What would you do?

[cmc]

I had that with and elk I shot one year back. I hit her and she went and laid down... and I mean flat head outstretched down! I figured she wasn't going anywhere but I still sat next to a tree and waited till pitch black dark. She wasn't too far off a two track road so I went and got my truck. When I turned the lights off the road in her direction she raised her head and just looked at the truck. I backed out and waited an hour. Drove up again she lifted her head again. I backed out another time waited more time and then sure enough she lifted her head yet again. I went back to camp and ate dinner and waited till 10pm to head back over and check on her. Pulled up and now there were about 15 elk bedded there with her. I spotted her as she once again lifted her head but this time much slower. I backed out to camp set my alarm for 1am and did the same routine. I pulled up and not a single elk was there! I freaked. I panned with my flashlight and they moved 100yds and re-bedded down. Sure enough my elk was still there but this time the herd bull was in the group so I figured he did all he could to get her to move. I went back to camp and slept for a few hours then was back to the elk an hour before light. I stalked into 30yds before sun up via the moon light and waited till it was sun up. Once it started getting light I could see she was still alive. I worked into 20yds and put 2 more arrows in the vitals opposite side of my first shot. I about passed out as she stood up and started walking quartering away from me. I now had three arrows in the lungs and heart. I emptied my quiver into her vitals and yet she still went another 80yds at a slow walk before hitting the ground. Ended a 9 day solo elk hunt that taught me that an old lead cow elk are one of the toughest animals to kill.

 

cmc

[308Nut]

End the game's suffering. There isnt a judge in the world that would convict you of such principals if it even becomes an issue in the first place. Good sound principals always trump the letter of the law. IMHO.

[jackshoe]

Meet your obligation as an ethical hunter and finish the animal and take care of the meat.

[buglethemin]

Finish it off, and dont tell anyone, dont let the animal suffer. As far as judges, yeah right there are so many liberal judges they would find you guilty no matter what. I have had too many good law abiding friends who made a simple mistake, called the game and fish to advise them of the mistake, (did the right thing) game and fish showed up, took the animal, tag, and cited them. (example shooting a spike bull, on a cow hunt) and the judge still did not give them a break. Also had a friend, shot a bear with his bow, went back to his cabin for a few hours because he was not sure of the shot, decided at that time to check if the unit was still open, and low and behold it was not. He knew it was his fault for not checking first, but did the right thing. He called the local game warden, took him to the shot location, they found his arrow with blood on it, but they never found the bear. He was fined $375 dollars. Never even found the animal and he still got fined. Now what kind of message is this showing us, who may at one time make a mistake and report it, THey gut hung out to dry. If anyone ever calls me and ask what to do, I'll tell them dont report it.

[FlyingW]

Had that happen recently while on an Elk hunt with a buddy and his 15 year old daughter . She had one hurt bad and it got dark on us and of course we find it (alive) . Consulted a WM and was advised in a round about way to do what was needed to recover the animal....He was a super nice guy to say the least .

[tjhunt2]

Meet your obligation as an ethical hunter and finish the animal and take care of the meat.

 

+1

[firstcoueswas80]

Shoot!

[krp]

If the animal can't get up or lets you get on it, a sharp knife to the throat. Done it 3 times on other's animals, once on a car struck. Be decisive and get it done.

 

Otherwise shoot and deny till the cows come home if asked. Be decisive and get it done.

 

Kent

[pwrguy]

Meet your obligation as an ethical hunter and finish the animal and take care of the meat.

 

+1

[ghost hunter]

Sometimes I think people get hung up on the LETTER of the law but when confronted with one of those grey areas, maybe they should be looking for the SPIRIT of the law. Obviously HUNTING at night is agin' the law, but are you hunting or recovering? Acting ethically or not?

 

 

[Coach]

Sometimes I think people get hung up on the LETTER of the law but when confronted with one of those grey areas, maybe they should be looking for the SPIRIT of the law. Obviously HUNTING at night is agin' the law, but are you hunting or recovering? Acting ethically or not?

 

 

Nicely put - I was also trying to find a way to differentiate between the "letter of the law" and the "spirit of the law" but couldn't do so as succinctly as you did. That said, many courts and many LEOs adhere to the "letter" more than the "spirit" of the law. As others have stated, if you are in this predicament, you have to choose. I would choose to "finish the animal and take care of the meat" to quote a previous response. Sometimes ethics dictate NOT doing something that may happen to be legal. Other times ethics dicatate doing something that might not be legal. Sorry, but the guys who write the laws are as flawed as the rest of us.

 

When it comes down to it, we are our own judge and jury. Either your MORAL compass points in the right direction or it doesn't, and aint a daggum court, LEO or lawyer that can point you in the right direction if you don't already know it.

 

 

 

[mattys281]

For me, it's a no-brainer. If I've already put an arrow in it & it's still light enough to see my sights, I'm finishing the job.

 

If it's too dark to see my sights, then try a reverse half-nelson, followed up with a sleeper-hold.

 

That mental picture cracked me up!

 

Otherwise try the "Judo Chop!"

 

Also a good tactic... I'm liking where your head's at.

[CouesWhitetail]

I had that with and elk I shot one year back. I hit her and she went and laid down... and I mean flat head outstretched down! I figured she wasn't going anywhere but I still sat next to a tree and waited till pitch black dark. She wasn't too far off a two track road so I went and got my truck. When I turned the lights off the road in her direction she raised her head and just looked at the truck. I backed out and waited an hour. Drove up again she lifted her head again. I backed out another time waited more time and then sure enough she lifted her head yet again. I went back to camp and ate dinner and waited till 10pm to head back over and check on her. Pulled up and now there were about 15 elk bedded there with her. I spotted her as she once again lifted her head but this time much slower. I backed out to camp set my alarm for 1am and did the same routine. I pulled up and not a single elk was there! I freaked. I panned with my flashlight and they moved 100yds and re-bedded down. Sure enough my elk was still there but this time the herd bull was in the group so I figured he did all he could to get her to move. I went back to camp and slept for a few hours then was back to the elk an hour before light. I stalked into 30yds before sun up via the moon light and waited till it was sun up. Once it started getting light I could see she was still alive. I worked into 20yds and put 2 more arrows in the vitals opposite side of my first shot. I about passed out as she stood up and started walking quartering away from me. I now had three arrows in the lungs and heart. I emptied my quiver into her vitals and yet she still went another 80yds at a slow walk before hitting the ground. Ended a 9 day solo elk hunt that taught me that an old lead cow elk are one of the toughest animals to kill.

 

cmc

 

 

wow, that's quite the story cmc!! Must have been a very long night for both you and the elk.

 

Amanda