Ethics Question - Animal by Camp

[seeth07]

I have an ethics question I'm really curious to see what others think as this happened to me last fall hunting in Wyoming.

Picture yourself on a nice day in October antelope hunting. Your driving around and stopping at various locations to walk up to that ridge in order to glass and see whats behind it. You get to this spot and after hitting that ridge, you find yourself only 100 yards from a herd of antelope below you including an average buck your willing to shoot. You also notice that not even 100 yards to the left of them, you see a big wall tent, a few antelope does hanging from poles (it was pretty chilly as highs didn't top 50 so nothing unethical there for those of you about to chirp on that!) and it appears no one is around. The buck is alerted as he catches you on the ridge and from the moment you spot him until this point, its been about 30 seconds and you have maybe 30 seconds more to take a shot or its over.

What do you do?

 

[Dave N]

Shoot.

 

[Nick87]

I wouldn't hold it against anyone if it was safe to shoot, but I'd probably pass on it personally.

 

[seeth07]

I wouldn't hold it against anyone if it was safe to shoot, but I'd probably pass on it personally.

To clarify, it was 100% safe to shoot as the camp wasnt in within even a bullet ricochet range of a shot and behind the animals was another ridge where there was no hunters hanging out in that area (it was a small enough valley these lope were in that if any hunter popped a ridge like I did, they would be alert and ready to book it out of there)

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Send another slug,it shows you care.Ha!,Ha!

 

[Schaaf]

It's Wyoming so I would probably look in any other direction and still see dozens of antelope.

 

[mtmuley]

I hate "ethics" questions. mtmuley

 

[azelkhntr]

Bang flop!

 

[SAJ-99]

Shoot. Change the scenario to make it a stud Antelope's or 350in bull elk. Not your fault there is no one in camp and they decided to hunt somewhere else. I had a scenario a couple of years ago that there was a nice bull that we saw as a we walked back to camp. We knew he walked within a 100yds of camp. If someone had shot him, more power to them. Not really an ethical issue at all. A hunter could have shot that bull as it drank from my aqua-tainer for all I care. I would have congratulated him/her.

 

[Doublecluck]

I would! but only if it was over 80”, ehh! maybe 75 even...

 

[Pucky Freak]

If it was my tent, I’d likely have seen and passed on the smaller buck by then, so it’s fair game for anyone else. I guess some of this expectation comes from hunting Midwest deer where you hear a lot of explosions in the 100-200 yard range.

 

[Lyfter1013]

I’m shooting... so what did you do?

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I'd probably pass and go find another one.

 

[nrpate05]

I'd probably pass, but don't see a problem with someone taking the shot.

 

[fishing4sanity]

If it's a buck you wanted and you're on public ground, shoot it. Personally, I'd most likely have moved on. I just don't like shooting near camps, roads, other hunters, etc. I'm not one to turn down an easy packout, I just prefer a fairly healthy dose of solitude. With this coronavirus pandemic I found out I've been practicing 'social distancing' my whole life.

 

[belshawelk]

If it’s safe shoot. It’s public land. Many people here I am sure have set up in a bull to call him or work him only to have someone else do it and get the shot. Good for them. If you know someone is hunting said animal and then shoot or ruin his hunt then your a deuce bag.

 

[EYJONAS!]

How big the buck?

 

[bluespruce]

I think I'd pass. I don't like shooting when things like camps or vehicles are downrange of my muzzle even if they are off to the side.

 

[SFC B]

If (as you have said) your shooting lane is fully safe and it is a buck you would shoot elsewhere, shoot. Where we hunt I have seen elk taken in similar fashion and no issue with it. Our camp is at the edge of wilderness and there is a trail heading directly out of it into the "hunting" area. If we were out and a hunter walking through camp came upon an elk just outside our camp in a safe direction I would HOPE he would take it. FWIW

 

[azelkhntr]

There’s a reason why when I come back to camp my weapon is dropped across my firepit camp chair. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth right?