Let me preface this by saying that the buck score I have now will be my buck score. I’m no longer searching for the first buck in shot. There have been multiple instances in the past where guys have shot bucks and found them a week or weeks later with nothing left but fur and a picked clean skeleton. We have always counted those. A few weeks ago I shot a buck and didn’t find it. My arrow was deep inside it. Since then I’ve killed a much smaller buck and it’s on the scorecard. Let’s say that tomorrow I found that buck. My arrow would be in the remains which would verify it. What would everyone’s opinion be in a scenario like this? The rules say that the first buck you kill has to be entered, but it’s been weeks. I’ve just been thinking about this scenario as a potential future problem to be dealt with and I’m really curious as to what everyone thinks. Should the smaller second buck stand or should the larger first buck be allowed to replace it on the scorecard?
Your second buck. I have always been of the opinion that the buck entered should only count if you find him organically through recovery, and not days, weeks later. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
In that case I would word it something along the lines of the first buck harvested and legally tagged?
I know this has had happened to me, and probably the one your talking about. Im also in agreement with which ever buck you put your tag on. In my case i did find my arrow in the buck, so know it was mine. But i also used my archery tag on it, not a salvage tag. I think that is the detail that should make your decision. Even if your first buck was shot and found a week later, archery tag then it counts, salvage tag, then it doesnt. Just my opinion. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
First one you tag with hunting tag. If you found the first buck dead and confirmed it was yours before you harvested another buck then the first would count in my opinion. Even if it was a week after. As Holt mentioned above it has happened to him. I know he was still actively looking for the dead deer a week after the shot (gut shot). Or actively looking for it until it died.
Seems pretty straightforward to me. As others have said, the first buck you put your tag on is the one that counts for the contest. In the event you find the second buck weeks later, and do indeed tag and register it, then it would count as your second/bonus deer for 50 points.
