Consider this situation and tell me what you would do... This a private land deer hunt, with neighboring private lands on all sides. You have worked hard thru the year improving habitat, food plots, etc. and have your eye on at least one trophy buck that's hanging around. On opening day, you hear a distant shot, and after a while a badly wounded spike buck stumbles onto your property and lies down within sight of your stand. Do you: finish him off, and hope another hunter is on his trail (but state law says you MUST IMMEDIATELY tag any animal you shoot, AND, another hunter cannot legally enter your land in pursuit of game w/o your permission), shoot him and be happy with him (you only get one buck tag), OR do nothing, let nature take its course, and wait for the big guy??? Or something else??
Ethics question for you...
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koja48
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I'd dispatch the deer immediately & gut it. If it seemed obvious no one was going to show in a timely manner and the other hunter didn't contact me/the landowner, I'd tag it with "Property of the State of xxx" contact the authorities, and take my chances (I did this before . . . abandoned mulie some "ethical" SOB apparently exchanged for a larger model) and it worked out just fine. I acknowledge that the demeanor of the resident warden could be a factor in the outcome, so that part is a crap-shoot. I'd definitely not let the animal suffer. If I thought I'd be fined to do the above & the deer was legal, I'd tag it. If it was an illegal deer, I'd invoke Plan A & trust to luck. I adhere to my ethics, not some warden's.
Thernlund
Member
Depending on certain factors, I think I'd assume the other hunter was tailing it and wait for him to catch up to it. Seems like the honorable thing.
This coming from a non-hunter, so take it as you will. [shrug]
-T.
This coming from a non-hunter, so take it as you will. [shrug]
-T.
Savage Shooter
Member
I have been in this situation more than once. I sometimes hunt in a drive party If one guy shoots a deer and it doesn't go down rather quickly there will be at least a half dozen guys that will put it down immidiatly they will judge who gets it based on who has what tags and whose shot went where in the case of a big buck if that first shot would have killed the deer in a timely manner.
MCgunner
Member
Meat's meat and he's mine. Finders keepers. 
I live in a 3 buck, two doe county, so I tag him.
I live in a 3 buck, two doe county, so I tag him.HunterGirl
Member
I finish him first and foremost. There is no reason for him to lay there and suffer.
Then I wait a bit. If the other hunter comes along - it's his. If he doesn't show then I have no choice but to put my tag on it.
Then I wait a bit. If the other hunter comes along - it's his. If he doesn't show then I have no choice but to put my tag on it.
mike724
Member
I'd finish the suffering animal, drag it to the shade, quickly gut it, and get back in my stand. Here in FL, we don't tag deer, and the season limit is TWO PER DAY!!!
Mike Franklin
Member
Yep, finish him. Wait a bit to see if the other hunter shows up. I'd likely yell for anyone in earshot.
Shawnee
member
HunterGirl and Mike Franklin are making sense to me.... especially since it might be a "first deer" for some young hunter or maybe a "last deer" for some old hunter and means a lot to them regardless of its' size or the rack it carries.
A tougher situation would have been if the wounded deer were an illegal deer shot by a slob hunter - a doe during a "bucks only" season, for example.
A tougher situation would have been if the wounded deer were an illegal deer shot by a slob hunter - a doe during a "bucks only" season, for example.
MTMilitiaman
Member
If it is my private property, I'd dispatch the animal, field dress it, butcher it, and put it in the freezer.
Can't promise I'd tag it...
Around here, chances of a warden ever finding out is slim to none. Chances of him caring even if he finds out, as long as you harvested it for food, didn't waste it, and don't intend to sell any part of it for profit is even less.
You may or may not be able to say the same in your area.
Can't promise I'd tag it...
Around here, chances of a warden ever finding out is slim to none. Chances of him caring even if he finds out, as long as you harvested it for food, didn't waste it, and don't intend to sell any part of it for profit is even less.
You may or may not be able to say the same in your area.
Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
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Depends on whether it's the last day of the hunt, in order to have an opportunity to get your Big One:
If it is NOT the last day of the hunt:
Yes, finish him off for sure, gut and drag back to camp. Place your tag on him. Go looking for anyone on or near the next property that appears to be walking and/or looking for their game. Hopefully, you'll find the chap who shot it, and gracefully hand it over - take your tag off, and it's ready to re-use. Go back to hunting. If you cannot find the person that shot him, then that's your buck - unless you can find someone else in camp at the end of the day that evening that wants to claim that one as theirs - then switch tags).
