I have read a number of articles about culling bucks from a deer herd.  If you believe that you should cull, or that it does not hurt the herd, then what bucks do you cull?  Are they the young "spike" bucks because they are genetically inferior with no potential, or are they bucks which have strange or misshapen racks that you don't believe could ever have trophy potential.  If it is a strange or misshapen rack, can you be sure that it will not develop trophy potential?  Every hunter has his or her own concept of what a trophy may be.  My standards and ideas of a trophy are personal to me and are certainly not for everyone or for every circumstance.   Bucks have and will continue to surprise me with how their antlers develop as they age.  I am a firm believer that a buck will not begin to show his real trophy potential until he is at least 3.5 years of age so I don't think twice about letting young bucks walk.  Take a look at the pictures of the following two bucks, which because of their rack development one year, might have been considered cull bucks by many hunters.  Their racks the following year are also shown.  Both are still alive and I can't wait to see what they will look like this year.  

One-Eye (on the right, with Nate on the left) -July 31, 2005.  His right beam shows a very non-typical configuration.	One-Eye - November 22, 2005.  He has now broken off the main right beam and lost his right eye, probably from fighting.   With such an unusual rack would you now cull him?	One-Eye - January 13, 2007.  He now has good mass and height. His non-typical rack has a sticker off of each G-2 and the start of a drop point off the tip of his right beam.
This buck shows a very unusual rack. Would you have culled him?	Another angle on this buck.   He was the last buck in the spring of 2006 to still have a rack.	Mud Rack - January 6, 2007.   A picture from the day that gave him his name.   Quite a difference from last year's rack.  He still shows great potential.  He was the last buck in the