my ethical dillema

[sidelock]

A few years ago I had spent a lot of time in the woods hunting elk without luck. The last few days of the season weather was realy bad so I wouldn't go out.I thought ,"I'll load my rifle and just get one in my front yard". About 2:30 that afternoon I looked out and there stood 5 6x6 bulls standing no more than 100' from the door. I looked at them for a while, then unloaded my rifle and put it in the gun cab. It was legal but it wasn't huntin.

 

[Moose Guide]

I shoot at least 1 whitetail a year in my pasture and within a couple of hours(sometimes minutes) the other deer are back in the field! If you want to put meat in the freezer, there it stands! Shooting a deer in your backyard is more ethical and just as sporting as baiting deer/bear to a stand IMO!!!

 

[roundball]

"...I would like to use my guns, get the racks and put meat in the freezer..."

On the other hand, as long as you're not trying to pass it off as normal 'fair chase hunting' and just want to pop a couple because they're pests, try your guns, put meat in the freezer, etc...then get your tags and go...no need to even post about it.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Well first off buddy I feel your pain my father is going through the same situation himself, my mother doesn't want him hunting alone, and me being in the Army I am not there often enough, so I hooked him up with one of my older mature friends that just started hunting and is in good physical shape, he is eager to learn my dad's happy to teach and have someone to help him get a deer out of the backwoods where he can't use an ATV either. He still uses a deer cart designed for 750 lbs so its very stable and has oversize wide tires makes a huge difference. As far as shooting the deer in the backyard thats a personal call for you, you could always set up in the woodline and give it an authentic style feel. Or another option is to talk to your neighbors and see if you can access there property that borders yours as well. I feel your pain its rough seeing my father get older and struggle his eyes are getting worse and he had to put down the long rifle because he has trouble seeing the iron sights and has to shoot an in-line with a scope to continue hunting, and had to switch to an x-bow to continue to hunt during archery season. As long as you still have the love, and passion to hunt I say do what ya have to do, and recruit some decent younger guys to assit ya they will appreciate your help, and you will appreciate their youth and muscle. Plus the younger guys are often willing to push the woods for ya to and send game your way to ensure you have a great hunt. Hope this helps..

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

If all else fails I got access to some great property in KY when I am done here overseas I can make the trip from Kansas to KY its about halfway between us since you are in Arkansas. I will put ya on a some nice deer and we can use an ATV to drag them out buddy. No one has hunted in in 4 years and the owner is 86 and won't let nobody else hunt it but myself, or whoever I bring usually my dad, all the owner ask in return is ya shoot him a deer as well, and theres plenty around and some booners too. He owns like 675 acres as well and has swamp, ridge, valleys, pastures, however you like to hunt even creek bottoms is covered.

 

[S.Kenton]

YEP!.. WHACK EM AND STACK EM!... Meat is meat, as others have already stated.

 

[rabjr]

If they do not run away when you are walking in the yard then they are damn near tame and that is not safe for you or anyone else who comes around. Once the rut starts those bucks are going to be dangerous.
Shooting one just to put the fear of mankind back in them is a good idea. Leave a nice blood scent in the area and they will catch a clue.

Catch a clue to what? I'm in a State where many tags can be bought not to mention the crop damage permits and I been at this game a long time. I've seen more than once deer step over a gut pile...seen deer taken, more than one a day from the same stand for a couple of days or so. I've shot Does with young before and waited a little while for the smaller ones to slowly come back looking for momma, smelling her blood just before dropping it/them. Blood is a smell that may put them on alert like so many others but I assure you its not going to keep deer from going anywhere they want to go.

 

[WH .50]

The most important rule in hunting (or harvesting) game is to not waste the animal. As long as you are going to eat the animal I see no harm nor foul in living off YOUR land.

 

[BrownBear]

Backyard deer are a tough call. I've shot a few of ours, but it's close to shooting a pet for me.

As for the remote deer on public lands, look into those 2-wheeled carts. I got one and I'm mightily impressed. I don't "hunt" with it, rather I just drag it in to a central location and stash it while I hunt. A short walk to retrieve it, and the deer comes out of the woods like it was on wheels. :wink:

 

[gl1200a]

First I have issue with a word that has been thrown around in this thread. "semi-tame" IMO
there is no such thing unless they have been raised in captivity.

