Duke's comments in his doe thread made me think others might feel the same so I thought I would ask.
I have filled many tags over the years and a few even found there way onto really good deer for my area.........ones that beat the system and were smart/lucky enough to survive. You really have to slip through the cracks around here to see a couple candles on your cake.
Without fail EVERY one of the older deer I have killed fills me with more remorse then the others. I feel like they were better at the game but sadly they get no more reward...........I sometimes feel like just admitting defeat and tipping your cap to a deer like that would be more admirable.
Don't get me wrong..........these feelings only run through my head AFTER the deer is down ...........hindsight I guess, and definitely remorse, not regret.
No, I understand exactly what you're saying. I think you're describing a respect and affection for the animals you're taking, nothing wrong w/ that at all.
It's a hard thing to do, to kill a mature whitetail buck. Not everyone has, not everyone can. They are true masters of their domain, and show them any less than the respect they deserve would be............an injustice.
I tell ya though....being able to do it is such a sense of accomplishment. It's strange, respect, a little remorse, and at the same time, a feeling of elation and self gratitude...
__________________
1995 Ford Ranger XL
Douglas Radial Tires
Super Blue headlights
Fiberglass front bumper
2400 pounds
I took my oldest deer ever this year. The MDFW guy said he was 6.5 and maybe 7.5 years old. The guy who aged it is the same guy who makes up the jaw boards for the division and said it gets tougher to tell when they get that old and have so little tooth left.
I actually found myself thinking where I was when that buck was a BB, 2nd year ect. It is bittersweet. This deer not only survived a whole bunch of deer seasons but some pretty rough winters as well and I have probably killed a couple of his offspring. Prior to our meeting on 11/08I had never seen him.
PS.. Not the best tasting deer but probably the toughest. 200lbs of stew meat!!
__________________
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Have you tried treating these symptoms with grilled backstrap?
Yes............and a fine treatment it is
Just a respect thing I guess..............I was re-reading "Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails" last night and Eberhart's story about "The Weezer" came to mind when I read Duke's thread.
All the deer I've killed (only 6) I've had the same feelings. The Native Americans always gave thanks to the spirit of the game they killed. In Europe some even place a small sprig of greens in the mouth on recovery as a show of respect and a last meal. A moment of quiet reflection is always a good gesture( after the elation and fist pumping is over).
I've thought about this often over the years. While I must admit that I feel a larger adrenaline/euphoria burst over a large, mature buck that I've taken, there's still the same feeling to a lesser extent for the smaller does and fawns I've killed as well.
As for the sadness/ remorse factor, I've groomed these feelings to be the same for whatever animal I've killed. Meaning that I don't feel more remorse for a big buck than I do for a young doe. I try not to show any favoritism. Very similar to when I was married and had step children as well as my own. No favoritism. It may be there deep down, but my mind won't let me admit it. The bottom line is that I feela sense of remorse for every deer that I kill.
Actually, I'm an animal lover even though I kill them sometimes. Kind of weird huh? When I told a buddy that I shot 2 does this year to get my earn a buck tags, he said that at least I accomplished my sense of kill. I was astonished and a bit angered. I told him that that had never entered my mind. To me, the kill is the anticlimatic part of the hunt. The sad part that I quickly put out of my mind. I do this by quickly reverting back to the exciting part of the hunt and the feelings it brought just before I pulled the trigger. I also start thinking about all the delicious meat I'm going to have in the freezer. It's like I want to skip the middle (kill) part.
It is sad to some extent but it is a necessary part of hunting and I will keep doing it.
Agree 100%............I guess the intense pressure around here leaves me astonished that anything can survive it..........that gets an extra tip of cap from me.
My dad always said I would be "One and done" because of my love of animals..........he laughs at that statement today. It is VERY hard for people I know to understand how/why I hunt.........even harder to explain sometimes.
"Better" deer = More remorse??
...........hindsight I guess, and definitely remorse, not regret.
