the unwritten rule of claiming a hit deer

[Freytown]

8 hours ago, GreeneHunter said:

I've always believed you drop it you own it .

Rule I've always followed & just about all hunters I know.

[G-Man]

This just happened opening day.. neighbors friend shoots 6pt buck ..decent 2 year old I have on camera. It crosses from their property across street into their property on my side..they track it thru my property onto next neighbors where it doubles back while going up hill( about 550 ft from creek bottom to top of hill where it runs into my friends father who double lungs it and drops its.. trackers were only 150 yards behind said buck. ... the original shot was an attemped texas heart shot bullet entered and never exited about 2in left of its bung hole.. 308 rifle..  the neighbor took some pictures congratulated my friends 70 year old father and went back down the hill to their property.. the buck covered about 1.5 miles.. was 1st shot fatal. I'm sure it would of died.. could they of tracked it without the snow that day I doubt it..  the buck was shot and killed by hunter in camp he had no idea it was wounded . The neighbors never even put up a question of who's deer it was.. 

[Uncle Nicky]

This argument/discussion has been around forever.

I recall the topic came up when my son was taking the PA hunter safety course, the game warden said whoever puts a fatal shot on the deer claims it. An open ended comment, IMO.

I always thought the guy who finishes the deer off should take it. I had this scenario a number of years ago, I hit a buck that I was tracking, I'm pretty sure he was going to bleed out with the amount of blood he was leaving, I heard another guy finish it off. I followed the track/blood to the guy who was gutting it, I congratulated him, he wanted the deer and was expecting a confrontation (I think), but I wasn't giving him one. Saved me a long drag, and truth is I was tracking on property I didn't have permission for.

I also had a couple guys steal a deer from me, it ran a piece and died. I was young and dumb, I followed it to a couple guys who were dragging it away (no shot fired). I told them I'd shot, they said they finished it off and laughed. As a full grown adult with some life experience, I think that scenario would have ended differently today.

Edited November 22, 2018 by Uncle Nicky

[Daveboone]

Without looking it up, I recall the statement that the deer legally goes to the hunter who "fired the killing shot".

Technically, even a lower leg wound/ gut shot is going to kill it eventually (infection, etc), despite the potential argument that amazingly some recover, but lets face it, the hunter who fires the shot that put the deer down for good has best claim.  

[NYBowhunter]

3 minutes ago, Daveboone said:

Without looking it up, I recall the statement that the deer legally goes to the hunter who "fired the killing shot".

Technically, even a lower leg wound/ gut shot is going to kill it eventually (infection, etc), despite the potential argument that amazingly some recover, but lets face it, the hunter who fires the shot that put the deer down for good has best claim.  

The answer is right there " killing shot", which to me means the person that puts that animal down, kills it. I have never seen a leg shot deer recovered unless you hit a major artery and i have seen many gut shot deer evade hunters. Im a very persistent tracker, its unbelievable how far and where a gut shot deer will go. I have tracked one gut shot deer that  crossed 2 roads, went through 2 swamps and went thru some ungodly thick crap, where i had to track on hands and knees. Those marginal shots should be a learning lesson and not rewarded,  that deer should only be deserved by the hunter you made the killing shot. People learn real fast how to place shots when you loose deer to marginal shots.

[steve863]

4 minutes ago, NYBowhunter said:

Those marginal shots should be a learning lesson and not rewarded,  that deer should only be deserved by the hunter you made the killing shot. People learn real fast how to place shots when you loose deer to marginal shots.

I would agree that marginal shots shouldn't be anything to be proud of, but I also don't think anyone should assume that the more experienced hunter couldn't make a marginal shot also.  $#!+ can happen to the best of hunters.

[NFA-ADK]

Guy leg shoots a yearling doe and tracks it onto my buddies land, gives up the track once he meets the land owner.  Land owner dispatches the deer and brings it to the hunters camp, hunter was so thankful he gave the land owner permission to hunt his land. 300 more acers to hunt added! 

Moose River Plains:  Late 1990's:  Guy tells my buddy Shawn that he and his son are tracking a big buck so you know.  (It's ours you are not allowed to shoot it!)  LMAO I said if you saw one you would have shot it right?  He said yes.  I said good!  Saw the son earlier, he was tracking a big doe that went in front of me at 40 yards.   Can't make this stuff up! 

Ask any DEC who gets involved with this issue and the bigger the antlers the bigger the argument.  Simply put if you drop the animal its yours to choose who gets it.  Young hunter first deer for me its no question regardless of rack size.  Would I ask for credit, you bet but the young gun would use his tag and have any help he wanted including the drag. 

