Am I Just Being a Hard A _ _???

[hunter4life]

If I wound an animal I look for it until the hunt is over, or I have to leave. I figure the tag is only good for one animal and if I wound something then my tag is filled. I have only mortally wounded and not recovered one animal, an archery elk about 8 years ago. I did shave hair and about a 1 inch piece of skin off an impala in Africa and got charged the trophy fee for that one.

 

I like your rule Coues'n'sheep, I wish more guides and hunters would follow something like that.

[Elkaddict]

I totally agree with you 100%!! We even have a 48 hour rule with clients... if they draw blood we spend the next 2 hunting days looking for that ONE animal dead or alive...

Might work on guided hunts especially if the cllients knew up front.

[Coach]

I hit a bull elk many years back. I knew the shot was high in the scapula. I spent 6 days looking for that elk. I wouldn't even bring my bow with me, and could have killed 2 or three bigger bulls. Finally, I meet some guys on the road as I'm going back looking for this bull one more day. They have a bull beaten nearly to death at the edge of a field..I couldn't bear two wounded elk, so I put my tag on this one, too weak to stand up.

 

If you hit an animal with a lethal shot, that's your tag. I've burned more than one tag in the fire when I messed up. An ethical hunter knows they can keep on hunting, or burn their tag when they lose a wounded animal. As far as I'm concerned, your tag is good for one animal. If you somehow fail to tag a mortally wounded animal, you should relinquish your tag, whether in the fire pit of turn it over.

[BurlyBear]

Last year I shot at a buck from around 350 yards. My buddy and I swore I hit him, but he ran over the next ridge like it was nothing and disappeared. This was no easy hunt. We were in a very steep area and it was hands and knees most of the way up. Well, I could have just forgotten about that deer and moved on to another, but that would have been unethical. Instead we hiked down a steep canyon and back up to were he was when I shot at him. Sure enough we found blood. Now it could have been a flesh wound or a critical shot, but I felt is was my responsibility to find out which one, so we spent the next two hours systematical searching the canyon and the next one over for this buck. My legs were spasming and my feet were aching. Out of nowhere I came upon him about 20 feet away. I quickly brought up my rifle and put him down. What had happend was when I took my shot from a higher elevation the first time, my shot landed low and pretty much took out his left front leg (which was barely attached) and hit a good part of his right front leg as well. I was amazed how far this animal traveled before he stopped. I knew if I didn't look for him he would have eventually starved, been eaten, or have been found by another person. Anyway you look at it, it would have been a slow painful death. I believe if you know you hit the buck/animal you are hunting it is your responsibility to make every attempt possible of recovery. However I do understand once you have honestly made the best attempt possible at recovering the animal it shouldn't be the end of your hunt. Meat still needs to be put in the freezer. Atleast that is my opinion. Oh yeah, this wasn't some 100+ buck it was a small fork, but he was worth it.

[sjvcon]

So it sounds like most people here think that I'm not being unreasonable. @Coach ... 6 days!!!! Now that is commitment and determination. The 48 hour rule is a good one ... you went 3X beyond even that. Nice.

[cactus]

sjvcon/coach

i agree with you guys 100%. the problem i see is people don't realisticly assess their situation-their shooting ability,shot placement,animal reaction. therefor,people don't give the follow-up effort needed. they just see and hear what they want.