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Interesting Situation!!! How Would You React???

We have to be careful here – if we change this scenario just a bit the answers may be completely different. By saying I would not put down the smaller buck that appears to have been injured through natural events (my interpretation) does not mean I would abandon the trail of a deer I injured to pursue a bigger buck. Nor does it mean I wouldn’t feel responsible to tag a buck that others in my hunting party had wounded (I am certain I would even though I have never shotgun hunted).

As hunters we have a responsibility to our quarry to make a clean, quick, ethical harvest under fair chase conditions. I personally don’t believe we have an absolute and unconditional responsibility – again, there are certainly exceptions – to reduce the general suffering resulting from natural causes, the food chain, or the ‘circle of life’. And I don’t believe someone who prioritizes injured, sick or weakened animals when they take to the field is more ethical than someone hunting for a trophy. Becoming more discriminating in the game we harvest comes naturally with experience – and no, its not necessarily an ego thing.

But I do agree with Bowman’s fundamental point – it’s not all about the horns.

My opinion...
 
Re: Interesting Situation!!! How Would You React??

I don't know where you guys against pursuing the bigger buck drop this into an ego or reputation battle for the trophies. It is far from that for me or the others that have posted that on this thread. In all honesty, if there was no 180 inch buck, I doubt I would change my bearings on whether or not to shoot the wounded buck and I know of no CO that would be willing to issue a new tag based on the circumstance.

I have seen deer bounce back from much worse than what is described of the injured deer and make it to the following year. I killed a nice buck in 1999 that some on the site here have seen the skull. The deer presumably suffered a vehicle collision fracturing his face, right front leg (fused at the knee joint), and mid femoral fracture on the right hind. I shot the deer while chasing a doe. My guess, the deer had a rough few weeks but was able to heal up for the next year or two. I videoed a buck this summer that had obviously crushed his left front leg for it was non functional, yet he was out in a bean field with numerous other bucks....appeared to have healed fine...

It is up to you if you would want to take the deer or not and I am in no place to judge you for that decision but it does yank my cord that you would judge me for mine. Is it ethical to let the deer walk, to me it is because if you terminate his life, you just ruined the chance of his recovery. I don't mean to go off the deep end with this reply but it is an opinionated post and that is my opinion, like it or not.
 
Re: Interesting Situation!!! How Would You React??

i would just like to say i myself am not judging anyones character and if it came acrossed that way, please except my apology. i just thought that this subject would make a good one and it is a good subject! no i don't think that anyone who would continue after the "booner" is un-ethical. yes, there is not a day goes by that i walk in my living room look at the skull mount and think "man, what an idiot, you could have had one much much bigger", although i feel good about what i did, i still kick myself in the a$$, it could have been my last chance to shoot something of that class.
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with that being said keep the responses coming, i won't think your an un-ethical hunter for your decision.
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Re: Interesting Situation!!! How Would You React??

Its funny how a post like this can cause such an argument. I dont think there is no way to judge it unless you were there. The choice all depends on your mental position at the time. Theres no way to judge one person for their position.
 
I would have to say go after the 180. I was in a bad car accident a year ago and flat lined twice and I am doing great now. You adjust to the pain and survive, you can't adjust to death. Thats what I learned and thats why I would let the little guy adjust and survive and go kill my booner.
 
Re: Interesting Situation!!! How Would You React??

gimmie a big "hell yeah" scottIC
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Re: Interesting Situation!!! How Would You React??

My remarks wern't meant to imply that the replies were from less than honorable or ethical people. They were meant to imply that in my opinon we as deer hunters almost worship antlers and that when we start to rationalize things that would give us a beter chance at a larger rack we are on a very slippery slope. This is very much a solitary sport and only we know what we really do in the deer stand, but some remarks make us look bad to nonhunters who also read lots of these posts. Almost every thing about deer hunting is antler orentiated. Every magazine ad for equipment, scents, outfitters, and videos all show huge racks and I personally don't like that. To me it isn't all about the horns and I don't mean that to put myself above anyone else or to say that they are all wrong. One last thing, I find it interesting that Muddy has the only flashing ID that shows him posed with not one but two does that I can remember seeing on here and he looks proud of them.
 
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