law of the land

[Wanderer]

IMO, if the DNR were to make a rule on who gets the deer, I would bet my rifle they would rule Kill Shot. If it has to be one or the other - I feel they would always promote the better shot to increase the chances of it happening.

Now to rattle a cage or two....

If a first blood shot is not a kill shot, why does that person deserve the deer?

That's not rhetorical, I'd like to read some answers.

[Neighbor_guy]

It has come to my attention (thanks for the emails, they were nice...) that my first post came across as a little harsh. So allow me to clarify some things.

When I say the guy shot her in the neck, I mean just barely broke the skin between the skin and the meat, the exact definition of a fleash wound.

"Argument" was a bit of a strong word. It was more like an exchange of how are we going to play this. It was quite obvious who killed the deer. I did let him take a picture of her. I took one of him with the deer and posed with him for another. It was generaly a good encounter. I complimented him on his tracking skills. The blood trail was fairly non existant. It looked like someone just walked threw the woods with an eye dropper dripping a drop of blood every 15 yards or so. He stated he was primarily a bowhunter and tracking skills are important to know. He stated that as a bowhunter he knew better than to shoot a deer in the neck, he rushed the shot and botched it. He explained that he knew the primary escape routes from his place to mine (as I did his) and had hoped with any luck, the shot he heard was me taking the deer so he could stop tracking.

In the end, he went back, wet, and empty handed.

Now, if the deer was shot threw the lungs, liver, any vital organ. I probably would have let him have her. After all those would be fatal shots.

Now to some of the other things I have seen, a little fuel for the fire.

The law does state that you can cross property lines to retrieve downed game, without your weapon. Unfortunatly, were I hunt "tracking a wounded deer" is just an excuse to drive a bedding area on my property with the hopes of pushing them to the "rest of the party" waiting at the property line. So if you show up with your gun, you are going home.

The original post clearly stated "Not Fatal". I simply replied to it, so get off your soap boxes. And to respond to specific post.... I dont care if it was a 90 year old woman and possibly her last deer, or a 13 year old boys first. I stand by my decision as well as my opinion. If you botch the shot, learn from it. Shoot you gun more than once or twice a year and know were to put your shot to kill your animal clean.

I realize we are all quick to judge, myself included. If I am in a group telling deer stories and the fraze "I shot it in the neck" comes out of someones mouth, they are instantly tossed into that "dont know nothing about nothing, and glad they dont hunt in my party" group. I have no respect for it. You either kill them clean or you botch it. Unfortunately too many people do the latter.

As I stated before, if you shoot your deer in the boiler room (primarily the lungs) they are dead, every time, no one will argue that. God forbid you have to learn to track your deer.

So flame me if you want. I can take it. For what it is worth, for those of you who "are glad you dont live or hunt" by me. That makes two of us. It's gettin kind of crouded out there now day's anyway.

On a final note the DNR or the legislature should not ever dictate ethics. I am willing to bet if the situation were to arise the CO would side with the kill shot.

hmmm..... I wonder if this one will come across as harsh too......

[Neighbor_guy]

IMO, if the DNR were to make a rule on who gets the deer, I would bet my rifle they would rule Kill Shot.

beat me to it

[walerak]

so how many of you alls opinions would change when it was that 140 buck, you lined up your sights, make a good shot, but buck fever set in and you still only got the single lung shot, its a killshot, but not immediate 100yd shot... a deer will run up to a mile before getting exhausted and lay down to die. someone else shoots it in that process.... its a trophy buck... are you going to give up your trophy you knew was going to die, because someone else sped up the process?

most cases i'd have no problem letting the other guy take the deer, but when its a trophy instead of meat, i'm ready to argue

[Scott K]

The way I look at it is, your stand is your area, if the deer goes into someone elses area, then it is his deer. It doesnt matter if it is a world record buck! Buck fever? So are you saying because it has antlers that gives you the excuse to claim a wounded deer?

[Badger]

Originally Posted By: Froggy4371

4wanderingeyes,

I have to respectfully disagree with you because I have shot deer in the hotbox that have traveled over 100 yards and it was still dead on it's feet. My brother shot a buck of a lifetime 3 years ago and it went almost a 1/4 mile with a hole in it's lungs. It was just that amped up cause of the rut is all we can figure. Great blood but it just took off and ran.

Froggy

I didnt mean that a well shot deer couldnt travel more then 100 yds. What I was trying to say is once it goes beyond that 100 yds it is out of your general area, there for it is open game. If you dont like this option, then put a better shot on the animal so it doesnt go that far, or hunt further away from people.

Once a deer goes 100 yds it's out of your area??? Who made that rule up??? I'd like to be there for that conversation..."Well it looks like you shot him thru the lungs, but he went past the 100 yd area...as he was breathing his last breath I put the killing shot in the neck." "It's clearly my deer and I'm heading up to the bar to show off my trophy."

