Hello,
I have been toiling with this issue and wanted to reach out to the community to see how to handle this. A friend is on a lease, he worked hard to get it ready. He had some friends help him as well, in hopes to be invited to hunt. The friend allowed his buddy to hunt and hunt on his stand. With one stipulation, there was one deer that could not be harvested. The deer was young and needed to grow a few seasons. The guest agreed and got in his stand. At the end of the hunt, the guest had harvested the deer he was asked not to shoot. The deer was legal by state law but was not to be hunted because they wanted it to grow. When asked what happened the guest stated that he thought it was a different buck, due to the diminishing light at the end of the day. Needless to say, the lease friend was not happy and feels disappointed. The guest friend wants to come back later in the year to hunt again with his son?
Its tough to tell someone not to shoot a particular buck. Did he show him trail camera pictures of the deer before he sat in the stand? If it was a very unique buck (drop tines, non-typical) I could see where this would cause a problem, but if it was say a regular 6 or 8 point - I can see the hunter making a mistake. You don't get many opportunities to get a buck, plus if he wandered onto a neighboring property - POW - someone else may not be as picky. If they are good friends they will work it out. I'd let him bring his son back on doe day and tell them to shoot a doe only - if they shoot a buck, then you know what kind of friend they are.
Yes, The buck was unique it had ONE antler that barely forked, the other was missing due to some altercation.
Yes, the guest had seen pics of the single antlered buck, it was even named. The guest claimed he thought it was the 6 point we saw on camera. Clearly, you can tell the difference between a single antlered deer against a 6 point.
I wouldn't let a deer stand in the way of a good friendship (if its a good friendship), its only a deer no one owns it. There was no guarantee it would be around next year anyway.
WHO is "they", did the other lease members not want the deer shot, or the 1 member only? As a guest he should have respected eithers wishes. If shooting the forbidden deer got the member in hot water with the lease, then sorry, no more hunting for him or his kid. A guests actions reflect on the person that invited him. A guest wanting to bring his own guest his 2nd time there??? It sounds like the "it was a mistake" story isn't holding up. How good a friend are you, and are you buying the story? How forgiving are you? The member is paying for himself to hunt there, does he mind paying for his buddy & now the buddy's kid? A lot of drama from just 1 hunt, I could see this going downhill, OR NOT???
