Finding season casualties
 

How many of you get a frustrated asI do when you are out walking your grounds post season hoping for a shed or two and end up finding the remains of bucks you were trying to manage only to meet their demise to some less than ethical hunter. I know we have all lost deer but this is a 4th consecutive year I have located at least 2 bucks with little left but bones and antlers. What a shame I found one 140 class 8 and another 1 1/2 yr old 8 (70"+/-)with great potential this past weekend. Who knows what else is out there. To many hunters take poor shoots and do shoddy recovery efforts if they even follow up at all. Very frustrating and disappointing.

RE: Finding season casualties
 

I see it every year. We were lucky on our Illinois lease that two bucks with previous wounds were taken in the late season. One that was cliped by an arrow by one of our hunters would likely have survived but the other, a 130" 10 point not shot by anyone we knowwas severely infected. It was either a sabot slug gun or a muzzleloader judging by the entry wound and the deer was in very bad shape when taken. It was taken by a guy who would normally pass that buck in a minute waiting for a bigger one but he chose to use up his tag by doing the merciful thing. The meat was inedible and the cape wasdamaged and had hair slipping but the deer didn't suffer another day.

RE: Finding season casualties
 

This years opening day had me really worried about lost animals, with the rain we had.

RE: Finding season casualties
 

found one that was a6pt not even really a legal 6 no way pts was1 long [:@]

RE: Finding season casualties
 

i am not finding any deer here in clinton but i hear most that are found are shot with bow.

many take shots at dark and lose the deer.

i passed on only buck i saw in archerythis year at 33 yds because i only had neck shot and it was getting dark and rain for 7 pm.


MANY WOULD HAVE JUST SHOT,MANY DO..........[:@]

RE: Finding season casualties
 

wait until crossbows are legal in archery, get ready for more of this.

most think they are gun with scope on.[:@]

RE: Finding season casualties
 

I think you will hav e less of it w/ Xbow asit is a more familiar feel to shooting than bow. You still have ot practice, but it is an easier transition fpor shooting.

RE: Finding season casualties
 

problem is they think they are gun and will take shots at deer at 40/50/60 yds.

also, they dont wait until deer looks away or is calm.

at longer distance, noise a crossbow makes, deer can jump string.

also arrows drop like h on crossbow after 30 yds.

its GUN attitude that i am worried about.

scopes on bow leads to lot of this too.

i think if open sights were on crossbow, a lot would not take those long shots but that scope is misleading.

RE: Finding season casualties
 

Even though I have a scope on mine, I have no problem w/ that statement. Someone is going to prove me wrong on that i'm sure. I can shoot my Xbow 60 yards into a TARGET w/ confidence. I garuantee I would not take that shot in the woods. But again someone will prove me wrong.

RE: Finding season casualties
 

I share the concerns that crossbows could add to the deer wounded in PA.

The concern is that a crossbow is fairly easy to shoot accurately under range conditions and thatnew crossbow hunters would likely be gun hunters who wish to hunt the archery season without the time commitment normally associated with the vertical bow. Wounding would be more likely when the crossbow (or any bow) is in inexperienced and uneducated hands

It's too late now, but maybe instead of fighting crossbows altogether, the UBP and others should have focused on mandatory bowhunter ed for ALL bowhunters.
The time commitment for the bowhunter ed would help the new guys be better hunters and possibly be a deterrent to the one day wonders that have the $500 t0 $1500 to plunk down for a crossbow but don't care enough to put in the time to learn about the challenges and responsibilities ofusing any weapon that propells an arrow.