Trophy Redefined

Cade Barfield with a south Georgia buck that certainly made him smile.

I will tell you what gets me excited to see now. When I scroll through social media and find a huge, genuine smile on a kid or adult hunter behind a relatively unimpressive set of deer antlers or even a doe, I find myself smiling just as big. I discover myself seemingly drawn more to the smaller deer that have elicited pure joy in the lives of fellow hunters than the huge racks that boast points every which-a-way.

I must admit that I am still very impressed by the big antlers and love to see the fruits of success that can come from proper land and wildlife management programs, and I still want to be one of the ones smiling behind a large rack! I just have this odd feeling of being pulled in both directions, loving the big deer while admiring the happiness that can come from a smaller set of antlers.

I have not always been this way though. There was I time when I was consumed with antler size and more specifically, antler score. I would scoff at the hunter who killed a 2 1/2- or even 3 1/2-year-old buck. I caught myself saying things like, “If you want meat, then shoot a doe, not a little buck.” Somewhere along the way, I have softened my hard-lined thinking. As my faith in Christ has grown and as I think more about my mortality, I discover myself not so wrapped up in the strictness of managing my deer herd. Let me be clear though… I still try to do my part to grow bigger bucks by letting the younger ones walk, but I’m just not as stressed when I hear of a neighbor shooting a smaller one now. And I will gladly give up one of my young bucks to a kid.

As I have aged, I have redefined what I consider a “trophy” deer. For me, it’s a mature buck of at least 4 1/2 years, regardless of the antlers he’s grown. Some of the antlers may be rather small, but my excitement comes from hunting the wise ones in their natural settings; those older bucks have tricks to fool a hunter like me time and time again, so when the stars align and I do get a chance to shoot one of those elusive bucks or even get a glimpse of one, I really get excited.

I believe social media has helped fuel the hunting passion for some people but has also taken a bit of the magic out of hunting for others. Hunters may hesitate to post a picture of a smaller buck they have killed for fear of getting laughed at. Be proud of your kills! They are the results of dedication and commitment to our outdoor passions and should be celebrated.

One way that I have enhanced my hunting experiences over the past several years is by hunting “naturally” so to speak. I prefer to hunt deer trails in the woods instead of watching a feeder or sitting over food plots. I may not see as many deer, but when I do, it really gets my heart rate up. Even just viewing a young doe on a trail in the woods becomes entertaining for me. It gives me a deeper sense of accomplishment, like I have done my scouting homework correctly, leading me to feel a connection with some of the greatest hunters I have ever known, the hunting “giants” of the past who could track down the wariest bucks without the aid of modern technology. (I am not demeaning hunting over feeders, because I still do at times. I just want to reveal a special method of hunting that keeps my interest high and enhances my feelings of success.)

And if an old, mature buck should pass calmly by in its natural setting, there is no feeling in the world like it for me. Even if his headgear barely makes it to triple digits in scoring, I swell with pride over the encounter.

I encourage anyone who feels intimidated by the huge buck pictures that circulate out there to change hunting tactics a bit. Try using an arrow. Try using a recurve bow. Try hunting on the ground. Try rattling. Try trail hunting like I do. You may just find that your definition of a “trophy” deer has been redefined.