If it's the last day of the hunt:
Still, finish the deer off (that's the right thing to do, regardless of whatever else you do or what happens). Then continue hunting and waiting for your big boy for the rest of the day. If the big boy does not come along, then gut that deer, and take back to camp. Still, go looking for the guy who shot that one and hand if over if you can find him. If not, that's your buck. Now, if big boy comes along, shoot big boy, gut, tag, and take back to camp. That's your buck. Then go look for the hunter who shot the spike, and failing that, see if anyone in camp wants to claim the spike as theirs for their tag, and then go show him where it is and bring it back. Failing both of those, call the game warden, explain the situation, tell him that you don't think you are in the wrong because even though you shot the deer, it was already mortally wounded and you were just issuing a coup de grace. He or she will probably agree with you, and tell you that you need to either leave the deer lying for the yotes, or will issue you a special tag so you can keep it, or will ask you to go get it and bring it in to donate to hunters for the hungry, so he won't ticket you. If, on the other hand, he is a butthead and wants to ticket you, then take your medicine and pay the ticket - that's the price for getting your big boy. I might just tell a white lie as to the timing of things - say that the big buck came in first, you shot him and tagged him and then shortly afterward, here came the wounded spike, and you had no ethical choice but to issue a coup de grace.
If it is NOT the last day of the hunt:
Yes, finish him off for sure, gut and drag back to camp. Place your tag on him. Go looking for anyone on or near the next property that appears to be walking and/or looking for their game. Hopefully, you'll find the chap who shot it, and gracefully hand it over - take your tag off, and it's ready to re-use. Go back to hunting. If you cannot find the person that shot him, then that's your buck - unless you can find someone else in camp at the end of the day that evening that wants to claim that one as theirs - then switch tags).
If it's the last day of the hunt:
Still, finish the deer off (that's the right thing to do, regardless of whatever else you do or what happens). Then continue hunting and waiting for your big boy for the rest of the day. If the big boy does not come along, then gut that deer, and take back to camp. Still, go looking for the guy who shot that one and hand if over if you can find him. If not, that's your buck. Now, if big boy comes along, shoot big boy, gut, tag, and take back to camp. That's your buck. Then go look for the hunter who shot the spike, and failing that, see if anyone in camp wants to claim the spike as theirs for their tag, and then go show him where it is and bring it back. Failing both of those, call the game warden, explain the situation, tell him that you don't think you are in the wrong because even though you shot the deer, it was already mortally wounded and you were just issuing a coup de grace. He or she will probably agree with you, and tell you that you need to either leave the deer lying for the yotes, or will issue you a special tag so you can keep it, or will ask you to go get it and bring it in to donate to hunters for the hungry, so he won't ticket you. If, on the other hand, he is a butthead and wants to ticket you, then take your medicine and pay the ticket - that's the price for getting your big boy. I might just tell a white lie as to the timing of things - say that the big buck came in first, you shot him and tagged him and then shortly afterward, here came the wounded spike, and you had no ethical choice but to issue a coup de grace.
HM2PAC
Member
I would assume the "Badly wounded deer" is going to expire soon. Finishing him off is probably not required. Give the deer the requisite 30-45 minutes and then stalk up on him.
Alive? Shoot and call the warden.
Dead? Time to call the warden.
Alive? Shoot and call the warden.
Dead? Time to call the warden.
MCgunner
Member
If the other hunter shows up on MY land, he's trespassing. I figure if he wanted his deer, he'd have used an adequate caliber and put the bullet in the right spot.
koja48
member
HunterGirl and Mike Franklin are making sense to me
Hmmm . . . I must be using invisible fonts again . . . coulda sworn I already said that . . .
Hmmm . . . I must be using invisible fonts again . . . coulda sworn I already said that . . .
i don't see a problem, here. there is no choice but to kill it - that part is pretty cut and dried in my mind. then get it gutted. then look to see if the shooter can be found. if so, tell them to get the deer. if not, slap a tag on it, and mourn the loss of a quality hunting opportunity.
no matter what the eventual outcome is, it is not the deer's fault it was shot poorly, and it should not have to wait for death in pain and agony while you hash it out w/ whoever (warden, shooter, etc) to get the situation fixed. kill the deer, then deal w/ the situation.
no matter what the eventual outcome is, it is not the deer's fault it was shot poorly, and it should not have to wait for death in pain and agony while you hash it out w/ whoever (warden, shooter, etc) to get the situation fixed. kill the deer, then deal w/ the situation.
