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My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

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My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

Old 08-06-2007, 01:34 PM
  #21  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

Jeff,

I think if they accept your invitation they should have the common decency to abide by your rules. To answer the question about being selfish......

On the one hand I can see your side of it,you're the one who tookthe initiative to provide a better habitat for the deer in your area to browse in. I'm not sure so correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you planted a food plot etc...

Includedwith this you did (and continue to do) all of the scouting and planning needed to get onto the big bucks that you now know are onthe property you hunt come fall. With all of that time and effort put into it and by the tone of this post you feel (I'm speculating now) you should be the one to hunt the big bucks.

Is it selfish? This all depends on the person you ask. For me I would say yes it is. I say this because I too ask friends and family to hunt one of my spots that I have sole permission to hunt. I (like you) ask them to come and help me thin out the does so that the overall population can be reduced (way too many deer). I also scout this area and continue to do so. I have also (hard to believe here in Illinois)seen very big antlered deer on the property and I too am in the process of setting up a strategy to hunt them come fall.

However where we differ is I don't do anything to the land to promote the deer in any wayto say on it or to grow any bigger than they would naturally. We also differ because if I ask someone to hunt with me even if the mission was to take does I would never tell them not to take a shot at a big buck or any buck for that matter if they get the opportunity to do so, it's just not how I am. If my friend or brother-in-law shoots one, I'm nothing but happy for them, even if it's the slammer I've been looking for myself.

I would suggest either asking someone who you can trust to abide by your rules, to come hunt with you, or don't let anyone huntit.

With all due respect, for me it does come across as selfish.

EDIT: Just so I'm clear, I feel what the guys that you invited said to you was way out of line and selfish on their parts by telling you they would shoot at the bucks even when you asked them not to.
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:35 PM
  #22  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

If a farmer gave them permission to hunt his farm but only take does would they react the same way? I have heard of many farmers doing just that, because they know the buck hunters will be passing up on all the deer they want killed just to get a chance at a good buck. Rude and presumptious on their part.
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:37 PM
  #23  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

Well with in you limits there Gmmat. It is a bit selfish on their part if anything. Good luck
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:41 PM
  #24  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?




If you live in Ohio close to Columbus I would be happy to take a doe or two for ya. If I couldn't use the meat I could always donate it to that charity. But if a big one walks by I might shoot it ..... with my camera.


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Old 08-06-2007, 01:41 PM
  #25  
 
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

ORIGINAL: Rick James

I personally wouldn't invite someone to my place and tell them that they couldn't shoot a buck that I would shoot. I wouldn't feel right about doing that. If I didn't want them to shoota buck,then I wouldn't invite them at all.

I may invite someone with the purpose of shooting does and will place them accordingly on the property, but if a "shooter" buck by my definition comes by and they have a tag for him,feel free to take a poke at him.
Totally my sentiments.
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:44 PM
  #26  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

I have 2 places with currentopen invites to go and shoot all the does that I can tag... Great areas - trophy managed... But, even though both landownerssaid specifically that I can shoot a big buck if I see it.... I know them, and I know that it would be a hot-button issueif I did. They protect their bucks for their family in rifle season, and I respect that.

So, with that in mind, I don't bowhunt there - even though I know I can. I'm just not about to pass up a 140" buck.

I choose not to put myself in a position to burn a bridge orcause hard feelingsover a deer carcass. That's just not how I roll.

So I keep in touch... Eventually, I'll get an unequivocal invitation to come out there and hunt however I wanna hunt and shoot what I wanna shoot- but until I can feel 100% comfortable in hunting on my own terms, and be 100% sure that nobody is gonna harbor any bad blood if I take out one of the big boys - I keep on politely declining.
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:46 PM
  #27  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

BigJ(John):

No secret I value your opinion on manymatters...as I do this one. The problem, here, is ME......you're right. But....the problem is I asked the wrong people (IMO).

Like I said....(and I've told my friends Mark and Rob)....I'd be totally happy if they took ANY DEER that tickles their fancy off the property....because they understand and respect what I'm trying to do. I also respect their judgement.

I think the lapse was in my judgement of expecting some people to respect what I'm doing......when it's not in them to do so.
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:47 PM
  #28  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

Jeff, i am sort of in the position of those guys. one of my professors has a deer problem(according to her...shes an Ecology and Wildlife Management professor so....) and asked anyone who wanted to take a doe to come talk to her. i did last year. only thing was she was across a highway from where i had a tag for. this season though, im getting a tag for her zone...she said to take does only.

i hear her land holds some nice bucks and a pile of them at that...it might kill me to not take a shot at one...but if i want to hunt her land i have to obide by HER rules. i would like to take a doe just to get one under the belt with the bow...and dad and i put no venison in the freezer last year so id like to get dad some sausage this year lol..maybe after i take a doe she will come back and say i can take a buck...who knows. maybe we will find out. shes a heck of a lady and really liked me...we will see...if not though, im still hunting under her rules. shes even nice enough to show us where to take stand. she said 1 guy came over last fall and it took him a couple hours because he showed up late at a wierd time...

i wouldnt think about breaking landowners rules..
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:51 PM
  #29  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

Mauser:

Good to hear from ya, Cap'n.

There's another example........I told Mauser to get himself here, last Fall....and shoot ANYTHING he wanted.

Like I said.....I made a poor judgement in who to ask (this time...not last...lol).
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Old 08-06-2007, 01:52 PM
  #30  
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Default RE: My eyes were opened.....Am I selfish?

GMMAT,

I'm not sure how long you have been archery hunting but I suspect it hasn't been very long. I'm not trying to be a smart allic when I say this but you are learning the hard way.

One thing you will learn quickly is that there are many, many guys out there that will take advantage of you. They might be friends, coworkers, brothers, cousins, etc...it doesn't matter. There are just those that will take advantage of a good hunting spot and you.

They'll sneek in your areas when you can't hunt. They'll bring friends to your area that you didn't invite. They'll break self imposed rules that they agreed to earlier. They'll poach deer. They'll hunt out of your stand. They'll purposely try to get deer to avoid your stand. They'll tell everyone where you hunt. They'll blab about the big buck you saw. etc...etc...etc...

Your best bet is to keep that place to yourself, son and very true friends. Do your best to solve the doe problem with those few people.

Inviting too many guys will ruin your hot spot. Trust me.

I've had it happen several times. I realize you are just trying to be friendly and unselfish by inviting these guys.It will just lead to problems if they hunt. You already know that by the feeling you are having in your gut right now.

It is tuff to try to be a nice guy and then to find out that you were taken advantage of. Take back the invitation and don't feel guilty about doing it.

Just learn that when you have a good spot, it is better to just keep quiet about it.

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