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I had this buck come in on me this pass year while bow hunting. He stayed around me for almost 10 minutes before he walked off. He had a huge tumor hanging down off his brisket the size of a volleyball. I just wasn't sure if the meat would be safe to eat so I passed on him. Who would have shot this buck not just for the rack?
I don't like wasting my tags not being able to harvest the meat.
A long hair country boy can survive
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592138 05/26/2210:40 PM05/26/2210:40 PM
He seemed healthy, alert and eating. I say he was safe to eat. Would I hav shot him no. I don't do the shooting much any more I save the trigger pulling for my boys. They would have shot it and if I found a problem I would contact the DNR to take a look and issue another tag if there is an issue.
Last buck I shot had a wound in its belly below the guts and above the skin. It stunk and had thick puss shoot out when touched. Taged it but the Coyotes ate that one. The rack popped off one side when it hit the ground the other when I grabbed it. So it got put down before It died from a bad infection and I got a set of sheads. Didn't have hours to wait on the conservation officer to get down and issue a new tag . They are spread to thin.
Last edited by Providence Farm; 05/26/2210:50 PM.
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592160 05/26/2211:11 PM05/26/2211:11 PM
I would have shot. Once i saw he was shooter size, i subconsciously dont see detail and focus on the kill. I most likely would not have noticed the tumor unless i saw him coming from a distance. Even then i still may not have noticed.
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592273 05/27/2207:14 AM05/27/2207:14 AM
If it makes you happy and it is legal then shoot it
Not sure it would be legal here so I would pass
That "tumor" has a name but I can't remember what it is. Pretty sure it is harmless but can't remember name to confirm
Why would that buck not be legal where you live? It was a nice heavy 8 point rack but not a Boone & Crockett for sure.
Have to have inside spread greater than ear tips and didn't look like he made the cut to me. But I was not concentrating on width of his antlers, more on the mass between his front legs. He could be wider than his ear tips which would make him legal here. The rule here is actually 13" or wider inside spread but hard to get one to stand still so you can measure and ear tips on the ones around here are usually around 13" tip to tip at the "alert" position so that is the common way of deciding before pulling the trigger
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592299 05/27/2207:48 AM05/27/2207:48 AM
I had a similar situation happen two years ago. Buck had a large tumor on his front shoulder and some warts hanging off him. I took photos and sent a few pictures to my local DNR officer. He told me not to tag it and to dispose of it.
I will always shoot a deer that seems to be injured, infected, or diseased.
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592312 05/27/2208:12 AM05/27/2208:12 AM
it's durring season? I have a shot? it is a large bodied legal deer? I have a tag? if yes to all those , it was dead when it got in range before I could ever see the tumor.
at that point call the warden and see if I can have him tag it or get a spare tag. if not I generally have extra doe tags so just keep filling the freezer.
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592351 05/27/2209:14 AM05/27/2209:14 AM
Swamp can verify or confirm, but I think if you shoot a deer that can’t be eaten (processor deems it inedible) then I think you can get another tag from DNR. Had a buddy that shot a very nice buck they found a puss pocket on while skinning and the processor immediately removed it from the hanging station and chunked it. Then they did a military style cleaning job before they’d even think of hanging another deer. He called DNR and they issued another tag.
Re: Would you shoot?
[Re: Bigbuck]
#7592367 05/27/2209:48 AM05/27/2209:48 AM
It’s been several years ago and after this I may have DNR showing up on my doorstep, but I came across this one July while running traps. She was in a pond eating when I saw her and I thought I’ll sneak down and get some cool pics. I got to about 50 yards and she turned her head and I freaked out…zombie deer!! I called the manager and told him what I’d seen and got the ok to “remove” her. A .22 to the head at 50 yards ended it. The biologist we called wanted pics even pics of the hooves. Never seen anything like it since and hope I never do again.
I passed on a similar buck some years ago, swelling the size of a soccer ball between the front legs...I was NOT going to eat that deer. I seriously thought of dumping him for the coyotes, and was about to, but didn't want to spoil a chance at another deer that morning.