Wounded deer - No tag

[Zem18]

So I had an interesting morning hunting at a buddies hunting camp. On the second deer drive we did, I was a sitter with a doe tag. I did not have a buck tag as I used it on Opening day. I was dropped off via 4 wheeler and headed in to the woods to my post. 10 feet in, a BIG bodied and BIG racked 6 or 8 point jumped up in front of me and was limping very badly. It took him at least 40 seconds or more to hobble out to 120 or 130 yards on a small knoll before stopping and looking back at me for almost 2 or 3 minutes. There were two others posted above me and the drivers would head right to the buck and then towards me. One of the sitters above saw him and that he was hurt but could not shoot downhill as a driver was directly below him. I thought one of them would definately shoot but they didn't and I could have.

Three does came up between me and the buck so my eyes shifted to them and then back to the buck who was gone now. I felt bad for this deer as he should have been long gone if he were healthy and for me to be able to have 40seconds and up to two or three minutes at the 120 yard range to shoot then obviously he is hurting bad. I was torn on what to do. I know I do not have a tag, but I also know 7 others there do have one and would more than likely tag it as it was injured. I called my buddies cell 25 times and no answer. It was pure torture and I didn't care that he was a big buck, but m ore that he is a deer suffering. If it had been a doe and I didn't have a tag, I would be in the same struggle as a hunter letting a wounded deer walk away period.

Has this happened to anyone here? Did you shoot and ask for a buddy to tag it and end it's suffering? Did you let it walk off and then feel disappointed in yourself for not ending its suffering, yet not disappointed that you obeyed the rules or laws? I'm torn and can't get it out of my head. The members told me after the fact that I should have ended its suffering and not worry about the no tag part which made me feel even worse. We tried catching up to it but had no clue which way it headed. Tons of tracks in the area and no visible blood either. 

Would like to hear your stories on this subject. 

[stoneam2006]

It would be dead but it's a decision we all have to make knowing the potential consequence

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[Timeless]

Personally, I will shoot an injured animal if I thought it was so gravely wounded that it would continue to suffer for a prolonged time.  I'll figure out the legal implications, if any, later.

I bumped a small doe last year during rifle season that was obviosuly shot and hurting bad.  I was still hunting and got within 10yds of her before she blew out of a thicket.

It's chest was covered in blood and one front leg wasn't working.  Unfortunately, she stayed in thick cover and I did not have a clear shot.

In hindsight, a 20ga slug likely would have found its mark.  I tried tracking/tailing her as she proceeded into more open woods, but I lost her.  I should have fired when I had a "good enough" shot from 30yds away.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Yup his problem would have been solved regardless.

[Buckmaster7600]

I would have killed him, in my opinion morals out weighs the law. It's a lot easier to sleep at night knowing I broke the law than knowing he is still suffering.


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[Zag]

Those situations are something u don't talk about aloud, sometimes what people don't know won't hurt nothing.

[grampy]

I had a very similar experience a few years back.I will not say here what I did or did not do. What I will say, I slept very well that night.

[stoneam2006]

This is why we are sportsman. I hope we all would have the same anwser and as I can see we do

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[Pygmy]

Never feel guilty for obeying the game laws...You had  good reason to at last HOPE that one of your buddies with a buck tag might get a chance at that buck...

I had something similar happen a few years back in PA..  The biggest black bear I have ever seen hobbled past me 30 yards away on 3 legs, with one foreleg obviously smashed and bleeding from a gunshot.  I did not have a bear tag ( I want a bear like I want another hole in my head)  but my partner had a tag.

I would have loved to finish the bear off, but held fire due to not having a tag, and hoped someone else would get the bear and put it out of it's misery.

I felt bad for the bear and wished I had bought a tag, but I never for a minute felt guilty for not breaking the law, an act that might have cost me $$$$  just to euthanize an animal that I had no desire to possess...Just one of those things that happens...

Who knows, perhaps  old Yogi survived the wound...

 

[Buckmaster7600]

Never feel guilty for obeying the game laws...You had  good reason to at last HOPE that one of your buddies with a buck tag might get a chance at that buck...
I had something similar happen a few years back in PA..  The biggest black bear I have ever seen hobbled past me 30 yards away on 3 legs, with one foreleg obviously smashed and bleeding from a gunshot.  I did not have a bear tag ( I want a bear like I want another hole in my head)  but my partner had a tag.
I would have loved to finish the bear off, but held fire due to not having a tag, and hoped someone else would get the bear and put it out of it's misery.
I felt bad for the bear and wished I had bought a tag, but I never for a minute felt guilty for not breaking the law, an act that might have cost me $$$$  just to euthanize an animal that I had no desire to possess...Just one of those things that happens...
Who knows, perhaps  old Yogi survived the wound...
 

The real truth is you just didn't want to have to drag it!


