big enough that garnered me a reward for an "over 200 lb live weight" deer by the State.