Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

I have a theoretical question to ask. I really don't think there is a right answer -- I'm more interested in hearing peoples's thoughts than their conclusions.

A buck, a big buck with a big rack, is shot but not mortally wounded on a piece of hunting ground by a first hunter. This first hunter commonly shoots, wounds, and fails to recover at least one deer a season. The first hunter tracks the buck about 1.5 miles following a spotty blood trail. The hunter spooks thebuck out of its bed once, and the buck is able to run up hill fairly quickly. The blood trail follows a path indicating the buck is checking its scrapes for does -- the buck is continuing to pursue mating opportunities. A secondhunter sees the buck the next day (24 hours after the first hunter wounded the buck), the buck is alert and moving ablely. The second hunter shoots and kills the buck. Whose buck is it?

Further information. The first hunter is the son of the man who leases the hunting ground for raising cattle. The second hunter was invited to hunt the hunting ground by the first hunter four years before, but now the second hunter has permission to hunt directly from the father of the first hunter -- the man who leases the hunting ground for raising cattle.

This is a little more than a theoretical question. It happened where I hunt deer this year. I had filled my two tags, but my son was still hunting and wanted to know if he shot that buck would it be his or not. He never saw the buck, so the question is moot, but a darn interesting question. It irritates me that this first hunter blasts away and wounds animals about every year that are not recovered. He never cleans his rifle (could cause inaccuracy). He rarely practices at the range before hunting (this year he shot 6 rounds to sight in and to practice) and there is no telling where his gun shoots. He most often shoots offhand, without using a rest of any kind.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

The hunter who shoots the final fatal shot!:D

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

If the deer wasn't seriously wounded and still moving 24 hours later it's fair game for anybody.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

the general rule i go with is who makes first blood. But, we're talking a matter of 3-4 hours max, on the trail, not a day or two later.


Based on the amount of time in your story, and without going on for 3 pages, .. the deer belongs to hunter #2

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

???????????? Whose on first?

:DThe deer is alive and kicking 24 hours later, it doesn't matter if he was shot 1 day or 1 year ago the hunter who downed him is the taker!
RA

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

No doubt, second hunter.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

I've had this happen once in the past and it was in agreement that the shot that was "fatal" was the one who took the deer. I guess it depends on the circumstances though. A buddy of ours shot a buck in the shoulder and the arrow was merely hanging from the skin. It came to my dad and I and my dad dbl lunged him and we found him the next day. At first our buddy tried to claim that it was his deer, but had my dad not placed the shot he did, the deer would have just had a really sore shoulder.

After reading the scenario though, I'd say its the 2nd hunters deer. Like I said, every situation would be different.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

The hunter that completed the kill. so no.2.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Well, here is my opinion
1.If the 1st hunter truly does "commonly shoot, wounds, and fails to recover at least one deer a season," that hunter seriously needs to work on his shooting skills.

2.If the buck was "continuing to pursue mating opportunities", then I have probably had razor cuts worse than he was hit.

You said that you don't really think there is a right answer. I will have to respectfully disagree. This is a pretty easy one to figure out. Of course the 1st hunter sounds like he might be just barely smart enough to think otherwise.

C. Davis

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

It sounds like there is a concensus that the 2nd hunter claims the buck.


C. Davis:

Well, yes, I agree that there is a "right answer," but I wanted to encourage discussion and not hammer anyone who disagreed. I think the 1st hunter would indeed have been very pissed off if my son had shot and killed "his buck" the next day, even if the original shot proved out to be a pass through flesh wound that likely would heal over in time. This is partly becausethe 1st hunter characterizes this as a "monster buck" and this evidently means a lot to him. He says he wouldn't have stuck on the trail so tenaciously if it had been a smaller buck.

I also agree that the 1st hunter ought to get his act together. In the past I dismissed the misses and woundings as exceptions, but over four years a pattern has been established. This year he shot and knocked down a doe that stood back up, ran away, and was not recovered. The buck this thread is directed to was shot and dribbled blood over 1.5 miles or more until the trial was lost. I guess I'll just have to make a special trip up there -- 250 miles -- before season with the expressed purpose of getting this guy out to a rifle range. I think if he had to sit at a bench and deliberately squeeze off 20 rounds under the observation of a fellow hunter -- me -- he may have to acknowledge that his shooting needs improvement. Part of this exercise would preferably involve having him shoot groups off-hand and then other groups from a sitting position, to demonstrate the advantages of using a more stable shooting position than off-hand when possible. Maybe I should clean his rifle for him and show him what comes out of the rifle barrel when you do this!!!

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Alsatian,

You certainly are a good friend to be willing to do all that for the deer wounder. Good luck with whatever you choose to try.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

It's who ever kills it, or even finds it dead and tags it.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

It's a no brainer, the 2nd hunter.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

I agree, definitely the 2nd hunter. We have been in that situation ourselves. My dad shot a respectable buck a few years ago, lethal shot in the lungs and as we all know, they will still go up to a mile like that. The buck crossed the river and went over to a place where we had no permission and after hearing a shot, we knew that the other guy got him. We went out to the road to see what he looked like and it was definitely a nice buck. That situation was a little tougher considering the shot placement by my dad, but he didn't drop it instantly, so final shot = their deer.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Steve F.in MD:

