RE: What would you do?
Waiting for a gift: "Yes, I've already made up my mind, and yes it does make a difference that it's a trophy buck. The scenario I described is realistic for the way I hunt, and I've thought it through. I would never take that shot on an ordinary deer, but I've never shot a trophy buck, only seen a couple. I'm confident that a broadside shot to the ham with a rifle would put the deer down and I would take the shot. "
That is an irresponsible thought process. Look back through that paragraph and try to see the logic...there is none when you analyze it. If I owned the land that you were hunting and I found out that you were hunting like that, I would kick you off it.