Sunray
Member
"...There is no reason for him to lay there and suffer...kill the deer, then deal w/ the situation..." Exactly. Well said by both of you. If's, ands or but's don't matter. That's why it's called ethics. Antlers don't count.
"...cannot legally enter your land in pursuit of game w/o your permission..." And promptly give the permission to enter if and when the shooter shows up. If he doesn't, Oh well!
"...cannot legally enter your land in pursuit of game w/o your permission..." And promptly give the permission to enter if and when the shooter shows up. If he doesn't, Oh well!
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Custom with the bunch I used to hunt with north of Uvalde, Texas, was to go on and kill the buck, and then look toward the boundary fence if it looked like some neighboring hunter had shot it. Help the guy get his buck.
That way, if one of us had a buck that was just wounded and jumped the fence, we'd get a return favor.
Insofar as it was feasible, we always tried to know the next-door hunter-folks, or at least the landowners. Cooperation is a Good Thing. Saves hassles...
That way, if one of us had a buck that was just wounded and jumped the fence, we'd get a return favor.
Insofar as it was feasible, we always tried to know the next-door hunter-folks, or at least the landowners. Cooperation is a Good Thing. Saves hassles...
glockman19
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I agree.
buck460XVR
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to me, it isn't a matter of ethics, but what is the law in the area you are hunting.
One night outta each class in the hunter safety program I help with, is dedicated to an question/answer session with the local Game Warden. This question or one similar is asked almost everytime. The warden will ask for responses from the class before giving his answer and most are very close to what has been said here. Then he generally will tell the class this.
You shoot a deer, you best have a tag to put on that deer. In Wisconsin, because group hunting in legal during the gun deer season, it doesn't have to be your own tag, but it has to be from someone within visual or unaided voice contact. It could even be from the neighbor that originally shot the deer if they are within visual or voice contact. Shooting the deer to put it out of it's misery and leaving it for the coyotes is illegal, just as shooting it, not tagging it and taking it home. Putting your tag on it temporarily until you find another tag is just as illegal here and will cost you the same as shooting a deer outta season($1800-$2100, and the loss of your weapon and hunting privileges for three years, and even your car/truck if you are caught transporting it). His advice, harsh as it seems, if you do not wish to legally tag the animal, is to let the deer die on it's own, or contact whoever you think may have wounded it for them to retrieve, or to contact the local DNR/Warden and go by what they tell you. In some cases they may tell you to dispatch the animal and leave it alone till they get there. They may tag it and give it to you if you want it(like a road kill) or they may donate it to the local food pantry. With the advent of cell phones, the last two options seems to me to be the best....... altho both may screw up the area for a short amount of time.
The last thing I would ever suggest is to do something illegal. It just isn't worth it no matter how small the odds are of getting caught. Take it home without tagging it and the neighbor you prevented from trailing the animal may be peeved enough to turn you in if he has any suspicions at all. Besides, unlike ethics, there is very little grey area when it comes to what is and what isn't legal. Most who endorse one form of illegal hunting/tagging are likely to endorse other forms of illegal hunting/tagging activity.......
This is one reason when I hunt on private land is to talk to the neighbors and establish a policy of retrieving wounded game. Not only does it avoid arguments later on, but gives one a definitive answer when a situation like this comes up.
My question would be to the OP, what would be your action if it was the wallhanger that came stumbling into your stand.....mortally wounded? Now there's a question of ethics.
One night outta each class in the hunter safety program I help with, is dedicated to an question/answer session with the local Game Warden. This question or one similar is asked almost everytime. The warden will ask for responses from the class before giving his answer and most are very close to what has been said here. Then he generally will tell the class this.
