I feel very good. While I will READILY admit I do NOT shoot bucks/deer based on age, I am happy that I can age them if asked/required.

While I am a pure meat/woods time hunter in the states/on my land, I have hunted in Germany. VERY DIFFERENT requirements/rules. Season runs from ~May-~Nov. Profi guides/forest managers have to submit shoot (kill) plans to the state annually, which include bucks, does AND fawns! AND as a hunter, I have to be able to id a doe that is dry or has milk - which means she prob has a hidden fawn. I have watched a deer for over 30 min in a green field and not shot because I could not guarantee exactly what category she was. Also on 2400 acres, so most deer were local. And if you hosed it, you probably weren't coming back or getting future hunts. They also gave out medals (and free hunts to GIs!) for taking inferior deer out of the herd in lieu of shooting the "trophy buck." A scrub single point/"Murderer Buck" could get you a state award as high as a big (for EU) 6 pnt Roe Deer (they ony get six pnts).

We really have it good here in the US. I appreciate the opportunities, and the freedom to make our own choices. And while I am NOT in any way a trophy hunter, I do feel we do a very poor job in most cases here in ID'ing deer w/r/t age, etc. Wish we did better in that category.

In Germany, I had to go thru a 6 week training/shooting/certification course and pass a test, buy hunting insurance annually, get scheduled for each hunt (and pay a small fee!), get ONLY the rack and vitals as trophy, AND BUY the meat (they sell it on the open market there) if I wanted venison/pork. We would all be appalled if we had to do that in the US!

I appreciate the guys/leases/hunters who go after trophies. But I am also glad I can spend a lot of quality time for myself and my sons (5!) and DIL's'GF's and hopefully, soon, grandkids, doing it "OUR" way. Hope you do too!

PS: falling down now stepping off my soap box. Hope I didn't upset anyone.