mohunter82

Well folks here we go. First and foremost lets look at the title of this thread "ethics". We could go round and round (which we have) about this. Every person is goin to be different and have different opinions. As for the Missouri law I believe it may actually be true. I used to help my Uncle with the hunter education courses in our county and I distinctly remember something aout that. I am reading the regulations to double check.

And Talondale made some good points. One of the reason for tags isto keeprecords on the number of deer taken. Now i'm not for sure if one tag would make a difference persay but who knows.

After reading the 2007 wildlife code of Missouri it states that "(8) Hunters who kill or injure a deermust make a reasonable effort to retrieve and tag it, but this does not authorize trespass."

valor10

Report an unrecovered deer? Nope. Wouldn't even think about it. I would feel bad for the animal, disappointment in myself for not making the shot I should have, but nope, could care less about tagging it, unless it was under my knife. I've always wondered if states should have a seperate catagory for known wounded animals, but I guess so many of them live, how could it possibly help with an accurate deer kill and management? There's obviusly more deer killed than reported every year, but would it really help to report the wounded?

nodog

Here in Ohio an animal must accompany the tag. Go in without an animal and the counter help may self destruct right there from not knowing what to do next.I don't have the time or patience for that.

I will say this, people give up way to soon. Just for debate and nothing against Matt from Pa. Do you think he would have spent days looking for a lesser animal? Most would not. I also think the, wait for hours before tracking, is way over blown.

deepdiver

I used to work security for a company that had land that was just to tempting for poachers not to give a try.

I can distinctly remember 2 deer, a doe and a VERY large buck that ran around for a while with arrows sticking out of them. Deer, and people, can live through what some would call fatal wounds. In a city not to far from me, 2 guys shot each other numerous times with 9mm handguns at close range, and didn't turn themselves in for several days.

My point here is that if you can't verify the kill, then you have no reason to tag it as a kill. Don't worry though, I'm sure the meat won't go to waste.

eatsleephunt

If you can't find it, you can't tag it... period. I have bow hunted for many years and lost a number of animals. In all cases, I blood trailed on my knees with a flash light or simply on my knees for as long as the blood held out. Then I circled and looked.After that I went into areas I thought the animal might be headed and circled and looked. I don't give up easy, because I have found some this way.

It all comes back to the inital shot, the placement and the ethics of taking it or not.... You are bound to lose some, bow hunter or gun... it's what you do after a marginal/mistake shot that counts.

After all else fails, keep hunting.

treboryerf

No deer no tag.Man what is up with you are you trying to prove to everyone what an outstanding ethical hunter you are,pls stop we believe.

GMMAT

I asked an honest question.....not knowing even the laws of my own state. If the law say you have to recover an animal to tag it.....then so be it.

It was really a harmless question.....and I appreciate the responses.

I learn something here most every day. If I know I killed a deer......I'm gonna call and ask the WRC what to do.....recovery or not. That isn't "noble". It is ethical (I "think"). I also think they'd want to know.

BigBuckHunter50

If you didnt find it then you cant tag it

Mizzouhunter

At first, when I read the comment about Missouri requiring a hunter to tag an injured deer, I was skeptical. Honestly, I've never heard of such a thing.But I did a little research and while it seems like the statement COULD be accurate, from what I found, I remain skeptical. The Missouri Wildlife Code requires hunters who "take" a deer to tag it. But, look at the definition of "take." It does include injuring. But it alsoincludes pursuing, molesting and hunting. And "pursuing" would not require a hunter to tag an animalthat survived the pursuit. Maybe it is just sloppy drafting or maybe it is intentionally a broad definition.Or more likely, I am missing something.

Anyway, something like that would be taught in a hunter education class, right? And although it has been awhile since I went through hunter's ed, I don't recall that.

But, from a common sense perspective,a reasonable hunter is not going to tag and claim that hekilled an animal he cannot find. Nor should that be required. Recovery is part of the formula.


From the Wildlife Code:
Hunters who take a deer must tag it immediately with the transportation tag portion

of the permit; detaching the transportation

tag voids the permit. Deer may be possessed

and transported only by the taker until

reported through the Telecheck Harvest

Reporting System. All deer taken must be

accurately reported through the Telecheck

Harvest Reporting System by 10:00 p.m. on

the day taken by the taker or in the taker’s

immediate presence. The Telecheck confirmation

number must be recorded immediately

on the deer hunting permit as indicated on

the permit, and immediately attached to the

deer by the taker. The transportation tag and

deer hunting permit with confirmation number

must remain attached to the intact or

field-dressed carcass until the deer is

processed. All deer must be reported through

the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System

prior to processing or being removed from

the state.

---

(54) Take or taking: Includes killing, trapping,

snaring, netting or capturing in any

manner, any wildlife, and also refers to pursuing,

molesting, hunting, wounding; or the

placing, setting or use of any net, trap,

device, contrivance or substance in an

attempt to take; and every act of assistance to

every other person in taking or attempting to

take any wildlife.

wiranger

This is getting a little too weird for me. No deer, no tag. Still dont feel good about doing it, and never will. First thing I was tought after weapon safety was to NEVER shoot another animal until youve found the first one. That right there is the ethical part of this conversation.