Ethics

[Ulysseys]

Its yours but prob not worth fighting over - I'd personally hunt with him less in a non obvious way.  Great deer and congrats.

[straitera]

Pretty much what Ipjon said right off the bat. Sorry you had to hunt with guys like that. Wow! Enough bad blood there to last awhile!

[ron w]

What's done is done, now all you have to do is find someone else to hunt with or hunt by yourself....end of problem! Good luck in your quest!

[xtrema312]

If the hit was really a light non-fatal shot and I shot it, It would have my tag.  I could care less how much fuss it caused in the family.  What is right is right, and I would stand my ground. If it wasn’t the deer it would be something else you would have to have it out with him about down the line if he is that type and in the family.

As hard as it was, you made your choice. Now forget it. I would also forget hunting with him.  

Had a friend knowingly cut off a buck on its way to me and wound it in the leg. It ran to me, and I shot it.  While I was gone up to the house to get some stuff to tag and dress the buck, my friend tagged it, loaded it up and drove off with it.  That was the end of that friendship.  I never forgot it and have been very selective about who I hunt with every since.  That was 32 years ago and it still irks me just a little when I think of it because it was my first buck ever.

Put another friend in one of my stands I saved all year because I knew something was coming in there.  I had scouted it and watched from another stand as small bucks got run out of the thicket. I was walking to hunt it for the first time, and I stopped and told him he could take the stand for his last night of the last day of his hunt with me that year.  He shot the biggest buck of his life and mine in that stand.  Largest buck to ever come off that property to this day.  I have kicked myself for years for not hitting the stand that day, but was happy for him and do not really regret it all that much.  I just think about it occasionally and tell myself next time I have a hot stand I save all season and have all scouted, I will be in it.    

[mike hall]

ethics?

would he have recovered it if you had not shot?

sounds like a simple yes or no(right or wrong) question to me. family or not

[DannyBows]

That sucks. The head may be on his wall, and the meat in his freezer, but you and he both know who killed him.

You were the bigger man to not fight over a dead animal. As has been said, you just scored big Karma/Mojo for the future, and scratch him from your huntin' buddy dance card.      

Congrats on a fine Buck!

[Ragnarok Forge]

He would never hunt on my property or out of my camp ever again!  People who let greed interfere with their ethics and violate  state game regs are not allowed anywhere near my hunting area or camp.  

I had a guy tag a rifle shot deer I took a while to track many years ago.  I called it in and testified.  He paid a nasty fine and lost his hunting rights for 5 years.   I have a very dim view of thieves of any stripe.  Family thieves are the worst kind.  Frankly with the exception of family reunions or holidays I wouldn't associate or talk with the guy at all.

Big racks have made many a man's ethics go out the window! As stated above, you know the truth, and that is all that matters. You are a way bigger man than he just by doing what you did and avoiding the fight.

Bisch

[guspup]

I have some good friends I don't hunt with any more.

[mmilinovich]

The brother-in-law would never hunt with me again.

But, I'm not a guy who suffers in silence.  I'd take him aside and explain how he did wrong.  You owe him that.  He should be able to understand a simple concept:  a non-fatal hit does not entitle a hunter to a deer fatally shot by another.  Period.

Not saying that's how you should do it.  But that's how I would.  Family peace is important.  But, How I feel is important, too; I'm not a door mat.

Mark

[deercraver]

one day he will grow up and lose his training wheeles

[KSdan]

Losing relationship over a deer is not worth it.  Hunting brings out the worse in people. . . good decision.

Dan in KS

[stujay]

Tip of the hat for opening yourself up in  a post like this. I see you've made two decisions... took him hunting and placed him...allowed him to tag the deer...seems like one more descision to make. Sever hunting and possibly your  relationship with him, or live, learn and let it go, the last is a choice which may be the hardest to make.

[Buckwheaties]

I think that I would let him know why, "I'll never hunt with you again", but may let it go to keep family relations. My respect for him would be greatly diminished..Not an honorable man..

[Glunt]

If he continues to hunt he will gain some experience and realize that you did him a favor by letting him claim it.  That would make for a great story at Thanksgiving in 10 years except for the part about how ticked off you were and how you vented to a bunch of folks about it.

You made your decision - let it go.  Hunting should enhance your life.  Make peace with your choice and go hunting.

[twitchstick]

"I have some good friends I don't hunt with any more"......X2

[Shortlongbow]

Whats done is done. You know who killed the buck. He knows too. It's amazing the lengths some go to for bragging rights even if they aren't legit. Like spotlighting a deer then having it mounted to brag over. Would be hard to hunt with him again.

[Bowwild]

We often learn a lot about our friends and relatives in hunting situations. Hunting often puts folks in very real situations that reveal a person's true feelings and actions. They (we) can't sit on the couch or behind a card table and hide behind a sly smile when hunting together.

Some of what we learn while hunting together is fantastic and increases our affection and respect for these folks. Some doesn't.

[joevan125]

Same thing happened to me in 1990 while in college. Me and my room mate thought we had exclusive rights to a honey hole that had 165acrs and joined a park right across the road.

Back then we would get up in our tree stand a good hour to 45 minutes before daylight.

Anyway 15 minutes after shooting light i see a flash light comming through the woods and i got a little upset when i heard someone cough 40yds from me.

About 1 hour later i heard a bow go off and the sound of a deer running toward me. The 6 pointer stopped 15yds from me and i could tell something was wrong because he was all hunched up.

Amyway i double lunged the deer and he ran 30yds and piled up. I flew out of my climber because this was my first buck with a bow.

While i was admiring my trophy a fellow walks up behind me and it scared the crap out of me. He says thanks for finishing off my deer, the deer had been gut shot.

I don't know what that deer would have done but looking back he probably would have laid down right where i shot him. I helped the man load the deer and he said since he had shot a deer and had messed up my hunting he would hunt another piece of property he had access to.

We killed some great deer in that patch of woods including a 10 pointer i shot the next morning from the same stand.      

Joe Van

[docmerrow]

Great points guys.. I guess the big deal is we were really close friends. I don't need to go into details about why I didn't tag the buck.. I guess I thought he would be ethical and tell me know bro its your buck.. I am more bitter about how the story is now coming out in our town.. I am not even mentioned in the story he is telling.. If I thought the buck had any chance of dieing. I would have not taken the follow up shot. Even though I put him on this giant.. Ill try making the pics smaller..