Going soft hearted

[Zag]

9 hours ago, Skillet said:

At the risk of sounding like a sissy, I'm going to put this out there.

I killed a small buck this morning. I'm not feeling too good about it. It went ok, and it was a fast kill, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it anymore. He was just happily eating acorns, and doing his thing, when I shot him. 

It was a beautiful snowy morning, and I was blessed to share the woods with the deer. Almost felt like I ruined it by shooting.

The older I get, the less I have the stomach for killing game.

Anyone else here have trouble pulling the trigger, or a ton of remorse after?

Thinking about just buying a really nice camera for next year.

Completely normal, I think it’s just a natural progression most of us have or will go thru!! No worries!

[Skillet]

36 minutes ago, Four Seasons said:

Exactly. Not shooting that baby could have very well offered him a long healthy life.   

Four seasons, take that comment and stick it in your ***.

Your thinly veiled insult about taking a 1.5 doesn't mean a damn thing to me. 

I'm not interested in your opinion on what deer I take. 

This would have made me feel the same, whether it was a doe, spike, or ten point. 

You missed the point which was that I don't enjoy taking a life. Period. 

Get over yourself.

[BizCT]

 True that. But imagine being that guy that calls himself a “Hunter” but only kills baby deer?         Can’t even begin to grasp that one.  

I met Chef in person, he’s a nice guy even though he killed a fawn the size of a rabbit once.


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[The_Real_TCIII]

I met Chef in person, he’s a nice guy even though he killed a fawn the size of a rabbit once.


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I guarantee he did something delicious with it


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[crappyice]

I guarantee he did something delicious with it


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Made an appetizer!


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[Marion]

I met Chef in person, he’s a nice guy even though he killed a fawn the size of a rabbit once.


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A rabbit is an exaggeration. We all saw it was the size of a kitten at best

#ThankYouForLessOverzealousModding #WeDemandUnlimitedLikes
#WeDemandADislikeButton

[Marion]

Made an appetizer!


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More like one cocktail weenie

#ThankYouForLessOverzealousModding #WeDemandUnlimitedLikes
#WeDemandADislikeButton

[BizCT]

I guarantee he did something delicious with it


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He stuffed with rice pilaf and baked it whole like a Cornish game hen. A nice snack for sure, but like a personal pizza it’s not exactly an entree.


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[LetEmGrow]

10 hours ago, Skillet said:

At the risk of sounding like a sissy, I'm going to put this out there.

I killed a small buck this morning. I'm not feeling too good about it. It went ok, and it was a fast kill, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it anymore. He was just happily eating acorns, and doing his thing, when I shot him. 

It was a beautiful snowy morning, and I was blessed to share the woods with the deer. Almost felt like I ruined it by shooting.

The older I get, the less I have the stomach for killing game.

Anyone else here have trouble pulling the trigger, or a ton of remorse after?

Thinking about just buying a really nice camera for next year.

Sounds like you had a great hunt.  I don't think it is a big deal.  There is plenty of people passing small ones and it sounds like you have passed your share.  Sometime I believe there gets to be too many older bucks in one area and they just will not balloon.  So you may have helped yourself out and reduced the herd stress.  Not sure how many deer are in your area but if there is a lot then you probably made a contribution.  Don't feel bad.  I have accidentally shot button bucks and one time I accidentally shot a yearling buck during MLoader.  

Remorse?  None.  Unless you keep doing your part to keep them in check then who is going to do it?  They are here for us to eat.  

[Four Seasons]

1 hour ago, Skillet said:

Four seasons, take that comment and stick it in your ***.

Your thinly veiled insult about taking a 1.5 doesn't mean a damn thing to me. 

I'm not interested in your opinion on what deer I take. 

This would have made me feel the same, whether it was a doe, spike, or ten point. 

You missed the point which was that I don't enjoy taking a life. Period. 

Get over yourself.

  Lol. Ya you have no idea what that comment was about.  You do what ya gotta do. If you don’t have it anymore list everything in the classifieds. Then go back and reread the comment.  

[Four Seasons]

58 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

 

I met Chef in person, he’s a nice guy even though he killed a fawn the size of a rabbit once.


