Thanks for posting this. It just baffles my mind how little some people think before doign something serious.

I find that when I have something I need to tell someone that I know they don't want to hear, it helps to go at it indirectly, by asking questions. It would have progressed something like this:

So, where ya hunting?

You got a tree stand or are ya hunting from the ground?

Ever shot from a tree stand?

Got a tree picked out?

Did you cut some shooting lanes from where you're going to hunt?

You know, one little branch or leaf or twig and your arrow can go haywire. Then, best case scenario isyou've either missed the deer and probably alerted him and his buddies that you're there and won't stand much of a chance in atht area again. Worst case scenario is you've wounded a deer. I'd hate to wound a deer. It's just such a waste...waste of the deer and hurtin' it for nothing.

Get him thinking about the consequences...Not saying you should've done this, but it's my approach (with 20/20 hindsight).