You watch a young hunter whom you met along with his father, make a not so great shot on a great deer which runs off. You later stumble across the buck which would be a trophy in any ones book, What effort would you make to find that young hunter ?
Are you a true sportsman? How would you handle this situation?
- Thread starter 2Tracks
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I hope you had this opportunity 2Tracks and it all ended happily for everyone. I would say that the vast majority of sportsmen would go above and beyond to get that buck in the hands of the youngster that drew first blood. I know I would. I had the same thing happen to me as a 14 yr old muzzleloader hunter, I shot a big buck and another guy finished it off over the next hill even though it was pouring a stream of blood in the snow and then claimed it as his own. I took one picture of it before helping him drag it out in hopes of him letting me have it,.. that didn't happen.
genesis273
Well-known member
Duplicate
genesis273
Well-known member
Agree with nowiser.
Gerald Martin
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I'm with nowiser. I'd sure try to find the hunter especially if it was a kid. A buck I didn't shoot means nothing to me so I wouldn't have any particular desire to use my tag on it.
ShootsManyBullets
Well-known member
I'm w/ No Wiser too.
My brother had a guy steal a big buck from him when we were kids. I still think the guy is a POS for doing that over 20 years later.
My brother had a guy steal a big buck from him when we were kids. I still think the guy is a POS for doing that over 20 years later.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
I would make every effort to get the buck to him. I have no desire to own another man's trophy.
antlerradar
Well-known member
This is what I was wondering. I would hope that they are still looking for the buck.
Bambistew
Well-known member
Some lessons need to be learned the hard way. What does the kid get out of a "found" deer, and how does giving g it to him make you a "sportsman?"
Look harder next time. No free lunch here.
I talk tough, but would give it to the kid if found, after I ran over it with the truck.
Look harder next time. No free lunch here.
I talk tough, but would give it to the kid if found, after I ran over it with the truck.
VAspeedgoat
Well-known member
Interesting scenario. I agree with the others, somebody elses deer doesn't mean much to me. I'd sure try to find them. I know plenty of people that would take it as their own if it was big. You've got to be pretty low to do that.
This is a true story I watched them circle, zig and zag, up down then back again... I actually found the deer while walking a ridge across from them about 300 yards a few hours later., dressed it and caught up with them as they were driving out clearly gut sick from the deer they thought got away. Needless to say they were more than thankful . When I was a kid I was with my dad on my first real hunt just tagging along , was about 8. Dad shot a doe which ran across a creek bottom which ended up close to a county rd, watched a steel hunting blind slam on the brakes and unload, we were about 100 yards from them in a open field in blaze orange,
Joe Hulburt
Well-known member
Nice save!
glass eye
Well-known member
I was bowhunting on the Kaibab and had 4 bucks approaching me. They were only 20 yards away but could only see their heads. As I waited for them to get closer and expose their vitals, some guy a long ways off launches an arrow and hits one in the kidney ( he didn't know I was there ) The buck bolts and the others trot off. Back at camp I see him searching nearby. After a talk with him I decided to help look. I took the easiest path and found 4 guys starting to cut the deer up. I asked them if they saw a 3x3 run through here with a wound right about the same spot as their 3x3. I was giving them the opportunity to come clean but they just gave me deadly stares. I told them that whoever shot that buck better tag it, but nobody made a move to tag it. I walked back towards camp and as soon as I was out of sight I ran to find the guy that arrowed the buck.
Long story short, we went back to the scene with a game warden and found the meatless remains buried with brush, and by pure chance we found the meat and head hanging in a thick cluster of small pines.
The shooter tagged it and recovered everything, and didn't even get his hands dirty. The game warden took some of the cord used to hang the meat and went to search for anyone with that cord in their camp.
That deer wasn't even mine and I didn't know the shooter, but those 4 POS thieves really piss me off.
Long story short, we went back to the scene with a game warden and found the meatless remains buried with brush, and by pure chance we found the meat and head hanging in a thick cluster of small pines.
The shooter tagged it and recovered everything, and didn't even get his hands dirty. The game warden took some of the cord used to hang the meat and went to search for anyone with that cord in their camp.
That deer wasn't even mine and I didn't know the shooter, but those 4 POS thieves really piss me off.
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Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
Well, my answer won't be popular. To start off the trophy part has zero value to me. The second part is I don't keep any animal that I didn't hunt and shoot.
So, I wouldn't do a thing, but keep hunting. If I ran into the kid or his father i'd tell them where the deer is. Otherwise nature gets the deer.
So, I wouldn't do a thing, but keep hunting. If I ran into the kid or his father i'd tell them where the deer is. Otherwise nature gets the deer.
6mm Remington
Well-known member
I'd try as hard as I possibly could. I would make sure and dress the animal out and open it up so it would start to cool because first and foremost I would want the meat to cool so it is good to eat.
ElkHunter11
New member
I think you did the right thing 2Tracks. I think it would be a whole different story if you saw the deer several hours later still walking around..., but in this scenario I would have done the same thing. Hopefully some good karma will come your way in the woods!
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