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Lol.  Ya and he does not do it as the norm. We have all been there a time or two   

[G-Man]

When i started hunting i killed a fawn i was didtraught, the leader of the camp we called gramps was in his late 70s looked at me and said its bigger than a rabbit and you hunt those so why would it bother you?  He also gave great wisdom in saying if you can shoot it again than do so ,better to lose 5 lbs of meat than the entire deer with a bragging right of one shot kill. If it gives you a second shot take it! No need to be a hero, get the deer 1st and foremost. 

[Steuben Jerry]

12 hours ago, Four Seasons said:

 True that. But imagine being that guy that calls himself a “Hunter” but only kills baby deer?         Can’t even begin to grasp that one.  

Just curious, what difference does it make to you what another hunter does legally? Not bashing you at all, like I said, just curious.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

14 hours ago, chrisw said:

You can't assume that the deer was going to die some horrendous death as justification for killing it either. Doesn't work that way. Maybe that deer lived to be 12yrs old and died in it's bed of "old age."

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The reality si though that almost all animals in nature meet a fate that we wouldn't wish on them. It's likely that even if that animal makes it to the "old age" where it could die in it's sleep, it will be taken down and consumed by a predator or succumb to the elements. The weak and old are prime targets. Just reality. I don't think he worded it well but I understood what he meant. 

[Four Seasons]

28 minutes ago, Steuben Jerry said:

Just curious, what difference does it make to you what another hunter does legally? Not bashing you at all, like I said, just curious.

Well one would think with the Talk that some do on this site about hunting and the hunter they are they would not just only always kill little deer but actually Target baby deer. No doubt their tag to do what they will but to read the bull sh!t that comes out gets a little off the edge.                          I my eyes a hunter that’s the furthest thing from a hunter. But I guess some things will never change. 

[First-light]

19 hours ago, grampy said:

I'm definitely pulling the trigger, and punching the release, with much less gusto than I did many years ago.

I do really enjoy the meat. But will, and can, certainly survive without it.

Will one more set of antlers, or another mount, make big a difference to what I already have? Nope.....not really.

I seem to enjoy the chase, more than anything at this stage. 

My final stage, will just be as a mentor. 

I totally agree here. I turn 58 next year and have shot more than my fair share of deer. My goal was to put my 16 year old daughter on a buck this year. She killed one on opening day. We got our deer, plenty of meat for the freezer and was able to sit back in the woods the rest of the weekend and enjoy mother nature!

[moog5050]

For whatever reason, our hearts pull us in one direction or another at times.  I have only been hunting 9 years and this year I killed the fewest deer ever - 2.  Not because of lack of opportunity.   I still get a kick when I finally see a big buck, but I had no desire to shoot a doe and passed every one I saw this year.  Two bucks are plenty of meat for us.  Does that mean next year I won't shoot a doe?  Not necessarily, but my years of filling all 7 tags are likely done.  To each his own and do whatever makes you happy within legal and ethical boundaries.  And I certainly wouldn't feel like a sissy because I felt bad about shooting one.   You are taking a life. 

[SteveB]

16 hours ago, fasteddie said:

I agree that just getting out there is great . I was fine with being able to hunt with two of my sons and not getting a deer until November 23 when I got two doe . MY sons try to make themselves available for the hunts and they do the field dressing and almost all the dragging . Being able to get out with my sons is enjoyable . When it comes time that I no longer feel the excitement of the hunt , I will quit .

I agree 100%, The 1st time I get a twinge of remorse from a clean kill will be the last day I hunt. Enough negativity hitting us full time for me to seek out an emotion that causes doubt. If I want to observe, will do it in good weather with a camera

 

[chrisw]

The reality si though that almost all animals in nature meet a fate that we wouldn't wish on them. It's likely that even if that animal makes it to the "old age" where it could die in it's sleep, it will be taken down and consumed by a predator or succumb to the elements. The weak and old are prime targets. Just reality. I don't think he worded it well but I understood what he meant. 

I assumed I knew what he was referring to also... But, like I said, you can't end something for fear of what may or may not happen. It's a different situation, but... Would you put your dog down when he was a healthy 5-7yr old dog for fear he may suffer a disease or develop joint issues? No. Noone knows what will happen to any living creature, but I rest easier knowing that it has a chance and if it succumbs to a natural death, no matter how I feel about it, it's nature and there's nothing more pure than that.