 

[ncountry]

Over the years , we have tracked many a deer. Occasionally needing a finishing shot..Who ever hit the deer 1st always tags the deer.. At times we felt like it was "our" deer, after miles of tracking. Never any arguments or discussions regardless of size..

[Einsamer Krieger]

The last fatal shot that causes the animal to drop dead, in front of you

A deer is not worth getting all upset over, losing it to another hunter.  Think about it this way, now you have more time to hunt.

[Larry]

here's a story this was a more than a few years back I was hunting with my 44mag seeing I had killed a deer with my bow. I was sitting on the ground I heard some shots above me on another property and a big doe came running strait at me looked like it was going to run me over. So I shot it hitting in the middle of the chest between the front legs dropping it 10 feet from me. I finished it off and was getting ready to fill out my tag when this kid came running down the hill all out of breath saying he just shot at that doe. When I saw the look on his face I told him I just finished it off so I wouldn't run down in the gully he said it was his first deer. I helped him field dress it I ask where were you aiming he said the chest. I sent him back up the hill to get help with his deer and I wait for his guys to come. The kids farther came over while I was packing up to move and thank me for helping his son then ask what I used to shoot the deer I told him a 44mag he asked how many times did I shoot I told him twice. He said this is your deer no it's your sons I said I could not take that deer after I saw the look on his face you can tell him what happen here after he kills his first deer. Sometimes you have to do the right thing.

[Larry]

NYTracker this is not even a tough call if you are working as a group to recover hunter A's deer and hunter B finishes it of off it's hunter A's deer. No friend is worth a deer.

Edited November 22, 2018 by Larry

[wolc123]

13 minutes ago, Larry said:

here's a story this was a more than a few years back I was hunting with my 44mag seeing I had killed a deer with my bow. I was sitting on the ground I heard some shots above me on another property and a big doe came running strait at me looked like it was going to run me over. So I shot it hitting in the middle of the chest between the front legs dropping it 10 feet from me. I finished it off and was getting ready to fill out my tag when this kid came running down the hill all out of breath saying he just shot at that doe. When I saw the look on his face I told him I just finished it off so I wouldn't run down in the gully he said it was his first deer. I helped him field dress it I ask where were you aiming he said the chest. I sent him back up the hill to get help with his deer and I wait for his guys to come. The kids farther came over while I was packing up to move and thank me for helping his son then ask what I used to shoot the deer I told him a 44mag he asked how many times did I shoot I told him twice. He said this is your deer no it's your sons I said I could not take that deer after I saw the look on his face you can tell him what happen here after he kills his first deer. Sometimes you have to do the right thing.

That may have seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but in the long run it might have done more harm than good.   Kind of like a night or two in jail might be a good thing for a new driver who gets caught with a DWI.   Real life is not a Disney movie where there is always a happy ending.  It would be interesting to know what that kid thought about it after his father told him the truth, or if he ever did.  The hard truth always trumps a white lie

Edited November 22, 2018 by wolc123

[ATbuckhunter]

If im hunting with a friend and he wounds a deer and it wals in front of me, im putting it down for him. Don't care how big it is, im helping a friend out. If im hunting my self, and I put down a wounded deer Id have to loo at the shot. If it was shot in the vitals, id give it to the guy, but if its shot in the guts and I put it down I would have to think about it. If its shot somewhere not lethal, im taking the deer for sure. Its a tough situation t be honest. 

[Larry]

this was not a DWI it was a deer it's not a big deal. who claims to of killed a deer

[Hunter007]

5 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well if it was a doe or a average size buck I would just give it up  no big deal but if it was the  biggest buck  of a lifetime .

I would probably be like you can have half but I get the rack .

[ncountry]

4 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

If im hunting with a friend and he wounds a deer and it wals in front of me, im putting it down for him. Don't care how big it is, im helping a friend out. If im hunting my self, and I put down a wounded deer Id have to loo at the shot. If it was shot in the vitals, id give it to the guy, but if its shot in the guts and I put it down I would have to think about it. If its shot somewhere not lethal, im taking the deer for sure. Its a tough situation t be honest. 

I hear you.. if someone came along tracking or even just looking for their wounded deer I would consider it theirs to tag...

