Author Topic: Ethics question (Read 959 times)

Reloader · « **on:** November 05, 2005, 07:54:44 AM »

It's the last day of deer season and you are driving down a paved highway to get to the woods. It is wooded on both sides of the road.
Passing a small clearing you see a nice buck trotting across an open patch of ground near the road into the clearing. You turn around, get out, and begin the walk up the short road to the clearing. As you reach the clearing you spot the following at the same time: An old no trespassing sign and the buck which for some reason has already layed down in the open about 30 yards past it.
As you are debating whether to take the shot, the buck gets up and begins moving toward the timber and you can now see he is a dandy.

Do you take the shot or do you pass on it?

lefty o · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2005, 07:56:43 AM »

dont even get out of the vehicle.

rickyp · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2005, 08:13:20 AM »

if you do not have permision to hunt any of the land before the sign then stay in the truck and watch him.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2005, 10:07:02 AM »

Generally speaking ethics like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But in this case you're putting up a scenario that is clearly illegal therefore clearly a no-no. Like one of the posters said you shouldn't even have gotten out of the vehicle but less have a gun in hand.

NONYA · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2005, 12:51:43 PM »

I wouldnt have gotten out of the truck unless I knew I had permission to hunt the land or I knew for certian it was public.Seems like common sense not ethics.

Lawdog · « **Reply #5 on:** November 05, 2005, 01:35:44 PM »

Doesn't matter how old the sign is. If you don't have permission to hunt the land don't even get out of the truck. Lawdog

longwinters · « **Reply #6 on:** November 05, 2005, 01:57:56 PM »

No doubt about it . . . dont do it.

Long

myronman3 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 05, 2005, 01:58:38 PM »

in my state, that would land you in jail. just for hunting off the road, that is.

NONYA · « **Reply #8 on:** November 05, 2005, 03:20:30 PM »

Why are you supposed to walk from your house when you hunt?Not allowed to drive a car to your hunting area?He didnt say he was shooting from a road or a vehicle.

gr8gift · « **Reply #9 on:** November 05, 2005, 06:49:22 PM »

He seems to be indicating this buck was seen on the way to where he hunts, not on the property he was headed out to hunt on. You don't stop and shoot game just because you see it on the way out to hunt. And you don't hunt land that has a posted no hunting sign on it no matter how old the sign is.

Don't stop unless it's just to watch a nice buck head into the timber. And you don't have to get out of the vehicle to watch. Plus only do the watching with your binoculars. We have this problem on my uncle's land in north east, KS. It's close to a big city and people are always stopping and shooting game on his property at almost dark. They then drive away and sneak back and try and recover the deer after dark. It doesn't work when we hear the shot, but many times if we are inside we don't hear them shoot. Plus they usually do most of this before the legal rifle season starts.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 05, 2005, 07:02:50 PM »

As tempting as it may be, I would pass.

New Hampshire · « **Reply #11 on:** November 06, 2005, 02:03:35 AM »

There is to many "what ifs" to make a clear decision of how to proceed in a legal manner. What I mean is, if it is possible to determine where the posted property ends, and if the adjacent property is open and not posted, then I suppose trying to find a spot to possibly ambush the deer coming off the posted property could be an option. But just plain shooting the buck on the posted property is indeed illegal.

Here in NH you must post "No Tresspassing" sings every 50 feet for it to be legal, but there is a caveat in which the law says if a hunter sees just ONE sign he must assume the entire property is posted and therfore can not enter. I have met guys before who would simply have found a spot where there are no signs and simly said "Why, I didnt know your property was posted! Well Ill just take my buck and go then" with a grin on their face

.

In the end it comes down to the individual to be the most ethical we can be.

Brian

jhm · « **Reply #12 on:** November 06, 2005, 05:05:30 AM »

If you got to a ask, then you already know you shouldnt, as far as property goes If you dont own it, then you are a trasspaser.

JIM

Miller · « **Reply #13 on:** November 06, 2005, 05:15:45 AM »

If you even have have to "think" about this scenario there is already an ethics problem. Like Graybeard already said, the sign however old is clear, the deer is off limits!

Reloader · « **Reply #14 on:** November 06, 2005, 05:33:32 PM »

There were a couple of errors in judgement on my part. Thinking it was state land, I got out of the truck. Not knowing it was state land was an error on my part and perhaps unforgiveable. The no trespassing sign wasn't visible until I got to the end of the gravel road. Despite the temptation, the buck survived. I would certainly not have felt good about taking a buck in this situation.

Savage .250 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 07, 2005, 02:40:46 AM »

Lots of folks might but the right thing to do is............smile and move on.

" The best part of the hunt is not the harvest but in the experience."

TOMMYY01 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 07, 2005, 03:16:29 AM »

Like my father used to tell me, son if you have to sit and think about if you should do something, DON'T DO IT! He told me that it keeps me from getting into trouble on down the line. :wink:
tommy

rockbilly · « **Reply #17 on:** November 07, 2005, 12:42:21 PM »

I see big beautiful bucks crossing the road quite frequently, I smile and think "bot that was a beauty", or maybe comment to my wife if she is with me. Go on someone else's property and shoot him, no way. Where I come from, the owner may be in the edge of the woods with his gun...............some will shoot.

I have a Remington 700 in 25-06 and a nice Puma White Hunter that I took when a poacher ran off and left it on my propert after killing a doe. He came back later and asked for his gun and knife, said I could keep the deer. I already had the deer skinned and in the cooler, I asked him, "what gun, what knife." he said the one I left where I was field dressing the deer. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, but would be happy to call a game warren to sort it out. He left, ain't heard from him since and that's been 15 years or more.

I just don't look on poachers too kindly............ :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

WylieKy · « **Reply #18 on:** November 08, 2005, 07:27:39 AM »

Reloader,
Even if this were public land, I would not even get out of my truck. There are at least two good reasons for this. 1. IMHO, it is kind of cheap to throw on the breaks, hop out, and shoot a deer. It's one step removed from just rolling down the window and blasting away, or speeding up when they cross in front of you :twisted: No offence. 2. It sounds like a good way to get shot, or shoot someone. If it is not an area that you are familiar with, how do you know what is on the other side of the tree line or ridge. A hiking trail? Campsite? Local elementary school? I think you should always know your surrounding before you take a shot, and how can that be possible if you have never set foot in the area before? By the way, this is assuming I KNEW it was public land. If I wasn't sure, it's not even an issue. trespassing is a VERY good way to get shot in some areas of the country.

tripper · « **Reply #19 on:** November 08, 2005, 09:45:48 AM »

Reloader,Glad you let him go after relizing it was not state land. I see meny deer on private land on my way to and from hunting and the only reason I am tempted to stop is to try and get some pics. Heck I get yelled at for asking permission every year to hunt what private land I do hunt., mostly relatives and very close friends.