James B

I agree. Speaking just for myself, if you can't play this game by the rules, you should not be playing. Its not a win at any cost game. To me its sport hunting and by god sometimes you win and sometimes the Animal wins. I would not even consider cheating then calling it a trophy. I control my emotions its part of hunting to me. Just that simple.

Rammer

- Erased due to drunkeness -

[&o]

James B

It is certainly not illegal to shoot at a running deer. Therefore its not unethical unless you know you can't do it. This is a darn far cry frrom shooting a deer without the legal tags to do so. Its fine for a guy to admit he can't lay off a big buck, it still illegal and no part of sport hunting. Sorry but there is no way to slice this that makes it legal or ethical.

zekeskar

This is funny. You guys make it sound like you think it's somehow HONORABLE to illegally kill a deer just because it's huge. This is an excellent joke!

It's better to do the right thing even if it it is inconvenient or hurts. It's better to let a deer walk rather than taking a record deer by cheating. If you don't poach, you won't take the deer, period.

Bionicrooster

I am not sure what the relevance of this is, we are talking about shooting a deer without proper tags, which is poaching. Much different than someone who shoots at a running deer.

zekeskar

Wall, thanks a lot there ol' doc, but I don't smoke. While I never said you had made this sort of shot, you clearly said you WOULD break the law and cheat on a record if presented with the opportunity. I, on the other hand don't think there's any good reason or excuse for doing that.

Put that in your pipe doc, or roll it up or bake it in brownies, your choice.

whitetaildeer87

smoking is bad....but I'm craving some brownies!

Reefdonkey

I think that some of you guys need to ease up on DD. All he did was give an honest opinion. I am sure that there are many on this board who would have let that buck pass. I also believe that there are more who would not have. I don't know, maybe I am wrong. I can't say what I would have done, because that situation has not been predented to me and probably never will be. If we are being honest here I would probably be with DD, I hate to say it but that is a once in 10 lifetimes buck and I am afraid that my excitement would get the better of me. Flame on me if you will, but like the Doc I have never taken an illegal deer in my life and I don't plan to. I am just theorizing what might happen if I were faced with this highly unlikely (and extremely tempting) situation. I do know that if I were out of tags I would not have been in the woods in the first place, and I don't mean to speak for DD, but I am sure that thisholds true for him also. I am also glad that in NC we are allowed to take more than buck per year (even though I haven't taken one this year, but have let 6 walk). I hope that this buck was taken legally and all of these rumors are just jealousy. However, I am not naive enough to think that unethical practices don't occur in hunting. Someone would be gullible to believe that people don't use unethical and even illegal tactics every year to take large bucks and never get caught. I sure that there are a certain number of "record book" bucks that were taken using dishonorable methods, but are never found out. If you hunt, you hear it ever year: "I heard that he shot that buck at night and went back and got him the next day." "My buddy said that he shot that deer with a rifle during muzzleloading season." "Bob's uncle said that he shot that big buck on Jan. 2." "Down at the truckstop they say he use Lee Roy's tag and never registered that deer." Are these type statements always true? Probably not. They are more than likely a mixture of truth and jealousy.

Ok, so I got long winded, sorry.

I just wanted to come out to support DD, he didn't commit any crimes, nor do I believe that he ever has. He just stated what he might do were he face with this situation (which is highly improbable). He probably has more of a chance of hitting the lottery than seeing that caliber of buck (maybe not though judging form his website).

Just my 2 cents.

Hunt safe and good luck.

Champlain Islander

DD was being honest and talking about a theoretical issue. I can tell that he has a conscience and a great love for the great outdoors and the animals that are in it. Even though his handle is Doctor Death I know from reading his stuff and seeing his web site that he has respect for the animal. It isn't the killing it is the hunt and I bet he feels the same way. Probably 99.9% of us will never get the chance to kill one that big so it doesn't matter. If the doc had the chance, who knows, he might actually let it walk too if he was out of tags. To shoot or not is a question that usually comes up without a lot of warning and is made on the spot. When the decision actually arises it shows the true measure of a man.

Rammer

Ummmm Ya. That post about the Hanson buck was done while severely intoxicated. Not sure where I was going with that. It has no relevance! LOL[&:]