What would you do?

First of all, I realize that this should probably go on the hunting side of IDO but I’d like to get more opinions and the fishing side has more traffic. This is a deer hunting story that happened a couple of weeks ago. I’ll try to keep it short as possible but please bear with me as I want to explain all of the details.

Opening morning of the MN hunting season my 15 year old daughter and I were sitting in our stand. She has been hunting for 3 years and has yet to pull the trigger. About 9 am I spot a buck and a doe coming thru the brush towards us. In the previous seasons she has wanted to hold out for a buck, however this year we decided that she was going to shoot the first deer that presented a good clean shot. We were able to watch the buck chase the doe around the log tops for several minutes before they would cross one of our shooting lanes. We both decided that we were going try to get a shot at the buck, the doe jumped thru the lane quickly and the buck was going to follow her. I told her to get her gun up and when it entered the lane I would grunt and get him to stop. When he entered I grunted and he stopped and I told my daughter to take a close aim, and squeeze off a good shot and not watch the deer. Of course he had stopped directly behind a tree. We waited until he took a couple more steps and repeated the instructions. Again he had stopped behind a clump of trees and she didn’t have a clean shot. If he took another step he would be in brush and we probabily wouldn’t see the deer again. I did have a neck/head shot and at 40 yards I felt confident that I could make that shot. So I asked her if I should shoot and she said YES. So I aim shoot and the deer gives us the hunched back jump and the backwards leg kick so we thought I had made a good shot. As he walked/ staggered away I kept waiting for him to go down, which he never did. He then walked away and stood for a few minutes about 60 yards away and again at 100 yards away from us for a few minutes in both spot. Both times he stopped he was in thick brush so I couldn’t get a second shot.

We waited a few minutes and then I thought OK a good lesson in tracking for my daughter. I has mentally marked the spots where I shot and both spots where he had stood. I walk to the spot where I shot and nothing no hair no blood nothing so I dropped a glove to mark it. We move to where he stood the first time nothing, again I drop a glove to mark the spot. Move ahead to the third spot and again so signs of a wounded deer, drop a hat to mark the spot. I’m like OK lets go back to the beginning we had to miss something.

As i’m standing in the spot where I shot I look down and I spot a side of an antler. I think to myself, what are the odds that I would find a shed laying right here. As I pick it up I look at the base and its not smooth like a shed it broken and chipped, about that time my daughter reached down and says here’s a piece that fits where the chip was. HOLY CRAP I had shot the entire right side of the rack off of this deer! When we first saw this deer I knew it was a nice legal deer one with at least 4 on one side, but not a giant. As I was holding the horns we were counting and admiring that it had six points. It was shot off cleanly about an inch below the brow tines, so I have almost the entire horn minus maybe one inch. I’m guessing that he will score about 130 if I had both sides.

Now we head back to the cabin and I take plenty of razzing etc. for taking “horn hunting” to a whole new level. We have all heard of catch and release while fishing, now I discovered that you can shoot and release while hunting.While sitting on stand on Saturday night my daughter leans and whispers to me that she nicknamed “our” deer Elliot.. some of you may know why she choose Elliot. Well we started laughing and cracking open season one liners. We had a great season sitting together for the next two days without seeing another deer close enough to get any shooting. This season was special because we were in the field with my dad, my daughter and myself and six more cousins.

Now the reason I’m asking your opinions. I get a phone call from a cousin on sunday night the last day of the season telling me that Elliot had been shot on a neighboring farm on Friday night. I was releaved as I was kicking myself due to possibly wounding the deer and not recovering it. Then he tells me that the guy who shot him wants the right side of the horns from “his” deer. My initial response was hell NO absolutely not. I already had plans made for a wooden shelf to display the horn with a picture of my daughter and myself in the stand. Yes we took a couple of selfies with her iphone, again more fun and laughter in the woods.

So Monday night he goes into the local watering hole and starts shooting off him mouth about how i’m an a#$ H(^$, our hunting party is a bunch of #$%^&^% and our family name is a bunch of $%^&% . You get my point. So everyday this week my cousin is getting phonecalls and text messages from the guy telling/demanding him that he wants “his” horn back so he can have it mounted. I’d like to talk to him myself but at the advise of relatives he likes to fight and argue so that probabily wouldn’t end to well if i got angry. I’d like to ask him why he thinks he’s so important that I should give him my horns so he can put then on his wall. He pulled the trigger and shot a deer with one side of a rack. We are in a AR Zone where a legal buck must have four points on a side so he must not have looked or counted or he would have seen it was missing half his headgear.

