Non-registered deer mortality

[sticknstring]

We've got a pretty accurate measure of how many deer are registered from hunting, & a pretty good estimate of vehicle collisions. But aside from poaching, predation, & disease, how many deer are killed each year from unrecovered hunting wounds?

Awhile back, a member opened a can of worms with this quote.

Quote:

Bow hunters lose more game than any other type of hunting.

Talking with a local farmer last week, I was told that while combining, he found a forkhorn and a doe in the field adjacent to our woods. Both were apparent gun kills and both had coyotes on them. This was hard to take as there were very few deer around this fall.

After hearing this and reading some posts on here on the amount of running shots that are taken, it really makes a guy wonder. While hunting Sherburne the past two weekends, I came across two deer that were bleeding. One I jumped out of his bed, and another while scouting a new area in the snow. Neither one probably fatal but wounded nonetheless.

For the guys who combine or serious shed hunters, is this type of thing pretty common? I spend as much time in the woods as anyone and I've found plenty of skulls and bones while scouting but most I assumed were still-born or predator killed fawns as the skeletons were pretty small. Does the DNR have any estimates to account for this number? It just boggles my mind the ethics of some of these guys that pull the trigger on very low percentage shots. It's a valuable resource.

[Musky Buck]

Often have wondered it, just is the saddest part of any hunting, loss of a bird or deer, some certainly care more about the resource than another. Only each hunter knows how many they have wounded and not recovered, probably not too many share that part. There's a percentage each year of bow, rifle and I think musket would be the lowest just figuring you have snow most musket seasons therefore tracking or finding blood is much easier. I have found 1 dead deer in 25 years of shed hunting. I have 5 farming uncles and they have never mentioned finding any wounded or maimed deer. It makes some sense because it is all on their private land that they hunt and they grew up with hunting and have for 50 years now most of them so they don't take risky shots or running shots, they know on quality land most likely a better chance will occur. I doubt too many adhere to it but waterfowling you are supposed to include cripples and unrecovered birds in your bag, I wish the same would go for deer hunting, but only the honest would do it, people with a conscience, and the dishonest wouldn't.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

I doubt too many adhere to it but waterfowling you are supposed to include cripples and unrecovered birds in your bag, I wish the same would go for deer hunting, but only the honest would do it, people with a conscience, and the dishonest wouldn't.

Oh, come on! Get outta here with that!

You know dang well that if by chance you wounded a deer on accident, most are wounded by accident, you wouldn't count it!

COME ON!

[DaveT]

It's an unfortunate side effect of trying to kill something. Eventually, every one lets an arrow or bullet go that they wish they could get back. With bowhunters, I think people that are new to the sport probably lose a few before they learn what shots they should or shouldn't take. But I would guess it's somewhere around 10 or 15 percent with bowhunters, but I also believe half of those survive. I'm sure the rate is just as high with gun hunters, however since there's half a million of them out there, I bet a lot get finished off by other hunters. It doesn't matter what weapon you're talking about, there are people using each that don't practice enough and/or aren't ethical enough to be out there.

The good news is that nothing in nature goes to waste, so our wolves and coyotes go into the winter in tip top shape.

[tedl]

It seems the majority of stories I have heard about lost deer involve a big buck. Do you feel people are more likely to take a risky shot at the (big one)? Right after rifle season on this forum some were talking about how far they shot to bag the buck. One said he shot a buck at 475 yards. I don't think that individual would have done that on a small deer or doe.

[bigbucks]

It would have to be a big deer to see it at that range!

I do think most hunters will take a longer shot at a big buck if they don't think they can get a better one. Not saying it's right, just think it's true. Most hunters realize how few chances of any kind they get at a big one vs. a small one. Personally I can't really say I've been confronted with that situation yet, so I don't truly know what I'd do.

[BuckKiller]

not sure what I would do either, always have good close open shots.

Don't shoot less your sure of your shot...

