Would you take this?

[benelli_dude2002]

seen a doe swimming one time and it was about 3/4 mile to the closest island. whenever she wanted to take a break from "dog paddling" she would just quit and kinda float along and let her legs dangle. nice pic by the way!

[USPENAMC]

what if i get in the water swim with one hand while aiming and shooting...that would make it fair wouldnt it?... JK guys just hoping to get a few laughs.

[harvey lee]

fishinfey8-I would have done the same thing.

That buck is nice but after the velvet is off, it won't look that large. If thats not velvet, then that buck has some huge mass and it would be shot the second it hit the shoreline.

Maybe another season if in velvet.

[jbell1981]

That buck is nice but after the velvet is off, it won't look that large. If thats not velvet, then that buck has some huge mass and it would be shot the second it hit the shoreline.

Maybe another season if in velvet.

Isn't the first pic of it in velvet and the second with the velvet off?

[HooknHorns]

That show could have taken place on the Canadian side. Big enough deer where most would think real hard about it.

[Meat-Run]

hooknhorns,

I think you are correct and if I remember correctly they discussed it in the show the legality of it for the viewers to understand before they start sending him hate mail. Eitherway I would wait till the deer was completely out of the water and then let him have it. Like someone mentioned before that's like hunter safety 101, never shoot into or over water.

mr

[Seamus]

for all you dudes that say you aint gunna take this one you guys are crazy because your neighbor will just take him and you passin on him to wait another year.

Note from admin, please read forum policy before posting again, thank you.

[harvey lee]

Thats the choice I make as a sportsman Seamus. If we all shoot the little guy, well, don't complain about never seeing anything larger.

[pikerliker]

I agree with you Seamus to one extent that I would take the deer. On the other hand I could care less what my neighbor would do. That is not going to determine weather I shoot a deer or not. Personally I think this guy is a beast and that's why I would take him. Most of us will never see a buck this large while hunting. A "trophy" is totally relevent to where you hunt, how much time you have to scout/hunt the area, how much control you have over the deer population in the area, the genetics and growth potential of the area, etc. Some of us also hunt because we like to eat venison and believe in population management. I go mainly for the experience that's why I hunt the north woods where my chances of seeing a huge buck are much smaller than someone in other areas. I don't need a magazine cover deer to make my hunt.

~piker

[LightningBG]

Why would you shoot any defensless animal?

I'm wondering if a deer is the middle of a field is defenseless too?

Vulnerable might be a better term, but it was their dumb fault for going in the water to begin with. The water is their defense, its just not a real good one.

For the most part all of the animals we are harvesting, deer, turkey, fish, etc are "defenseless", or at least we're trying to trick them and fool there natural defenses. Maybe this weekend I'll leave a knife out in the woods, so they can grab it if they choose.

[Arctic]

Based on rack size, I'd drop that buck in a second -- if it were on dry land. Being that it is illegal and unsafe to fire a rifle over water you could not legally harvest that deer where it is.

Let's pretend that you could legally kill that deer in the water. That photo leaves out some info. Is it a river? How many of you guys bring a boat with you during your deer hunt? Could be a tough recovery.