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[IRL]

So I had an interesting morning hunting at a buddies hunting camp. On the second deer drive we did, I was a sitter with a doe tag. I did not have a buck tag as I used it on Opening day. I was dropped off via 4 wheeler and headed in to the woods to my post. 10 feet in, a BIG bodied and BIG racked 6 or 8 point jumped up in front of me and was limping very badly. It took him at least 40 seconds or more to hobble out to 120 or 130 yards on a small knoll before stopping and looking back at me for almost 2 or 3 minutes. There were two others posted above me and the drivers would head right to the buck and then towards me. One of the sitters above saw him and that he was hurt but could not shoot downhill as a driver was directly below him. I thought one of them would definately shoot but they didn't and I could have.
Three does came up between me and the buck so my eyes shifted to them and then back to the buck who was gone now. I felt bad for this deer as he should have been long gone if he were healthy and for me to be able to have 40seconds and up to two or three minutes at the 120 yard range to shoot then obviously he is hurting bad. I was torn on what to do. I know I do not have a tag, but I also know 7 others there do have one and would more than likely tag it as it was injured. I called my buddies cell 25 times and no answer. It was pure torture and I didn't care that he was a big buck, but m ore that he is a deer suffering. If it had been a doe and I didn't have a tag, I would be in the same struggle as a hunter letting a wounded deer walk away period.
Has this happened to anyone here? Did you shoot and ask for a buddy to tag it and end it's suffering? Did you let it walk off and then feel disappointed in yourself for not ending its suffering, yet not disappointed that you obeyed the rules or laws? I'm torn and can't get it out of my head. The members told me after the fact that I should have ended its suffering and not worry about the no tag part which made me feel even worse. We tried catching up to it but had no clue which way it headed. Tons of tracks in the area and no visible blood either. 
Would like to hear your stories on this subject. 

Scenarios like this should be discussed beforehand when hunting with a group. I have hunted in many camps and the days of hunting parties and deer drives are long behind me and leave few good memories. Fortunate to hunt solo or with 1-3 veteran hunters who are on the same page. Learn, grow as a hunter and don't let this torture you as you obviously care.


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[Pygmy]

hehehehehe...Nope....I was on a log road that led DIRECTLY downhill to the truck, and I had an atv at my disposal...

I DID hear some shooting  from the direction that the bear went a few minutes later...I am hoping that someone killed the bear of a lifetime.. It was opening day of PA deer/bear season and if the bruin kept traveling through open woods, there is a pretty fair chance that he would go past someone else... Whether THEY had a bear tag or not did not concern me..I was not about to jeapordize MY  hunting priveledges just to  correct somebody elses screw up..

[IRL]

PA deer and bear seasons do not coincide like NY.


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[Pygmy]

Oh REALLY ??  You better check your regs again...For several recent years, Bear season has been open in several GMUs the first week of buck rifle season.. Not sure about this year, because I opted not to hunt PA this year, but  for several recent years in the unit directly across the border from me here in south central Steuben County, the bear season has been open the first 6 days of buck season... Until this year I have hunted in PA for 30 some years.....

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

Sometimes laws and the right thing to do get hard to separate,, in a situation like this I let my moral compass and teachings make the decision,, break the law or let the coyotes eat the deer only to strengthen and eat another..

[Pygmy]

I just checked the current regs, and bear season is not open during deer season in WMU 3A, where I generally hunt, this year..However, it was open the first week of buck season in 3A  for several years previous.

In several WMUs, it is open this year during deer season...

Edited November 25, 2016 by Pygmy

[IRL]

You should have used all caps in your correction.


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[Pygmy]

Nope....the word " REALLY"  was the only one I intended to say loud...Like I would have if we were conversing in person..

[GreeneHunter]

I would have put the Buck down and butchered on the spot ..... in my opinion morally the right thing to do ! 

[Zem18]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. We have formulated a plan for tomorrow to get the guys who do have tags set up and will try to end his suffering. He obviously is hurt but was able to escape us but hopefully we can catch him tomorrow. If he does come past me, I know what to do. Had my buddy not filled his buck tag on the previous drive, it would have been a different outcome today morally speaking. 

Thanks again for the reassurance. 

[Buckmaster7600]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. We have formulated a plan for tomorrow to get the guys who do have tags set up and will try to end his suffering. He obviously is hurt but was able to escape us but hopefully we can catch him tomorrow. If he does come past me, I know what to do. Had my buddy not filled his buck tag on the previous drive, it would have been a different outcome today morally speaking. 
Thanks again for the reassurance. 

Good luck!


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[Chef]

I had a similar situation at a buddy's house in a non hunting zone outside of season deer was obviously hit by a car and In rough shape and founds its way into his backyard. We are both bow hunters and had been practicing in his yard earlier that day...... that's all I will say about that.


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[nyslowhand]

Agree with most.. One of those situations where you just do the right thing & never mention it again! If you're not up to the task or let legalities prevail over your ethics, there's always the cycle of life solution.

[Moho81]

Such a hard decision. I have never had this happen to me. I have come upon severly wounded deer and ended their misery but I've always had the tag for them. I like to think that even though we are hunters and kill animals for food we are also animal lovers and would do the right thing for that animal. I remember one year seeing a buck so severely wounded he had guts hanging out of his wound and looked green. Even though I knew his meet would be of no good use I did not hesitate to pull the trigger and use my tag. I felt so bad for him.

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[Zem18]

Plan worked and his suffering has ended and he was legally tagged. Great group effort. 4 shots total 1st skimmed him low, and the 4th put him down. 2 and 3 were misses. Holy adrenaline!!!!

His right rear hoof was like a crooked club foot which was very swollen and bleeding. The other wound he had was his left front leg, six inches above the hoof, he had a perfect slug hole. This deer was shot at on a neighboring property and came over to hide. He could barely walk let alone run away. Glad the coyotes didn't get him.