For me it would depend on which farm I'm hunting. On one I'd be fairly certain that if I let him walk, he'd make it through the year and I'd have a good chance at him the next season. If it were on the other, that confidence factor would go way down due to other local pressure and gun season being open. I'd have to think on it more at the time, but like to think I would have the discipline to let it walk.
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Being in my treestand puts me 15 feet closer to God
I'd have to think on it more at the time, but like to think I would have the discipline to let it walk.
I think I should change my response to the above qoute, from your post. I would like to believe the same.
Its a lesson learned for me really. This year the buck I shot was a good one and I knew it from the moment I saw it. Once I knew he was a "shooter" I quit paying attention to the rack and focused on taking him. Well, if I would have paid more attention I would have noticed that he had a broken brow tine and a couple of small stickers thatMAY have produced a drop tine next year. If I had noticed those things...I might of let him walk. Can't be sure.
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Being in my treestand puts me 15 feet closer to God
For me, this would only happen on public land. I say this because, I would be taking a big risk of never seeing him again.
I'm into the horns but, would tell a good story even with a broken tine. I would take the shot unless he was really busted. Ex. if he only had half a rack, I would likely pass.
Also depend on the season for me. Is it late in the season and I don't think other hunters will put him down?.. if so, I would be more likely pass on him till next season.
I don't see how you can pass up a deer that would meet your "criteria", just because he broke off a g2. Aren't you "supposed" to hold off for 4.5 year olds?
No question in my mind at all. I'm not hunting his rack, I'm hunting him. I take the shot.
I'm with Greg 100%.
He could have dropped a SIDE and I'd shoot him. When you get a relationship with a deer.....and kill him....you'll realize how special that is. Then maybe you'll change your mind.
For the record....I was prepared to take an 80-90" 6 pointer that I'd watched this summer. It worked out I didn't.....but I'd have been maybe MORE proud of him. Last time I saw him he had ALL his tines busted off.
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 24,184
RE: Is it about the DEER, the RACK, or BOTH ?
He would be in the freezer. Both bucks I shot this year had all kind of broken tines. I shot a 9 point that would have been an 11 point except he broke off the end of his righto main beamas well as having a nice kicker broke off. I also shot a 8 point this year that had the tops of both G 2s broke off and the brow tines broke off a pit.
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kaafir mushrik
Unintended consequences and God have one thing in common: Liberals don’t believe in either of them.