The other day I was reading an article in NAW about a guy in Cananda who shot a huge buck with a bow. Turns out the shot was not as good as he originally thought. He tracked the buck and I think was pushing him a little too much because of the "beds" they kept finding (I am not judging anyone here). They finally decided to back out and come back the next day. They picked up the trail the next morning and found the buck out in the open standing about 10 yds from them looking directly at them. Nobody had a bow! Long story short they got their bows and got back on him and shot him. I just started thinking...what if this happened on the last day of season and you come back the next morning and find your buck wounded and probably dying ( season is closed). Are you going to shoot him after season has ended. I know a few Game Wardens that I work with closely in my area and my first phone call that I would make after I shot the deer and backed out would be to one of them explaining my intentions of going back the next morning WITH MY BOW (or pistol if allowed) and trying to recover my deer. I have done this in the past with a wounded deer about 10pm (season was still open). I called to let him know I am looking a my deer about 20 ft away and I'm about to shoot it with a pistol just in case they get a phone call about "night hunting". I think it would be a justified kill?? What is your stance on this Hypothetical situation???
I had something similar happen last season. I shot a doe the last evening of the season. After jumping her, we backed out until the next morning. I wasn't even sure if I could recover the deer the next day or how to fill out my tag if I did. I called a CO and asked what to do. I knew the deer would be dead, but pushing it any further would make it a lot tougher to recover. He said to track it without any weapons and fill the tag out for Jan 1st, the last day of the season. Not sure what he would have said if we needed to shoot it again. It was the first time I had been faced with that situation.
I would contact my game warden and do exactly what he says to do. I enjoy my hunting and fishing to much to jeopardize it!
Since it wouldn't be legal for me to shoot him I wouldn't be carrying a bow. I would have a knife though and I think if it was a big one the buck would be showing up empty handed to a knife fight.
Amen but even then, would it not be hunting out of season? Be it only with a knife. I guess technically we can discuss after hours in the night. If an animal is alive the next day, chances are it's going to stay alive so how do we define "wounded". Might we not be illegally hunting a healthy deer? Each circumstance must dictate the outcome or decision we make. If it was "mortally wounded", we may have done the right thing. If it wasn't, we just became the poacher that we despise. Some of the laws are defined. In NY, trained, license dog trackers are allowed to dispatch an animal with a gun, even in bow season when tracking utilizing their dogs. (I believe) But in Maryland a tracker cannot carry a weapon after hours, or after the season (the next day). My breeder tells me of bucks he's lassoed and short strung to trees until they could get a knife on them. Sticky situation.
The whole thread is a slippery slope. And wouldn't the bold be in direct violation of your ethics theory above. If we pick and choose what's right and ethical even though it's against the law and castigate a neighbor or poster for doing their own decision? Not that I don't agree, the right thing is the right thing regardless.
Arguing ethics on the internet is like talking to a rock, same results. (better through a disclaimer in on that one: NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE IN PARTICULAR)
Regardless of what I'd do I wouldn't discuss it on a public forum. As we all know, no matter what you do in situations like these you will receive criticism from one camp or another. With that said I have no idea what I'd do until in that scenario with all of the details before me to make my decision. Too many variables. I can say this, if the season was closed I would not be in the woods with a weapon while tracking.
tough one... i'd hope to God that the GW/CO would understand... hmmm and if he/she didnt i'd prob kick myself and never hunt the last day of the season EVER again!!!!!!!!
I would do everything in my power to recover my animal and since my counties don't have game wardens then I would just do the right thing.
I'm pretty sure it's not legal eithor but I'd get my deer and not get in trouble and the deer wouldn't have to suffer any longer so win/win/win IMO.