This will be my 2nd year hunting. 1st year bowhunting as well as hunting public land. I have heard stories of guys shooting deer having it run away and then someone else claims it! Does this really happen? Imagine whacking a monster 10 pt. and then tracking the blood trail to find a deer with 2 holes in it and another hunter claiming he shot it first!
Yes, it doe's happen for gun season quite of bit...if you're hunting on public land where there's a lot of folks, people will bump deer your way and if you don't drop it with your first shot, the next person who's not in your party will shoot it and claim he/she killed it when it clearly shows multiple gun shot wounds...this issue really comes down to courtesy/sportsmanship...look at the bullet wounds and if you didn't do a killshot on it, you shouldn't claim it's yours; vice versa.... but I haven't experienced or heard of any deer theft during bow season....usually not enough hunters in the woods when archery season starts....that's the way i like it! ...besides, majority of the time, the deer will be running full speed after the 1st arrow, so I highly doubt another hunter can draw and put another arrow in the deer unless it crashed right in front of them OR they have superb moving 20-40mph target skills...
My buddies dad shot a buck a few years back on his own property that abuts public land...the blood trail ended at a gut pile.
My pops told me story of how he had a knife pulled on him while and his group were rifle hunting up in northern mn over something like this. They had shot the deer and the other group was already gutting it. it was a yearling doe if i remember the story correctly. People like that should have their hunting privileges taken away.
It does happen, but it there defence in some circumstances it could not be on purpose. Many deer run off hit and do not act hit, ive never after a shot looked for blood leading to the point of the shot. Once blood is found I'm headed in the direction the deer was headed. If its near dark, I'm not looking at holes, I'm going to field dress it to try to get out in daylight. I agree many situations are dishonest, but we cant lump them all together. Just something to keep in mind.
Definitely happens....shot a real tall 8 pt one year and let him lay overnight. Had good shot placement but not much penetration...so the next morning w a big smile I trailed really good blood for about 80 yds....deer jumped fence onto public ground....20 yds after the fence it walked by a treestand....20 yds later a gut pile....needless to say I was pretty dissapointed
My first deer shot ever was stolen. I was around 13 years old and shot a doe with my 20 G and she went across the property fence and ended up dying at the edge of some woods about 100 yards away from me, on the neighbors property. I was instructed by my father if I was to shot a deer I should return to the truck and honk the horn three times then wait there for him in the warm truck. I didn't wait long and I went back to see my deer. By the time I started approaching my stand I could see a red and white ford pick up near where my deer had died. There were two guys loading my deer in the truck. I said that's my deer and they replied "Not anymore". I must admit I cried for a long time after that, and my dad was a Vietnam helicopter machine gunner, whom was shot down twice while in combat. Needless to say he wasn’t/isn’t the type of person you mess with, let along, his kids. He waited for them to come out of the woods the next day and after awhile I believe he slashed their tires and busted out a window, then left a note with his name and address to file a complaint. He never heard from them and they never returned. They were hunting the neighbors land without permission. (Trespassers) Also they weren’t wearing any blaze orange. (Stupid Trespassers). I don’t condone this type of revenge, but sometimes people need to be taught a lesson.
I Saw something on tv where I guy had a doe on his truck hitch rack outside a hotel he was staying an someone took it off the back like how messed up is that
step dad had the biggest buck of his life, and a monster for Vermont stolen from him a few years ago. He's a softy, bawled like a baby about it for a few days, I do feel bad for him though. from sounds of his description I would have been calling game wardens regardless of the fact that the law states that "the deer belongs to the first person to put a tag on it". maybe they would be able to talk some sense into the guy. I just cant help but wonder if guy like that goes home and brags about buck he shot... that makes me sick. I'll never forget my dad's story about giving a kid his first buck, He shot a little forked horn during rifle season, it then ran by this little kid (12-14 years old) who blew a leg off it, when dad got to him the kid was so excited that he just congratulated him and went on his way. that's what OUR sport is all about, rifle or bow, being a sportsman is whats up!
While talking to a IL Game Warden I was told that they had to take a buck due to two hunters both getting into a fist fight because they both said they made the fatal shot. They could not pick who it was so the Warden picked for them NEITHER DID!
I hate to tell you this but my uncle took my first deer when I was a kid that I gut shot it up in Maine. I searched for hours to find that deer. My uncle brought in a stiff gut shot deer the next morning and said he shot it. It's a sickness kind of like gold fever. I've got enough deer (not many) but I would rather see a youngster get all excited over his first deer or fish than anything else.
WOW some of these stories are truley sad. I just cannot believe some people are so freggin horrible. Believe me if I shoot a deer and some youngster has at it afterwards even if that litte dude clean misses he's filling a tag that day. If someone else shoots a deer before me and I shoot it not knowing it was injured and it dies and I see them following a blood trail in even a tiny trickle, there also getting that deer. Selfbros your story is horrible. Drivetacks your step father is a true sportsman and his is an example to be followed. My only experience relating to the issue does not involve me but my brother and my father. My father shot the deer first ( a great big wisconsin 9 point) his sights were off and he hit it in the leg (only deer I've ever seen or heard of him missing) the deer ran up the hill a little to my brother who shot it through the heart and droped it. Deer went to my brother. No conflict. It was the biggest buck either of them had ever killed.
Giving a kid a deer, thats classy. Stealing someone elses and then claiming bragging rights, well there isnt a word for that.
I never like to hunt on public land because of many reasons, one of which is this. I am lucky enough to friend with 100 acres, so I don't have to worry about any idiots that might be in the field with me.
