rather_be_huntin

The law around here is basically if you made a reasonable attempt to recover the game and you cannot find the animal then your tag is still valid. However I personally don't work that way. One year I shot and wounded a muley buck. I tracked the buck for about a mile then the blood trail stopped. It was the first day of a week long hunt. I looked for two days and nothing, no crows over head nothing. I never found that buck and to this day it's the only animal I've never recovered. But I considered my tag filled and I even felt guilty for a long time about it.

Tree climber

jeff ; thats the only way for a young hunter to learn( ask questions ).in Fl. where I hunt,we do not have tags,so the question doesn't pertain to us. it depends I guess on the hunter and how hard he or she looks.
Sounds like you have a real hunter there.be proud of him and try to answer all the questions. I hope to see his post on here in the near futher.
I would be proud to post with him and answer any question I can.
he is the futher.sounds like he has some good morels;taught by his dad.

good luck to the both of you.hope the print his letter and give him an answer.

troutdudes

why do alot of people say," If you don't have a good shot or enoughexperience or firepower then don't take the shot". Most of the time in one hunters life, they will make a bad shot and wound an animal sometimes you just can't help it.

Jeff Ovington

troutdudes no offence buddy...Wounding animals does happen But..
There is no excuse for it...
Especially when the Bull is called in by a guide 50yrds from you...
This guy is an expeience hunter and a writer.. He should made a quick clean kill........To top it off he should have cancelled his tag because the whole magazine revolves around hunting ethics.....
Hewas with a party that included his wife...She shoots a Bull after this wounding happens and Then He procedes toshoots another.......
Legal or not thats not the issue...Ethically it is wrong...3 Bulls may have been killed by this party of 2...When only two should have been...

..

HuntElk4Fun

IMO if you work your butt off to find that original animal and I mean WORK to find it, even if it takes that entire day, plus another and honestly cannot locate it and run out of options, there is no need to cancel your tag. You can still be an ethicalhunter if you do it this way and still hunt afterwards.

It sounds like the hunter/author of that article didn't try to hard. I just feel if you can say you did everything in your power, then your fine to keep hunting. If you can't say that, then no, your unethical to continue hunting and you need to cancel your tag, whether it's the law or not.

Jeff Ovington

My feelings exactly....

NVMIKE

I think that you should look for that animal for DAYS before or IF you continue hunting. It's B.S. to give it a couple good hours then moving on. I found a buddies 5X6 whitetail deer 2 days after he lost it during archery season, apparently it hadnt died until just shortly before I found it, because it was still O.K. meat wise.

Jeff Ovington

UpDate...
My son and I wrote e-mailletter to the editor of Petersons Hunting Mag concerning the issues with this artical just know...
So look for it in the upcoming magazine issues.......
It was professional but blunt and straight to the point..
I have no idea how it will get replied....
Probably with a lifetime subscription to the magazine..

ShatoDavis

I'm sorry,

I seriously doubt if there are very many people who would search for "days" after a wounded animal. Especially if there is no sign or trail to follow. I challenge anyone to follow a day old trail. I'm talking no blood just tracks. In snow maybe, but on dry ground no way. Once the trail plays out then your talkin a blind search.

skeeter 7MM

Here the law simply states " a reasonable effort must made to recover wounded game". It does not state anywhere that the hunter must cancel his/her tag upon being unsuccessful. As any law their is grey area. "what is a reasonable effort?" As we know this is vastily different and really where I believe the ethical part of the equation comes into play! I base each sitaution with the evidence put in front of me and will exhaust all pausible avenues to located a wounded animal, during this time I consider the tag void. For this is what I consider ethical or the right thing to do. If the attempt is failed I personally weigh it on the entire situation. I will not make such claims of never losing an animal, it happens. Thankfully it hasn't happened very often in my 24years of biggame hunting, but in those few cases of my miscalculations I have learned valuable lessons and they have never been repeated as I felt like crap for causing any suffering. Now I have limitations that I follow closely and if an animal does not give me a shot I am 100% confident I will make a clean, ethical harvest I simply don't shoot! Lack of judgement, not knowing you ability or equipments ability is no excuse but should it happen to an individual his/her use of this education to me determines their ethical base. Nothing learned nothing gained in my books. As far as I am concerned the day I stop learning about hunting is likely the last day I hunt, nothing to do really with ethics but a large portion of what fuels my passion for this sport.

Ethicsare often preached but they must beinstilled by oneself. Many talk a good game but a lot don't walk that same line, especially on the internet, gun shops or ranges. I have no problems with expression of opinion, debate or view points on ethics but really each individual must determine their own course. Equally learned long ago that ranting &raving does nothing but vamp up the preachervsconvert the sinner..say your peaceand hope the individuals own convictions make them change their ethical basis.

PS: Jeff good on you for instilling the boy with a solid background before taking to the field. This is the time where we can and do make a difference for ethical/moral basis. Cudos and best of luck to the boy in his exam and you both on great, rewardinglife pursuit we all call hunting!!!!!!