Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

What NOT to do.

This happened to a fellow in camp back in 1999 in CO. He was perched above an aspen grove when a lone cow elk stepped out about 20 minutes before dark. He shot her. He had one cow tag. About a minute later a lone cow elk comes walking out about 30 yards from where he saw her re-enter the aspens. With zero proof that there were other elk around he assumed it was the same cow. He shoots again and drops her in her tracks.

Walks down to the first impact zone and finds blood and starts to follow. About 70 yards into the aspens he finds his cow dead. Rut Roh.... Now he back tracks out and yep he has two cow's down. He calls on the radio to us and also asks whoever is close to camp to call the authorities. The call goes in. We explain to Game and Fish what he has told us, and also give his badge number ( he is law enforcement). We go up as a group and help clean both animals out and bring them into camp per Game and Fish instructions. Game Warden calls back and tells us to stay in camp the next morning and he will be there. We do and he comes up. "John" takes him up to where he was sitting and shows the warden his field of fire and what happened... Basically the warden says " Yeah this a tough call, I still have to give you a ticket for taking an animal out of season but that is all I will do".

"John" pays the ticket and gets to keep all his gear/guns, and the first cow etc... The Warden thanks us all for our cooperation and we help him load the elk into his truck to be donated to a food bank.

That is my definition of a stand of guy. He could have walked away with an elk and no one would have been the wiser.
 
From the view of the investigating Officer (I did a bunch of these) :

1) Guy calls, says, "Hey, I goofed. I shot at a moose/deer, it went down. It got back up and I dropped it. Walked over there and there's two dead moose/deer." I go to the scene. Look the area over, listen to his story, and any witnesses. If things line up, he keeps one moose/deer and the other is donated.

2) Out checking waterfowl hunters by boat. Pull up to a blind and observe one Black Duck over limit. Hunter claims he fired once and killed two ( It happens. I have seen this happen many, many times while watching hunters from concealed locations). Hunter not trying to hide anything. Have a discussion. If believable, he keeps one bird and the other is donated. Same course of action with the waterfowl hunter with a retriever who claims his dog found the extra bird (has happened to me).

3) I get a call from a complainant who observed someone trying to hide or sneak home ANY illegally possessed or taken game. Citation.

The investigating Officer will normally try to sort things out. Listen to the hunter's story, look the evidence at the scene over. Use common sense. If the Officer is a hunter himself, he will know how guys can get into trouble sometimes inadvertently.

If a hunter makes a mistake, and calls in to self report, that shows me he's a stand up guy. I'll work with him to figure things out and do what's right.
 
If a hunter makes a mistake, and calls in to self report, that shows me he's a stand up guy. I'll work with him to figure things out and do what's right.
I know what you would NOT do. Tell the hunter to leave the cow for the birds. SMH!
 
I understand things happen sometimes. Usually that mistake happens once. Hunter learns passes it on and they make sure that doesn't happen again. My dad accidently shot 2 deer with one shot ONCE. Passed it on to me an taught me a valuable lesson on what not to do an how to avoid what OH apparently has done more then once.

Sorry not sorry, do it more then once and then talk about it on a forum like your hunt Jesus. Your either an idiot, or your don't care, or both.

For those who didn't know. Headshots are very lethal. Also headshots often times result in deflection. Its not a good idea to take head shots on an animal with other animals around it. Also not a good idea to shoot any animal that has others behind it. Even if its your standard behind the shoulder shot.
 
I had a great chance at the largest pronghorn buck I have seen in person but had a damn cow right behind it. The TTSX I was shooting was sure to pass through. Given the terrain I had no opportunity to reposition and change line of my shot to take the cow out of play. Layed there for 20 minutes hoping the cow would move, but something spooked the buck and it bolted to the next county.
 

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