NY Bowhunter

First off........ how do you know for certain the deer is even fatally wounded? How do you know the deer wouldn't live to see another day? What ever happened to determing the type of hit on the deer? What ever happened to letting the deer bed down to expire? Why would you go chase a wounded deer in the first place? Because it's getting dark? Have someplace to go?
If a marginal shot was made on a deer at last light why not wait 4-6 hours and start tracking? If the deer is fatally wounded it will expire (most times within 300 yards). If not it will be wounded (unfortunately-shame on hunter for bad shot-part of hunting sometimes). If you go after the deer you may jump it and have it run 2 counties to never find it not knowing if it's dead or alive.

If that deer was fatally woundedlaying there bedded down and they went back 4 hours later (on the safe side) it would be in that same spot dead. My question is........ what if it wasnt' fatally wounded? What if it was wounded? Would it live and heal to see another day? Deer are resilient creatures. I guess we'll never know. If the deer wasn't fatally wounded and the second shot at night was fatal then guess what that is? Why have to find out? When in doubt...............back out.

DoctorDeath

"IF IF IF IF IF IF IF" IF my aunt had gonadds she would be my uncle ... give it a break for Christmas sake or have me arrested and shot in the dark with a light...whatever...ANYTHING to just shut you up from all your whinning !

dd

NY Bowhunter

Funny no answers to any of the questions.

zrexpilot

DD I have come to the conclusion I would rather take your friend hunting than NY fool.

tsoc

There is definitely validity to what you have just said,I don't disagree.I was trying to carry forward the situation that had occurred from the original post,someone coming upon an animal "fairly quickly" after shooting it to find it not going any where but not dying very quickly,if it were day light you would shoot it again,but now in theory if you are one second beyond legal shooting hours you are a poacher.I know that is not the example that was described but if you view it by the letter of the law that would be the implication.
There are so many possible scenario's that
it is hard to use a one size fit's all answer.The law,is the law is the law and we are held accountable to it.Fortunately I have never been in a similar circumstance and hope I never will be!
It was interesting about what someone said about not being able to carry a loaded gun in the dark.I hunt every year out of state in area's where there is a decent mountain lion population as well as a healthy wolf population and I routinely walk in the dark for miles.My gun stay's loaded until I get to the truck.I will have to check the Idaho game laws to see if I am technically violating the law.I may be a criminal and not know it.
Peace! Merry Christmas!

NY Bowhunter

Golly how will I sleep?

saltflat

Please stop you guys are giving me a headache why can't we just drop the whole ethical or unethical poaching or not poaching thing. It is your LEGAL obligation to finish the deer off. It really is. To answer NY question about if it was fataly wounded well if you were a deer and were not in alot of pain and thought you could get a way would you sit there and let some one walk up and shine a light on you UMMMM NO. So I would say it was a pretty good chance it would have died that night sure but why put it off why not finish it now. Would you let your dog that got hit by a car lie on the side of the road and wimper and suffer why you sit there and wonder what to do, if you would I feel very sorry for you. But this is one reason why I will let a deer sit over night because I cannot for any lenght of time stand to watch a deer even squirm on the ground for a few seconds after being shot. It breaks my heart to see an animal on te ground still half alive and I will do everything in my power to comfort him and make it as quick as possible. Call me a ***** if you want I have been called worse but honestly can we end this one already.

FlDeerman

If I start the job I finish the job!If a game warden came up and I showed him the blood trail I don't think there would be a problem.



Merry Christmas every one!!!!!!!!!!

BOWFANATIC

I didn't bother sifting through all pages of this thread , actually Ididn't bother going past the first.

A rookie hunter is a rookie hunter , no matter his age. He made a mistake and you handled it terribly. There's actually alot of things to pick apart in this thread but I'll leave it at that. Hopefully you learned a lesson. Maybe you should get together with him and talk it over so he doesn't just think your a lazy a-hole for not helping him drag the deer out and ruining what was probably an exciting experience for him. JMO!

JagMagMan

NY, I don't usually like to start questioning peoples hunting abilities! But all of these "what if's," are beginning to raise doubts! You should know that very few gun-shot deer survive!
All of this nit-picky, holier-than-thou, stuff is going too far!
You say that in NY, it is illegal to dispatch a wounded deer at night, with a gun, and that the Wardens are strict!
Well, to the "letter of the law," its probably illegal in most states! In fact, here in Texas, its illegal to shoot a deer hit by an auto, AND its illegal to even take it without a special permit!
If I come across a wounded deer, or shoot one, I WILL finish the job! I will take my chances with the Wardens! While most of them are strict, they do have sense too!
A "mercy kill," just IS NOT the same as trespassing, stealing, hunting out of season, and IS NOT even the same as spotlighting! Sheesh! ITS JUST DOING THE HUMANE THING!