Taking mature largest horned animal is best for the herd and to leave the young to generate the future of the herd. That is even if I don't harvest a deer for the year and that has happened many times if I can't get it done on a mature animal.
It isn't all about having the largest set of horns on the wall, it is my opinion to take the oldest mature animals from the herd, and in doing that generally have the largest set of horns and does weigh more also.
I have many high scoring racks but never have scored them but have a general idea of their size. What I do know about that rack they are very mature deer and I know the young coming up will fill that void.
In saying all of that I do respect whatever a hunter wants to shoot and what their goal is as an outdoors person. They can shoot whatever they want and makes no difference to me.
your wrong about taking the oldest most mature deer being removed is best for the future of the herd. It depends.
In alot of the east its a case that the best deer to remove from the herd is a young doe. Over population is a real thing, many areas have so many deer that they destroy the ecology of the area. Many species of native plants (Oak trees for one) are disappearing or unable to reproduce either fully or partially due to deer browse. I see it everyday in my woods and all over SE WI.
Lets call this what it is, its trophy hunting, nothing less. Hunting for a trophy is not managing the herd for whats best for the herd. The only instance where harvesting the largest most mature males makes sense is where the population is less than what the land can handle without detriment from the herd, this is rare in the east.
It makes a difference to me what someone shoots as a land owner. My land pays the price for their trophy hunting ways. I don't respect a Hunter who hunts in may area and will not shoot anything less than a buck with big antlers. I can't respect a selfish hunter. Where you are maybe different. I speak for where I am.
Please don't take any of this personally, I don't mean it as such, just to point out that there is whole different reality around where I am.