Deer adapt to their environment. Their in cities. Their not any more tame than those in the deepest woods, they adapt.

A Mtn Lion was killed in downtown Omaha about 15 yrs ago or so. I guess it was semi-tame although it came out of the Rockies.

Frank, if you want meat, shoot one. Nothing unethical about it. I have the same situation here at the house. When we moved in here 20 yrs ago I said I wouldn't shoot one in the yard. I don't. But

 

[stormcrow]

If I was looking to fill up the freezer with a yard deer I would take a buck maybe; a doe or fawn, no. Probably not the best wildlife management approach or the best eating meat, but just how I would personally feel about it. I've past on many a deer in the woods that I thought were just too easy to shoot, mostly yearlings. Everyone has their own guidelines to hunt by and there's plenty of grey area in all of them. If it's legal and you feel good about it given the plentiful local deer population then it's all good.

 

[cynthialee]

maybe deer in your neighborhood are retarded?
:grin:
I haven't seen a deer in my yard since the hunt. Before the hunt they were in my yard daily. Not so much anymore.

 

[roundball]

As far as the "send them a message", as roundball stated.

You have me confused with someone else
:v

 

[elkslayer]

I'm sure that our black powder fore-fathers would not have hesitated to shoot a deer that walked past their back door.

Sometimes it's about the meat and not the experience.

 

[crockett]

Your situation really isn't that much different than the guys that hunt deer over a beanfield. Then there are the guys that shoot buffalo on the open range. Some of this is more shooting than hunting. Think about England with the driven pheasant "shoots". In the south a dove field is really more of a shoot than a hunt. Honesty rules, just consider it a shoot.
I'd say if the deer have becomne a problem it's okay the thin them out, shooting, not hunting, that's all. Like going to the chicken coop or hog pen.

 

[rabjr]

maybe deer in your neighborhood are retarded?
:grin:
I haven't seen a deer in my yard since the hunt. Before the hunt they were in my yard daily. Not so much anymore.

Hardly,

You probably don't have anything left in your yard they want right now and once the prerut/rut kicks in deer change their patterns.

 

[rabjr]

First I have issue with a word that has been thrown around in this thread. "semi-tame" IMO
there is no such thing unless they have been raised in captivity.

Deer adapt to their environment. Their in cities. Their not any more tame than those in the deepest woods, they adapt.

A Mtn Lion was killed in downtown Omaha about 15 yrs ago or so. I guess it was semi-tame although it came out of the Rockies.

Frank, if you want meat, shoot one. Nothing unethical about it. I have the same situation here at the house. When we moved in here 20 yrs ago I said I wouldn't shoot one in the yard. I don't. But

 

[Rifleman1776]

Guys/gals, thank you for all the replies and input. This generated a lot more interest than I expected.
I think I have made a decision. I really don't want to kill one so easily. We don'tneed the meat but would eat if I do harvest.
I know the arguments, it is the ml season right now here and would be (sorta) legal. (not supposed to kill within 50 yards of a house)
I just wouldn't feel right about it. Even the buck with the big rack will be safe in my yard.
OTOH, we get turkeys also and this year they look absolutely huge :shocked2: , I would take one with my JB fowler given the chance.
Oh, well. Call me hypocrite. :wink:

 

[gl1200a]

Sure did sorry :redface:
What I get for not double checking.

I was agreeing with Swampy, now that I've gone back. :grin:

 

[S.Kenton]

maybe deer in your neighborhood are retarded?
:grin:
I haven't seen a deer in my yard since the hunt. Before the hunt they were in my yard daily. Not so much anymore.

Hardly,

You probably don't have anything left in your yard they want right now and once the prerut/rut kicks in deer change their patterns.

Swampys right on. Deer move to where the food and good cover are plentiful.Around here it's easy to pattern them because cover is scarce and food for the deer is in plain sight, (corn and soy beans, especially after the farmers have taken the crops off), you can see the deer... but in area that has alot more cover it may be more difficult.
Try getting a game cam.. set it out on a game trail.Check the cam weekly. You'll find out in about a week or two how many deer you have. If the deer have indeed left, a game cam may help you figure out if they left due to predators.