Now I live about an hour away and don’t know the guy very well but his family owns most of the land around the farm that we hunt and they are know locally as a bunch of
AS$%^&*’s I don’t want to cause trouble as several of my relatives work with this guy and a couple do business with there families etc. BUT you know how gossip flies around in a small town…

I have come up with 4 options that could solve the problem. I’m not going to post #4 as it’s wrong and I don’t want to stoop to his level, but if someone brings it up i’ll post the details of my plan. Which one would you do??

#1 Stand my ground and stay with no and let the chips fall where they may.
#2 Just be the bigger person and give up the horns.
#3 I called a taxidermist and it would be about 400 for a replica horn to be made, so split the cost?
#4 ?????????

Now for a life lesson for all of us. As I was sitting on Sunday morning kicking myself for the shot on Saturday I glance down at my shotgun and notice that the rear sight on my slug barrel had moved about 1/16th of an inch to the left causing me to shoot to the right. Now I have shot/sighted in my gun every year for the past 31 seasons BUT this year I didn’t and it may have cost me a nice deer and has caused way to much trouble!! I can guarantee you that every day when I see that horn sitting on that shelf it will be a reminder to sight my gun in no matter what!!

I apoligize for this post being so long but I want you to know the facts before giving me your thoughts.

If its a 6pt deer and you have the right half, that leaves a 3pt buck. Tell your cousin to tell the guy to drop the crap or the GW will be knocking on his door for shooting an illegal buck.

Tough situation here no matter what you decide. First of all I would ask myself some questions before arriving to an answer. What does my daughter think? Is she attached to the antler emotionally? Am I attached to the antler? Granted it would be an awful nice memory to have the antler, but a picture frame with you and your daughter holding it would be a nice trophy as well. Also how much is that antler worth to you? If it was me personally I would give up the antler to the person who shot it (although I don’t know why he shot it if it was an “illegal” buck having snapped the horn). If I shot a deer with a missing antler and found out someone else had the match I would also like to have the complete rack, even though I know I really have no “right” to it.

We’ve had this happen before in our hunting group and luckily the guy who took the antler off was one of us, this guy sounds like he’s being a real jerk about it. In the end if money isn’t a huge deal go with the replica, it seems like the safe middle ground in this instance. But only if you value the antler as worth more as a memory than what it will cost you for the replica. Obviously there is no way to actually set a price for a memory/memento, but you get the idea. Hope this helps a little.

I would just ignore him and keep my antler. Let him cry about it. That’s me though.

If the guy who wanted the antler would have come to you in the first place and asked for the it in a civilized manner instead of spraying a bunch of BS about you and yours then I might have been more inclined to give it to him if I were you. Since he chose to go about making his feelings known the way he has I would decline his request (tell him to go pound sand) and let the chips fall as they may.

Big picture? I guess it wouldn’t matter. Quality time with your daughter and a unique memory made is the real prize in this story.

We’ll it’s known as the season of hate around my household. It seemed a lot of people loose touch with reality.

In my opinion let the person keep complaining it is just making himself look like a jerk. Keep the antler from the deer and make it a good experience for a young hunter and tell the jerk to move on he should not have shot the deer if he did not like the rack how it was.

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If the guy who wanted the antler would have come to you in the first place and asked for the it in a civilized manner instead of spraying a bunch of BS about you and yours then I might have been more inclined to give it to him if I were you. Since he chose to go about making his feelings known the way he has I would decline his request (tell him to go pound sand) and let the chips fall as they may.

Big picture? I guess it wouldn’t matter. Quality time with your daughter and a unique memory made is the real prize in this story.

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agree, if wanted that bad he should have got ahold of you after your cousin told him no before he went and ran his mouth. on a side note you said your antler had six points so his should have six also or at least 4 to make it a legal buck correct? let him suffer its not the first time somebody has shot a deer with one horn missing he will get over it.

#4

Set an amazing example for your daughter and pay it forward. Package the antler up and write a nice message with her help. Something like “after a lil’ thought I’ve decided it’s only a deer and life is too short to fret over this antler. There will be many more in our future. Here’s the other half of your trophy.”

And move on…. It’ll create a memory that won’t easily go away or be forgotten.