The 1st hunter did me the grace of inviting me to this hunting ground to hunt deer my first deer season and show me around the property, indicating good places to hunt. Additionally, he is my niece's husband. So, I feel some obligations and family connection to him. I would no doubt make other use of this trip of 250 miles other than to visit the rifle range with him -- visit my in-laws, visit some old friends, maybe do some advance scouting on the hunting ground, so I would not be doing such a pure act of altruism as it might have seemed. Also, to the extent the 1st hunter would actually learn and grow from the trip to the range, this would be satisfying to me. I'm 49 years old and a father of three. Much of my satisfaction in life now comes from passing on my knowledge to younger people and teaching them some of the nuggets of understanding I have acquired through my life. In the case of this 1st hunter, I think he has some ill-founded ideas about shooting, such as that it is an attribute of one's character. Either you can shoot or you can't shoot, and you can't do anything about it if youj can't shoot. Well, it certainly isn't my experience that it is a matter of genetics but rather of proper technique and practice. Additionally, I don't think he has any appreciation for the random variation involved in shooting -- from one cartridge to another, from one manufacturer's loading to another, and just shooting in the same rifle there is some variation -- and hence the way to evaluate one's shooting is by firing groups.

Anyway, I would like to help the guy out if I can, and especially I would feel better if he wounded fewer animals.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

It is clear to me that the buck is the second hunters deer.
The first hunter shot the deer but didn't kill it.
It was only wounded and not on the ground.
If the second hunter hadn't killed it the deer would still be alive.

So to me it is clearly the second hunters deer.

JMHO

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Hunter #2

Thats like saying just because hunter #1 shot the deer and the following year hunter # 2 shoots and kills it the following year.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

No doubt, 2nd hunters deer. It would be different if they were all trailing the deer and they jumped it and the other guy put the finishing shot on it. Based on what you said, that deer was no where near mortally wounded. We have had this exact scenario at our camp several times, although not at what I would consider a monster buck. It has always worked out for the hunter that deserved the deer.

If I were you I would do as you said, try and help him improve his shooting. Also I would send him the link to this thread and let him read what the overwhelming majority opinion is, as to whose deer it should be and why. Maybe he will understand, and let the rightful owner have the deer. Tell him to put himself in the other guys shoes....other guy barely wounds him and he puts the finishing shot on him a day later. Whose would he think it is then? Of course, some folks would think it was theirs either way. Good luck.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Its been my experience in the woods, mostly when running rabbits and coming across dead deer, that deer hit almost anywhere with a high powered rifle eventually die. I have seen them hit really far back in the guts and they die. I have seen them hit in the hams and they usually get crippled up and die. I have seen them shot in the neck with a wound that eventually killed them. I have probably seen a few hundred deer hanging on the pole and I haven't ever seen any with high powered rifle wounds (like a 25-06 on up) that were taken on before the hunter harvested the animal. This deer was probably shot very low or shot very shallow on a bad quartering shot. In any event, I believe that the deer belongs to the hunter that put him down...the second hunter!

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Hunter #1 definitely gets the deer, because he gave Hunter #2 permission to hunt the area. If he hadn't, Hunter #2 would not have been hunting those woods and never would have made that fatal shot...(huh?);)

I call this the "Trickle down hunter affect".....[:-]

Now, if Hunter #1's mother had remained a virgin, then Hunter #1 would never have been here to begin with and Hunter #2 would neverhavemetHunter #1to get permission. Besides, if Hunter #1 wasn't here because of "virginism", then how would he even get that first ugly shot?..;)

Think this is complicated (I do) and don't agree?....then believe Hunter #2 gets the deer.....:D.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Boy?? What in de hell? Too much time in treestands Jimmy S?


btw... hunter #2 without a doubt gets the deer.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

beautifully stated

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Possession is 9/10s of the law ! Strap him accross the hood and show his big azz off !!

dd

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

You 2 are so cute together.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

OH Gosh, I did'nt know you cared![:'(]

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

It's #3's deer.
That's me, it's in the rules, look it up. when 1 and 2 disagree then 3 takes posession.
Please process, freeze and ship to Huntington, WV

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Hey NY, what part of NewYork you from, the Village?:D

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Who ever shot the buck with the fatal shot tags out the buck.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

No Rebel ........ believe it or not I'm a redneck at heart. I live deep in the mountains. I'm a recluse and only eat what I kill. We have a store and 2 traffic lights and the nearest neighbor is 1.72 miles away. Vast endless land upon land.Nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes region. I am about as far removed from the New York City image as you could possibly imagine. Heck I'm probably more redneck than you. :D:D[8D]Good ole country living.


except I still hate Nascar.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

i think the deer would have been fine if it wa sm,oving fine the first shoot would have heeled and the buck would have lived so its the second hunters deer in my opinion

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Hey man, good to hear!Yes Sir, a good ole YankeeRedneck!:)

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

If the deer is still on his feet then it doesn't matter if the first shot was fatal or not. The deers head could be shot off but if he is still able to runaway and someone else shoots it the law says the second guy owns that deer.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

unless you were hot on its trail tracking it during the second shot the kill shot definatly takes it.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

definately the second hunter if its a day later. but im not sur if you shot the deer and it hadnt died yet and ran in front of another hunt and that hunter put the finishing shot just moments after you shot it.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

Simple,
The guy who tagged it.

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

i also would have to say the second hunter. we had that happen to a 10 pointer a few years back and they found the deer the next day with two bullet holes in the deer and the first hunter who shot the buck gave it to the second person because he was pretty sure he made the killing shot...to me that was an outstanding show of sportsmanship. In this case i would say the second hunter

RE: Your opinion: whose deer is it?
 

definetly the second hunter

sault