[jigglestick]

I doubt too many adhere to it but waterfowling you are supposed to include cripples and unrecovered birds in your bag, I wish the same would go for deer hunting, but only the honest would do it, people with a conscience, and the dishonest wouldn't.

so with this piece of information I insist you also tell us at what point those wounded or non recovered birds are no longer included in your daily possesion?

I have never heard of anybody EVER using this practice.

call me dishonest if you want, but do it face to face.

[BuckKiller]

I wouldn't call you dishonest... can't think of anyone that would count a wounded animal to there limit.

[heat checker]

I don't keep a running tally, but guessing 25-30 deer I've taken, I have only lost one that I know I've hit. (Bow and slug hunting). This one was with slug. This wouldn't include any shot at with no body language, blood ect. I'm pretty diehard at looking for sign after a shot, looking for them if a suspected hit, (best part of the hunt). Can only hope everyone does the same thing. Guessing a pretty small %. Have spent many hours in my life looking for wounded ducks ect, but have never counted them in my dailey bag. I'm sure the DNR figures this in when they set daily bag limits and such.

[jkcmj]

Hey Musky, I am amazed that you have only found one dead deer in 25 years or shed hunting. I must have found atleast 50-100. I can remember some days finding 5 or more in a single day! I hunt in SE MN and all around Iowa so the deer may concentrate in the wooded strips etc where they have the best cover making it easier to run into the carcasses. I suppose if your in the north woods or scrub brush it would be a lot harder to find them, and the sheds to!

My best find yet was in Southern Iowa where I came across a large 10 point(165"?) which was a lost bow kill. The arrow was still stuck through the carcass and the liver was shriveled around the shaft so I had to break it off. I don't know why the scavengers didn't get to it worse.

[96trigger]

In my area, their is a hunt after the hunt. Quite a few people I know get out in the woods a few weeks after the close of season and look for dead deer and sheds. On mostly public land, quite a few are few. Some really nice bucks.

[kobear]

In Otter Tail we did an informal survey. Lot's of guys that hit one and didn't find it. Individuals that hit and lost an archery deer, then hit and lost a muzzleloader deer.

Other problem seem's to be a symptom of the 5 deer limit If you shoot and it doesn't drop you missed. Each year I hear stories of "I shot, it flinched and ran over the hill than another ran out and the same thing happened. Two days later when we drove over the hill there they laid. Coyotes had already gotten to them."

We figured a cripple/lost kill rate of 10-15% of hunters in this area.

[Musky Buck]

I better clear up my mess some. First of all if you wound a deer yes keep hunting, maybe someday I'll wound one and know what that feels like. I guess I'm talking about a very small % of people who are into blasting. What's wrong with that wish, if you wound a deer with your rifle it should cost you a tag. I guess I'm tired of the blasters, long range, more likely to wound it than kill it clean. I just had some bullets come whizzing into the standing corn I was hunting last year,2007. No one had permission, but this guy took 300 yard pokes anyway nearly killing me. I have seen many wounded deer during rifle season, just the one looking for sheds.

[mrklean]

Its hard to say you never know if its dead or not if you cant find it you just dont know

[Musky Buck]

That is true mrklean, I still don't like your picture, probably have a nightmare about it, just like the burger king guy beating me with a bat dream and I can't do anything about it.

[sticknstring]

That's funny. Haven't you ever seen The Office?

[Musky Buck]

Call me deprived but no, haven't ever seen the office. It's espn,espn2,espnnewsfox sports net,weather channel,discovery and Bear Grylls,Twins,Vikings,Wild,Gopher sports oh yes and TVLand either, Andy Griffith,Leave it to Beaver, Hogan's Heroes,Munsters or Adam's family, then to local news and count sheep after that ! That's where that photo comes from the "Office" I would guess for about 2 weeks that that was mrklean lol. I'm not always playing with a full deck.

[mrklean]

haha come on im not that creepy looking