Why Lie and Kill the Fun?

Traindriver

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 5, 2018
Messages
118
Location
Central Mi
Well if you're reading this you. might as well grab a refreshing beverage, this could get long.

I love seeing any hunter harvest an animal that they are proud of, no matter what the size. The fun part of hunting Whitetail is going to the buck poles scattered through Michigan on Nov. 15 and hearing the hunting stories. It's a large portion of the fun telling your success story, or the heart breaker of losing a Big buck, maybe even the funny crazy wild stories that these tales turn into. You know the "You had to be there Moments."

So here's my Question, Why Lie? Why twist the story to protect a hunting spot, why keep the info to yourself to prevent others from knowing the kill property?

It takes the fun out of it completely, it ruins the camaraderie of deer hunting. It doesn't give the Old wise buck the respect and dignity it deserves.

Heres the Story, just a warning it might get long. Ill try to keep it interesting and thought provoking.

For the last three years I've been watching a buck grow across the road from my house. Needless to say he turned into a Giant the last couple years. It is a somewhat busy road and the property he calls home is public city property that is somewhat normally occupied. This buck has become relatively well know due to talking between locals and his famous November Love ignorance, by standing about 100yrds off the road with a doe for two days in a wide-open field. It attracts the crowd and people driving by to stop and stare, personally I love it. As long as they aren't trying to shoot him from the road, I'm happy people have the opportunity to feast their eyes on his beautiful rack.

This buck has been on my personal property only twice that I'm aware of in the last year, but every night I sat on my front porch this summer and watched him and his other group of 15 bucks grow from Spike horns to Giants. He lives on a property that no hunting is allowed but obviously becomes love struck and wanders off chasing the Love's of his life for a couple months a year.

Lets get to the point right??? So, I arrive home on a Saturday from a long 9 day back country trip, tired and exhausted I look for him in the spotting scope that evening to no avail. On a hunting schedule I go to bed embarrassing early and wake up Sunday morning about 4AM. Sitting on the couch waiting for the sun to come up so I can glass the area across the street I receive a text from a good friend. The text reads "Are you up?" in which I reply at around 6:00AM "Yes Im just watching T.V.". My friend pulls in the driveway about 10 minutes after and says get in.

We are shooting the shit and he says " I feel terrible, I shot your deer." confused I ask what he's referring to. He explains that the Giant we had all watched was in his backyard randomly the day before and he smoked it. He lives about 1.5 miles away on the same road as I do. I'm ecstatic for him, a little pissed he didn't send me a picture. But all in all not one ounce of disappointment or jealousness, I'm literally so happy! So we are on the way to his barn where this buck of a lifetime is hanging.

We pull in and I damn near run to the door, I could not wait to feast my eyes and put my hands on those antlers. He unlocks the door and we walk in, he almost got bigger hanging upside down compared to the countless hours I stared at him from my front porch. It's at this point forward that makes me wonder, why?

He says I told everyone that I shot it on my other property (about an hour south). I asked him in a disgusted tone " Why in the hell would you say that?" He tells me that he doesn't want people to encroach in this area because this buck was killed here. I just shook my head and had a shitty feeling come over me, because that's the end of the legacy. No standing in a barn, just looking at the deer hangin there, no drinking beer and frying the inner loins and listening to the story for the one hundredth time, no showing pictures of him growing. Thats the anticlimactic end to a beautiful 174" net michigan monster. The whole block and every hunter within 10 miles knew of that buck.

If this posts helps deter one person from making the same mistake, then its worth this ridiculously long ramble.

Folks that's the best part of hunting, the memories, the stories, the adventures. That buck deserved to go out different. Now as you can image its a big stink of the town, a few pictures got passed around now everyone knows he's dead and wasn't killed an hour to the south. They all know where he lived and know the story doesn't add up.

You have any interesting anticlimactic stories that should have turned out different, but because of the big antler culture it got twisted into a web of smoke and mirrors for absolutely no reason?

Thanks for reading this, hopefully you enjoyed the story.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2021
Messages
46
Man that's kinda crappy. I had a buck living around my place for 3 + years he would walk into our yard and hang out while we played with the kids. I'll try to find a pic of him. Middle of the rut his dumb ass took off and got shot on the main road right in the damn middle of the road no drag marks no nothin . Blood and a gut pile a few feet away. I know the guy who shot him And he gets the bird Everytime I see him 🤣 I think the pick I have of him is when he was younger
 

TSAMP

WKR
Joined
Jul 16, 2019
Messages
1,466
The simple awnser is lie because you think your helping yourself and neighbors.
It's unfortunately advertisement for an area when big bucks get killed. I don't blame anyone who wants to keep an area quiet especially if it's their home range. In the OP circumstance I think your friend was trying to reassure you and the others if asked by any outsiders he would lie. I don't think he planned on telling that lie to the people that already knew better. I'm also sure the deer doesn't care either way.
I'm speculating but it seems to me you may be actually bothered by him killing it. I'd guess he thinks the same which is why you didn't receive a text or photo.
 

