Deer hunters-- ethics question

mike2112

mike2112

New member
Lets say your neighbors "friend" shoots a deer and hits it in the hind quarter. I gets about ten-fifteen feet onto your property and you put one thru the heart. Flag the shooter down to show him/her where the deer is and they high tail it out of the area.

What would you do? I contacted the neighbor and explained to him what happened, and he assured me that the person would not be allowed there again. However it is the same person who pulled this same stunt two years ago.

Thanks in advance,

Mike
 
In my state you broke the law when you finished it of so calling the F&G would just get you in trouble,load it up and give it to your neighbor and tell him to deal with it.
 
In my state abandoning shot game is "wasting game", and also against the law. I would inform the neighbor that his "friend" will be reported to F&G if he ever shows up hunting again.
 
Mike2112 only broke the law if he didn't tag it himself. He didn't say how the deer was finally disposed. The guy that shot it "may" have been breaking the law if he made no attempt to retrieve his game. Then again, since Mike shot it the slob could say he felt the deer belonged to Mike since it was Mike's shot that put the animal down for good. He could offer that as a reason for his behavior and probably nobody could prove differently. It's a bad deal since Mike can't control who, or how, someone hunts off his own property. Having a slob hunter next door would surely strain neighbor relations... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Yes I did put a tag on it, and I confronted the guy who shot it and he told me since it went onto the land I hunt that it was now "my problem"

With him and I both having rifles, I thought it best to talk to the land owner about it.

Just bugs the daylights out of me, I would not of shot the buck under any other situation. He still had a couple years of growning to do and he would of been a dandy.

Mike
 
I just wanted to add this, Mike it sounds like you have YOUR ethics worked out nicely. Congrat's to you for doing the right thing.
 
My question is, why didnt you just let the deer bed down, and allow the hunter to come get it himself? I think if you shoot the deer, you own it. Thats the way it works out west. The best solution would have been to hold off, and show the hunter where his deer had bedded down. Let him finish the deer off and claim it.
 
And let the deer lie owunded for a couple hours? That is definitely not the right thing to do. I owuld have done just hte same. IN my book it is the guy who hit it first that the deer belongs too.
 
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I think if you shoot the deer, you own it. Thats the way it works out west. The best solution would have been to hold off, and show the hunter where his deer had bedded down. Let him finish the deer off and claim it.



+1
 
If you take it in your hands and shoot the deer you have made the decision and have to live with it,there are poor hunters everywhere and it could have happened to the best of us.The hunter may have feared a trespas ticket if he went and retrieved the deer,if you had given him permision to come over and finish the deer you may have avoided the situation.
 
But elks, that puts you in a position where you have to depend on another hunter's ethics. What you suggest is certainly the humane thing to do, but doing so puts you in a position where you may have to tag a buck that you're not particularly interested in tagging. It's a tough call to make. But I think trying to put the guy who originally pulled the trigger on it would be best. Conversely, I've heard plenty of stories about a hunter tracking a wounded animal only to find it finished and tagged by someone else. Not a good situation either.

Like I said, tough call.
 
Its a bit like hitting one with your car! You cant put the wounded animal down. You have to let it lay there, injured, and allow the game and fish, or highway patrol, to make the decision to shoot the animal. If you do it, your poaching. Once you put a bullet in the animal, no matter what your reasoning, you own it. You have absolutely no legal right to shoot an animal you dont intend to keep. Also, in the original story, it sounds like the hunters that wounded the animal were in eyesight of the kill. Just my opinion. I hate to see any animal suffer, but a missed shot happens to the best of us.
 
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And let the deer lie owunded for a couple hours? That is definitely not the right thing to do. I owuld have done just hte same. IN my book it is the guy who hit it first that the deer belongs too.



I would not take kindly to some one shooting a deer and expecting me to tag it. What if you hit it in the shoulder, or the butt, and ruin meat? You dont have a leg to stand on in court, or in defense of yourself, if your shooting lead at an animal.
 
