cardeer

Thats right Jim,no bumps this year,must be 1 inch.That deer would be illegal in the 4 pt area.I would not take it. But maybe if you drink another beer it might grow another point,LOL

Jimimac

I' m still not sure how I would handle it to be honest. Just because it is not considered legal to shoot does that then make it unethical if you do shoot? The game commission wants us to let the little bucks grow into big bucks and this is obviously a mature buck, so what' s the problem? Biggest deer of my long hunting career and I have to let him walk. I just don' t know if I could. That' s all I' m saying and I am being real honest with myself and all of you as well. You are all better men and women than me I suppose if you can so quickly dismiss this deer as he comes down the trail. Either that or you are not being entirely honest here. I pride myself on following the rules but I' m just not sure about this one. Another option would be to take the deer then turn myself in and let the cards play out. Hope to get an understanding warden...Or lose my hunting priveleges.

Tazman

Well I wouldn' t shoot it, but I know for a fact of a MASSIVE 6 point just like you described here in Va., the buck is at least 5 1/2 and has no brow times, but he is huge, whe inside of his beam is at least 22 inches and the bases are at least 7-8 inches, lots of mass, I hope to get him this year, off course I have hoped that for the last two seasons and have only got one shot at him during gun at 100 yards and two little twigs whacked me.

Tazman

Jim Va. has no point restrictions so I will admit it is easy for me to say, but I am 99% positive I would let him walk, I would hate to be labeled a poacher and possibly loose my hunting priviledges.

Jason N

Let him walk.....that' s just the rules. I shot a 3 point by mistake(mistook for a doe, long story) one year and about a week later had a wall hanger 10 pt under my stand for about 20 minutes feeding.....I could have whacked that buck many times, but I didn' t. I wanted to, but I didn' t shoot.

That' s rediculous! No comparison at all.....an individual can change, virginity is a one time thing, period. Besides, ethically you shoot this old, sub-par deer to remove him from the gene pool....legal and ethical are not the same. It' s ultimately your decision of when ethics is more important than law.

PABowhntr

I don' t know what I would do guys. This is one of the issues between the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. The letter of the law clearly states that there must be four countable points to one antler though the intent of that law is to allow young bucks to mature into older bucks. If the six point is a mature buck...3.5 years or older then harvesting it would still satisfy the spirit of the law though the letter of the law would be broken.

I do not know what I would do though I have a feeling I would probably fall into the same boat as the rest of you by letting it walk.

wimp

I probably wouldn' t shoot it just cause then what? I couldn' t get it mounted, I don' t live anywhere close to a 3 pt zone, it' d be too much of a hassle. The odds of seeing a buck like that aren' t that great anyway. There are plenty of outlaws in the areas I hunt that would take care of him to get him out of the herd, but I' m not going to be the one to do it.

JimPic

Although it' s a mature deer-it' s also an illegal deer according to the way the laws are written.Tough call but I wouldn' t shoot.I also wouldn' t be dismissing it quickly.I' d be looking long and hard for a 4th point.



[/quote]" Another option would be to take the deer then turn myself in and let the cards play out. Hope to get an understanding warden..."

So you take the deer and turn yourself in-you get fined,the rack gets confiscated and your name is in the paper as an poacher.Not worth it IMO.

Budbowhunter

The law is the law. Like it or not, that' s the way it is. If you choose to not follow the law, then you choose to pay the consequences. I learned this the hard way in 1985. Because I chose to cross that ethical line I' ll never be able to hunt with any modern firearm again. As a result of thinking I would never get caught, I can now only hunt with a bow. As Jason said, people can change and crossing that ethics line is not like losing your virginity. I am a very ethical person now in every aspect of my life but I still can' t use a firearm. If you break the law and you get caught, and you will eventually, you will pay the price for it. Is it worth it? Also think about this, we as hunters are a minority in the general population. Every year the state legislators try and abolish hunting in 1 form or another in 1 state or another. If you choose not to follow the hunting laws set up in your state, you give the anti hunters more ammunition to fight with. They can say, " See it doen' t matter what gaming laws we pass. The hunters just shoot whatever they want!" Take it from a convicted felon who lives with the consequences of his actions everyday. Read my signature below.




KEEP IT LEGAL, KEEP IT SAFE, OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL!

Arthur P

I don' t think it' s ridiculous at all. It' s exactly like loosing your virginity. There is no way to call an arrow back once it' s been released. No way to give life back to the illegal animal. Even if you don' t get caught you still have to live with the knowledge of what you did. You can change and never break the law again, but that doesn' t erase the deed. Once you' ve broken the law, you are NEVER the same person you were before.