EastMT

WKR
Joined
Dec 19, 2016
Messages
2,872
Location
Eastern Montana
Post up some onX pins where you killed some large bucks with pics. I’ll bet the leases in that area will double, if people aren’t leasing much they will be. Never tell people where you killed a buck.

I don’t understand how it ruins a story, we tell all kinds of hunting stories without the exact location. IMO you are upset that he killed it, upset that it’s gone for you to view daily. He knew you would be, so he wanted to show you the deer in person as soon as he could out of respect for you rather than you hearing the rumor or getting a text. I think you need to sit back and think long and hard what’s really bothering you.

I won’t even tell my fishing hole, had too many blown out. I have a friend who constantly tells/takes people to his new spots, always losing friends because they end up in there bringing other people without him, ruining his honey hole. If you like a spot, keep it quiet!

Another example, I’m in eastern Montana, found an area where a bear hangs out, and that is pretty rare over where. First guy I talk to says where was that at? He’s an avid hunter, you think I’m telling him? I told him a place in the opposite direction, not giving it away, they have paid services for that.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,166
Location
Orlando
Kinda hard to tell an honest story about shooting a buck in your back yard - well, I was making my runny eggs and toast and look out the window and there is "Chester", grabbed my trusty coyote gun that I keep by the back door and put one thru his neck. Finished my breakfast and put him up in the barn.

I have nothing about him shooting the buck and would have done the same. Also would have kept it quiet too. No woodsmanship, no chance encounter in the stand, deer in the back yard - how do you put a spin on that story?

Then if you start rattling off about how he shot the deer everyone comes to see & watch, it could cause some hate. Vandalism, rude folks in town, whatever.

Don't go running around blabbing that "Bob" shot "Chester". That's his story and his choice. Don't make him regret confiding in you.
 

jt4

WKR
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
513
There's a reason the entrance to Bass Pro says "welcome hunters, fishers, and other liars".

I thought it was common knowledge that when listening to someone tell a story about hunting you automatically know that some part or all of that story is exaggerated, embellished, or just outright made up. No harm done in changing or leaving out parts.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
1,140
Location
Texas
I think you're taking this one the wrong way. Have you seen what transpires online these days? Go jump on instagram for two months and you will never want to tell another soul where you killed a deer. It's nuts what people will do for a few extra likes on social media. And fishing is just as disgusting. Hot spotting is a serious issue.

Maybe your buddy didn't need to try and protect this particular spot... but if he felt that way I sure can't fault him.
 

guitarpreston

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
103
I mean, I kinda see leaving part out on property you hunt regularly. I don't say much about my spots...But what I really do not see is people being stingy with info for low odd draw hunts, the type you may not draw for several years if not ever again...
 

bsnedeker

WKR
Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
3,020
Location
MT
You're trying to tell me there are people who don't lie about hunting spots? Giving out your hunting spots is the "best part of hunting"?

Hmmm.....
 

svivian

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
2,835
Location
Colorado
The simple awnser is lie because you think your helping yourself and neighbors.
It's unfortunately advertisement for an area when big bucks get killed. I don't blame anyone who wants to keep an area quiet especially if it's their home range. In the OP circumstance I think your friend was trying to reassure you and the others if asked by any outsiders he would lie. I don't think he planned on telling that lie to the people that already knew better. I'm also sure the deer doesn't care either way.
I'm speculating but it seems to me you may be actually bothered by him killing it. I'd guess he thinks the same which is why you didn't receive a text or photo.
Nailed it
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2021
Messages
367
Location
Western NC
buddy shot a real nice deer last Saturday. We don't lease land, he is from the area and has had relationships with land owners for 30 years before that he dad was hunting these places. and honestly if we had to lease we would just hunt public (we do about 50% of the time anyways). within 3 hours of him posting a picture he had a half dozen guys trying to pin point the field he was in from the picture he posted. some of these guys know have been kicked off leases for being less than ideal people, and have trespassed to kill a deer. it took me a while to learn not to share pictures or info unless its someone your really trust otherwise they or someone they talk to will be trying to use it against you and get your property out from under you or trespass to kill a good one.

The guys that have a lease behind his dads house "detain" all phones before going to the skinning shed. Only people that see them deer are the guys back there and the taxidermist. they've kicked people out for posting pictures of trail camera deer.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
Messages
1,021
I tell everyone where I hunt. It’s on that other property about an hour or five from here. Where is here.? Not gonna tell ya.
 
Top