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Drawing a line in the sand?

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member

Gotta represent!

As far as the question in the original post... I'm really on the fence on this one. With a gun? No, I wouldn't.
With a bow? Game time decision. I could see me looking out the back door and laughing, thinking "it figures". I could also see me scrambling for my bow and trying to develop a gameplan. One of my things is I always play devils advocate. It's a disease sometimes because it causes so much indecisiveness in me. So, many times I fly by seat of my pants. But I always examine things from multiple points of view. Drives me nuts. Where am I going with this? Not sure yet. Still weighing my options. Lol

Game time decision. That's my take.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Once upon a time there was a hunter who hunted a target buck for three seasons. In that three seasons he let quite a few 130 to 160 class bucks walk on by. That 180 was all he would settle for. He spent untold hundreds of hours chasing this deer. One bitterly cold and snowy evening of gun season he left his spot early because nothing was moving. He decided to drive around his hunting property to see if anything was out. As he came over a small hill his target buck ran from the private property across the road onto the property he had permission to hunt. A quick glance at the clock revealed five minutes of shooting time left. As the deer ran alongside the road the hunter gunned it to get ahead of him. In one fluid motion the truck came screeching to a halt on the side of the road, the hunter came bailing out like a special forces solder, gun in hand. There was no way he could run down the snow-covered hill beside the road while staying on his feet, so as he ran over the edge he jumped and slid feet first like a baseball player who had gotten greedy with an extra base. As he slid to the bottom of the hill he popped back to his feet without stopping. The moment his foot touched the plowed ground he knew that he was legally off the road. In a flash two slugs were loaded in the gun and the hunter took a knee drawing his crosshairs on the stampeding beast. The rest is history.






I missed.



The question here is, would I have felt shitty, like I cheated him by killing him this way? Ohhh helllz no! If deer could feel emotion I would've kidnapped his mama and held her for ransom to kill that sucker.
 

Quantum673

Black Hat Cajun
Supporting Member
I guess it all depends on why you hunt. What motivates you.

For me I hunt because I enjoy being in the woods, in nature, time to myself, and hopefully to put meat in the freezer. I have hunted specific bucks in the past and have yet to seal the deal on one. I have let many pass and have been left with a tag in my pocket at the end of season. That's ok with me. Given the chance to harvest a target buck even on my back porch is a no brainer for me. I would shoot and hopefully would connect. I would thank god for the opportunity and would relish the memory of exactly how it went down.

The next chance I got I would be back in the stand. Enjoying my time in the stand. This time I would be waiting for that alpha doe that keeps busting me.
Success has different meanings for different people.
 
If this is a buck I have been after for a while and haven't figured out the critical parts yet to put an arrow through him and suddenly there he is right off the porch....I'd definitely shoot him as I obviously just figured out what he does when I head out to hunt him elsewhere. Check mate...game over...good game!
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Realistically you arent going to be able to open your door and get a shot at a buck of a lifetime with a bow without him being alerted to you opening your door or window. If he is on your property, he is fair game. I would feel no shame in killing him. Who cares if you are wearing street clothes or camoflage...when an opportunity presents itself, you take it.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Realistically you arent going to be able to open your door and get a shot at a buck of a lifetime with a bow without him being alerted to you opening your door or window. If he is on your property, he is fair game. I would feel no shame in killing him. Who cares if you are wearing street clothes or camoflage...when an opportunity presents itself, you take it.

..........and just for the record, I videoed him for several minutes in my sweats and a tee then went to the garage through our kitchen door got dressed in full camo from hat to socks and even slipped on my rubber boots,grabbed my bow with quiver and strapped on my wrist release and headed back into the house to watch and video some more. I then nocked one arrow and took off my quiver and waited for the right time to crack the door and slide outside on to my stoop and put myself into the best inside corner next to out screened in porch and continued to watch him nudge does. He appeared to be pushing them toward the otherside of the house so I slipped back inside, went back through our garage and tried a stalk along the far side of the house wall and wait for a shot BUT he turned and went back the other way from which he came leaving me no choice but to backtrack my way back into the house through our garage and through our living room and time my exit once again. I slipped onto the same position and finally got the shot I was looking for.

I actually felt like a ninja deer hunter...lmao

I hunted my ass off for the past 3 weeks exhausting most of my vacation with just a day or two for gun season. I hadn't shot a deer in 3-4 years prior due to holding out for a mature buck. Like Jake(Carpn) said earlier, I take it I was given a gift opportunity and decided to take it. Made for a neat encounter and a great day I'll never forget!

It didn't nothing to botlster my ego and I tell everyone that asks me about that deer how I took him.
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
..........and just for the record, I videoed him for several minutes in my sweats and a tee then went to the garage through our kitchen door got dressed in full camo from hat to socks and even slipped on my rubber boots,grabbed my bow with quiver and strapped on my wrist release and headed back into the house to watch and video some more. I then nocked one arrow and took off my quiver and waited for the right time to crack the door and slide outside on to my stoop and put myself into the best inside corner next to out screened in porch and continued to watch him nudge does. He appeared to be pushing them toward the otherside of the house so I slipped back inside, went back through our garage and tried a stalk along the far side of the house wall and wait for a shot BUT he turned and went back the other way from which he came leaving me no choice but to backtrack my way back into the house through our garage and through our living room and time my exit once again. I slipped onto the same position and finally got the shot I was looking for.

I actually felt like a ninja deer hunter...lmao

I hunted my ass off for the past 3 weeks exhausting most of my vacation with just a day or two for gun season. I hadn't shot a deer in 3-4 years prior due to holding out for a mature buck. Like Jake(Carpn) said earlier, I take it I was given a gift opportunity and decided to take it. Made for a neat encounter and a great day I'll never forget!

It didn't nothing to botlster my ego and I tell everyone that asks me about that deer how I took him.
I remember it well Bro! We hunted the whole week before and the last 3 days of our vacation it was warm and 100% chance of rain. AND it DID!
I was so happy to hear of your good fortune after 3-4 years of passing on bucks and hunting hard in less than nice weather. I felt like it was a gift that you deserved. We laugh at your good fortune, not gloat on it. Heck of a memory. IMO
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
I guess it all depends on why you hunt. What motivates you.

I have had multiple opportunities to shoot deer off my back porch while drinking coffee.
The thought really never occurred to me to try to shoot one. I simply enjoy watching them. I guess I could probably shoot one if I wanted too.
My preference would be to get dressed, equipped, and walk that quarter mile deeper into the woodlot, climb a tree, and then do the deed.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Sure! I'll post on here some time. I've upgraded to a iPhone 5(lol) and need to re-activate my photobucket acct first. He is a 5x4 but his g4 on his right beam that makes him a 9 is very small(around 1.5"). He grossed 160 and netted 154.

Just give me some time....lol
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
What happened that fateful day on Nov.21st 2006 will prolly never happen to me again in my lifetime. Right place right time and the stars were also aligned. Lol