It think it is different with different kids. YOU DID DO THE RIGHT THING THOUGH. Atleast you may get to go back to the place. I had a a guy that let me bring kids to hunt his place in the past and my nephew messed up and shot a deer he should not have. I have not been back on the place and I miss it greatly.

I asked my 7 year old daughter to pass a 2.5 year old 9 pt (110-115") a couple weeks ago. She had him at 20 yds with a crossbow! Her first buck was whatever walked out (and it was a 2.5 year old 6 pt shot earlier in the season) but after that it has to be 3.5 years old or older, horn size does not matter. If I let her shoot a 2.5 year old every time we went out she could mop up as we see a good many. If she shoots all the high end 2.5 year olds, we have no high end 3.5 year olds. It is tough, but she understands and still has the drive to go.

We do have some property that is not strictly managed that I can take her just to shoot something when the finger gets itchy though.

Sometimes its better to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.

A 125" 8pt for a 10yo...Let er rip son.

^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

And people wonder why folks that are fortunate enough to hunt good property don't invite guests.

A 10-yr old or a hunter that's killed 100+ deer - as a guest on a piece of property, it is their responsibility to NOT embarrass their host or put them in a bad situation. It's just a deer - is it really worth jeopardizing a relationship with a friend by proving yourself untrustworthy?

It is not. Nor is it too much to ask of a child that has already killed a few deer to be a part of a reasonable management plan. Let them shoot two does instead of that 2.5 year old 8 pt. Teach them to process the meat, tan the hide, and make a gun rack out of the legs. It can be fun in between the times you get the privilege of killing mature deer.

Lots of good points being said. IF, and that's a big "IF", there was anything done wrong during this hunt it would be that the host and the guest should have made sure what age/size is a shooter BEFORE they get in the woods and into a situation like this. I have always verified what was considered a shooter and what needed to be allowed to walk. I have been fortunate enough to be occassionally allowed to hunt a property that is within 5 minutes of my house, for the last 6 years or so. Every year, I check with the owner and see what his goals are that year. If it's let the bucks walk and concentrate on does, then that's what I'll do, regardless of what steps out. No sense in waiting until the deer is standing there before I think about what I should/shouldn't do.

not on someone elses place that asks you not to.

respect and honor are better lessons than just killing a deer.....

Damn straight.

my grandson and I hunted a friends place in the youth season. We were told(past and present) to kill does and five year old trophies. First deer we saw was a spike that tried everything he knew to get Dylan to shoot it. Next was a nice 2.5 nine point that Dylan said was too young, on his own. Proud of my grandson I tell ya.

I get tired of hearing the "managing the fun out of hunting/just hunt and have fun" crap. I've top end trophy hunted for years and have as much "fun" as anyone on here does, esp when I connect on one of those bruisers. I get no joy out of shooting a two year old buck of any size.

I always err on the side of care when shooting deer on someone elses place who has standards on what to shoot...I do not want to take a substandard(to owner or me) buck into the cleaning shed.

I gave up inviting other hunters to my place in Leeds because they simply could not follow simple directions on what to shoot....

congrats for doing the right thing, and congrats to yer boy.

X1000000000

The way it works on my places is you do right you get invited back. What's more important asking for forgiveness and possibly ruining your young sons chances of maybe not hunting there again or doing right and maybe have him a long term place to enjoy?

I am really surprised at about half the repsonses... But I guess it explains a lot... MO - Landowner's rules - period. A hunter is a hunter. I have hunted in Germany - and the rules are way more strict! You have no idea! And you can't afford the fine!

Good for the OP and hopefully his son will understand. Only thing I always ask in a situation like that is that I will take a long tine spike if I see one - over anything else - we called them murderer bucks in Germany. they can go right by a rack and kill a good deer. Never had anyone tell me they didn't want one of those killed.

Rules are rules. It's better to get used to following them when your young. Then when time flies by and your older, you've got friends that that are good, and following rules are just a part of life, and they don't bother you a bit.

Still, like the fella said above... it's very necessary to find out and make crystal clear just exactly what the rules are.