Question of etiquette

[Rob]

I can assure you that none of my buddies would behave like yours did.  If they did I would not be hunting with them anymore.

Coming back with "It doesn't matter where I went" when questioned is a flippant reply. 

My buddies and I work as a team when hunting.  We try to ensure everyone has a chance to fill a tag.  That said there is no such thing as "my deer" when trying to fill a tag.  Whomever has the shot is encouraged to take the shot and nobody begrudges the fact.  The key is communication.  Your "buddy" seems to have 2 issues (Knowing only the info you provided at hand).  1 poor communication.  He should have disclosed his plans fully and strategized with the team.  2.  The flippant reply seems to indicate he knew he was acting questionably yet he did it anyway.

Anyway, sounds like you should be looking for a replacement buddy.  I'd rather pack my deer out solo than hunt with him.

[Rob]

It is a breach of trust - and that is sacred.  Life is too short to deal with folks like that.

One thing though - if he really is a good buddy as you have said, then it is worth talking it out with him.  While his reply indicates he knows he violated your trust, he may come around and see your point of view if you talk it thru. 

[jbuck]

Do you hunt as a team or solo? Serious question.

If your team hunting sharing information then anything you share is to help him as well. And visa versa.

If I'm hunting as a team we do everything we can to get meat for the camp. There are guys I'm 100% with. There is no my deer or your deer in these camps.

Otherwise if I share anything, I wouldn't blame anyone for acting on that info.

That all said, the way I usually handle those situations is ill set up on a deer and make a call. "If he moves I'm going to shoot, but I'll try to hold off until you get here" I wouldn't pass on a deer so that a buddy might make it there. I would hold off as long as possible though.

[ghosthunter]

Do you hunt as a team or solo? Serious question.

If your team hunting sharing information then anything you share is to help him as well. And visa versa.

If I'm hunting as a team we do everything we can to get meat for the camp. There are guys I'm 100% with. There is no my deer or your deer in these camps.

Otherwise if I share anything, I wouldn't blame anyone for acting on that info.

That all said, the way I usually handle those situations is ill set up on a deer and make a call. "If he moves I'm going to shoot, but I'll try to hold off until you get here" I wouldn't pass on a deer so that a buddy might make it there. I would hold off as long as possible though.

We do half that sorta.

We do everything we can to help each other, including info, pack out, hanging ,skinning, any support needed in our camp. But for deer you keep what you shoot.

Here’ s a photo of that concept in action.

Our oldest member, had a doe tag.
Two of us spotted a group of does heading down to a creek bottom nearest the road.
Radio the old guy who drove to the spot and in his 80 s made a running shot on a doe.
Mortality wounded she proceeded out of sight.
Another radio call and everyone in camp responded to locate the dead doe and drag it out for him, help hang it ,skin it.
The next day he boned it out on his own while the rest of us hunted.

[ghosthunter]

On our cook shack we have this quote which describes our attitude towards hunting.

It’s also what makes a hunting camp work.

[ducks4days]

He was out deer hunting, you told him about the location of a deer, then are surprised he went and killed it? Why is this even a question?

[Bowhunter3]

What a post 

[7mmfan]

Given that I can only interpret what I'm reading, I don't blame him. Maybe if you had explicitly said, "Please don't go kill that deer, I want another crack at him", then I think there could be an issue, but otherwise I'd say you both explored the ground together for the first time, and he took what was learned and went back and killed one. I don't see an issue with that.

[OutHouse]

It is a breach of trust - and that is sacred.  Life is too short to deal with folks like that.

One thing though - if he really is a good buddy as you have said, then it is worth talking it out with him.  While his reply indicates he knows he violated your trust, he may come around and see your point of view if you talk it thru.

I voted neutral but this post resonates with me. Your friend's reply shows that he knows its an issue. But definitely something you should two should talk about because it sounds like this relationship is worth saving.

My brother got really ticked at me one year when I put his deer down. His deer was liver shot and I've had experiences with them living a long time like that. His buck got up and started walking away while he just sat there. I sent a .30 cal through the boiler room with an old Mosin Nagant, and buck goes down. We talked it out heavily and everything was understood and we have a protocol now moving forward. I think that might be in order here.

[hunter399]

Sorry your "friend" sucks.
Not because he got your buck, because he can't tell ya the details of the hunt.
I can tell ya probably just want to know how it went down.
Maybe a location,maybe take a good look at the rack,ect,ect.

So ya that sucks.

But here it comes,silver lining coming up here.
I'll be your friend,spot me a buck,I'll kill it.
I will tell you everything you want to know.
Split some meat ...no problem.
Skin it ,pack it, whatever you want.

All jokes aside ,I thank you should talk to your friend in person.
Have a beer,crack some jokes,try to talk about it.
Not saying you still have to hunt together.
I find talking in person is much better,than a bunch of BS messages.

If God wanted you to have that buck,then it would be yours.
Sometimes you have to accept the cards your delt.
Be happy for your friend.
At least your friend didn't tell you he slit the deers throat,right after you shot it in the throat. Lol... 😂

[Taco280AI]

We talked and handled it 

[OutHouse]

We talked and handled it 

Excellent!

[TommyGun496]

Congrats to your friend on his buck!