This weekend was the WI youth hunt,as planned I took my daughter. One of my friends asked if he could go hunt my land Friday afternoon before I got there. Being the good friend I'am I told him to go for it and even sent him to a highly productive area.The rules of my property are 8 points or better and to make people stick to it my rule is you shoot it you mount it or you pay me for the mount. I know it sounds a bit steep but I have had some problems in the past and this rule really cut down on the small bucks being shot. I got to my cabin just before dark ate some chicken I picked up and he comes walking up. He had a grin from ear to ear so I know he shot something. As he went on with the story about how things unfolded that evening I knew something was wrong. He said he shot what appeared to be a 110" deer. From the trail cam footage I have, there are no 110" bucks on film. I start asking him what it looked like and he described a 6 point I have on film that maight make 60". We found the deer and sure enough a 6 point. As of Saturday he didn't know if he wanted to mount it or not. I'm waiting for his answer and not trying to bust his chops about the small deer. This is his first buck with a bow and we did celebrate that night. My question is do I push for the money or do I drop it it? Cell phone pick of the deer.
Just my 2 cents, Woodman, but I'd probably let it go. We have a similar rule on my family's land -- nothing less than an 8pt. It's worked well for us for the 30 years I've been hunting, despite the occasional poacher/neighbor, all of our invited guests stick to the rules. It is mandatory for gun season, and if you break it, you lose your hunting priviledges. EXCEPT for first time hunters... especially bow hunters. It's so darn hard, that if one of us invites a newbie out with us, they are welcome to take whatever they can get that first season. Given that 8 out of 10 of them fail to get anything their first season, it's not like it's a major hardship on the land. Plus, I'd rather get another person into the club and excited about bowhunting than not. May be different situation for you, but I'd crack open a beer and celebrate with him, but tell him "Great job! But next time, anything less than a monster and you're paying for it, pal!"
I'd make the exception for the first time hunter, but I'd make sure he knew you would be holding him to it in the future.
id let it go its a first when that first time comes its hard not to pass something like that up but your rules so if it was mine i would also take it as i dont want this to lead to other ppl coming in and pushing the rules around but i would have to let this one go...
It's his first bow buck but he does have a couple with the gun.He's a good guy and I've known him forever I do believe he thought it was a 110" buck when he shot it.
These are tough calls...we try to run a similar approach on our property...but we do let any "first timers" slide. This is a good chance to congradulate him again, and help him learn what he now has to wait for in the future. ...one other way guys learn is by not getting the invite again for a while Good Luck!
I'd let it go this time with it being his first bow buck. Sometimes you get excited at the sight of antlers and a lot of ground shrinkage occurs. It's happened to all of us before if I had to guess. However, I agree with the others in that you should make sure that if he ever hunts the land again, that he will certainly be held to your guidelines and that it's something you take seriously. Make sure he understands that the quality of the hunting will vastly improve if you continue your management techniques, and that it's something everyone will benefit from.
Thanks and my rules are set up the same way for newbies but he has shot bucks with the gun so the newbie clause doesn't fit here. I did do some drinking with him that night and didn't ride him to much.
I think this kind of explains it. With him shooting deer with a rifle in the past, he probably didn't fully understand all the intensity and emotions involved with shooting something with your bow. I know that for me, when I'm scouting and looking across fields at deer, I can make a lot better judgments at first sight than I could if a deer were to walk in under my stand and catch me off guard. I would think that for him, what a 110" buck looks like through a scope would be simular to what this deer looked like at 20 yards or whatever he was. If he seems to feel bad for the situation and knows he did something wrong I would let it slip. But if he is going around telling everyone about the deer he shot there and not really showing respect for your rules than I would be a lot harder on him. From what you say he seems like a respectful guy and we all know we can make mistakes in the heat of the moment. Congrats to him on his first deer though.
Ground shrinkage happens..no use turning off a friend and a fellow hunter by making him regret his taking of a fine animal.
Let it slide this time and let him know that if it happens again it will cost him two mounts and some hard labor.
Don't need to ride him about it, but rules are rules. If people want to come hunt on your property that you pay for, they should be willing to abide by those rules or accept the consequences. I say either he mounts it, or he splits the difference and pays you for what 1/2 the mount would cost.
It's not like your friend has never been hunting before. He should have some idea what he was shooting, especially with a bow. The deer are closer than a rifle or muzzleloader.You could run everyone suggestion by him and see what conclussion he draws on his own. If he is a real friend and sportsman he will make the right discission. If not, you need to ask yourself the question? What is the most important thing, friendship or a deer.
being a close friend, I would sit him down and remind him of the rules for future purposes. If he or she been any older then I would make them abide by the rule more! I know how excited younger kids can get.
Ryan he is older then me, a good friend just not alot of experience with judging deer. It's a tough call but he knew the rules heading into it but I'm not going to loose an old friend over a deer.
He knew the rule, shoot it & you mount it. If the buck would have actually been 110” would he have mounted it? If so, then I say unless he’s out of a job give him a reminder about the rule, and then drop it. Like you said, you don’t want to lose a friend over it, but I would still remind him.
He would have mounted 110" . I just talked to him, worked out a deal with him. He is going to give me 1/2 the money for the mount and help me put in my food plots next year. Works for me.
