What would YOU Do with this BIG Buck?

This Buck is my personal favorite for the last 2 years. Spread is the name I gave him last spring when I started seeing him hang around my hunting spot. He's very congenial and because I've spent so much time with him he doesn't view me as a threat. There are a lot of hunters in the area but he only has a week left and he should be safe until @ least October 1. ... But what then? I'll never hurt him as long as he's intelligent enough to continue to be friendly to me, but that won't stop all the others that are after him. What are your thoughts? Have you ever had a "pet" wild animal that you feared would be killed during the hunting season?

[video=youtube_share;EaT2Nt-jJaY]http://youtu.be/EaT2Nt-jJaY&autoplay=1[/video]

 

I don't know for sure unless I was in that situation but, I would rather see him fall to my hands than someone else's. I would probably let him grow till next season and take him then. Just to let him enjoy one more year.

 

Well ... hurting him would be like hurting my dog(if I had a dog). In a way I feel the same way as you and most people in rather seeing him fall to me rather than someone else. But I just can't see myself killing him so i can have him and not someone else. It's a real dilemma I've had all season and it will get worse this year 2012 as he should be close to 170 inches.

 

If you get a clean chance to harvest this buck and don't your nuts! o wait nevermind

 

Dude, its either that or someone else will given the chance. Think about it this way, if you didn't have this "relationship" with him would you put him down? What would be worse, You having him on your wall or never seeing him again and wondering what happened to him? Did the other guy give him the same respect as you would have?? Think about it that way. If you don't, someone else will. I would if he stepped out with in my range. Done deal!!

To be honest, I wouldn't have gone this long without taking him.

 

Dude, its either that or someone else will given the chance. Think about it this way, if you didn't have this "relationship" with him would you put him down? What would be worse, You having him on your wall or never seeing him again and wondering what happened to him? Did the other guy give him the same respect as you would have?? Think about it that way. If you don't, someone else will. I would if he stepped out with in my range. Done deal!!

To be honest, I wouldn't have gone this long without taking him.

 

Filming him and putting him on the wall are two different task. Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

Thats was some great footage!!!!!
It's hard to say what I would do if I were you because not everyone thinks alike.
But to answer your original question which was what would I do.
I would hope that he gave me the cahnce to make a clean kill shot and let it fly.
He is a beauty But I hunt for deer like that everyday that I can. I one way you would be doing him a favor because you don't know if he would ever see another person and approach them like that too. I had a deer I had been watching for 3 years and this past season a guy got him with his shotgun. a week later he still had the head just sitting in the back of his truck rotting. So If I had a chance I would not hesitate again.
by the way if you don't want to shot him I would be more than happy to come down and take him out for you. You could even have the mount.

 

Tough choice but I would say if the attachment is there and it would bother you then let him walk. He might actually make it through his lifetime.

 

if you think your going to lose sleep over it man, dont shoot him. Its all your choice, and like hee^^^ said, he might make it through his whole lifetime

 

And how does the deer know it's you... by your camo or smell? Must be a high fenced pet that got out of it's inclosure and does not know anything about hunters yet.

 

I'd kill it.

I love animals more than most, but I don't have the same hesitation for animals I eat. You mention it's like a dog for you. I understand what you're saying, but it's not a dog. It's not a pet, it's a wild animal. Even if it was a pet, it's there for eating. I'd let my kids have pet cows, ducks and chickens, but at some point, we're eating their pet.

I have a cousin that begged her dad to get her some ducks for a school project with the understanding that they'd eat them when they were old enough. She doesn't take care of the things but won't let anyone eat them. Sorry, that doesn't fly in my book.

Different people have their own motivations for why they hunt. Mine is to eat game, hence my opinion.

Good Luck.

 

hey T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, you'll do what you feel is right! i know you have spent some hrs, shoot prob days if you added all the time up together with this deer. keep enjoying what nature has to offer. sorry i havent been around much but lets try to get out on the ice (if we ever get any)

 

Chris ... Are you implying I couldn't have "killed" him already? ... PLEAAAAAASE! Chris ... SOON YOU WILL learn! I am the deer whisperer!!!

1. I don't publish everything I film for various reasons.(In the case of Spread - for his protection)

2. This season here is @ least 1 time Spread was 25 yards from me in my stand.

[video=youtube_share;AC-__U99j7c]http://youtu.be/AC-__U99j7c[/video]

 

Hey Bro ... how have you been? Sorry about the Bears! How's things going to work out for you now that Angelo is gone? You have my # Ice fishing sounds like a plan! We just need some ice!

 

Ok so why did you not shoot it?

Is this deer in a fenced reserve area or is it truly wild and free to move to other hunters land?

 

Dont take this the wrong way, I'm 100% not trying to be an a$$

1. Its a deer, and a mighty fine one at that
2. You hunt deer, correct?

Seems the answer would be simple to me. The more "relationship" I have with a deer, the more special it is that I'm the one that takes him. I think youre nuts for not shooting him this year, and completely insane if you dont next year.

To each his own I guess.

 

Are you kidding? lol ... I'm not real sure if you're joking?

I'll just take it you are NOT joking and you really don't have a clue!

The deer know it's me by my scent. I am quite confident there is NO one else that smells like me.

High fence in the area? lol ... I live in Lake County Illinois. That's NO pen raised deer!!!

What Spread does KNOW ... is I am someone he can TRUST! Along with all the resident deer on that particular property, They all circle down wind of me when they see me and walk right up to me. The does come a couple yards away and Spread has let me walk to within 5 yards of him a few times.

[video=youtube_share;QnE2RpRyrCg]http://youtu.be/QnE2RpRyrCg[/video]

 

I did NOT shoot him ... because I LIKE him! HUNTING to me is NOT about making friends with an animal and than hurting him when he least expects it. I guess I may feel the same way as many of you ... IF ... I hadn't ALREADY taken MANY big deer. And Filmed MANY more monster bucks.

 

This is some kind of a Spam post.. for a tv show and or product...