Question of etiquette

[DeerThug]

Sounds to me that he was in the general area that all of you have been hunting, (when you were off doing something else) and found a legal buck and shot it.  Strap on the pack board and help pack out.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

It's not your deer til you put your tag on it. Maybe the day you spotted it, if you called them over then they shot it out from under you. But it certainly isn't your deer for the rest of the season or into infinity.  If you wanted it that bad, you should have stayed on it.  Not worth losing a friend over.

[follow maggie]

It wasn’t your deer & it’s not your spot. It’s a spot you like,  but it’s not yours. Since you wanted the deer that badly, you should have been out hunting it. No foul committed.

[Sliverslinger]

Not a blue falcon move. Certainly not something to let a rift with a good buddy develop over.

The only time something like this is a problem is with known secret honey holes. I have a few fishing and hunting spots that I never see a soul and are dynamite. I spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours over the years to find them. I do the work, pack in the cameras and salt, etc… In the event I saw a random person who worked hard enough to get there, I wouldn’t be mad. I’d go fist bump and say hi. BUT, on the extremely rare occasion I’ve taken a buddy and shown them one of those spots, if they went back down there without me and hunted a buck I told them I was after, I wouldn’t be taking them to any more spots ever. That said, I actually talk about it before showing them the spot, and tell them I’ll take you and show you this spot and you agree not to tell a soul, don’t send a friend pictures, and not to go back down there without me. Now it’s not wrong or illegal if they do, but that would be a BF move. That not what you’re talking about, but maybe it paints the difference.

[Taco280AI]

Appreciate everyone's input, everyone hunts differently. I, myself, know that if a friend found a buck 1.4 miles from where I was hunting, I wouldn't go after that buck when he wasn't there, especially knowing they'd go after it again. Unless I asked and he said go for it... but that's just me.

[dilleytech]

Sure sounds like you two were hunting together. And you told him about the buck and brought him to it. If anything learn the lesson of why you keep stuff to yourself. But if you do what you did you can’t be upset he shot the deer. You basically spoon fed it to him.

[Encore 280]

Appreciate everyone's input, everyone hunts differently. I, myself, know that if a friend found a buck 1.4 miles from where I was hunting, I wouldn't go after that buck when he wasn't there, especially knowing they'd go after it again. Unless I asked and he said go for it... but that's just me.

We're in the same boat. I have hunting partners that have taken me to their spots. I don't go back there without asking first or go with them. I don't take anyone else there either. That's just me. 

[hunter399]

It's not your deer til you put your tag on it. Maybe the day you spotted it, if you called them over then they shot it out from under you. But it certainly isn't your deer for the rest of the season or into infinity.  If you wanted it that bad, you should have stayed on it.  Not worth losing a friend over.

I agree 

Learned that last year,till your tag hangs on it.
Sometimes you can kill it,and someone else tag can hang on it.
It can be hard to relocate a buck sometimes. Or maybe it was standing right in the road.
Either way his now.

[10thmountainarcher]

Is it bad hunter etiquette, no I don’t think so at all. Is it bad friend etiquette, absolutely! If you found this deer and specifically told your buddy you were going to come back to hunt him in a few days and he proceeded to go up there as described and harvest him, that’s a bad friend. That “friend” would not be a hunting buddy for me anymore.

[pianoman9701]

Poor etiquette for sure. How important is your friendship? If it's important, wish him congratulations and find another buck. Next time, you'll know better what to share with him and his tenderfoot friend. 

[GWP]

Sorry, I find this silly.
What if you were hunting together and you pushed 'your deer' and it gave him a perfect broadside? Should he try and push it back to you? Yell so it runs off so you can get a chance at taking it or NOT TAKING IT at a later time?
Even worse would be if he passed up on it and another hunter close by harvested it. Then what? Go yell at him that it was 'your' deer?
There is no guarantee either one of you will get a shot at that critter or any other. Hunting is hunting.
Be glad for him, help him and maybe he will spiff you some meat.

Not YOUR deer. Not YOUR private hunting spot.

This reminds me of an avid fisherman that was telling me about his 'honey hole' and not telling anyone else about it. As he was describing it I was thinking, "I am sure I have fished that spot for many years."
Next time camping in the area I went to the 'honey hole' and there were 7 boats in the spot and was a spot I fished nearly every time I was in the area. Either he told a bunch of people about it or it is a commonly known area. Should I not fish there without his permission?

Another reason I stopped hunting (for now) is all the entitled people, camera's, ATV hunters off the trail plus unsafe practices by hunters. Not worth getting shot on purpose or accidentally.
Carry on.

[ipkus]

I see I’m in the minority here but I feel the way Taco does.  New spot to both, that Taco had suggested they check out.  Taco said he was going to elk hunt a few days and then come back and look for the deer he’d found.  Buddy went in the next day and shot it.

After the conversation they had his buddy at a minimum should have asked “hey, do you mind if I go look for those deer while you are elk hunting?”  He did not, and he didn’t because Taco had already stated his intentions.

I expect my hunting partners to behave the same way I do/would toward them…and I would never do what Taco’s buddy did.

Legal? Yep.  If his buddy put himself in Taco’s place and then had someone do that to him I can almost guarantee he’d have a problem with it, too.

Everyone knows good hunting buddies are hard to find, and I’ve only got a couple, but they are cherished because I never have to worry about anything wonky going down.  And it’s only the way it is because of how many issues I’ve dealt with over the years learning the hard way.  Now hunting with other people has to pass the universal life saying of “trust, but verify”.  I’m too old to get burned again!

[GWP]

As an addendum, in the 70's I went Elk hunting with a friend (first and last time hunting together) when I lived in Montana. We were driving in MY rig up the mountain, and I thought I would ask about distribution if we got an Elk. He stated "Whomever shoots the animal gets all of it." 
My rig and I am supposed to help haul and process it? No gas money? No meat from the harvest? Seriously?
Always get the rules between you straightened out ahead of time.

[northwesthunter84]

So I read through the initial post.  The way it reads is the OP and a buddy went into the new area (on public ground) and split up.  OP passed on a legal deer the first trip, found a bigger deer the second trip and passed on it (I understand trying to get a deer for the new hunter). Takes the day off because elk season and hopes that deer is still there days later (on public ground).  Buddy walks in from another access point on OP's off day and kills a nice 3 point (on public ground), while OP is at home and the OP is miffed.
 
If the OP was my hunting partner, I would tell them to get off his high horse.  I put in just as much work, anyone could have found that deer, anyone at any time and killed it. I wouldn't hunt with that person again.  Should be happy a buddy filled a tag.  If it is really about buddies hunting together, than enjoy each other's success.  Don't be a poor sport, just because you made a conscious decision not to pull the trigger.

Our group used to draw ping pong balls to figure out shooter.  Now we pretty much go with whoever gets eyes on first, unless it's pushing a comfort zone on shot distance.  It is a group effort and the group success.  If that's not how it feels maybe hunt solo, then you will never run into this situation.  The other way just breeds jealousy and animosity.

[wastickslinger]

Try giving your buddy green light to sit in your blind. He calls you excited as you have ever heard him. He sticks a 217” archery hammer of a muley! Still best buddies and go to hell and back for eachother. Best pard I could ask for. When you have a hunting buddy you better be prepared to be happy for them too.