What's the "right" decision?
11-02-2007, 11:09 AM
#31
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: GA.
Posts: 347
RE: What's the "right" decision?
ORIGINAL: HuntingBry
To me, this brings up another question. That is, does anybody know how long it actually takes for a deer to spoil? I don't know that leaving a deer for 24 hours would the meat to spoil, and if it did I think some of it would be salvageable.
Does anybody know how long a deer can lay before spoiling in say 60 plus degree temps?
To me, this brings up another question. That is, does anybody know how long it actually takes for a deer to spoil? I don't know that leaving a deer for 24 hours would the meat to spoil, and if it did I think some of it would be salvageable.
Does anybody know how long a deer can lay before spoiling in say 60 plus degree temps?
11-02-2007, 02:33 PM
#32
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: West Central Wisconsin
Posts: 162
RE: What's the "right" decision?
Back to the original question, in the case of a believed marginal hit, choosing between:
[blockquote]Tracking soon enough that I might jump the deer, OR
Waiting long enough that I'm confident the meat will expire...
[/blockquote]
For a doe, I'll take the chance on jumping it because meat is the motivation. Worst case scenario is that I end up with no meat which is the same end result as the other option. Best case scenario, I've got some venison in the freezer. (I realize the question was originally about a buck but thought I'd answer both ways.)
For a buck, I'm waiting for it to expire. I'll tag it, dress it, register it and save the antlers. The rest will be disposed of since I'm not confident of the meat's safety and/or flavor. Here's why: I'm to the stage that I won't shoot a buck unless I'm interested in the antlers. Three reasons: does are better eating, locally the WI DNR is serious about herd reduction, and the local deer population is way out of whack. If meat were the higher priority, I'd just go ahead and take a doe.
[blockquote]Tracking soon enough that I might jump the deer, OR
Waiting long enough that I'm confident the meat will expire...
[/blockquote]
For a doe, I'll take the chance on jumping it because meat is the motivation. Worst case scenario is that I end up with no meat which is the same end result as the other option. Best case scenario, I've got some venison in the freezer. (I realize the question was originally about a buck but thought I'd answer both ways.)
For a buck, I'm waiting for it to expire. I'll tag it, dress it, register it and save the antlers. The rest will be disposed of since I'm not confident of the meat's safety and/or flavor. Here's why: I'm to the stage that I won't shoot a buck unless I'm interested in the antlers. Three reasons: does are better eating, locally the WI DNR is serious about herd reduction, and the local deer population is way out of whack. If meat were the higher priority, I'd just go ahead and take a doe.
11-02-2007, 03:45 PM
#33
Bartender
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 6,634
RE: What's the "right" decision?
In my case I have only 45 acres and no access to other properties so I would have to play the waiting game.
Wisconsin laws state you must have permission from the owner before you can go after your game.
Somehow after my big one last year I cant understand for the life of me why he did not leave this 45 acres after we pushed him. Any thoughts?
Wisconsin laws state you must have permission from the owner before you can go after your game.
Somehow after my big one last year I cant understand for the life of me why he did not leave this 45 acres after we pushed him. Any thoughts?
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
You guys are assuming the worst case scenario to bolster your argument for waiting. OF COURSE we'd rather recover a deer than bump him all over the country....but you're assuming you ARE going to bump the deer.
The other side of that argument is....
I'd ratherrecover a deer I knew I could eat, than to let the deer lay out there and KNOW I couldn't eat it because I waited.
Neither is "fair". Each strategy comes with its own risk.
You guys are assuming the worst case scenario to bolster your argument for waiting. OF COURSE we'd rather recover a deer than bump him all over the country....but you're assuming you ARE going to bump the deer.
The other side of that argument is....
I'd ratherrecover a deer I knew I could eat, than to let the deer lay out there and KNOW I couldn't eat it because I waited.
Neither is "fair". Each strategy comes with its own risk.
11-02-2007, 04:05 PM
#34
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: What's the "right" decision?
In my eyes, the right decision is to do everything you can to recover the deer. It won't go to waste, coyotes have to eat too.Not recovering the deeris a waste. Putting a killing shot on a deer, no matter how poor, gives you ownership of that deer. It is your responsibility to give it your best effort to try and recover and tag it. Whether the meat is spoiled or not, the "right" thing to do is tag it. In this day and age, with so many doe tags available, getting meat is not an issue.
11-02-2007, 04:59 PM
#35
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 11,472
RE: What's the "right" decision?
The first and foremost thing to be concerned about after shooting a deer is giving yourself the best possible chance of recovering the animal.
If you jump the gun because of the heat andbump the buck to the next county never to be found again then what's the difference? You didn't get the meat and the deer you shot wasn't recovered. If you play it out like youshould according to shot placement and the bloodtrail, you may lose the meat becaue of the time you are forced to wait, but at least you recovered your deer.
If you jump the gun because of the heat andbump the buck to the next county never to be found again then what's the difference? You didn't get the meat and the deer you shot wasn't recovered. If you play it out like youshould according to shot placement and the bloodtrail, you may lose the meat becaue of the time you are forced to wait, but at least you recovered your deer.
