Ethics Dilema, never thought I'd post one but here goes.

I was at the local Gander Mountain today and got an interesting phone call. Two years ago we hunted a spot in Unincorporated Barrington, Illinois. This are is all 5-10 acre lots with a boatload of animal lovers with too much money, last year we weren't allowed to hunt due to a whining neighbor. The owner of the property put in a 10 foot fence around the back 4 acres of the property so that the deer would no longer harm her shrubs and gardens, this left no need for my buddy Josh and I and helped neighborly relations.

Fast forward to 3pm this afternoon. I was at Gander wasting some time and Josh said the Jersey Princess from Barrington called and was in full trucker mode, raging pissed and wanting a deer slaughter. Seems that her fence gate is no longer deer proof and they have been letting themselves in. At this point I am laughing hysterically wondering how hard it is to put a lock on a fence. This afternoon she had 8 does and 2 small bucks in the back yard and they couldn't get back out of the fence they let themselves into until she opened the fence for them. Apparently these deer are hand fed by neighbors and have no issues with human interaction. I could likely walk up with an apple, ask them to sit and then shake their hoof.

The lady then advised Josh if he bring out some friends to kill them next time it happens that we can hunt the property again. There is a double droptine 13 point that would likely go into the 180's two years ago and she said if we want him all we gotta do is help her get rid of these deer, he is still walking through her property every day. So, would it be ethical to whack these does once they are stuck behind the fence in the 4 acre parcel of the property? Would you go out with Josh and whack a few does knowing you could hunt a Buck that scores nearly 200" and comes through the back of her property every day between 10:30-11am?

 

Doesn't seem like anything that would interest me... 200 inches or not... I want to earn my bucks... Not cherry pick them out of a flower garden.

 

It's not an ethics issue IMO. You are just killing animals and, if they will be eaten, then I see no ethics issue from my point of view. You aren't hunting, you're killing. Nothing wrong with that. I'll be killing 5 hens in another month or so. Catch them in their fenced in area and then kill them. They'll make great broth and, what we don't eat, the dogs will. Everyone benefits, except maybe the hens or your deer LOL.

 

The Buck never goes into the fenced area, it walks along the back part of the property along a treeline that is 40 yards from the fence.

 

Is he approachable, hand fed, does he run from humans?

 

I have heard many people on here say "hunt where the big bucks are", and "doesn't the better hunter find the better property?" when someone questions why they hunt 4 acre woodlots with consistent success.

If your objective it to kill a monster buck, then you have found the key to your lock in this woman offering the opportunity. KILL.

 

I didn't take from your post he was in the fence.

 

I would take up the offer. A few doe for the freezer and a chance at the buck of a lifetime... no question, I would be game.

 

Kill him dead. That is your objective right? How many people on here say, "it is all about the rack?". I wonder how those same people can honestly say anything negative about this opportunity.

 

I am not saying anything negative... That's just not my idea of a good time or how I would ever want to kill a buck.

 

Not sure Rob, hahaha. I hunted the woods next to the fence area and bumped him one afternoon and he ran like hell

 

So you are saying you would never hunt a buck that you had a pattern on since success would come too easy?

 

Not mine either.

 

No doubt i would go pop a few maybe even the buck. But me for personally, that buck wouldn't mean as much to me as some of the public land bucks i've taken that are much smaller. In the end, the ones that mean the most to me are always dictated by how and where they were taken.

 

Did she tell you the double drop was walking thru her property everyday? She might just be leading you on a wild-goose chase and getting her "problems" fixed along the way.

Either way...I'd probably take her up on the offer. A buck of a lifetime doesn't get to be a buck of a lifetime for nothing...I'd say he still has a few tricks up his hoof.

 

Did you locate this buck? Did you do the work to pattern him?

I want you to do what you want to do, you asked for opinions and I gave mine. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

She showed us pictures two years ago that were taken a few days apart. I bumped him going in while he was bedded shortly after seeing the pictures so I believe what she says is pretty accurate.

Now to be honest I have no plan to hunt the property this year but Josh is killing himself trying to decide if he wants to snipe deer behind a fence. I honestly would have a hard time shooting domesticated does, the buck though might be a different story since he is a free range animal with a predictable pattern that the property owner has seen.

 

Sounds like you have your mind made up already.

If youwant to do it, go get it done and don't worry about what others think. That's my opinion.

 

Call me crazy, but I just don't see the big deal with hunting the buck. I don't see how it wouldn't live up to other hunts that I have been on. The buck/deer live in a different enviroment and while I'm sure that they are visible on a regular basis, that doesn't mean that they are tame. Hell, I have had plenty of bucks stand in my yard while I mow or have a bonfire... doesn't mean that they are tame.

I would hate to see what people would say about the deer I hunt... they could be standing in the county jail or the maximum security prison's yard in the morning, cross the road through my hunting grounds, pass through several yards and end up between the run-way at the airport.

 

Bottom line smoke his ass........... if he aint in the fence doesnt matter if its 4acres. or 400 kill him dead and be done with it. as long as it is done legally, weather hes retarded or hand fed or a back yard pet, he is then a free range animal.........who cares smoke em...............