I guess it comes down to personal choice, but I would never steal a buck from someone in that situation.

[mrklean]

I have always gone by killing shot, but this weekend we had a person who shot it and someone else killed it but we called it her deer for first shot, i guess i havent had it happen to me yet so i dont know

[CodyDawg]

First killing shot. that kinda cuts out all the other b.s.

[hanso612]

During the archery season many hunters wait hours or overnight to trail their bucks. I think some of the same kind of waiting takes place for gut shot deer during the riffle season as well.

I think a last kill shot ethic could lead to too many cases of neighbors being able to claim deer that if healthy wouldn't have put themselves in harms way for the killing shot.Deer could be unrightfully claimed by either following a blood trail they came across or by watching a wounded deer bed down and beating the first hunter to the kill.

I would hate to set up a situation where we feel the need to rush to get a wounded deer(especially during the archery season)when letting it rest would lead to the recovery of a deer where a early push could lead to the loss of a deer to all parties. Hans

[pinkfloyd4ever]

God help us if this debate goes to the legislature for a decision.

[Wanderer]

so how many of you alls opinions would change when it was that 140 buck, you lined up your sights, make a good shot, but buck fever set in and you still only got the single lung shot, its a killshot, but not immediate 100yd shot... a deer will run up to a mile before getting exhausted and lay down to die. someone else shoots it in that process.... its a trophy buck... are you going to give up your trophy you knew was going to die, because someone else sped up the process?

Yes, I would give it up to other hunter if he were willing to argue for it. Even if it was my daughter's deer.

A one lung deer is not a guaranteed find.

[HNTNBUX]

I love this discussion/argument. If you shoot a deer and it runs far enough to get to someone elses stand location that they have to kill it for you, it is not yours. Then you have the bowling balls to argue it is yours because you hit it first, are you kidding me.

I would fully expect you to track the deer and attempt to recover the animal and when you find the deer "killed" by someone else. Thank them for doing so and start the discussion not a demand for the deer that you wounded. Some of us are willing to give it up even if it is mine.

If it was me you could have it. I have given away the biggest deer I have shot and it did not involve any threat or intimidation. The guy was having a rough day. First off he slipped getting out of the truck with his gun, in SD, hit his head, cut his forehead open, and apparently knocked his scope off. Then when he got a shot a few minutes later he shot a buck in the guts and rear leg. I watched the deer run to me and bed down less than 75 yards away. I watched the guy jump the deer from about 25 yards and miss four more times. I was a little shocked and did not shoot the deer because I did not know the guy and did not want the confrontation and I thought he would be able to get it. After the deer crossed to private property I went and talked to him. He was disappointed that I did not shoot it but still understood my position as well. We split up and while walking back to my truck I saw the buck had crossed back over the fence and was coming toward me. That buck was jacked up and took two rounds quatering toward me in the shoulder and never missed a step at two hundred yards. The next one in the neck, still quartering toward me put him down hard. I tracked the guy down and let him know where his deer was, no argument just here you go. Just for the record I will probably never shoot another mule deer buck that size in SD again but I don't regret my decision.

With that buck and others that have been questionable as to who shot it, killed it or otherwise, got it, I will not argue or fight over it. If you want it, have it. I still get to hunt another day and don't need that kind of stress.

[HNTNBUX]

In the weekly CO tales on the DNR HSOforum I think it was CO Perron of Onamia, settled the argument over a deer by awarding it to the one to kill it.

[Jaspernuts]

I need neighborguy to teach me how to shoot, he is a god.

[Roofer]

Maybe you do.

I agree with everything NeighborGuy said. I was brought up that hunting and guns are very serious. It should not be taken lightly.

[kingr]

I do agree with neighbor guy, however no deer is worth an arguement. If I were to kill someone's deer and he came across agressive I'd walk away. Likewise if someone shot my deer, I'd give him my story and they can decide.

[hanso612]

For the most part I act as Huntnbux described. We dispatched two deer last year and gave them up to other parties. I too, hate it putting my tag on a deer I wouldn't shoot.

