On thurs I set up my ladder stand on a trail that I've hunted for 7 yrs now and only seen one other hunter before. hunted thurs nite and fri (saw two small bucks 6 ptrs now illegal in pa) then saturday comes and I am entering my stand at first light and some one shines a light at me as I'm climbing my stand. here a guy sets his climber up in the morning about 30yds away on the same trail. Now we are both screwed. I go over to talk to this man and see if we can work something out (maybe hunt two diff directions) cause the last thing I want to do is move that big ol ladder stand. he then proceeds to give me attitude for having my stand set up three days ahead of time and then moves down trail about 100yds or so. I don't know but was I wrong for doing this. I would never ever attempt to set up my stand the morning of a hunt the dam thing is to loud setting up. Any way as I was sitting in my stand I started thinking. In a situation as this where I know for sure there is a hunter about 100yds away. If I shoot a buck and he naturally like 90% of deer do when they are shot with a bow continue moving and the buck goes by him and he sees that the deer was shot Is it ethical to shoot at the buck and who would or wouln't shoot at the buck. During Rifle I have no problem with this because if you can't drop em with a good shot with a rifle then you lose but with bow hunting you can have a good shot and the deer will still move on to die. Sorry for being so long winded.

Your question is about shooting an already wounded deer...and not about the treestand issue?

If so, yes...I'd send an arrow at an already wounded deer. And I'd hope others wound do the same for me. What you would be doing is HELPING another hunter put down HIS animal...not trying to claim it as your own.

Unspoken rule...first fatal shot gets the animal.

JRW

I just don't realize why so many people always have an attitude?? I had the same kinda thing earlier in the season. Set my stand in September and didn't figure anyone else hunted anywhere near ( I hunt mostly Small parcels of woods between Farm crops.

First time I hunt this location and I hear 3 Deer snorting as though they'd winded me only they're dead on UP wind by 25-30 yards. I sit tight and just before dark I see a guy walking down the fencerow with a bow? I start to climb down and he sees me and waits. Friendly conversation " see anything?" Turns out he took a shot (he spooked them) and his stand is 40 yards from mine! We talk about how often each other hunts it, trade phone # just in case, wind up having a beer. Now I've got a guy who if he sees my truck will take a different route to get to his stand (we both moved apart) so if he spooks any on the way in, they go toward me. And I do the same for him.

Life is good, I've made a new "friend" and we both hunt happy! Almost a team effort! Our Pact was... Shoot it if it's wounded! For the love of GOD put it down as quickly as possible! Havn't done it yet but I'll drop 'em in a second if I see Entrance, Exit or Arrow and I know he'll do the same.



Trushot }}------>

Both me and my buddy have permission to hunt my business partner's land for the first time this year. Naturally we find out that another individual has been hunting this property for ten plus years. He was not happy the first time he saw us out there. It is 60+ acres which is plenty of land for three people to hunt, IF YOU EXERCISE COMMON SENSE. We make sure to not get in anyone's way.