A friend shot a spike opening morning of firearms season a couple years back because he saw it was wounded.  It was shot in the leg and guts. He was hopeing whoever shot it would come along and claim it. They never did.. he sat the rest of the morning and watched a couple shooters (8 and 10  point) walk by, tagless

[Buckstopshere]

There is no right or wrong in this question of ownership...but it does tell us what the hunters are made of. What type of people are the two hunters when it comes down to a difficult ethical choice?

Deer hunting brings out the best and worst in people and in direct proportion to the size of the rack.  

There is an old rule...not mentioned yet in this thread.  Well, more of a guideline. "First arrow, last bullet gets to decide." 

I've been on both sides of the equation. Had a young hunter leg-shoot a nice 8 pt. many years ago. I didn't know it was hit when I dropped it. As I was finished dressing it out, the kid comes up. Luckily I had not filled out my tag. 'Course I gave him the deer. But it would have run forever with that hit.

 Lost a 10-point during archery season to someone else who claimed it. Years later he came clean and gave me the rack which I always have been grateful for. 

Good and bad in all of us, it is what we choose to act on that is important. 

[Nytracker]

4 hours ago, Larry said:

NYTracker this is not even a tough call if you are working as a group to recover hunter A's deer and hunter B finishes it of off it's hunter A's deer. No friend is worth a deer.

I get it I didn't say one way or the other just gave up an actual scenario. Honestly hunter A made a piss pore decision to shoot a hardquartering away  running  buck.  Shot was more greed mixed with poor judgement Hunter B made a better shot killing the buck at the border fence. If the buck had crossed the.border there would have been no way to retrieve  it property owners are bunny huggers. That said I would have given it to hunter A . The rules of the land however says hunter B put it down for the count. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by Nytracker

[grampy]

Among us, it has always been whoever draws first blood, tags the deer. Doesn't matter where or how the first blood was drawn. Or who fired the final shot.

I've tracked deer a couple times, I hit, that went off our property and was shot by someone else. I stuck out my hand and congratulated them.

One, was a very nice muture buck, on state land, during bow season. I shot him, he ran, and bedded under the tree of a kid, I had no idea was there. He put another arrow in him. After following a good blood trail, a hundred yards or so, I came upon the young hunter, standing over "his first bow buck"!!

I even helped him drag out his trophy. 

 

 

[GreeneHunter]

10 hours ago, Daveboone said:

Without looking it up, I recall the statement that the deer legally goes to the hunter who "fired the killing shot".

 

Fired the killing shot !

[NYBowhunter]

10 hours ago, steve863 said:

I would agree that marginal shots shouldn't be anything to be proud of, but I also don't think anyone should assume that the more experienced hunter couldn't make a marginal shot also.  $#!+ can happen to the best of hunters.

I agree 100%, my comments are for all of us. We can all learn from our mistakes. Im definitely not the same hunter i was when i started hunting deer 32 years ago and i learned  from many mistakes. I have  lerned not to rush shots and pass on shots that dont feel right, but thats not to say i cant make a bad shot. I just feel if i made a gut shot and my neighbor put that deer down, im not deserving of that deer  and should not be offered to me by the neighbor.

[Hunter007]

This topic is a another reason why you are better off using a little more powerful caliber then a less powerful one who wants to deal with that scenario .

[NYBowhunter]

3 minutes ago, Storm914 said:

This topic is a another reason why you are better off using a little more powerful caliber then a less powerful one who wants to deal with that scenario .

So you think the cure for poor or marginal shots is for a hunter to get a larger caliber ? I hope thats not what your suggesting.

[Hunter007]

24 minutes ago, NYBowhunter said:

So you think the cure for poor or marginal shots is for a hunter to get a larger caliber ? I hope thats not what your suggesting.

I'm saying in the  deer woods no shot is going to be placed as good as off a bench rest so if you dont have a problem with recoil better off going for a little bigger powerful bullet that's going to make the bigger hole in the deer . Less chance its going to go far that way and have  someone else shoot at it and have to  deal with them .

Edited November 23, 2018 by Storm914

[Jdubs]

10 hours ago, wolc123 said:

That may have seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but in the long run it might have done more harm than good.   Kind of like a night or two in jail might be a good thing for a new driver who gets caught with a DWI.   Real life is not a Disney movie where there is always a happy ending.  It would be interesting to know what that kid thought about it after his father told him the truth, or if he ever did.  The hard truth always trumps a white lie

In this scenario, a kid believing that he/she just made his/her first deer harvest, is nothing like spending a day or two in jail!  Terrible analogy.  You'd rather crush that kid's spirit than help foster a young new hunter?   I could never do that.  grampy nailed it, as always.