Just thought I'd share this with you all mostly because I'm depressed and nothing can be done but talk about it. My #1 buck named OMG! was taken by rifle last Sat. opening morning of MO rifle season by a neighbor. He chased a doe across the fence and was put down on the neighbor's land just across the fence. I congratulated him and may have a deal worked out to have a duplicate made (at my expense) in exchange for pics of him. The buck green scored 198", had it not been for the short left brow he would have broke 200" easily had it matched the right one.....incredible deer. I passed a less than great chance at him one morning a few weeks ago due to low morning light. I then stopped hunting him after the landlord voiced a desire to take the deer, who is capable of taking him but due to work has not hunted. I'm glad he was taken by a fellow hunter who seems like a good guy from all indications and if I can get a copy then I'm perfectly happy. It's still a kick in the gut to have missed a nearly 200" archery deer...bah. I feel like I lost a cousin or something.... RIP
I suddenly feel a strong need to hunt some public land down in Kansas pretty soon. I've seen a lot of monsters popping up from your way. Sorry to hear the neighbor whacked him. I felt pretty bad when I had a deer that just got over 100" get shot by a neighbor. Deer in my area have a ways to go to catch up to yours.
Great deer! Others getting deer we're after is part of the sport, just be thankful for the opportunity to chase such a whitetail! Great memories made!
Wow! That's a great deer! I know what it's like for neighbors to kill a buck your after. Been there several times before. I always congratulate all of my neighbors when they kill a good buck or any buck they're happy with. I'm genuinely happy for the ones that put in the effort (planting food plots, running cameras, managing their property and the herd) and they appreciate the fact that they were fortunate enough to take a great deer....gun or bow. I'm not nearly as happy for the ones who come in only for the opening weekend of rifle season, hunt every ridge on their property and along the property lines, blasting at the first deer they see with a set of antlers and win the deer lottery by shooting a buck like that while not even knowing what kind of deer it was because they just saw brown fur, THEN acting like they are legendary hunters like Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett. I CAN NOT STAND the ones that shoot a 1.5 year old basket rack 7-point and say after I congratulate them, "Nah, he's just a little 7-point." WELL, WHY DID YOU SHOOT IT THEN ?!?!?!
I am pretty confident I would have had him at the taxidermist by now had I not held off to give the landlord a chance at him. I passed up a shot at him that I could have probably made at 20 yards quartering away broadside. I didn't "not get him" for lack of initial effort or prowess at least. I was on him the second morning I sat in the stand I hung for him...so at least I have that but antlers on the wall are better than a coulda, shoulda, woulda story, lol. I still don't really regret holding off on that low light shot...(I don't think).
Bummer situation but I gotta ask two things.... One. Why not share your trail cams pics with the lucky hunter regardless of him allowing you a replica? Two. Why would you want a replica? I've never understood why anyone would want a mount of an animal they didn't harvest
Slob man, bummer...but part of hunting. Like i told Steve, weve all lost alot of deer to "The Other Guys". There will be another.
Obviously it's part of hunting, I was a good sport over it and don't hold him in any disdain..just sucks to lose a deer I was hoping my landlord would take since I held off on him. I knew it was a mistake to let him walk if we didn't want someone else to take him off property when the rut kicked in but that's the way it goes. I'm not sharing the pics because I don't have to...all I want is to have a duplicate made, if that's not worth trading a few pics then it's not but I'm not going to just pony up pics to be a nice guy.....being a nice guy and giving stuff away cost me the deer in the first place. If you can't understand why I'd want a duplicate made after spending all season and year managing habitat and deer and cameras and feeders and watching this deer and letting him walk for the sake of somone I'm fond of then I don't know what else to tell you. I guess it's a personal thing that's just beyond you but be careful about being too critical of a personal want because if you look closely at yourself I'm sure you can find things that others could say the same thing about. We all have things that are that way.
Here in Minnesota its sooooo hard getting age on bucks. Its pathetic compared to most states. I've had my share of bucks get shot by my neighbors who never pass on anything and get lucky here and there off of my hard work. In an area where big bucks thrive it isn't as tough on a guy I wouldn't think when a dandy gets shot by the neighbors. After seeing what I saw in Iowa last year those big guys get replaced quick. None the less though its still tough. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
I've often thought about what would make me mount a deer I didn't take. I think a history with said deer would. If I chased a certain buck for years and never got him and age or some other means brought him down I think I'd highly consider getting a mount done. I don't have the luxury of that experience, but I can see why it would be done. I'd have him mounted in honor of his elusiveness and those memories alone, it doesn't always take a kill to warrant it.
Thanks, well yeah....I mean 200" deer don't grow on hedge trees around here or anywhere for that matter, lol. But...they do get taken every so often here and seem to keep showing up from time to time. Obviously he has genetics running around already and hopefully will have for years to come. I'm doing more than my part to make the best of that when I can and hopefully contribute to the overall betterment. I know for a fact there weren't deer like that running around the area in 1988 when this farm came into the family so something is producing them. I'd like to think it's like minded people putting out the effort in the local area. I can't really say that for this neighbor yet but he expessed interest in joining our QDMA and seems like a personable chap. I could very easily be shooting one of his monsters someday, it works both ways. No doubt there are and will continue to be more monsters around here at any rate. I can't complain about my season, I have taken three deer this year myself including one of my hitlisters here at home and am happy with that. I know I got too attached to that deer but I can't help it.
I sort of see it as an addition to a resume. I mean pics are nice but they aren't as substantial as a mount and lets be honest, I work my @$$ off growing these deer, pulling them in, providing habitat and food, they eat their fair share of my cash crops but I love deer but it's still an investment of substantial proportions and I put in a hell of a lot of time and effort with feeders and cameras. I do it because I love deer and management but it's nice to have something you can lay hands on that's a testament to your hard work and time....similar to a very high mark on a resume. It's something tangible I can show with pics to say...I did this in 3D. Sure I didn't kill him due to circumstances but I grew him or he was there because of my efforts. Thats a bit of insight into my logic. Besides I'd made a dea lwith my landlord that if I let him walk and he took him that I'd get a replica so I was already fine with not taking him myself as long as I had something to lay hands on and look at. Maybe it's stupid or petty, if so then that's just the way it is. We all have personal things that could be said about, mine just involves a hell of a chunk of my life and personal investment.
I have a deer my Grandaddy killed and mounted. It is pretty special... I have thought about saving a cape and getting it redone. He killed it in 1968... so you can imagine, it is not the best mounting job.
Man that's a real bummer. Been there and it does take some air out of your sails for a while. While I wouldn't want a replica of the rack myself in this situation, I do understand why the OP would want it. For me it would just add salt to the wound every time I looked at it. To each his own.
