Guest Mistake Stories...

[Shinesintx]

Years ago, I took both my BILs hunting on my granddads lease. Neither of them had ever shot a deer. Friday evening I get my 1st BIL on a bunch of does. He’s calm, he’s cool, he shoots the biggest and oldest doe...cuz it’s January and it’s doe only season. Saturday evening I take the other BIL to sit in the same mesquite bush that backs up to a winter wheat field. On this evening, there’s doe and bucks everywhere. I picked out a nice doe about 50 yards away, he argues with me that he sees better. I said nope, you shoot that one. He’s not happy about the deer I chose and shoots a nice spike. Well, it really wasn’t a spike, it was about a 3.5 year old buck...maybe 120-130?

I was upset. Have no clue why the idiot shot the buck, he knew it was doe season...it had been discussed on the 4 hour ride to the lease. I walked up to the deer, shook my head and started walking back to the trailer. He asked what about the deer? I said leave it, let’s go.

In retrospect, I should have called it in to the warden. I just didn’t want to have to deal with the wife’s family for the rest of my life. I still feel bad, should have handled it differently.

Fast forward 17 years later. That BIL has still not hunted my property...and never will.

[Encinal]

Friend of mine had a guy shoot a 3yo typical 16 after he was specifically told not to shoot that deer if it came in.

I learned then that if I'm ever in the situation where I control who hunts somewhere, nobody sits alone.

Two people that don't know each other have a conscience.

Having the guide really doesn't say anything about the feelings we have about the hunting chops of the client. When you aren't going to shoot a deer, you have a different perspective.

Ive had guides go kill a deer for themselves and screw up because they got excited.

It's funny how the brain works. You cannot be an unbiased judge of deer and be hopped up on adrenaline. It's impossible.

[UrbanBuck]

I'd have told him to pack his **** and leave. Don't care if he was a customer or not.

[8pointer]

Years ago, I took both my BILs hunting on my granddads lease. Neither of them had ever shot a deer. Friday evening I get my 1st BIL on a bunch of does. He’s calm, he’s cool, he shoots the biggest and oldest doe...cuz it’s January and it’s doe only season. Saturday evening I take the other BIL to sit in the same mesquite bush that backs up to a winter wheat field. On this evening, there’s doe and bucks everywhere. I picked out a nice doe about 50 yards away, he argues with me that he sees better. I said nope, you shoot that one. He’s not happy about the deer I chose and shoots a nice spike. Well, it really wasn’t a spike, it was about a 3.5 year old buck...maybe 120-130?

I was upset. Have no clue why the idiot shot the buck, he knew it was doe season...it had been discussed on the 4 hour ride to the lease. I walked up to the deer, shook my head and started walking back to the trailer. He asked what about the deer? I said leave it, let’s go.

In retrospect, I should have called it in to the warden. I just didn’t want to have to deal with the wife’s family for the rest of my life. I still feel bad, should have handled it differently.

Fast forward 17 years later. That BIL has still not hunted my property...and never will.

I know it was not your fault in any way, but I would not have left that deer.

[Shinesintx]

I know it was not your fault in any way, but I would not have left that deer.

Totally agree with you. Like I said, I should have handled it differently...but it was 17 years ago. Looking back, I think I wanted to punish him for being an idiot...which made me the idiot for leaving the meat.

[adam_p]

Two people that don't know each other have a conscience.

Having the guide really doesn't say anything about the feelings we have about the hunting chops of the client. When you aren't going to shoot a deer, you have a different perspective.

Ive had guides go kill a deer for themselves and screw up because they got excited.

It's funny how the brain works. You cannot be an unbiased judge of deer and be hopped up on adrenaline. It's impossible.

I agree.

That is my favorite part about trail cameras, I've usually already made a decision on whether I'd shoot a deer or not bases on pics.

But every year we have deer show up that I don't recognize, I just haven't had one that tested me yet.

It is hard when you know your neighbor will shoot the deer, but that is the gambles we have to take. I think I've already lost one this year.

I lied, I think I have one guy aside from my brother who I can 100% trust to not shoot a young deer. He is also the only person I trust enough to share pics with.

[dbwilson]

We had an incident at our family ranch about 10 years back. The ranch is owned by my granddad on my dads side and typically just me, my dad and granddad hunt the ranch each year. Well one year my step granddad on my moms side who does not hunt asked if his best friend from Ohio could come down and hunt. We agreed to let him come down to hunt and it happened to be opening weekend when he was in town. My dad drove out with them the Friday before and explained the Texas hunting regulations to them and asked that the friend either shoot 1 buck and 1 doe or 2 does as the country regulations at the time stated 1 buck and 2 doe per year. We also requested that he not shoot any of our trophy deer and went over what we considered to be a trophy. Saturday morning my dad puts both of them in a blind and then heads to his. Shortly after shooting light he hears a gun shot from their direction, then a few minutes later another, then another, then ten minutes later another, and finally a few minutes after that a 5th gunshot. My dad assumed they had shot one got out of the stand to trail it and it hopped up so they shot at it some more. He began to walk to their blind to see if he could help find the deer. When he got to the blind he found the obnoxious friend dragging up the last of the 5 deer he had shot that morning. The obnoxious friend who was not sorry at all told my dad he hadn't shot his gun in a while and when the deer didn't fall he just assumed he had missed each shot. He then looked at my dad and said well I guess I will have to use some of your tags for my deer since I only have three tags and 5 deer (2 of which were bucks and a 3rd that was a nub buck with antlers breaking the skin) My dad looked at him and told him he was on his own and didn't care of the game warden caught him and gave him a ticket. I arrived later Saturday morning with my grandfather on my dads said and they told me the story of his wonderful hunt which he was not the least bit sorry about killing 5 deer that morning. We made it very clear he would never be invited back to the ranch under any circumstance but he actually had the balls to ask my grandpa the next year if he could come back again! We explained to my step granddad who does not hunt that his friend had taken advantage of us and would never be back again but that he was welcome anytime. Lesson learned from this is make it very clear to guest they must go search for a deer anytime they shoot.