You shoot a deer, you best have a tag to put on that deer. In Wisconsin, because group hunting in legal during the gun deer season, it doesn't have to be your own tag, but it has to be from someone within visual or unaided voice contact. It could even be from the neighbor that originally shot the deer if they are within visual or voice contact. Shooting the deer to put it out of it's misery and leaving it for the coyotes is illegal, just as shooting it, not tagging it and taking it home. Putting your tag on it temporarily until you find another tag is just as illegal here and will cost you the same as shooting a deer outta season($1800-$2100, and the loss of your weapon and hunting privileges for three years, and even your car/truck if you are caught transporting it). His advice, harsh as it seems, if you do not wish to legally tag the animal, is to let the deer die on it's own, or contact whoever you think may have wounded it for them to retrieve, or to contact the local DNR/Warden and go by what they tell you. In some cases they may tell you to dispatch the animal and leave it alone till they get there. They may tag it and give it to you if you want it(like a road kill) or they may donate it to the local food pantry. With the advent of cell phones, the last two options seems to me to be the best....... altho both may screw up the area for a short amount of time.
The last thing I would ever suggest is to do something illegal. It just isn't worth it no matter how small the odds are of getting caught. Take it home without tagging it and the neighbor you prevented from trailing the animal may be peeved enough to turn you in if he has any suspicions at all. Besides, unlike ethics, there is very little grey area when it comes to what is and what isn't legal. Most who endorse one form of illegal hunting/tagging are likely to endorse other forms of illegal hunting/tagging activity.......
This is one reason when I hunt on private land is to talk to the neighbors and establish a policy of retrieving wounded game. Not only does it avoid arguments later on, but gives one a definitive answer when a situation like this comes up.
My question would be to the OP, what would be your action if it was the wallhanger that came stumbling into your stand.....mortally wounded? Now there's a question of ethics.
alsaqr
Member
I will kill the animal to stop its suffering and let things take their course. If no one shows up to claim the buck then he gets tagged.
koja48
member
if it was the wallhanger
Same answer, on my part.
Same answer, on my part.
The_Sheriff
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I would definately shoot it again and start to gut it, if the other hunter comes and wants it then fine, if not then your having backstraps for dinner.
Thanks for some great replies...
I especially appreciate the perspective of buck460XVR, as the situation was conceived with Wisconsin rules in mind - If you gut it before tagging, you are in violation. If you improperly fill out your tag so it can be re-used, you are in violation. If you kill it and leave it, you are in violation. If you kill it and wait awhile, you are in violation. All this in a state with an excessive deer herd that they are so desperate to reduce. And make no mistake, you are better off in WI to shoot someone in a bar fight than to violate a conservation law (as far as penalties go). Point is, I think we all know the "right" thing to do, but it is frustrating when abiding by the law will not let you do it. Great discussion!
I especially appreciate the perspective of buck460XVR, as the situation was conceived with Wisconsin rules in mind - If you gut it before tagging, you are in violation. If you improperly fill out your tag so it can be re-used, you are in violation. If you kill it and leave it, you are in violation. If you kill it and wait awhile, you are in violation. All this in a state with an excessive deer herd that they are so desperate to reduce. And make no mistake, you are better off in WI to shoot someone in a bar fight than to violate a conservation law (as far as penalties go). Point is, I think we all know the "right" thing to do, but it is frustrating when abiding by the law will not let you do it. Great discussion!
Loyalist Dave
Member
I had a friend with exactly that problem. He was on property where he alone was the legal hunter. The surrounding properties prohibited hunting, but he heard a shot near-by, though couldn't see the hunter or the animal. He was ticked as he figured it was a poacher, and the noise of the shot might spook the deer that often came through his small protion of land. It didn't, and he got off a nice shot and downed a nice doe (antlerless were allowed at that time). So he dragged it up to his truck, and low and behold another doe is lying near-by with an obvious rifle round in her (the area was shotgun only - but it could've been a .45 or .40 muzzleloader). He figured the poacher saw the doe go down near the truck, and decided it was a bad idea to approach near the vehicle, and took off.
So..., here's my friend with two deer but only one tag. So he called me, and asked if I was willing to come and tag the deer and check it in, to save the meat. I don't think he got the phone back into his pocket before I rolled up to his truck.
In the original scenario, I'd down the injured deer, and see if anybody came by asking to get it..., then I'd call one of my friends to check it in if nobody came a lookin'.
LD
So..., here's my friend with two deer but only one tag. So he called me, and asked if I was willing to come and tag the deer and check it in, to save the meat. I don't think he got the phone back into his pocket before I rolled up to his truck.
In the original scenario, I'd down the injured deer, and see if anybody came by asking to get it..., then I'd call one of my friends to check it in if nobody came a lookin'.
LD
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