ORIGINAL: LittleChief
you don't own that deer until properly tagged and in your possession.
I understand that this might be written somewhere in black and white, but do you really not consider a deer "yours" until your tag is on it?
If so, what ifhunterAmade a fatal shot on a buck and it dropped within sight of both hunter A and hunter B. Hunter B has no ethical or moral standards and slaps his tag on the buck while hunter A is climbing down. Whose deer is it?
According to the letter of the law above, it belongs to whoever put the tag on it first. That may be the legal definition, but it doesn't hold true in our hearts. It's mine when it's mortally wounded. I'm morally and ethically bound to track, find and retrieve the animal.
Edited to add that if I were hunter A, I might be breaking another law.... assault.
couldnt agree more. But the tag issue unfortunately is what the law will probably hold true to.