The Last Few Days

[Five Seasons]

I was talking to my dad last weekend. He took a nice buck this year and that's all the meat him and my mom need. At this point in his life he's purely a trophy hunter. He leases a non-hunter neighbors property who wants to reduce the heard because they eat his wife's flowers but is not obsessed with it, or is it part of the lease. He asked for a doe if my dad could swing it. He passed on probably dozens of doe during bow and didn't hunt much during rifle. 

 

He made this comment which I thought might generate some interesting discussion.

 

Me: "Did you take a doe during MZ?"

Him "I had a few shots but just couldn't do it"

Me "What do you mean? I thought you were going to take one?"

Him "they made it this far. Survived the whole season. Just feel like they should be rewarded and walk"

 

Thoughts?

[mlammerhirt]

Should have punched a tag for the neighbor....just a nice jesture Imo.

[phade]

Sounds like a commitment was implied or valid...should have shot a doe.

[First-light]

Should of shot a doe for the neighbor. I also feel that way at Muzzleloader season. They make it so far……My neighbor shot a button buck he mistakes for a doe.

That button buck would come and visit my stand at the same time in the afternoon, you could set your watch. He almost made it………...

[philoshop]

I'm pretty sure the does eat flowers too.

[MACHINIST]

His decision and that's it.If he wants to shoot one he can,If he wants to let them walk he can.Its his license and his time after all.Although if I told someone I would get them a deer I would do my best to fulfill that promise even if I didn't want to do it.That's just me

[Five Seasons]

there wasn't really an implied commitment. Maybe I should have left that out and left it up to more of a general question. Last year I shot a doe during MZ because I needed the meat. I had seen the doe all season long. It was like we knew each other. idk...

[letinmfly]

I can relate.  The last doe I shot was back in 2003 in IL.  We have permission to hunt property out there and the farmer wants us to shoot does but he knows we're there to shoot big bucks.  I shot a doe the first day and that made him happy.  We continue to have permission to hunt his land till this day and I think that me killing that doe had a lot to do with it.  It's what he wanted and we got what we wanted.

I prefer not to shoot does but I will if we haven't gotten any deer and want the meat. The last doe I shot in NY was 20 some odd years ago.

[greensider]

he was wrong for not keeping his part of the bargain

[grampy]

If I give you my word,consider it done.

[phade]

there wasn't really an implied commitment. Maybe I should have left that out and left it up to more of a general question. Last year I shot a doe during MZ because I needed the meat. I had seen the doe all season long. It was like we knew each other. idk...

 

I understand where you are going with this, but if the landowner, who you lease with asked for a doe, your pops should have shot one whether he wanted to or not. This trumps the purpose of letting a doe live if they made it far into the season, etc.

 

Keeping the landowner happy is pretty important and also the right thing to do to continue to secure access. Sure, I bet your response is going to be "we know the landowner well, and we're not in jeopardy of losing it." Possibly, but why start a crack in the dam? Shooting a doe when plenty of ops were there? Poor taste, hoss.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Sounds like if a wrong person off this site or any person for that matter catches wind of this  and takes action your dad may lose a very nice piece of property. Should have bite his lip and shot the doe for the landowner and his wishes.

[mlammerhirt]

Was the main reason he was leased the land by the non hunter..... to shoot doe and reduce the heard reaking havoc on the flowers??

[jjb4900]

taking care of the landowner should have been a top priority.....at least it would have been with me.

[Uncle Nicky]

I believe it was an implied commitment...if the landowner wanted a deer for meat and didn't get one, he may think twice about renewing the lease.

 

I don't have a problem with the ethics or morals part of killing a doe, a deer is a deer to me. I just hate the thought of killing next year's crop (3, including the Mama). I just see what's happened in PA when they give out too many doe tags, I want to be part of the solution, not the problem. But again, if the landowner felt they were a nuisance and wanted one killed, I'd have gladly pulled the trigger.

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

I would of shot him two...

Next year he should get it over early in the season and make up for this year..

He could invite me ???

[G-Man]

My mother has a problem with deer eating flowers and apple trees in the back yard.I chose not to hunt there as there is nothing worse than being in a tree hearing your mother yell for you to come open a jar.... but I digress.

I allowed 2 people to hunt there with the point being to reduce the herd. One consistently killed does usually several and has got a nice buck as well.after takend a doe or two. The other waits for a buck. There is only 1 hunter allowed now can u guess which one?

[jjb4900]

even though the taking of a doe is not part of the lease deal, and the landowner is not obsessed with herd reduction, the fact that he even mentioned he would like one for meat should have been hint enough that your Dad should have absolutely killed one.........do you not agree?

[fasteddie]

Shooting does = herd management

[phade]

Shooting does = herd management

 

herd management = shooting does only if called for it

 

Much to people's surprise, there are times where shooting does might do more harm. Probably not common in Wayne County, but still.

[Ford]

My mother has a problem with deer eating flowers and apple trees in the back yard.I chose not to hunt there as there is nothing worse than being in a tree hearing your mother yell for you to come open a jar.... but I digress.

I allowed 2 people to hunt there with the point being to reduce the herd. One consistently killed does usually several and has got a nice buck as well.after takend a doe or two. The other waits for a buck. There is only 1 hunter allowed now can u guess which one?

Too funny.

[Five Seasons]

I understand where you are going with this, but if the landowner, who you lease with asked for a doe, your pops should have shot one whether he wanted to or not. This trumps the purpose of letting a doe live if they made it far into the season, etc.

Keeping the landowner happy is pretty important and also the right thing to do to continue to secure access. Sure, I bet your response is going to be "we know the landowner well, and we're not in jeopardy of losing it." Possibly, but why start a crack in the dam? Shooting a doe when plenty of ops were there? Poor taste, hoss.

I'm not saying I agree with what he did. That's kind of why I brought it up. You make all valid points that I brought up to him as well. In 20 years this is the first time he asked for a while deer. We always bring chops and some slim jims and he's paid for the lease.

When you don't own the land, you're always in jeopardy. On the other hand I see his side of it. I think this applies to all deer not jut doe. Unless it's a trophy one might have a hard time with a 2.5 as well, considering we routinely take mature deer.

I should add I took a doe this year and the other neighbor took several. We will still continue to bring him some meat.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Belo