If I followed a good strong blood trail on a trophy and came across another hunter and found my bullet hole in the hot box and another on a side I didn't hit I would make my best case and get others involved later out of the woods without guns if it came to that. I just think it would be easier to make a case if we were given some direction by an ultimate authority of which ethic is the preferred. Hans

[Hoffer]

I understand both points of view - but personally I am not going to take a deer that wasnt a clean kill from me. Just wouldnt feel right. If I had a deer come through that was looking kind of sick , had 14 points, and I took the kill shot - I would still give it to the guy who initiated the first shot. I want a clean kill - initiated from yours truly. Maybe a bad analogy - but just like fishing...if I come across 4 boats stacked up in an obvious walleye hotspot - I will leave them be...even if it means fishing in an area with little or no luck in comparison. I just prefer to make my own luck and create my own destiny. Wounded deer wanders by me...no matter the situation - it would go to the first blood -unless nobody comes by to claim - and even then it wouldnt feel right. 2 years ago - I shot my largest buck ever - a true trophy. We happen to hunt next to a party that has their stand right on the property line between us. This was a solid hit from my 270. TThe deer firat went right down and then he somehow had enough energy to somehow wander on to the other guys property and I heard a shot within seconds. Went over there that night to visit with my son and we couldnt believe it-the deer was huge. I never pushed the subject - just felt that if that guy could take any kind of satisfaction in keeping that deer - then thats his personal choice. I know I wouldnt have had any satisfaction if it were the other way around...

[hanso612]

It's clear to me from most of these post regardless of which side of the debate your on, most try to do the right thing and for the vast majority of conflicts it usually works out,BUT that doesn't help me when push comes to shove and a desision need to be made on a deer that both parties make a legitamate claim to.

If I were a judge, and needed to regularly make decisions on this issue, I would need some guiding principle in order to be consistant. That principle only gets highlighted when the stakes are big and both parties care-that's were the rubber meets the road.

[McGurk]

Why would we want to bring in the government on something they have little to no knowledge on? Let's get a real authority to chime in. Let's get Ted Nugent on the phone.

Seriously, I think every situation is going to be different (and seems like it has been so far here) but if I had to make the black-or-white-no-grey-area call, I'd go with KILL shot. Most of the posters here are pretty earnest and honest people; at least I'd like to think so. If the original shooter is upset, they need only look at their own gun/bow in their own hands, and learn a lesson from the experience. Shoot more and shoot better BEFORE deer season. No one can argue with that logic. This is serious business and should be not be taken lightly. If you respect the animal and the sport at all, you will realize your need to better yourself and your shot.

If I were to finish off someone's deer, I'd probably wait a little longer than normal to gut it IF IT WAS OBVIOUSLY ALREADY SHOT, with the hopes that the original shooter would show up. After a couple of hours (which is way longer than I'd ever wait for my own kill) I'd be down there getting it done, claiming it as my own.

From a trophy buck to a spots-on fawn, it needs to be harvested correctly, and by someone. I would rather see a scenario where 2 people are claiming a kill, that to walk up to a deer dead in the woods from a previous shot. I've come across a skeleton from a previous season's shot without a recovery, and I have seen a deer taken by our pary that was rotting from the inside out due to an week-old shot. Both sad cases, and our party all learned from both experiences.

[Dusty]

I am with you, Hoffer 100%. I don't want anything to do with a deer someone else has already put a bullet in, unless I can't find the shooter.

[Badger]

Woody1975 posted a great story on the Deer-Bear-Elk-Moose thread. He took his daughter out hunting and she shot a beautiful buck thru both lungs at 80yds. Woody did an excellent job tracking the deer and found it 100yds from the initial shot site. If that buck would have gone by another hunter and he/she shot it, who should the buck belong to? I say without question Woody's daughter. She made the kill shot and Woody did a great job tracking the deer.

[slabchaser]

I think it depends on where the first shot was placed. In a killzone then it belongs to first blood. If you put one in the brisket or leg it goes to the kill shot. Personally if I see a deer running at me and it is limping or acting shot. That deer is my first priority. I will give it to whoever shot it first but I dont want that deer to suffer.

[ole]

It's happened to me before. I shot a doe that came running past my stand. Dropped her about 20yds away. After climbing down and having a look I noticed another hole in her. 5 minutes later another hunter shows up and lays claim to the deer. Now I couldn't tell if my shot or his did her in but I wasn't going to sit and argue my case. Personnally it wasn't in my best interest to argue when I'm out in the woods with another hunter and guns are involved. The following day I ended up shooting a nice fat doe. On the other hand if it had been a trophy buck I would have to rethink the situation some, possibly trying to settle things out in the clear with others involved. Arguing with others while guns are around is not a good idea, just my opinion..

ole

[ikatcher]

hoffer , i also agree with you 100%. the one thing we don't have control over is where a deer runs after its been hit. i hunted in a shot gun zone for 17 yrs and it always amazed me how far a deer would run with a slug right thru the center of its chest. if everyone shared your feelings this would not even be a discussion. there are a lot of reasons deer are not hit right in the breadbasket, buck fever, deflecting off brush, bad ammo, poor judgement on distance, freezing temps, and yes poor shooting or poor shot selection, (i know some people never miss). fact is there are going to be some deer that are going to be shot by more then 1 person and that will never change. first lethal blood gets the deer in my book.