While hunting ,you find a deer or elk that is bedded down. So you put a stalk on it ,not knowing is has been hit in the stomach or any other non vital area,you get a shot and quickly expire this animal! While dressing the animal,you hear voices comming your way ,he or she says "ITS" there animal they shot it first but not a vital hit! Who claims the animal? Do you ask for the arrow that has hit the animal or take there word for it?

Who says the animal may not have expired without you shooting it. In your scenario described, I would say you have to give the animal up.

Hunt the thickets

I agree with Belle. If you discover it was previously wounded, and someone comes up and claims it, then they've the rights to it. It's my understanding that a stomach hit, whereas not the best, can also be fatal. Besides that, they may have done the same thing you did had they gotten there first.

God bless,
Brandan

I would gladly give it up!

You got he thrill of the hunt,the stalk,and the shot but get to do it again because you still have a tag!

SF

I hope I'm never confronted with that one but I have to agree with Belle Island, Irishlad and sprintflyer, give it up with congrats for the good of the sport..Fletch

KEEP THE WIND IN YOUR FACE.... FLETCH

First blood claims the animal. A gut shot animal is a a recoverable animal to a good woodsman. If another hunt puts in the effort and correctness to follow up on their hit and comes to the animal by all means they've earned it and I say congrat's to that hunter. I'd say I dispatched the animal and it's a good thing I did for your tracking early would have bumped the animal...a quick lecture and I'd be on my way. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>

I have to dissent somewhat.

Whoever made the first lethal hit deserves the animal. What defines lethal is subject to debate. Horn-Hunter said that the other party had made a 'non-vital' first hit. It is your animal.

I don't know about the game laws in other states, but in Washington you must immeditately notch and afix your tag to the game when you recover your animal. Hypothetically, if you began dressing the deer you must have already tagged it. If you surrender that animal to someone else, your notched tag is now null and void. Your hunt for the year is over (one deer per season limit, generally).

Ethics must play the foremost role. If you put the killing arrow into the deer but discovered that it already had a potentially lethal hit like a liver shot or a one-lunger then what would you do? If it was only first wounded in the ham? Hopefully, both parties in any such dispute will have the moral courage to admit to what is right: The First Lethal Hit Claims The Animal.

p.s.: I won't let game that I have shot spoil, so anyone else who also wants to lay claim better show up soon...

Good point mouse, where I hunt it seems the early season especially is always warm. The first shooter better be &quot;hot on the trail&quot; and show up quick or the animal won't be there to debate...Fletch

KEEP THE WIND IN YOUR FACE.... FLETCH

Is an animal really worth fighting over, give it up. This means more hunting time for you, and you get to see their joy in their trophy.