11-02-2007, 05:26 PM
#37
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NC
Posts: 6,764
RE: What's the "right" decision?
Who's to say what's "right"......other than the man who took the shot?
I've backed out and came back the next day on a questionable shot to find out it was a double lunger and the deer was only 40 - 80yds away from the shot sight. You can't make the right decision 100% of the time. Hope for 90% and learn from mistakes.
11-02-2007, 05:49 PM
#38
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location:
Posts: 404
RE: What's the "right" decision?
Ok this is one reason I hate Bow hunting in the evening.I just don't like messing around in the dark.I made a good hit on a Doe just at dark.I decided to wait until the next morning.Did have trouble finding her even with good light,but did.The Coyotes had nibbled on her but nothing drastic,and her meat was fine.
Had two last year made bad hits on,one found right off next morning.The other,I seen it lay down,waited go down it gets up and runs.I waited until the next morning couldn't find it,went home got my Dog and found it laying in a little ditch.This one did have one Ham that went bad,the rest was ok.
big rockpile
Had two last year made bad hits on,one found right off next morning.The other,I seen it lay down,waited go down it gets up and runs.I waited until the next morning couldn't find it,went home got my Dog and found it laying in a little ditch.This one did have one Ham that went bad,the rest was ok.
big rockpile
11-02-2007, 07:21 PM
#39
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: West Central Wisconsin
Posts: 162
RE: What's the "right" decision?
ORIGINAL: GregH
In my eyes, the right decision is to do everything you can to recover the deer. It won't go to waste, coyotes have to eat too.Not recovering the deeris a waste. Putting a killing shot on a deer, no matter how poor, gives you ownership of that deer. It is your responsibility to give it your best effort to try and recover and tag it. Whether the meat is spoiled or not, the "right" thing to do is tag it. In this day and age, with so many doe tags available, getting meat is not an issue.
In my eyes, the right decision is to do everything you can to recover the deer. It won't go to waste, coyotes have to eat too.Not recovering the deeris a waste. Putting a killing shot on a deer, no matter how poor, gives you ownership of that deer. It is your responsibility to give it your best effort to try and recover and tag it. Whether the meat is spoiled or not, the "right" thing to do is tag it. In this day and age, with so many doe tags available, getting meat is not an issue.
It seems to me that either way, the deer is dead and either way, I can't make any real use of it. By taking a chance of jumping it, there's at least a chance of recovering something useful. And, for clarification, I'm talking in the options presented at the outset of this thread rather than providing justification for immediate tracking on a marginal shot.
11-02-2007, 08:18 PM
#40
Site Buck Guru
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racine, Wisconsin
Posts: 5,922
RE: What's the "right" decision?
ORIGINAL: dvalliere
I'm curious Greg, and honestly interested in learning here... What makes the recovery of an unusuable deer any better than having not recovered it because you sought recovery in a way which may or may not provide anything usuable?
It seems to me that either way, the deer is dead and either way, I can't make any real use of it. By taking a chance of jumping it, there's at least a chance of recovering something useful. And, for clarification, I'm talking in the options presented at the outset of this thread rather than providing justification for immediate tracking on a marginal shot.
ORIGINAL: GregH
In my eyes, the right decision is to do everything you can to recover the deer. It won't go to waste, coyotes have to eat too.Not recovering the deeris a waste. Putting a killing shot on a deer, no matter how poor, gives you ownership of that deer. It is your responsibility to give it your best effort to try and recover and tag it. Whether the meat is spoiled or not, the "right" thing to do is tag it. In this day and age, with so many doe tags available, getting meat is not an issue.
In my eyes, the right decision is to do everything you can to recover the deer. It won't go to waste, coyotes have to eat too.Not recovering the deeris a waste. Putting a killing shot on a deer, no matter how poor, gives you ownership of that deer. It is your responsibility to give it your best effort to try and recover and tag it. Whether the meat is spoiled or not, the "right" thing to do is tag it. In this day and age, with so many doe tags available, getting meat is not an issue.
It seems to me that either way, the deer is dead and either way, I can't make any real use of it. By taking a chance of jumping it, there's at least a chance of recovering something useful. And, for clarification, I'm talking in the options presented at the outset of this thread rather than providing justification for immediate tracking on a marginal shot.
You may try to track a marginally hit deertoo early in order to make use of its meat, but the percentages for recovery are greatly reduced. Non-recovery of the deer can lead to bad perception of hunters by the entire public, other hunters (gun vs bow), antis and landowners. This can be very detrimental to everyones hunting not just the individual who lost the deer.
Gun hunters... those sticks and strings guys should be banned for wounding all these deer and letting them lay.
Antis......hunting should be banned, look how cruel and wasteful.
Landowners..... Sorry, but you can't hunt here anymore.
and on and on.... See my point?
Recover the deer, dispose of it if you have to and get another doe tag for meat.
Anyone who shoots an animal while hunting, should make it his/her number one priority to recover the animal.
If this means waiting and risking that the meat will be bad, then that's the way it should be. Next time be a better shot. You owe it to yourself, the animal, landowner and the public.
I hope this answers your question on why I feel that recovery of the animal is most important.
