Not that it needs justifying, but half a night and a day and a half of searching is more time than most would have giving. "Bragging about a ten" was actually a call for help during the time he was looking. There were 6 people out there at the time, including the local that found it later. Finding a deer in a 70 yard diameter search area in certain environments is similar to finding a needle in a hay stack. You would pretty much have to kick him. Some people just like to judge others despite knowing nothing about the situation or what actually happened. Says all I need to know about them

I can see that having the horns would be bittersweet. The "what ifs" would eat you up.

You know what they say about assumptions buck...and it is a typical post from certain individuals, particularly that one.

Not that it needs justifying, but half a night and a day and a half of searching is more time than most would have giving. "Bragging about a ten" was actually a call for help during the time he was looking. There were 6 people out there at the time, including the local that found it later. Finding a deer in a 70 yard diameter search area in certain environments is similar to finding a needle in a hay stack. You would pretty much have to kick him. Some people just like to judge others despite knowing nothing about the situation or what actually happened. Says all I need to know about them

I can see that having the horns would be bittersweet. The "what ifs" would eat you up.

Did the shed hunter tag it? At what point can you pick up a deer and not tag it?

I believe it depends on the state. In Iowa if you find a skull with antlers attached you need to contact the game warden and get a salvage tag (may not be what it's actually called) to have the skull and horns legally. I think Ohio and some other states in the Midwest are the same. Not sure what Texas does.

The way it reads the local was asked to help find the deer because of his experience hunting sheds and his knowledge of the lay of the land. To me this would be similar to calling a tracker with dogs to help. The latter even if a price was not set for the service, etiquete would call for a monetary reward or tip to be offered to the handler with the amount based on distance traveled, time of day or night, if found, time spent, and on the value of the animal to the hunter. If the local was asked to find the deer and took the time to go back for a second search, then texted pictures of the find to the hunter, it may have been first to determine if it is the same deer. And second expected a thank you how much I owe you or statement like I'll for sure be sending you a nice reward for the help. I know a reward would have been offered at the exchange but as a non hunter he may not have understood this. So if the shed hunter who was asked to help spent some time looking and there was no followup communication or no reward for his service was offered initially or after the find, this would be the time to start doing so asap. I bet this would get your friend his deer and the guy might even turn the reward down. Remember again he is not a hunter and may be seeing the hunter as the out of state rich guy who can afford to travel and take the deer while expecting the poor local to be at his service for free. IMHO it is likely miscommunication and two sides seeing each other out of context causing the head to be held out of principle.

How much time passed between the shot and the date it was found?

Kansas requires a salvage tag from the GW as well. One of my pheasant hunting buddies found one and called the GW.

How much time passed between the shot and the date it was found?

About a month.

Did your buddy kill another deer? Did he quit hunting after he hit and lost the 10?

TREX tell him to make the guy an offer.$$$

Sounds like he is going to be getting it back...he hopes