Never be ashamed
 

I just wanted to post this in response to all the thread created about feeling ashamed about shooting a deer, or shooting a "small" or undesireable deer weather by accident or on purpose.

When you decide to take a deer the decision is made and there is no amout of regret that will put your quarry back in the woods so be respectful of your harvest by being happy and proud.

We should not feel remorse or sad about taking a deer we are in the food chain and we gave the deer more times then not a easier end then it would normally have if it had sercum to predators or winter die off. Also, deer are animals of instinct not soulish beings capable of coherient thought. There is not fear or joy just the instinct to eat, breed, and flee.

So once again be respectful of your harvest and be proud because any deer is a good deer.

I have attached a photo of a deer I mistook for a doe in low light last year, when I approached the deer I realized it was a spike I normally would have allowed to walk but since the deed was done I decided to be happy anyway.

I agree and good post! But for some people its more of an obsession. Obsession of taking a monster buck, obsession of being the talk of the town, obsession of killing an animal that has become almost impossible to hunt because he has become smarter!Learning from every mistake you make as a hunter. There is nothing wrong shooting 1.5 year old bucks. You made a great shot and recovered the animal, mission accomplished. For those that get sick to their stomach for shooting a 1.5 year old deer or even 2.5 year old is because they are obsessed with the hunt and their needs have not be satisfied.

I love the post dude really spot the freak on. got one question for ya why on god's green earth did you put your gun in the mud. Why did you just not lay it across the deer out of the mud.

Just dirt not mud but then mud would just give it a little more character.

I couldn't agree more. I also enjoy being out in the woods and I absolutely love to hunt the elusive white tailed deer. Any deer that I decide to take is a trophy to me, especially with my bow. My family and I eat deer as our main meat staple and so I am not a bit ashamed of the 90 pound doe I arrowed the other day! As a matter of fact, her roast tasted like a little piece of Heaven the other day smothered in gravy with a big pile of mashed taters and corn on the side!!

We all have our goals when we head to the stand, to some a 200" deer is the goal and nothing under 150" is acceptable and that's just fine! Mine is to fill my freezer with venison. Early in the season I will usually let the spikes, forks and small 6's walk IIIIIIIFFFFFF I can... As RUGER77 said, had I shot that spike at 200 yards, I would've been more than happy to slap my buck tag on it. The very last few days of season if I still have a buck tag left, fellas I'm gonna fill it with a legal deer as soon as I can!

Some of you may read this and say "With that mindset, he'll never grow trophy deer on his hunting ground" I guess if you're idea of a trophy is a 200" deer, then by golly I'll say you're probably right my friend!!

But by God my wife and kids and I will eat good this winter!!

Sorry if I've rambled!

agree,
remember why most hunt,
for food and population control,
even if its not that trophy buck you intended, it still serves its purpose.
enjoy your take,
and work on why it didnt go as intended

Agree in part
 

But there will always be hunters who regret hunting and harvesting game; give up hunting because it doesn't suit their beliefs, feelings, or interests in the end.

I never felt sorrow if a hunter quit. Just as long as they could quit and I still had the opportunity to hunt. I don't believe in some kind of universality. Some can hunt; some cannot hunt.

Plus I never oversold myself on the trophy aspect of hunting as some end in itself. On a cold winter evening, like today, I always looked at my trophy cooking away in a hunter's stew, with potatoes and carrots. with dumplings on the top of the dutch oven.

And I never cared if a hunter ever learned how to cook worth a damn.

Learned I could never worry about the universe.

There is so much pressure on hunters now to shoot the "bull of the woods" due to the make believe hunting shows on tv. (Okay Joe, release the deer for Mike H. to shoot!)

My first buck was a spike and I was thrilled. Now I wait for a big one because I don't want to gut one unless it's worthwhile, LOL. I enjoy sitting in the woods watching nature and could care less if I get one or not. And the small ones are the best eating ones....

Im all for letting the small bucks grow but as stated elsewhere on this site quality deer managment is impossible on small tracts. You cant control what others shoot.
I kinda look at it like dont pass on amything you dont want someone else to shoot.
As for passing the small ones for me its mainly if you shoot the small one you wont be there if a big one does come along.