[BIGTERRY75]

We have a new rule at our place.
No Guest hunts without one of us in the blind with them.

[WBT]

It's hard to fathom a guest having such little respect for the gracious person that invites them on a hunt. I'd be absolutely livid in such a situation. Especially if it was someone I considered a friend. I've spent a ton of money buying and improving my ranch, and to have a guest come out there and do something like this? It's incredible.

[TxDispatcher]

It's hard to fathom a guest having such little respect for the gracious person that invites them on a hunt. I'd be absolutely livid in such a situation. Especially if it was someone I considered a friend. I've spent a ton of money buying and improving my ranch, and to have a guest come out there and do something like this? It's incredible.

It is extremely hard for me to wrap my head around it. I helped guide on a ranch for a friend for the last few years when they've had more hunters than guides. One year they were killing all of the native deer. I had the green light on Sunday evenings to go kill native deer. I wasn't fortunate enough to have any step out, but I'd rather be invited back to guide than to take advantage of the green light and shoot something I knew was off limits. I just don't get it

[8pointer]

Totally agree with you. Like I said, I should have handled it differently...but it was 17 years ago. Looking back, I think I wanted to punish him for being an idiot...which made me the idiot for leaving the meat.

[bobc]

I’d say the BIL clogging the toilet and then leaving the feces behind on the floor thread going on right now would fit the bill.


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[6.5 shooter]

We had a brother in law of a lease member last year shoot a 2.5 yo 10pt and was told to only shoot pigs. He’s never allowed back on the ranch and the lease member lost his trophy for this season.

[Ryan81]

The nerve of some people amaze me. It's simple... No what the target is and follow landowner rules. I'm hunting a nice place in OK that my cousin invited me to. I pay nothing but my license, corn and help out with other things. He told me he has one target buck and I respect that since it's my first year. It will be hard to pass on it but I will unless he gives me the okay.

Not me but a family member. They have a nice deer herd for the area... They hand corn year round and have 20 +/- deer in their yard daily. He typically lets some guys over each year on thanksgiving weekend to shoot a doe. His rule is no bucks, they put corn in the feeders on the back of the place and I don't think he hand corns then. Last year a few bucks were killed so guests aren't allowed this year. I'm sure I could kill a doe if I wanted and may just do it.

I don't have any good stories. I usually hunt by myself or with other responsible hunters.


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[TxAg]

We had an incident at our family ranch about 10 years back. The ranch is owned by my granddad on my dads side and typically just me, my dad and granddad hunt the ranch each year. Well one year my step granddad on my moms side who does not hunt asked if his best friend from Ohio could come down and hunt. We agreed to let him come down to hunt and it happened to be opening weekend when he was in town. My dad drove out with them the Friday before and explained the Texas hunting regulations to them and asked that the friend either shoot 1 buck and 1 doe or 2 does as the country regulations at the time stated 1 buck and 2 doe per year. We also requested that he not shoot any of our trophy deer and went over what we considered to be a trophy. Saturday morning my dad puts both of them in a blind and then heads to his. Shortly after shooting light he hears a gun shot from their direction, then a few minutes later another, then another, then ten minutes later another, and finally a few minutes after that a 5th gunshot. My dad assumed they had shot one got out of the stand to trail it and it hopped up so they shot at it some more. He began to walk to their blind to see if he could help find the deer. When he got to the blind he found the obnoxious friend dragging up the last of the 5 deer he had shot that morning. The obnoxious friend who was not sorry at all told my dad he hadn't shot his gun in a while and when the deer didn't fall he just assumed he had missed each shot. He then looked at my dad and said well I guess I will have to use some of your tags for my deer since I only have three tags and 5 deer (2 of which were bucks and a 3rd that was a nub buck with antlers breaking the skin) My dad looked at him and told him he was on his own and didn't care of the game warden caught him and gave him a ticket. I arrived later Saturday morning with my grandfather on my dads said and they told me the story of his wonderful hunt which he was not the least bit sorry about killing 5 deer that morning. We made it very clear he would never be invited back to the ranch under any circumstance but he actually had the balls to ask my grandpa the next year if he could come back again! We explained to my step granddad who does not hunt that his friend had taken advantage of us and would never be back again but that he was welcome anytime. Lesson learned from this is make it very clear to guest they must go search for a deer anytime they shoot.

I would have called the law on him