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[Jeremy K]

16 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I guarantee he did something delicious with it


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He had a mold made of it and now sells deer shaped butter at the market every easter

[New York Hillbilly]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:37 AM, Skillet said:

At the risk of sounding like a sissy, I'm going to put this out there.

I killed a small buck this morning. I'm not feeling too good about it. It went ok, and it was a fast kill, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it anymore. He was just happily eating acorns, and doing his thing, when I shot him. 

It was a beautiful snowy morning, and I was blessed to share the woods with the deer. Almost felt like I ruined it by shooting.

The older I get, the less I have the stomach for killing game.

Anyone else here have trouble pulling the trigger, or a ton of remorse after?

Thinking about just buying a really nice camera for next year.

I'm with you on this. I let multiple opportunities to shoot small bucks pass without a shred of regret this year. Don't get me wrong; I don't fall in the only shoot big rack deer crew, I just didn't feel it enough to shoot. 

Then when it came to filling doe tags I have been passing there as well for one reason or the other. 

I have always been unable to bring myself to shoot a doe with fawns. This season I had two  heathy fawns being followed by their big, fat momma into an orchard about 30 yards in front of me. The fawns decided they wanted to wander off and passed me within feet from my tree. After a few minutes momma walks out and with her ears out stretched to the side listening for where they went, raised her nose in the air to try and smell them, and then clearly looking for them had an expression of concern in her gaze, as she put her head down and hurried in the direction they went, grunting out to them with almost every step. 

She was a nice big doe to fill a tag with, but I just couldn't bring myself to shoot her when I saw what a good mother she was being looking after her fawns. I think just watching the show was enough for me, and to shoot her would have ruined the experience. 

Headed up to my stand now for the last couple hours today. Maybe today will be the day. :  )

[left field]

3 hours ago, chrisw said:

But, like I said, you can't end something for fear of what may or may not happen. It's a different situation, but... Would you put your dog down when he was a healthy 5-7yr old dog for fear he may suffer a disease or develop joint issues? 

Years ago I took an intact puppy to a vet who asked if I was going to neuter him. I asked why would I do that and she replied, "well, he'll never get testicular cancer." To which I asked if we should pull all his teeth as well to stave off tooth decay.

I'm in a slightly different situation but I appreciate the OP's position. I have yet to kill a deer and really thought that this was the year as I am at my cabin and have been out a dozen times over bow and rifle, but either it's no deer or the wrong deer (tag wise). There are four does that hang out at my backyard. In fact, today they were bedded down 30' from my back door. ML season comes in a few days and I can legally take one of those deer, but I won't. At least not from my back porch. It just doesn't seem to be what I signed up for.

Now I appreciate that there's a small distinction between the same deer in my backyard versus 300' into my woods, but it nevertheless seems to be a distinction I could probably live with.

I'm also pretty old and with that comes a real sense and understanding of mortality, both mine and others.

[Lawdwaz]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:37 AM, Skillet said:

At the risk of sounding like a sissy, I'm going to put this out there.

I killed a small buck this morning. I'm not feeling too good about it. It went ok, and it was a fast kill, but I'm just not sure how I feel about it anymore. He was just happily eating acorns, and doing his thing, when I shot him. 

It was a beautiful snowy morning, and I was blessed to share the woods with the deer. Almost felt like I ruined it by shooting.

The older I get, the less I have the stomach for killing game.

Anyone else here have trouble pulling the trigger, or a ton of remorse after?

Thinking about just buying a really nice camera for next year.

Plenty here respect your thoughts and feelings Kurt.  The rest can pound salt up their ass.........

Canon, Nikon, Sony or...........??

Merry Christmas

[Skillet]

13 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Plenty here respect your thoughts and feelings Kurt.  The rest can pound salt up their ass.........

Canon, Nikon, Sony or...........??

Merry Christmas

Thanks Law. Merry Christmas to you too.

Looking at a nice Sony. Can get a great zoom lens for not too much extra. 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Skillet

[NYBowhunter]

3 minutes ago, Skillet said:

Thanks Law. Merry Christmas to you too.

Looking at a nice Sony. Can get a great zoom lens for not too much extra. 

Hey here's an idea, seriously, how about filming a deer hunt for a youth or another hunter.  Im sure that's just as exciting without having to pull the trigger.

Merry Xmas.

Edited December 10, 2020 by NYBowhunter