Whos Deer

[loadmaster]

Hunt on publicland. Wounded a deer and tracked it for 3 hours. At the end of the track it had wondered thru some really nasty stuff. Well after three hours, we hear a shot from an adjacent party. within 10 mins, while still tracking the deer we see somebody starting to dress out the deer. A really nice six pointer. They asked if we had been tracking it and they could see the wound. We hunt in northern Mn woods. They kept the deer but offered us a half. No hard feelings were exchanged. What does everybody think should have been done. We gave them the deer

[skee0025]

3 hrs and its still on the move tells me he made the kill shot, his deer.

[nofishfisherman]

I guess as long as everyone walked away on good terms it was handled properly. However, personally I'd have given the deer to you if you had shot it first and the first shot was at least respectable (hit somewhere on the body). If the first shot had just nicked an ear or something like than maybe I'd have thought differently.

[InTheNorthwoods]

Not enough information to determine if your shot was a lethal wound, but based on the tone of your post, it seems the deer was mortally wounded by the neighbor. If that is the case, it is his deer. But if someone came along in similar circumstances after I had just shot a wounded deer, I'd give it to the guy that drew first blood.

[PurpleFloyd]

On public land if it was not a vital shot and if it was still going after 3 hours I would say it was theirs. If it were laying there dead with a clear blood trail that you were following I would have let you have it.

[leechlake]

I vote for the kill shot in this instance from what I've read. What I love is that two reasonable outdoorsman were gentleman about it and all parties, I'd hope are satisfied. Not to mention the deer didn't go to waste.

[nofishfisherman]

What I love is that two reasonable outdoorsman were gentleman about it and all parties, I'd hope are satisfied. Not to mention the deer didn't go to waste.

In the end thats all that really matters. Every case is different so its hard to saw how it should be done but it is nice to see guys keeping it in perspective.

[Walleyehooker]

A good lung shot and a deer shouldn't go much more than a 100 yards so 3 hours of tracking is way to far. So it would be up to the guy that finished it off. Sounds like he was being more than fair and only the deer got wounded.

[Barbelboy]

The only caveat I have is if a kid has anything to do with it it's theirs. I don't care if they just scared it and I finished if off. I would give it to the kid every time. Too many times I've heard stories of people giving kids a terrible experience over some bone or meat.

But it sounds like it was handled wonderfully. I'd be grateful that an animal that I wounded was cleaning harvested and put to good use.

[Wensel]

First Arrow, last bullet.

[Scott K]

I would have to vote theirs, I am more of the needs to be a kill shot, in the vitals to claim it, and if it were, it wouldnt have gone 3 hours. JMO

[Basseyes]

Bad shots happen.

If I make a bad shot and it's run that far, it's the person who put it down. No question.

If I tip over a wounded deer, even if ticked in the ear, it's the person who hit it. I will tip it over, but I would never view it as "my" deer. No matter how big or small.

A lot of people view it one way or the other. I don't want someone else's deer, nor do I expect someone to give me a deer they tipped over, after I made a poor shot.

And if I'm close enough to someone else, that a truly mortally wounded animal has a chance to get to them, I'm to close to them.

[snapcrackpop]

The best situation is when both parties offer up the deer to the other.

Unless a kid is involved!

[CANOPY SAM]

With a 3 hour track to a kill shot by someone else I think it's safe to assume you would've likely never found this deer had they not finished it off. It's theirs, but it was very cool that they offered you half the deer!

If I were you I'd be grateful. An animal shot that stayed on it's feet for that long, and kept going that far, it isn't going to be very good table fare.

[Big Dave2]

This......

3 hrs and its still on the move tells me he made the kill shot, his deer.

[shortfatguy]

I wouldnt even want it if it ran for that long with adrenaline pumping. Where did you hit the deer? Glad both parties handled it like adults!

[wannafish2]

+1

This......

3 hrs and its still on the move tells me he made the kill shot, his deer.

And this.

The only caveat I have is if a kid has anything to do with it it's theirs. I don't care if they just scared it and I finished if off. I would give it to the kid every time. Too many times I've heard stories of people giving kids a terrible experience over some bone or meat.

But it sounds like it was handled wonderfully. I'd be grateful that an animal that I wounded was cleaning harvested and put to good use.