kevin1

It's legal, it's within range, and that's about as close to "fair" as that buck will ever give you. When you enter the woods to kill a deer you're a predator, there's no such thing as "fair" to a predator. You'd starve in the wild.

Champlain Islander

As with everything else in life, personal standards are different for many people. Some hunters will shoot the first spike that wanders into their setup while others hold out for that rare dominant buck they know is lurking. The most important fact here is not the ease at which that buck could have been taken or the amount of freezer space that could have been filled. Uncle matt made his decision and shared the experience with all of us. What he expects from himself as a hunter is different than with some of the other posters. Success is measured not in the animal that is taken but with the experience. My hat is off to UM for his contribution to the thread and a memory that will stick with him forever. To the fellow hunters who just don't understand his rational, I say someday you might.

dpj1030

Man I dont have the woods to hunt nor the money like most of yall tards. Well some of yall. I live in the back woods but near the city and hunt my back woods everyday morning and night, If I saw that bas%@*$ Sitting down I dont give a crap where he was he's going down. And I dont think ANY of yall guys cant HONESTLY say if that 150 class+ Buck was layed down under your stand or 60 yrdsaways. you wouldnt shoot him? COME ON!!!?

Father Forkhorn

I agree as long as the deer can employ its instincts, senses, etc. and the hunter is overcoming them with skill. I think in the situation outlined, the deer could.

The fairness thing is actually much greater than what we owe the deer. It's ultimately about what we owe the Creator. Through Providence, the deer exists with an amazing set of abilities that were ultimately from above. To respect those in the deer or whatever quarry we hunt is to respect the Creator responsible for them.

It is true, a typical predator knows nothing of fairness. However, we humans are the one predator that does know what fairness is. Fairness--or at least then call to it-- is in our very nature. A person who is fair is being what a person should be. Consequently, we have to be fair even to the deer and other things in nature according to their place.

iSnipe

Father Forkhorn,

Unfortunately with some, your words are going to fall on deaf ears. Like I said prior, if one needs to explain the merits of uncle matt's decision, by now at their age, they'll never know and have a different stance of what ethics is.

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You can't rationale an abstract arbitrary concept of "fair chase", ethics, standards and "sportsmanship" to some people regardless of how hard one tries. It's almost an innate ability to know what is right, what is fair without explanation and that is what sets some hunters apart from others.

iSnipe

WhitBri

Like has been said if he didn't have a huge set of antlers we wouldn't be talking about this. I think the decision to pass on him was right if that was what you felt then. To each their own. People hunt for a variety of reasons, if its legal then I can't say right or wrong. But I do feel the general hunting public is far too obsessed with antlers, antlers = $ in some instances and I think that is something that is horribly unethical. Antler greed is a very bad thing for hunting. I fear it will get to a point where the trophy greed will help the anti hunters outlaw the sport we love. Antlers and hunting trophys are great but its getting out of hand.

pooly_31

I cannot believe there are people opposing Matt's decision. Like someone said before, some people get it, some people don't i guess. Oh, and on the "i have to fill the freezer" argument...Don't buy a tag, sell your guns/bows and all of your equipment and see how many times over you can "fill your freezer" with hamburger. I promise you it's a helluva lot cheaper to fill your freezer in the grocery store than the back forty...

craigkindlesmith

Ok.... I'm going to jump in here. I can certianly see all points. If you don't want to take a deer, no matter what the circumstances are, you don't need to take it. I respect Uncle Matt's decision. Would I have taken it? I'm not sure. I wasn't there.

I can see not wanting to shoot deer that are becoming "pets" around people. There's not much sport in it. But there's also not much "sport" in taking a white tail at 300 yards from a ground blind either. People do it every day without judgement. Yep.... it was a good shot, but that deer never had a fighting chance. To me, that's not sport. And yes.... if I am capable.... I'll take a 300 yard shot. Just don't tell me it was very sporting.

There is not much difference in this situation and a high fence operation either. People do that every day too. All a high fence op is....... is a bigger back yard with no where to run.

I'll tell you right now, I hunt on my own property, and I can see my back porch from all my blinds and tree stands. But I get down there, with bows and muzzle loaders, and I hunt. I'm certianly not ashamed of it. I don't sit back with a rifle and pick them off as they stroll by. I wouldn't shoot a deer in my front yard either. Because that's my preference. I certianly wouldn't judge anyone that did though, because that's their legal choice to do so.

It boils down to personal preference. Not ethics or sportsmanship. I know, that when I look up on the wall and see that trophy, I'm going to be proud of the effort I put in, the challenge, and hunt. I will never look at another mans trophy and downplay it because he took it with a 20 yard bow shot, on a oil field lease, at a deer that wasn't afraid of people.

To Uncle Matt....... Good job with hunting within your principles.

To all those who would have taken it...... Nice Buck!

BigBuck95

THANK YOU NC BUCK SLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!
People think that just because they see a deer and they have a weapon available they can go out and shoot it. Thats all well and fine if you are at a camp in the Adirondacks or need to put food on the table. But in this case, i would have done the same thing this guy did. Don't shoot him, he was bedded down, and only about 20 yards from the house, too. Good Ethics man. Good ethics.

Father Forkhorn

As someone in ministry, I understand this is certainly the case with many. It isn't with all, though, and it's important to give it a shot. Also, some people just need reminded.

The one thing that we're all overlooking in this, though, is the public perception of us. Most people are not hunters, but most accept or tolerate hunting on some level. What will damage us severely is if we give off the impression that this is a killfest or a slaughter or that we're somehow entitled to game no matter the circumstances.

Discretion in how and when we choose to make the kill is vital to our future. Many people don't understand hunting, so we have to be utterly careful about being perceived as slobs, killers, or game hogs.