bag limit and Reg. question Please help

[Markit]

I need you all to help me solve this question that I am in a debate over with a group of friends, in regards to rules and regulations. Here goes.

1. If you mortally wound a deer and can not find it in the field do you leagly have to claim that deer and remove yourself from hunting other deer?

I Thought you did.

2. While duck or Phesant hunting. If you down a bird and can not fund it, must you add that bird to your bag limit?

Ethiclly I say yes to all this, but is there a law that states it is the hunters responsibility to do so. Please help

[John478]

Ethiclly yes legally no

[TruthWalleyes]

All you can do is everything possible to find the animals. There are too many hunters that take long shots and wound deer, only to move over to the next section and wound another deer. I wounded one last year, mortally, tracked for 5 miles and after crossing a river and into a thicket of mass proportions the deer was lost. It is a bummer, but do everything possible to retrieve the animal. People will tend to hunt next to land that you cannot cross into. Meaning the land owner will not allow you to enter, whether it be for a wounded deer or not. Shots have to be chosen carefully to ensure the deer don't run into anothers property to never be retrieved. The other option, is not to hunt next to an area where the deer cannot be retrieved.

^^Ethically yes, Legally no.

[Chuby Minnow]

2nd 478.

Not exactly what you are refering to but.......

However, I personally think the ethics could be argued. Say your not sure of the shot, back out till morning, and the coyotes or wolves claimed the harvest by morning. Or other uncontrollable things happen.

May be a touchy subject but I think we can all agree that we dont want to make a bad shot on any animal.

[creepworm]

All you can do is everything possible to find the animals. There are too many hunters that take long shots and wound deer, only to move over to the next section and wound another deer. I wounded one last year, mortally, tracked for 5 miles and after crossing a river and into a thicket of mass proportions the deer was lost. It is a bummer, but do everything possible to retrieve the animal. People will tend to hunt next to land that you cannot cross into. Meaning the land owner will not allow you to enter, whether it be for a wounded deer or not. Shots have to be chosen carefully to ensure the deer don't run into anothers property to never be retrieved. The other option, is not to hunt next to an area where the deer cannot be retrieved.

^^Ethically yes, Legally no.

You can access anyones property with permission or not to try to recover injured game. However, you can not have a weapon of any kind with you.

[John478]

You can access anyones property with permission or not to try to recover injured game. However, you can not have a weapon of any kind with you.

[Markit]

Dang it sounds like I am going to be wrong on this one. I really didn't want to be wrong. It all started when a friend shot 3 ducks earlier this year than couldn't find them in the long grass. I told him it needs to go in his bag limit. Makes me so mad

[EJ_Mac]

For waterfowl, you have to make a "reasonable effort" to retrieve downed birds. Part of the rationale for this part of the law is to deter people who shoot something they don't want - like a coot - and then let it lay. You have to retrieve that bird, add it to your limit, then take it from the field with the rest. What you do with it after that is up to you.

Now, going out and looking for it in the grass is certainly "reasonable" and, thus, perfectly legal. If you can't find it, you can't find it. But there is nothing in the law that says you have to add those birds to your limit. If an individual state wanted to make its own waterfowl regs more restrictive than federal law and add that, I guess they could.

That said, if it were me, I think I'd be out there searching for a looooooong time if it was the 2nd or 3rd bird I couldn't find. I'd also probably be moving to a different area - one where the birds might be more easily retrieved.

[Ufatz]

At this point some cynical smart arse might want to insert a comment about those 600 yard shots at deer and the fellas who try 60 yard shots at ducks with small sized shot.

What?

I hear about them all the time right here in these Forums!!!