5465
Split_G3
not sure what everyones deer tag regulations are, but let's just say that everyones is just like ohio. here in ohio we are allowed 3 deer a year: first tag is an either sex, second and third is doe only, so that means only one buck a year. <ul type="square"> SITUATION: you're sitting in your stand on the last day of shotgun season, and things have never looked more promising. you passed up a couple 140 classers, a 150 class, and have seen 3-4 170-180 classers roaming you're hunting area. [/list] <ul type="square"> all during shotgun season you have seen plenty of bucks ranging from 120 to 160, and you were able to get glimpses of the 170-180 class bucks you've been thinking about all year, so seeing bucks has been no problem for you all season [/list] <ul type="square"> so now it is the last day of shotgun season and you know that atleast one of the "booners" in your hunting area, soon you spot him in the distance, too far to shoot. you watch the patch of woods he enters and he seems as if he hasn't been pressured. [/list] <ul type="square"> now that you have located his position and see that he is not being cautious from all the other hunters chasing him, you feel that your chances of a "spot-and-stalk" are a sure thing(even though we all know when it comes to whitetails nothing is a sure thing, just pretend). you climb out of your stand, your standing at the base of your tree getting your bearings, and putting the final touches to hunt before making the 800 yard stalk a success. [/list] <ul type="square"> you start your walk, you have made it 400 yards, you're out of breath, begging for water, pushing yourself for 180 inches of boone and crockett bone. you push yourself a little farther and the glass the patch of woods in which he is bedded. suddenly you spot him in your binoculars, laying there in in all his beauty and glory, he is absolutely clueless as to your whereabouts but still 300 more yards and you have to lose sight of him because you must make a semi-circle around a hill to the final destination, but going around the hill may give him a scent, and going over the top would chance a sighting of your outline. you think you can full him and take the chance of circling hoping the wind(although now swirling) might stay in your favor for just a few more minutes [/list] <ul type="square"> alright you've made it about 100 yards, 200 more to go, when suddenly a buck appears from out of nowhere in the same direction of the "booner". although nothing like the 180 inch "wallhanger", a lesser buck, you guess would score in the 120-130 range. the buck is absolutely clueless you anywhere around, it's in your head that he will pass without noticing you. [/list] <ul type="square"> suddenly as he nears your position coming right at you, he turns broadside at 50 yards. as he turns you notice the deer is in excrutiating pain, panting heavily, somewhat hunched back, fur missing off the hind quarters and neck, wounds standing wide open, rear leg wound has apparently been damaged, not sure what the wounds are from, maybe a run-in with a barbedwire fence, maybe a coyote but he is still up and moving but you can see that he is suffering tremendously, and you think to yourself how important ethical hunters are to you and how important it is to make a perfect shot so the animal does no suffering, yet there is one in front of you that is suffering terribly and you know he will die, the wounds appear very life threatening, it may look like he is about to fall over but there is a chance he may make it 3-4 more weeks and have to live in excrutiating pain for such a long period of time! [/list] <ul type="square"> you think to yourself man that deer needs to be put down but there is a record book buck just around the knull. this injured buck is not something you really want to put your tag on, because you are strictly a mature whitetail hunter due to the one buck tag only regulations. you say to yourself "i only got one tag for the year that leaves me eligible to take a buck, do i want to waste it on this buck or keep up my reputation for killing big whitetails," remeber the buck of a lifetime is just around the corner, you've done your homework, you've put your hole season together and done everything to a T, you have so far outsmarted a very mature whitetail, your feeling on top of the world right now, almost as if you don't deserve for this to happen you've done everything right, just a few more steps and you can take the biggest buck of your career and maybe the only chance to shoot something that the rest of your life, yet standing 50 yards away is a deer suffering beyond belief and who knows this may go on for 3-4 more weeks. WHAT WOULD YOU DO????? [/list]
- just thought i would see what ya'll would do in this situation. kinda makes you stop and think for a second, it sure made me think. i had a similar situation last fall when we were putting together a drive. we had spotted a monster laying in the brush devised a plan and for once i chose to be a stander. i knew for sure there was no way for this monster to slip around me, he would have to funnel right to my location, as the drive began a buck, a desent 8 pointer but young, appeared no more then 30 yards from me that had an injured leg(about the size of a softball at the hoof), foaming at the mouth, out of breath and several exposed wounds(probably a coyote) and appeared to have an old shot wound on his hind quarters. as soon as i seen the deer i knew it wasn't going to be long before it died, but right now it was suffering. but that monster was due to come by any second now. without any other thought i put the suffering 8 pointer down for good, one shot through the heart. at first i was somewhat dissapointed because the monster did come passed me at about 30 yards as i was walking up to the 8 pointer. but it took no time for me to feel proud of myself for doing what i did, even though some other hunter other then me did take the 186 inch 11 point on the property next to mine!