ORIGINAL: PreacherTony
Yaknow John .... this thread has really got me to face some things ..... when you asked that question, "Why is it different when the owner tells you to stay off instead of posting it?"(nice set-up, by the way[:-]) I didn't want to answer it ....... but I did, and I answered it honestly .... now I have something to think about if that situation happens to me .... at least if the deer drops out of sight ...... thank you for the challenging debate, John
That's really what it's all about after all...just opening eyes. I too learned a lot and hey I'm no saint either. Here is part of what I FIRST posted on this matter:
Let me first say, I haven't read all of the posts...........
Ok, I'll TRY to answer these questions..(great thread BTW Tony!)
Let me first precursor this by saying I would NEVER put myself in this situation. If I KNEW the other land owner was adamant about not letting anyone on his/her property, I would stay as far away as possible.
That being said here is what I would do (I think
)
Scenario #1 I wouldn't shoot, this is an easy choice for me, I'd just let the deer walk.
Scenario #2
This one isn't so easy to answer. I've never been in this situation before and hope I never will.
That being said please allow me some leeway here ok?
1. If I wasn't 100% sure how adamant the owner would be about trespassing, I would go ask if it was ok to get my deer. If he said "no" I would try to get help from the local DNR, but knowing the laws here in Illinois I know I'd be S.O.L.
2. Knowing in advance the hard fast position of the land owner, I wouldn't even go ask, (I wouldn't be there in the first place but I digress)I'd just show up at his door with the DNR to ask for permission, againthe answerwould probably still be S.O.L. but at least the DNR KNOW there is a dead deer and they would probably make the land owner jump through hoops to get it, this may just be enough for him to say "just go get it". The scenario above would give the land owner time to go get the deer and hide it before I arrived back with the DNR.
I don't think there would be a situation where I would just jump the fence, get my deer and jump back, again the operative word is "think" because I've never been in that situation. I'd like to believe I'd act accordingly.......
Again, knowing the land owner was a first grade jerk, I wouldn't be there in the first place.
To me it's simple.....it's just a deer, no matter how many points on it's head, and no deer is worth violating another man's personal rights.
As you guys see I too struggle with this, I know full well it's easy to type absolutes like "I will not" or "I'd never" but the truth is we don't TRULY know what we would do until it happens and as to date this hasn't happened to me. As I first posted, I'd like to believe I'd act accordingly.....But I do know I'd be one pissed off dude, not at the law but at how a fellow man could be so rude and disparaging to another person as to not let a lawful and ethical hunter recover their kill, that's beyond me. It's one thing to not want strangers on your land (I get that), but once the situation(s) have been brought to light to STILL not allow access is bordering on criminal itself and I find it completely and utterly appalling.[:'(]
Great debate and thanks for being civil........(there's that word again
)
P.S.
Tony, I don't necessarily like to use "set up" questions, but sometimes not showing your hand is the best way to get your point across.
It wasn't meant to paint you in a bad light (you know that) and I appreciate your honesty, nothing wrong with your answer either. As I said, I completely see the other side of this debate and I too took some things from it to "chew on".