# Legal, but is it ethical?



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

I know this question has been asked countless times but although its legal to shoot is it really truely if you think about it ethical? Although there is a poll speak your mind on this topic.


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

Ethical? It looks like dinner to me. To each his own and his own may be the deer in that picture. Fire away.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Sorry about the pole didn't quite work right.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

According to your signature, you would shoot it too. So why ask the question?


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

There's nothing unethical or even borderline about harvesting a legal, yearling buck.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm really not sure why it wouldn't be ethical. Unless it is someone's pet, in their back yard, and comes when you call out "Heeeerrrrrre Skippy!"


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## quakeycrazy (Sep 18, 2007)

Problem is that the Trophy hunters are out there trying to make everyone see things their way. I shot a 2 point this year under time restraints and other things and even though it sucked hauling it so far by myself I was still glad to have gotten an animal. I ran into a hunter a few days later helping my friend on his hunt and tell him what I shot. He says congrats and all that jazz about "it will taste good", then proceeds to tell us that if people would leave the smaller bucks everyone would all get "big ones". That could be right but I shot it, tagged it, dragged it and took it to get processed. I wasn't feeling guilty about it, why should anyone else??? Shoot whatever makes you feel good as long as it is legal.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

I say, who of us here aren't trophy hunters? If you seen a spike and four point side by side which would you shoot, obviously the four.


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

Why do you ask. It seems lately you're realy trying to stirr the pot. How's that for stirring the pot.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Hows having a red covered kitty cat as an avtar stirring the pot. Just asking a question, just answer and if you don't want to you don't have to.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

It's plenty ethical if you're hungry. That looks like a lot of food.


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## quakeycrazy (Sep 18, 2007)

If being a trophy hunter means that I love the outdoors, would like to shoot big animals and spend time with friends and family then I guess I fall into that mode. On the other hand my idea of the self-proclaimed trophy hunter is that he is rude, ruthless to kill and intimidate other hunters, and doesn't enjoy hunting unless he gets a "big one". That is what we are referencing, most of us just like to hunt and getting a deer whether big or small is just a bonus. You should really ask your boss to give you more work since you are obviously bored and start some great :roll: posts. By the way, are you the same 1 eye that started the original thread on the DWR site?? Could explain a lot if so.


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

I eye does this answer your question. This is the smallest non typical I've ever seen. It's also my first deer with a bow. 8)


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

How is he a non-typical?
Any for goodness sakes please change that avtar fixed blade.


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## duck jerky (Sep 8, 2007)

i have shot one that size before and it tasted good. so i have no problem any body else shooting one it's a buck.


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

Look at his antler in my left hand, it's not broken, it curves like that.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

Of course its ethical. Not shooting big bucks= more big bucks. You have to have a pretty contained area to keep all the big bucks on your property. If you are trying to maintain a trophy area, that's fine... but it's not your ethical duty to do so. Now, if everyone who hunts an area agrees to a size limit (QDM) that's different.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

I haven't voted yet... but I will. Shoot that thing in the head, that way you don't mess up that tender meat. You're not putting that rack on the wall anyway, so if you pull the "ripe pumpkin" trick with that skull, its not going to matter. Yeah its ethical... take it out. Doesn't matter what you shoot as long as its legal... to me that makes it ethical as well. Ethics, in my mind, has nothing to do with what size of deer you bring down the hill at the end of the day.

Did anyone else notice there were two yes answers and one no?? Kinda funny.... like the poll is predispositioned toward one side of this discussion. :lol:


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

shoot what you want, it is your tag. I do not feel guilty about shooting yearlings.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

sagebrush said:


> shoot what you want, it is your tag. I do not feel guilty about shooting yearlings.


I agree.


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## Wdycle (Sep 11, 2007)

In Utah you'd better shoot it! It won't be around next year!


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## J-bass (Oct 22, 2007)

In '06 I was on my first muzzey hunt up in the uintas, and I came across a very small three point. I had never taken an animal with my smokepole, but I passed because he was just too small for me. I am truly a trophy hunter, and if I can't put him on my wall, I aint pulling the trigger. I don't need or particularly want the meat, so that's the way I roll. If somebody else wants to shoot him, whatever, but that same year I went along with my Father in law and Brother in law to the Southeast region hunt by Manti and every single deer I saw hanging was a little two point, with the exception of one small three point. That just seems retarded to me!!! I for one will never hunt that area because of the sea of orange and the trigger happy hunters that shoot anything that passes the restrictions, (and sometimes they don't even worry about that.) To each their own I guess, but I would never shoot that guy.


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## 10000ft. (Oct 29, 2007)

Let me ask a diffrent question,

If you shoot any game animal but do not use the meat, is it ethical?

I know some who give duck, venison, elk and other game meat away but happen to know many of them will just toss the carcus if they are unsuccessful in finding someone in time who wants it or boneing out an animal will go to little effort to take as much meat as they can.

Just wanted to re-kindel this fire

My personal opinion, If you do not use the meat you should not by the tag. It ethicaly creates a conflict of intrest when you hunt for just for the horn, photo, thrill of the kill..........Bring it on!


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

10000ft. said:


> Let me ask a diffrent question,
> 
> If you shoot any game animal but do not use the meat, is it ethical?
> 
> ...


I have to agree with this statement. I don't have a problem with a person shooting an animal and giving the meat to someone who will eat it, but I do have a problem with people who will just waste an animal; which is against the law.

Back to the original post not only is it legal and should be, but I believe also ethical to shoot that buck. It is also completely legal to pass on it if it goes against that person ethics. Everyones ethics are different and as long as they don't push theirs on anyone else and it is legal I generally don't have an issue with it.


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## J-bass (Oct 22, 2007)

10000ft. said:


> My personal opinion, If you do not use the meat you should not by the tag. It ethicaly creates a conflict of intrest when you hunt for just for the horn, photo, thrill of the kill..........Bring it on!


I totally agree with that. I don't particularly like to eat deer and my wife just plain won't, so I just find somebody else who nees/wants it. I also give away a whole lot of my elk, but I'll eat that, so I'll keep a bit for myself too. And since they are such a valuable resource, and such beautiful creatures, if you pull the trigger and end that life, you **** well better use it.


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## Renegade (Sep 11, 2007)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> I know this question has been asked countless times but although its legal to shoot is it really truely if you think about it ethical? Although there is a poll speak your mind on this topic.


Killing an animal humanely for food, wildlife management, public safety and to limit suffering is always right as long as it does not endanger the species as a whole. Period.


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## J-bass (Oct 22, 2007)

fatbass said:


> J-bass said:
> 
> 
> > In '06 I was on my first muzzey hunt up in the uintas, and I came across a very small three point. I had never taken an animal with my smokepole, but I passed because he was just too small for me. I am truly a trophy hunter, and if I can't put him on my wall, I aint pulling the trigger. I don't need or particularly want the meat, so that's the way I roll. If somebody else wants to shoot him, whatever, but that same year I went along with my Father in law and Brother in law to the Southeast region hunt by Manti and every single deer I saw hanging was a little two point, with the exception of one small three point. That just seems retarded to me!!! I for one will never hunt that area because of the sea of orange and the trigger happy hunters that shoot anything that passes the restrictions, (and sometimes they don't even worry about that.) To each their own I guess, but I would never shoot that guy.
> ...


Fatbass, you make an excellent point and one I have no response for. That was some very tasty jerky, so I say keep baggin' and taggin'!!!


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## grousehunter (Sep 11, 2007)

MMMM.... nummy! :mrgreen:


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## BIG-TNT (Oct 19, 2007)

I would. you can,t eat the horn,s and he,s legal


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