it would be interesting to see a checker board of management with say white squares being trophy squares and black squares being for quantity.
I recently read that 4 units in CO for elk are managed for trophy elk, no surprise those are the toughest to draw!
as to point restrictions, I'd rather see a guy shoot a spike bull than a 3x3 or 4x4, a 3 or 4yo bull is much closer to being a big bull than a 1yo is.
Also when a guy can't shoot a management bull, ie an older bull with only a 3x3 or 4x4 frame then you're encouraging inferior genetics.
oh well this mystery will probably never be solved/fixed in my lifetime, so all a trophy hunter can do is hunt quality areas/units, wait for tags and hunt hard when they have that chance, or pass inferior bulls in their opinion.
I hate the term "if i don't shoot it my neighbor will, or someone else will" well if you shoot a small bull then certainly it won't make it til next year. and why would any hunter let another hunter influence their decision whether or not a bull is big enough.
If I want a 6x6, and I see a 5x5 I know another hunter would gladly shoot, that doesn't make me want to shoot a 5x5 any more. I'd rather pass on that 5x5 and let anther hunter who would love a 5x5 take him, than to take a 5x5 because someone else would and be disappointed it was a 5x5 and not a 6x6.
Never settle.
