I would have.

Give him about 3 more years to grow. I fill the freezer from a place that is overrun with deer, so I kill does.

At least you can admit your error and you learned something from. That’s something more people need to learn how to do. You’re never to old to learn something new.

I love the term "shooter"

When I was 10 a shooter was any buck that stood around long enough. When I had my first buck down any buck with 8 points or more was a shooter. After I shot an 8 any deer with more than 8 points was a shooter. After I shot the first mature buck I killed it changed my definition of shooter again. From what you posted he looks like a nice 8 pointer. From the pictures I don't know if he looks like a shooter to me or not.

I wouldn't care what anyone else thought about a deer that I chose to shoot. You look proud of it in the picture, that's all that matters.

Over the last 4-5 years I upped my game on optics. One of my whitetail rigs has a VX-5HD, 3-15, the other a VX6 3-18. My feeder is about 135 yards, but I have shot opportunities farther than I can shoot. To and from my stand I'm at 3x, might make a quick shot while walking and want the largest FOV I can get. In the stand, about 5x. If I am shooting past 250 I up the magnification as needed. As light begins to fade, I'm dialing all the way back down to whatever gives me the clarity I need given the amount of available light. Congratulations on your deer.

Hunt in an AR county and you learn to look first and then take a shot after you look at the buck to make sure he is legal. I would have had to pass on that buck here where I hunt also. I hunt with my scope set on 10 power 90% of the time unless I am rattling then it goes to lowest power. I feed roads every time I hunt and never get corn within 70 yards of the blind. My feeders are from 100 yards to 190 yards and never shoot a deer inside a feed pen so that is why I road feed.

True point.

On some places I hunt that buck would get passed but on others he would be in the same condition he is in the pictures.

I keep my scopes on their lowest setting when hunting and check that before I leave the truck in case I forgot to turn it down at the range. Some of the places I hunt the shot may be 5 yards or 300 yards from the same stand. one morning a couple coyotes came in at 75 yards, dropped one at 75 yards the other at 237 yards 2.5-10 set at 2.5X. You can make longer shots with a lower power scope just cannot see details as well with the smaller picture.

My deadliest scope is
1.2-5 x. Zeiss Duralyt

And I set it to 1.2x. 99% of the time

I can see with very little light left
I can take multiple deer cause my view is wide

Boom rack Boom is standard when I am meat hunting

In fact I am adding 2 more to my elk arsenal

Nothing about this deer screams mature and I doubt you took it out for "management purposes"

I'm in a position to comment as I too hunt Val Verde and the weight of that deer isn't close to the mature deer I've seen taken

Weather or not I or anyone else would shoot him is...in my opinion...irrelevant. If he is a legal deer in your county, and you wanted to ground check him, then he is a "shooter". I have shot some deer that many would probably chastize me for shooting too young a buck. Or needed another year... or whatever. I have also shot some deer that many people will envy over and may never see deer that size in their lifetimes. Either way, I was proud of my buck, my antlers, and the food on my table every time. Congrats!!

Val Verde pre rut early November. 6 year old

I agree with you

I can't eat antlers

It's entirely dependent on the hunter and the location. I've hunted on places where that would be considered a trophy, but if you put a hunter in there that's accustomed to seeing and harvesting mature and above average bucks then it wouldn't get more than a glance.

I leave mine on 9X or 10X because that’s all the power I have on my rifles. I feel the better I can see an animal the easier it is for me to kill him. Most of my shots are over 50 yards, and yes I would have passed on that deer.

That deer barely meets (or doesn't meet) the antler restrictions in applicable counties, Mr. Smithers. I'm sure hundreds of hunters on this forum would've passed.

Most of my hunting is ground stalking. I turn my scope down in the thick stuff and up when I come to a clearing. I don't have to look at the scope to change it, I have practiced doing it on the move w/o looking. Point is, if you get familiar with your scope it can be done pretty fast w/o thinking about it.

All of my rifles have 3x9 power. I leave them all on 4x which is the setting I shoot when practicing. The reasoning I use the lower power is because I accidentally left it on 9x and thought I just shot the biggest doe ever. Turns out it was a yearling. 9x magnified game to much. 4x constant allows me to quickly judge size of the game from previous harvests.

Name 1 County where he would not pass muster. Never heard of "Applicable" County

That's a questionable buck in any county where the antler restrictions require a buck's inside spread to be 13+ inches wide. There's a sh!+load of counties that are APPLICABLE to that law in Texas. I can write in crayon if it will help you understand the concept.

Crayons

He never let's me down.

I prefer open sights, but getting to where I can't focus on the front and back sight and my target at the same time. So I use a fixed 4 X scope but all of my shots are under 120 yards. For speed and finding your target you can't beat open sights, but they suck in low light conditions

As a judge of antler spread from a colored photo, you would make a good South African kangaroo roper.. FWIW, the spread (measured) is 16".

You didn't post a photo where the spread could be seen, so it wouldn't be possible to say (from the photos) whether the deer would pass ARs. Whether I took this buck or passed on it would depend on what age I thought it was. If 4.5 or more, I would have taken it.

You cant estimate spread from THIS picture??