Good luck no matter the resolution you seek.

The guy sounds like a real jerk and put you in a tough spot. I would tell him to take a hike. If he would have asked nice and privately first maybe feel different and give him the antler in return for the right for a picture of the mount with daughter and yourself in it to remember the moment. Maybe picture of yourself and daughter with the mount may be a compromise and a way out. Most important is what does your daughter think and will she be harassed at school or something over this.

Call the local CO. Explain what had happened ( calmly) and ask what he thinks. This guy has broken the code, and is thus deserving of nothing.

Things like this are why I quit hunting deer.

Life is short, give him the antler and move on and try to make the world a better place and set a good example. Who cares about a antler in the long run. How we treat people and how we are remember in the long run is what makes a difference !!

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Set an amazing example for your daughter and pay it forward. Package the antler up and write a nice message with her help. Something like “after a lil’ thought I’ve decided it’s only a deer and life is too short to fret over this antler. There will be many more in our future. Here’s the other half of your trophy.”

And move on…. It’ll create a memory that won’t easily go away or be forgotten.

Good luck no matter the resolution you seek.

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We have a winner, yes the guy is an A-@$#% but it will mahe life a lot easier dealing with these butt head neighbors if you send it to him. As said you have the memories of that season with the picture, you and your daughter will laugh about this for many years to come.

I don’t think you will need the antler to remind you to sight your gun in, your daughter will do a fine job of that on her own.

Tell the guy to get a replica made, not sure I would even split the cost. Also ask him why doesn’t want to mount the deer the way he shot? If it isn’t good enough he could have let it go.

the damage has been done, undo it…have him write a retraction in the local paper about how big of an arse he was and how great you are… then and only then, give him the antler.

(just thinking out loud here… after the post about the guy cutting off the buck rack a couple weeks ago, does a “shot off antler” need to be tagged and registered if “taken” ?)

I say he shot what he shot. I wouldn’t fix up a buck I shot to make it better. Did he know you had the other half before he pulled the trigger? If he really wants the other half he’ll pay for the replica. I don’t like where deer hunting is going. I love the sport but don’t like the horn craze that it has become. I go out and hunt if I get a trophy awesome!!! But I will shoot what I want on that day if given the chance. Enjoy the hunt for what it is not what u want.

I’d leave a flaming bag of dog poo on his front doorstep

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Set an amazing example for your daughter and pay it forward. Package the antler up and write a nice message with her help. Something like “after a lil’ thought I’ve decided it’s only a deer and life is too short to fret over this antler. There will be many more in our future. Here’s the other half of your trophy.”

And move on…. It’ll create a memory that won’t easily go away or be forgotten.

Good luck no matter the resolution you seek.

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+1. Toughest to do, for sure…but, as usual, the toughest way is the best way… If it helps to think of it this way, then “Kill him with Kindness”…. He’s either gonna see the error of his ways and feel a bit embarrassed, and hopefully change his ways now…….or later. If he doesn’t, God help him.

A good pic and the memories created with your daughter far outweigh the future hostility / resentments, on both sides, that will continue for years. Does the guy deserve it. HELL NO!! But, I don’t deserve anything I’ve been entrusted with for this short time on Earth either. Good luck……

I agree with anyone who says ‘it is only a deer’ but I would keep it for your daughter and the memories of that moment. If some fool is running his mouth about you around town….seriously do you give a rip. I hope not. And tell your cousin to stop calling. You already are being the better person in this so you don’t need to give it to some a-hole to prove that you are. Giving something to someone who is acting like a jerk….I just don’t get it….why would anyone reward bully behavior like that. Now if he had stopped over to your house, extended a handshake, and asked to look at it….then he said ‘hey, I sure would like to have that if you and your daughter could part with it.’ Then that is different and the way it should have been handled. But please don’t reward garbage behavior like this.

By the way, option #4 should have been to shoot the antler two more times and then giving him the pieces. I might have voted for that.

if you wanna deliver a four point Mule Deer antler to him, I have one that I’d gladly give you … just for the chance to mess with him a bit

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Set an amazing example for your daughter and pay it forward. Package the antler up and write a nice message with her help. Something like “after a lil’ thought I’ve decided it’s only a deer and life is too short to fret over this antler. There will be many more in our future. Here’s the other half of your trophy.”

And move on…. It’ll create a memory that won’t easily go away or be forgotten.

