Urban_Redneck

You scout public land and find a great spot almost a mile from the access/parking. Early August you cut shooting lanes and trim some 3" limbs. Cutting trees is prohibited on this land, but you think some brush and two limbs is no big deal and totally necessary to shoot into the field edge trail.

Fast forward 4 weeks to opening day... You hike with your climber almost to "your" tree and you get shined off! Some one is in your tree an hour before legal shooting. Oh well, that's how it goes, afterall, it is PUBLIC land. You walk on a half mile or so and set up on the ground.

It's 9:30, you've seen 0 deer, so you decide to head back, you get about a 100yds from your original stand site and you hear voices, so you start to walk over. You see a four wheeler which means Fish & Game as vehicles are prohibited. The CO sees you so you figure you better say hello...

You reach the CO and the SOB who sat in your tree, the CO checks your license and arrows, all is in order. The SOB is 10 feet away on his cell phone loudly telling his bud he just got a $200 ticket for cutting tree limbs and the CO "don't believe he didn't do it"

PS he's got a nice 130" eight pointer on the ground.

(EDIT) This is a totally ficticious senario, from my imagination, inspired by all the "in my spot", "killed my deer" theads/posts.

mauser06

the only way i see that HE would be getting a fine is if they were FRESH cuts.

PA is the same way, and without FRESH cuts and pruners or a saw in my pack, there aint no way im taking that ticket. i just cant see how they can say 3 month old cuts are definently from him. but...i dont know...if he was getting a ticket because of what YOU did, id take the heat...tough situation...id wanna see the cuts before i burned myself theres a big difference between fresh cuts and 3month old cuts

robdre56

i woulda took the heat if there wasent a buck on the ground that makes the decision there that couldas been ur deer if he hadent been in ur stand then u coulda took the ticket but this guy ook ur stand took ur deer let him take the heat

nybowhunter

I can't believe of all the places this guy decides to hunt is the exact tree you picked.

iowabob85

You have too ask yerself what would you do if the roles were reversed. I myself would not like too take the heat for something that someone else had done. And I am sure you would not either. As for the 130" buck that was on the ground well it may have walked by you while you were in the tree or it might not have. Do you really feel this was your deer? I am just saing it is public ground and that is the chance you take when hunting public ground.

I myself would have taken the heat even though it would have been hard because of the buck he had gotten but it would've been the right thing to do.

dvalliere

Man up and take the heat. You did it. You know it. Deal with it rightly!

Redtail565

I think this is a really tough situation.

On the one hand you broke the law by making cuts on trees that you should not have and should take responsibility for this. This is one of the types of actions that give hunters a bad name. I personally try to follow all hunting regulations as a matter of hunting ethics. Please make a moral/ethical decision to follow the rules in the future.

On the other hand, this guy knew someone else set up this spot to hunt and he just went in and hunted it. This may not be against the law as it is public hunting but it goes against everything I consider good hunting ethics. What a slob! I bet the CO had seen the illegal trimming and was just waiting for opening day to catch the person.

My resolve:
My mentors tell me to be concerned with my actions as they are the only ones I can control. I have to live up to the standards of morals/ethics I’ve established for myself and not worry about what others do. As hard as it would be to fess up and disregard what the other person did, it is the right thing to do.

Rickmur

I could type a lie and say I'd take the heat but truth be told, hell no, let him take it, he knew he was hunting the cut lanes. That's the truth, no fabracation here.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I'd never be in that situation so I didn't vote, consider my vote ficticious.

AF Hunter

I'd say integrity has to come first. You did the damage, you take the heat. You are on public ground and someone else beat you to the tree you wanted, caca happens. To me it's like if you took your kid out for youth season. He has a huge monster walk in and gets the fever too bad to take the shot. Do you grab the gun and shoot it yourself knowing it's illegal, or do you waive it off as an experience your kid will remember watch the monster walk away. If you are one to take the shot, I personally wouldn't want to associate with you. Integrity - doing the right thing even if no one else will ever know.