Spot on post. I have realized something this yr. I have moved past the have to kill bubble. I'm 30 now and I love the outdoors. It's my therapy. Some soldiers make apts to talk to people, some opt for meds and therapy. I opt for the woods. Spent 30 months in Iraq and had some bad experiences. I want the woods. Can't put it any other way. I realized this yr when I screwed up on a big one. I came home and realized I wasn't mad. Wow 10 yrs agoI would have been pissed. Now it was a cool experience and it was a blessing to have a big deer in that close.

To me nothing is better then a cold crisp morning in the woods. My wife thinks I hunt to much. She doesn't realize I need the woods to clear my head.

Great post and more should read it and remember what hunting is really about.

Great post guys.

I have been hunting for 16 years and I do it for the love of the hunt and to put food on the table. I don't hunt for the trophy. I will let the small yearling deer pass but any legal deer over 100 lbs is fair game.

Thanks for your service to our county my friend. I too am most relaxed during deer season.

For the love of the hunt.

Great thread and great thoughts. I'm all for everybody doing what makes them happy in the woods (while keeping it legal). If you want to watch 130's walk by all day to possibly never see that 180, go right ahead. I will ask that you send the 130's my way though :)

Here is a picture of a deer my dad shot a couple years back. Most would not call this a trophy, but the fact that my dad's smile wouldn't disappear the rest of the day convinces me that it was indeed a trophy. Happiness and contentment are what you make them. And my dad was definitely happy and content with this little buck.

rw

I have let many 120 to 130 class bucks walk in the past. Mainly because i knew there was a bigger one there.
Then have the task of helping another drag that 130 out cause he didnt let him walk.
Not much I can do -just congratulate him on his buck.

Hear hear! Nothing worse than eating tag stew all winter long. Fill em up and keep the freezer full!

Made up my backstraps from my buck last year and my goodness... that was the best, most tender meat... like you said, a little piece of heaven.

Don't know about you guys, but I can't afford to buy the amount of meat that one deer provides. And with the number/price of extra tags that we get between bow and rifle seasons, it's penny on the pound when it comes down to it, and some of the best eats around.

There is nothing wrong with shooting a small buck or any doe. We might rib guys at deer camp that shoot a 'dog' of a deer but ya know what, I've done it. Did I think it was bigger than it was? Yes. Was I ashamed of it? No. Meat in the freezer.

100% agree. Good post! :party0005:
Live it up! Doug

To me, hunting is about the entire experience, not just the harvest.

I agree wholeheartedly that the taking of a doe or spike is just as much an occasion for celebration as taking a "trophy" buck. Trophies are nice but hunting necessarily precedes and is of more fundamental importance than trophy hunting.

But--

You've really said a mouthful here. I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. Just because a deer's central nervous system and relationship to stimulus isn't as complex as a human's does not mean that they do not experience "fear" or "joy"--they obviously do. Do you think that dogs experience fear and joy? If not, I have to assume that you've never been around any dogs.

Awesome post man. Couldn't agree with you more

i agree being in thee woods and watching the wildlife in their natural habitat is what its all about it is my me time and a trophy deer is a well shot and recovered deer you cant eat the horns no matter how long u marrinaid them

I cannot agree any more. Every year I rely on the deer meet in my freezer. Sounds bad, but if I see a group of deer, I go for the biggest. I don't let any walk, unless its a doe with a fawn.

Single spike, or big 8pt (they don't get very big here), i take it and be glad god let me have it for my family.

my $.02

Good post brother and I'm with u.

great post... I shot a little doe the other day and was kind of regretting taking her because at the time I thought she was a lot bigger. Thanks for makin me realize I should be proud regardless of size

I couldnt have put it better myself, ive been waiting for a post like this haha

I agree with everything but this part. Ever been around captive deer?

Ever see fawns bouncing around playing? That's called joy.

Ever see a deer running wild and bouncing off of a fence to get away from a dog barking through a fence? That's called fear.

I'm sure most of us have dogs. Ever seee your dog wag his tail? What emotion makes him do that?

Ever see a dog cower during a thunderstorm? Why do they do that?


I don't want to rain on everyone's parade but deer and other animals do feel certain emotions even if us superior humans don't always see it that way.

Deer deserve respect as do all animals. Too often we lump them all together as being just stupid, dumb animals. Until you spend some real time with them, you can't appreciate how smaart and emotional they really are.

We all know that dogs have different personalities, well deer do too.

As far as the rest of the thread, it is spot on. You should never be ashamed of the size of a deer you took. If given a choice between a doe and one of her fawns, I shoot a fawn, much better eating. Less meat but better.