I've seen plenty of adults hang it up after finally taking a buck with nice antlers that they believe will never be topped by them. What they don't seem to understand is the antler size and the age are totally different things. Furthermore, each deer has its own personality, just like people or dogs, and some are harder to kill than others because they are more savvy. Speaking only for me, genetics and antler size mean less than age and savvy. I will always prefer a 6 year old warrior that grosses 125" over a 3 year old with better antler genetics. It keeps things more real. Bottom line, bigger antlers do not always mean the better buck. Sometimes you get both, but certainly not always.
I've seen mature does that were as smart as most mature bucks, and way smarter than some 3 year old bucks.
And I am not saying I haven't taken my share of 2-3 year olds. LOL...That would be a ridiculous lie!
I took my first deer when I was 9, and it was a button buck. Lol...It took me 2 more years before I killed another deer, and I didn't kill my first 8 pointer until I was 16.... 13" basket rack , but a trophy to me. Those are the days...
