kickin_buck

Have you not heard, hunting is big time now. Everyone is going to be on T.V. and make hunting their career. I really love all the big horns, but when I read stuff like this, I really wish hunting was more like it was 25 years ago. I guess you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

IBH, take it easy on your "buddy", hunters mature at different rates and EVERYONE makes a bad shot now and again. I have been hunting for over 25 years and I promise you I have shot my share of basket racks and made my share of bad shots, it happens. Just enjoy the friendship and the ability to be able to hunt together.

Vabowman

let this one go... let him know what he did was not right and move on.. going to the land owner is the worst thing to do...it could get everyone kicked off...

rybohunter

Not sure what to say about the guy not following the agreed upon rules. I can see how that would be frowned upon.
As for the bad hit, a person has to be aware of what they are going to do in the case of a bad hit(calling off work etc)
Even if rain was in the forecast, you guys should have backed out. You weren't going to find the deer dead at that point so trailing pushed it further. Your best hope was to back out, wait and do a grid search. All you did was push the deer out and ruin any likely chance of recovery(not that your buddy seemed like he was going to look anyways)

StealthHtr22

[/quote]

Wont shoot outside 20 now although I shoot 3in groups at 40YDS. Target shooting and hunting are 2 seperate things.
[/quote]

That's exactly right. Anything can happen in the woods...Maybe he needs more experience, and if he does you can't be so upset to try to get him off the land. Have you tried talking to him and discussing this issue. Maybe some honesty will open his eyes, preventing this from happening again,and you guys can continue to hunt together. Everyone makes mistakes. It's up to you to make the decision. Is it worth losing a 'buddy' over.

Matt / PA

Agreed.........you created your own "rain" by staying after a gutshot deer.
You made the situation worse than if it had rained on the animal bedded and dead within a reasonable distance.
This isn't rocket science really........the second you see it's gutshot get out. Rain or no rain with only that amount of time elapsed.

Ask yourself this question.....and then actually ask your "BUDDY". If it was that 180" droptine monster that he hit at 8yds would he and yourselfhave taken off workthis AMto find it?
If the answer is yes then you guys have some serious re-evaluations to do on your outlook on bowhunting in general.

IA Buck Hunter

Agreed... I was/am just frusterated.. Guess it was just easier to vent here than roll the dice on a guy I've been friends with for 15 years. I was excited for him at first but I guess the gutshot at 8yds just made me doudt his abilities shooting arrows at deer. Reason I didn't say this to my friend is I didn't want him to feel horrible about what happened and give up bowhunting. Thanks for YOUR input, as it helped me reason what happened and prob saved a friendship.

IA Buck Hunter

I expected my "Buddy" to look for the buck until he found it, no matter how long it took. I told him I was down to keep looking as long as it took, and he made the decision to quit... That's part of the reason I was soooo frusterated by giving up. Then he wanted to just go and try to find itto cut the antlers off. The antlers are secondary to me after shooting a deer. Recovering an animal is first. I was not able to take the day off as I have clients needing assistance, every day, and can not take a day off to help a "buddy" find his deer. I guess I felt he should have cared enough to go and find the buck himself without someone holding his hand. The line of work I'm in I CAN'T take a day off for a reason like that. I'm an insurance agent and had an appt to help a couple with a long term care claim as the wife had Alzheimers. (Priorities). I'm self employed and have NO PTO (paid time off) as the W2 wage earners out there have. If it was my deer, YES I would have found a way to try my best to recover the animal. Whoever has posted negative towards me on this post obviously haven't had this happen, or don't share the same RESPECT for the animals we hunt as I do. Just my opinion..... I do agree that a trophy is in the eyes of the beholder, but if a 60in buck is a trophy to you, don't agree to a QDM management plan that has minimums. After reading some of the responses on here to this post, I have lost respect for some of the members who post one thing and state another (on recovering an animal), so anyone who has posted negative- don't fool yourselves and post somewhere else that (you need to get back out there and look for the deer) cause you obviously don't have that same respect for the animals we hunt as I. Thank you to everyone who can relate to what happened as it helped.... Thought thats what this site was for, not just to talk ****.

JoeyG

Yall had an agreement to only shoot 130" bucks and up. He went against that and shot a basket rack 8 pt. He made a horrible shot on the buck, andgave uplooking for the deer.
I would be pissed too, and I dont know why some of these other guys don't also agree.

JoeyG

Yea his buddy may have been out there this morning if it was 180 incher, and if so he should of given this buck the same amount of effort. As for IA, it seems like he would exhaust every effort to find anything he shot. This thread is about his buddy who did give up on a deer. Its not IA's responsibily to take off work to find his buck.

stealthycat II

IA Buck Hunter

I suggest you look at yourself and see what kind of friend you've become.

you should have been tickled he shot a buck that he was proud to shoot, and helped him in every way you could

you say the antlers are secondary, but you practice QDM Horn porn and 130" size limt .... uh, hello, thats making the antlers PRIMARY

how come YOU didn't look for it ? how great it would have been for you to step up, and go look for his buck ..... I wonder if anyone would do that for you and if they did how you'd feel ?



Just an outside, different point of view ... its a stupid deer, I mean, honestly, tens of thousands are shot and lost every year for whatever reason, the difference between a basket rack and 130" is really pretty petty isn't it ?

[][][][]