GMMAT

When a buck is down via our arrow......and the hit is marginal.....we have a decision to make if the temps are "marginal". What's the "right" decision? Do we leave at a time when we take a chance of jumping the buck up.....in order to save the meat? Or....do we give the buck PLENTY of time to expire.....knowing we're going to lose the meat?

Isn't there a risk, either way? Who's to say what's "right"......other than the man who took the shot?

Justin

Personally, I would elect to let him lay. I would rather find the deer the next day, rotten meat/eaten by coyotes, than not find him at all. At least you have a sense of closure to the story, and are not left second-guessing your decisions and having to live with a deer that was hit and not recovered. That sucks.

EDIT - I don't think there's necessary a right or wrong decision in this case, it's up to the individual who shot the deer. If you are that concerned about spoilage or predators and decide to go chase the deer, that is your perogative. You may find him dead, you may bump him, or you may not find him at all. Those are the chances we all take every time we let an arrow fly.

buckhunter14

Your exactly correct... but if every hunter's purpose of "harvesting" a deer is to eat it, then why would you ever wait when you know the meat will be spoiled.

Most of the people on this website hunt for bone, and eat what they get, and that is fine. But few ofthe people on this websitehunt only for the antler, or so I hope.

virginiashadow

I may be in the minority here but I ALWAYS back out when I think the hit is marginal..even if the temps are high. I have never had any problems with the meat I have eaten, even when the temps hit the low 70's the next day when I found the deer. Maybe I am just naive to the fact that the meat can go bad quick, but I have just never had a problemwith the meat when I find the deer the next day, even when the temps are relatively high.

shadow

mobow

Tough question.....It's hard to say sitting here, I guess the decision would have to be made per event.....

BUT, I'm also inclined to give him time to expire. If you jump him and don't find him, you don't get to eat him anyway.....Nor do you get the photo ops....

Also, I think whether it's a buck or doe is irrelevant...

GMMAT

Justin....it works both ways. I'd rather have closure, too (I think this goes without saying for all of us)....but...to let an animal lay for a period of time that ENSURES the meat will be wasted is not acceptable to many.

It works both ways..

Jim_IV

I would say that it all depends on the situation and each person. Personally for a doe, I wouldn't want the meat to spoil so I might not give her as much time as a buck. But as far as a buck, I would rather find him dead then chase him all over the county.

MN/Kyle

I still think I would let him, or her lay. To me, it doesn't matter what sex the deer is. I will wait until I feel like the deer has had adequate time to expire before taking up the blood trail. I think that we owe it to them for two reasons.

1. Ensures, or betters our chances to recover our downed animal, and
2. Lets the animal die quicker, and with less stress then pushing "it" around the property.

Thats what ***I*** would do.

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.

virginiashadow

GMMAT--seems like you already have the answer to your question.

shadow