Tough call. I think it would have to be at the momentcall for me. If I could see the hunter I would probably passed it, but then I think I couldnt let it suffer. Im not really sure what Id do. It definetly be a spur of the moment call.
 
The deer was already jacked up. If I ever wounded a deer that another hunters has to put down, than I would thank him for doing so regardless of where they hit it. It would be my fault for making a poor shot in the first place.

I talked with my DOW agent this morning about this situation. Technically the guy who first shot it was in viloation of the law for leaving the deer, and not attempting to recover an injured deer. If a landowner or leasee then finds the deer in bad shape, then they should actually do 2 things. First thing done should be to call the DOW/State Patrol and leave a message involving the situation and then dispatch the deer. The outfitter I work with does this 3-4 times a year. He has never had an issue. Somone on a neighboring property shoots an animal and it ends up on his land to die, he finishes it off, calls the officer they come pick it up and donate any meat that is ok for consumption. My dow officer said he would have no problem reissuing me a tag for doing the "Ethical thing" even if I did not want the animal, as long as it was infact wounded.

And yes you would have a leg to stand on, that would be the fact that the guy who intially shot it violated the law. HE was responsible for the deer. You were doing nothing more than being a good samaritan and an ethical person.

I think many people do not give the officers enough credit. They will be able to sort things out and figure out what was right and wrong. The best thing to do is have your ducks in a row when they get there.
 
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The deer was already jacked up. If I ever wounded a deer that another hunters has to put down, than I would thank him for doing so regardless of where they hit it. It would be my fault for making a poor shot in the first place.



I agree with that.
 
That must be the difference in state laws. I am a Civil Engineer, and have managed highway construction projects for over 10 years. I have reported injured animals a MINIMUM of 10 times per year, every year, to the game and fish or highway patrol. Quite often the contractors will have a fire arm available, and I have asked the Game and Fish if I could put the animal down. Not only is the animal suffering, but it could also get back out onto the roadway and cause an accident. The fact that I worked for the State Department of Transportation didnt matter either. Not in a single case was I allowed to put the animal out of its misery. I have driven past deer with broken legs, paniced along side of the highway for more than 3 hours until an officer would be available to shoot the animal. I found deer hung up in fences, with nothing but bone left for 6 inches of their lower leg, and had to leave them there to die, or let nature take its course. In Wyoming, you had better not take matters into your own hands. My take on the situation is this... Nature is hard, and animals die all the time, from starvation, predation, deep snow or other injuries. The Game and Fish people cant have the public shooting animals and claiming an injury, where they would have to investigate every case. Its hard to watch, because the animals I see are severely broken and distraught. Many can panic and get back out on the roadway in a effort to escape, which can cause a severe accident. I thought as construction manager and Department employee, I could make the judgement call and dispatch the animal, but was strictly told I couldnt, and advised I could be held legally responsible for harvesting an animal out of season. Just the way the laws work in Wyoming. If anyone has information that says different, I would be glad to know about it.
 
Let me throw this what if out. What if it wouldn't have been a buck that needed to grow up. What if it was a 190 class deer and the same thing happened would you be asking the same thing or would you arguing about should it be yours or the other guys. I think you did the right thing. And the other guy should have tagged it.
 
Good point Dead Dog.

Oakster, you make a good point. I have came across a few animals that were just like you said. I always contact the CSP and let em know where it is and what I am doing. Then i am later contacted by an officer. 2 years ago I found a bull that was so sick I could tuch it with mu truck, despite it being on all four feet. I called the DOW and they said to put it down and they would come out later. He said that yes I can do it, but too often they see animals put down that could have made it. His theory was if you can get with in 20yards of it put it down if not let it be. Funny how WY and CO can have such different takes. Also when something like this happens in CO you have to make every attempt to contact officals asap.

Good to know about WY. As I am up htere a lot.
 
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