First lethal shot. Sort of on a case by case basis. If I get a double lung on a deer and some jagoff shoots it in the spine on it's death run and drops it and claims it.... place your bets ladies and gentlemen, we are gonna have a fight.

Plain and simple, 1st lethal shot! You could wing a deer and draw blood, 1st blood, so why would you want it if it wasn't a killing shot!

I have eliminated that problem. I shoot deer about 4" below the back line, in line with the front legs. The deer has dropped in its tracks everytime. Both shoulders are typically broken along with the spine, and both lungs are gone. I have shot several deer this way and have yet to have one run off.

Some have said: you ruin too much meat. That's not accurate. There isn't much meat in that area of a deer's shoulders. I have spent too much time carving that little bit of meat out of the shoulder bones.

Deer can run too far and too long before succumbing to a heart/lung shot, I have chased my last one.

With that said, it all comes down to ethical hunting. If you wound a deer and it runs off, and another hunter shoots it, we have a moral dilemma. Did you have a killing shot? If it runs several hundred yards, I would say even if you did and another hunter then puts another bullet in it, you will have a problem. Shoot 'em in the shoulders, they don't go anywhere but straight down.

knock 'em down

T.

I see it coming as well...

it is bow hunting ethic first blood

I have wondered the same thing. Ithink that it's a little different for every situation. I joined a new hunting club this year and all I do is bowhunt, so I have wondered if I stick one and it runs across the clearcut and someone else shoots it with a rifle, would they try to claim it? If they do...we will break out the bull ring and the last one standing gets the deer.

Ditto...

If I ran into these type of problems, I would either find another place to hunt or quit hunting.

but how about this...(happened to someone I used to know.)
the first hunter shot a button buck and he ran about 100 yards and another hunter shot him about an inch away from the where the first shot got him and he droped on the spot.
who gets it?

(PS when this happened, the second hunter was tresspassing on posted land...but we're not going to factor that into this)


I myself have always been for splitting the meat up if both shots are in the chest. (I never tag out so its no big deal for me to tag the deer)
if one is in the neck or gutt than I'll check out the blood trail to see who did what damage.

but another situation could be a monster buck.
I guess it would depend on who shot where and when it droped.

Where I grew up - it was always - 1st blood with BOW - Last shot GUN.

There were never any fights - (I'd never fight over a deer anyhow!). No doubt about the real laws though - 1st one that tags it - its their deer.

I recently took the hunting safety course with my son, and they said that if it ever happens to you and you really really think its your deer - then tag it as well. One thing for sure - if you don't tag it - you don't have any right to it. Call the game warden and he'll sort it out.

Keep in mind --the warden is not going to be any kind of pleased to come out and settle a dispute - so you better berprettydarn sure that you have a case.

FH