Thread: In the eye of the beholder.

I like the concept of a trophy being an animal that you see a lot of value in and will provide fantastic memories for you as you get older.

I shot a little 8 pter from Ruahine Corner 3 yrs ago with my dog, his first ever stag. The dog is the first one I’ve ever owned and I worked really hard to get him going. Watching him work that day to get that stag was priceless. That stag isnt a conventional trophy but he has value and memory for me.

This yr I shot my first really good stag, a 14 from Southland with my Dad. That stag could be considered a trophy in the conventional sense, and also provides a cool memory for me. A good stag, shot with the person who taught me almost everything I know about hunting and gave me a pursuit to put my energy into.

But I value both deer equally. I guess the beauty of hunting is you make your own judgements and ascribe your own value to an animal.