Dog
He already has bucks bigger than this one on the wall so it was a matter of sportsmanship and compassion. He's planning on a skull cap placque without the fanfare. He has 4 shoulder mounted bucks and over 15 or so skull cap placques. Several of the skull cap placques are already larger racks than this. He doesn't need to show off.

He's an accomplished hunter nearly 60 years old and realizes this wasn't a "hunt". It was a mature decision from a seasoned hunter and a sacrifice because he planned on hunting for a big one that escaped rifle season. He lives in the area and loves all deer. It was out of mercy that he saw a suffering animal and decided since he had the tag the animal could be put down on the spot in mercy. No telling how fast a warden could've been there meanwhile the animal was humanely dealt with. It was his brother's land and the rancher that first spotted the buck was one of their hired hands without a tag and didn't own a bow. He called me to relay a weird story and some sadness in seeing the animal in that condition. He actually felt fortunate he had the tag to use as he passed up some dandy's and we still have over 2 weeks of buck season left. That's sportsmanship.

Now after saying all that if he was to decide to shoulder mount the buck isn't that <u>his</u> business? Of course he doesn't consider it a true fair chase trophy. But sometimes people mount non trophy deer in honor of a special circumstance, an unusual animal, or for some special characteristic. What I'm saying is that the usual pride of a clean harvest of a trophy animal isn't the only reason to have it mounted. He's not going to mount it but if he did it would be alright with me.