JW

Nope..........no one was wrong
Way more fair than the 1st 2 shooters could hope for as you explained it correctly according to WI law. However if that buck had expired and the landowner found it he was against the law to tag it. It was a ward of the state. Even if a game warden was called rhe animal would have been left...that is the law. But the animal was alive as we where told...so it was legal for shooter 3

One thing the two shooters could have done was to secure written permission to pursue a wounded animal. Could work both ways for adjoining landowners. It is what i do.
Then that buck might have gone home with them.

And me....it would have gone home with the boy....with me asking hey next yr come see me before.

JW

turke7

I think the land owner would be considered the one that killed the deer in the eye of the law as he was the one who actually killed the deer. I personally wouldn't shoot someone else's deer that is mortally wounded to avoid these issues unless its obvious the animal is fine. If I can see a bullet wound from months ago than its not an issue to shoot it, but a mortally wounded animal can cause a big dispute. I believe its best to ask for permission for tracking on a property, if someone wants to ask for permission then fine and we'll even lend a hand. But if your just found wandering around our property were going to have an issue as as far as we know you may of poached the deer on our land, are trespassing, etc. We had someone search for a deer they shot on a neighboring property two weeks ago. They stopped by our home to tell us who they were, were they thought the deer may be, who's property they were hunting, time they shot the deer, etc. We gave them permission and gave the owner of the land they were hunting a call to verify them. They didn't find it but they asked for permission properly etc.

Muley Hunter

I can't agree. I would always finish off a wounded animal to keep it from suffering. For all I know the hunters could have given up looking for it, and i'm not going to let the animal suffer because I don't know if the hunters who shot it will ever show up. If the hunters who shot it show up they can have it.

btw In Colorado the land owner has the right to keep the deer if he made the killing shot. Even off his property if he has a tag.

cayugad

Well that story was right out of the newspaper. When I read it, I found it very interesting. Also the way they flipped the coin to determine ownership. But I see there are many views and some interesting perspectives.

Oldtimr

In PA the law says the ownership of game goes to the person who inflicted the mortal wound that stops the animal in its flight. In PA the landowner was legally entitled to the deer and I also think he went above what he had to do by flipping a coin. The op did not say where the animal was wounded before it was killed, if the deer was gut shot, the father and son had no reasonable expectation of claiming ownership.

WV Hunter

Me too. I would also let them know they need to have permission to be on my land, even to follow their wounded deer.

Now if they were trespassing on my land when they shot it, well that would be another story.

Grouse45

Who owns the Land really has nothing to do with it. Whoever killed the Deer, its there Deer. If somebody chooses to give there Deer away for whatever reason I guess that's up to them. Not sure that's even legal to tell you the truth. But, if it was me and it was a young kid I would give it to him if he wanted it.

edmehlig

Years ago while hunting in Bradford county during our doe season back then. I heard a shot and a few minutes later this doe came trotting by. I could tell from the way it was shot that it was wounded. So as it passed me by I finished it off. About 10 minutes later I saw a father and son coming towards me tracking the deer. I asked if one of them shot a deer and the kid said yes and that he shot it right behind the shoulder. Well he actually shot it in the gut. So I told him well your deer is right there, I just finished it off for you. You had to see the smile on that kids face. The dad just winked at me and said thanks!!

Seeing that smile on that kids smile was priceless.

nchawkeye

Reminds me of a story:

The same thing happened in Texas and the landowner told the father that they could give each other a swift kick in the pants and the one that gave up first lost the deer...

The landowner said I'll go first, got his kick in and said "You can have the dang deer"...

I would have given it to the kid too, I only want the meat so I prefer does anyway..

GOOD OLE BOY

I too agree once the deer leaves the property that they are allowed to be on they need to make a attempt to contact the l/owner even if they need to postpone the search.As of who gets the deer it also depends on the conditions and attitudes involved.I,ve never seen a case when the young hunter didn,t deserve the deer and would have gotten it.There are also instances that if the 3rd party wasn,t involved the deer would have ever been harvested by the first party involved.