I was sitting in one of my favorite stands this weekend thinking and remembering an encounter I had in this stand last year and thought I would pose my question on here.
Great deer 160 class ten pointer approx 10 yrds quartering away looking the other direction has no clue you are there. The gimmie shot. Only problem is he is no longer a 160 class ten pointer as he has broke off his g2 and everything in front of his g3 on one side and his g3 on the other side. So extremely broken up. Mature deer probabbly 5 1/2 old or older 280+ lbs.
Would you:
1) Shoot him, mount him and have taxidermist fix the rack to what is was before.
2) Shoot him. He's a trophy no matter the rack as its the mature, smart buck you are shooting.
3) Let him go, as the rack is broken and possible he'll grow a monster rack next year and you might get a pop at him then. He'll also have a chance to breed the genes into the area
I'll let you know what I did after I get a few answers
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Mathews Q2XL
Spott Hogg sight
QAD rest
Carbon Express Maxima arrows
Magnus Snuffer SS broadheads
I say #1 & #2 but don't have the taxi fix him up, his broken tines are a testament to his character...he was one BA deer and let everyone around know it by busting them up and in the process busting himself up! Good deer!
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"One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted...What he is after is having to win it; to conquer the surely brute through his own effort and skill with all the extras that this carries with it
Is this on a large private ranch or public land? Lots of things play into it. Like for me and where I hunt, if I let him walk there is a slim chance that I see him again next year and he will be even bigger. On public land or land that has a lot of hunters visiting, shoot for sure. But thats just me.
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"don't go ninja'n nobody that don't need ninja'n"
Smaller private land. 60 acres. The guys hunting in all directions of the property trophy hunt as well and have similar standards as mine. Total of probably 360 acres total.
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Mathews Q2XL
Spott Hogg sight
QAD rest
Carbon Express Maxima arrows
Magnus Snuffer SS broadheads
most certainly not number one, what is the point of "fixing" his horns, imagine the stories and wonderment of how he lost it, in a battle for breeding rights
i would already have my arrow on the way, he is a mature deer, and i shoot when given the ethical and clean shot
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"I come home with an honestly earned feeling that something good has taken place. It makes no difference whether I got anything; it has to do with how the day was spent." Fred Bear
Well I choose #3 and passed. It was probably the hardest deer I've ever passed. I hunted hard that year especially there because the sign said a big deer was in the area, no pictures but sign was strong. I would agree that #1 was out of the question as his rack is what it was for a reason and its not all about the rack. I only had a few minutes to make the decision and did what I did. Its been a couple years and I can't say I've seen him again, but I'll never know what genes he passe along. Don't get me wrong I think the mature wise old deer is a trophy but I wouldn't spend the money to mount him the way he was so I didn't shoot. I have shot a lot of good deer but never they great deer 140" plus to put on the wall. That's been my goal for a few years now and have ate more tag since I made that call. But I have a great time in the woods and enjoy the chase.
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Mathews Q2XL
Spott Hogg sight
QAD rest
Carbon Express Maxima arrows
Magnus Snuffer SS broadheads
I would say either #2 or #3. He is mature so theres definitely no shame takin him-definitely admirable tho to let him have another year to grow and go chase him again.
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Patience has been, is, and always will be the hunters most deadly weapon.
Would you shoot him?