Good luck no matter the resolution you seek.

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Great opportunity for your daughter to learn from you what hunting is really about. You might consider handing over the horns at that local watering hole. Do it graciously and his cronies will see him in true light when he grabs and grumbles…you might even get a thank you.

If the guy had been decent I would have given it to him but since he was a jerk about it, NO WAY. I would throw it in trash if he keeps it up. He shot what he shot. If we could change the past all of us would get more trophy’s. You have your memory of the deer and he has his. Done. I don’t support his kind of personality/behavior.

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Great opportunity for your daughter to learn from you what hunting is really about. You might consider handing over the horns at that local watering hole. Do it graciously and his cronies will see him in true light when he grabs and grumbles…you might even get a thank you.

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I was thinking something along these lines but the antler would be encased in concrete with the shot part sticking out.

I’m with Suzuki on this. If the guy was nice and just asked, I’d give it back in a heartbeat. Since he’s being a big baby about it, he needs to learn that he can’t get everything he wants by whining and making a fuss. If I was still in my younger, angrier days, I might just attempt to give him the antler back in manner that would require the assistance of his proctologist to retrieve it.

Or you could just challenge him to a good ol’ antler shootin’ contest.

You could use it for target practice which you obviously need.

Giving it to him just reinforces his way of getting things, throw a hissy fit. That’s how children become spoiled.

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Set an amazing example for your daughter and pay it forward. Package the antler up and write a nice message with her help. Something like “after a lil’ thought I’ve decided it’s only a deer and life is too short to fret over this antler. There will be many more in our future. Here’s the other half of your trophy.”

And move on…. It’ll create a memory that won’t easily go away or be forgotten.

Good luck no matter the resolution you seek.

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x2

Saw it into about a dozen pieces and mail it to him in a bag.

Seriously, though, the high road of giving it to him would probably be best for all involved, but it would burn me to give in to a crybaby……

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Set an amazing example for your daughter and pay it forward. Package the antler up and write a nice message with her help. Something like “after a lil’ thought I’ve decided it’s only a deer and life is too short to fret over this antler. There will be many more in our future. Here’s the other half of your trophy.”

And move on…. It’ll create a memory that won’t easily go away or be forgotten.

Good luck no matter the resolution you seek.

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Great opportunity for your daughter to learn from you what hunting is really about. You might consider handing over the horns at that local watering hole. Do it graciously and his cronies will see him in true light when he grabs and grumbles…you might even get a thank you.

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I like this idea, box it, wrap it up with paper and a bow. Have your daughter give it to him at the local bar in front of all of his buddies and everyone else on a busy Friday evening. He will be so embarrassed that he won’t know what to say or do.

Tell him life is too short to worry about a deer horn and he needs this more than she does. That should really make him look like the fool that he is.

Thanks Everyone!!!! To clarify the right side of the rack has 6 points so if the left side matched it would be a 12 pointer. Now this is a nice buck but not a giant. If I shot and recovered this deer I wouldn’t have done a head mount but probabily a euro skull mount.

This whole situation has added a couple more grey hairs to my head and beard. For those that asked I did tell my daughter and her response was “no way”,if he’s going to be that way tell him tell him that “we want our deer back.” So im thinking that she it attached to it. I’m still torn on the decision and it looks like the responses have been about 50/50, so here is option #4.

The other “hunter” has not seen the rack or any pictures of it. Just like I have not seen any pictures of the left side. I have a friend in the taxidermy business and he has hundreds maybe thousands of sheds that we could “doctor” up to give him a horn that I could pass off as being the right side of “his deer”. I really don’t like this idea as I feel as I would be stooping to his level or maybe lower. BUT I really I don’t want to give up our souvenier of our 2013 season either. If i had been by myself or I was just going to let it sit in a pile in the garage no problem, id give it up if he asked nicely. Something Like “hey if your not going to do anything special with that horn would you mind if I took it as i’d like to go a head mount.”

I want to use this experience as a valuable life lesson for my daughter. Yes its only a deer horn and hopefully there will be many more deer, memories and stories between us. I’ve hunted with the same family group for 30 years so this is one of those stories that we will talk about 20 years from now. But none of us know how may more season we will be around. I want to be and should be kind and give it back to him and “kill him with kindness” On the other hand I don’t want to teach my daughter to roll over to every bully and to stand up for what s right also.

Decisions decisions…..