Hunting Ethics

[Jonesjoys]

I had this on my mind and wanted to know what y'all think...I've been hunting for 13 years now, taken two deer over that time. A few Years ago, I was hunting a distant relative's property for the first time. One other gentleman was hunting there as well whom I actually bumped into on my way through the woods.

Around 8:30am, I had a line of doe come through and I placed a shot on the largest one I saw. About 60 seconds later I heard a shot presumably from the other hunter. As I got up to track the doe, I came upon him standing with the deer down about 50 yards from where I had shot.

My shot was a little far back, puncturing the diaphram and grazed the stomach from what I could tell. (Maybe a bit of lung? There was a pretty heavy bright blood trail) His shot was on the spine at the base of the neck.

We were both unsure what to do next. After a friendly conversation, dressing the deer together, and some hem and hawing, I decided to offer up the deer for him to tag.

Seems that this is a coin toss situation. Some people I talk to say first blood should take the harvest (within a reasonable distance), others say kill shot. I'm curious of your folks' input!

 

[whacko]

First shot gets the deer the second one "finishes it" in my opinion.

Either way......the one that tags it should be offering the other guy a fair amount of packages for the freezer!

 

[Uzi2]

I'd split the meat.

 

[71montess]

In my group it's always who puts it down.

 

[Shotgun Scully]

Had a similar situation with my buddy last year during bow season. He had a spike come in on him head on. He took a shot and it graze the skull and startled the buck.
So about 10 min later and 250 yds away I have a buck come in on me. Nibbling grass and just nosing around like nothing happened.
I draw and shoot. Perfect shot through both lungs. He bolts and kicks out about 75 yds from my stand.
Meanwhile my buddy is texting me I’m texting him we assume we both got deer to haul out.
We start with his cause I know where my deer is and I know it’s dead. So we track his blood and wouldn’t you know it ; it ended up being the same deer. Pretty funny actually.
Anyway I killed it, I gutted it and I let him drag it.
Worked out well.

 

[Jonesjoys]

All good points, I agree with each of them. In my defense, this hunter did actually move closer to me than where I originally ran into him. (not sure why)

Each scenario is certainly a case by case basis, especially since there's no regulation that I can find up here in VT. I do believe I would have had no trouble recovering the deer with my first shot, and if my situation and the other hunter's were reversed, I would've had no hesitation giving up the deer as the 2nd shooter.

Regardless, at the end of the day there was no argument and the deer was harvested quickly. It also built a good relationship for the next time I hunt at that location.

 

[AHM]

This implicitly concerns a second party shooting a wounded deer.

Two variables are the interval between shots,
and the severity of the injury from the first shot.

On the latter issue, serious deer hunters will probably find the following article to be a real gem:

New York State Conservationist, October-November 1950, pp. 18-19
Pursuit of Wounded Deer, C. W. Severinghaus and John Tanck (Game Research)

 

[Mark from MA]

One of the first stories my father and my uncle told me is about an old mentor buddy him and my uncle used to hunt with back in the 60's.....this old guy was hunting Fitzwilliam NH in the late 60's, and was sitting and could hear one shot every half hour or so, getting closer and closer. Out pops a huge buck and he downs it with the rifle. He gets to it and notices that it's gut shot, and assumes it was all the shooting he was hearing before. There was snow, so he's waiting, and notices another hunter walking up, the other hunter then turns to leave. This guy says "where are you going?" The other guy comes up, and the old guy can see it's just an 20 year old kid, probably his first deer. He tells the kid, "with the size of this deer, you probably won't forget this day ever, but remember one thing, if you are ever in my shoes, you will do the same thing I am doing for you today, gut YOUR deer and I'll help you drag it to your car" My father and uncle said I should always operate the same way.

My father has been the first guy 3 times....every time he's made a kill shot, it just ran into someone not far down the line. Every time the second person has taken the deer, even once a guy from our own hunting party decided it was his, even though the deer was leaning against a tree with only my fathers slug hole in it. My father does not argue, and does not care, he feels if someone needs a deer bad enough to steal it from him, then they can take it. He has taken five P&Y bucks all in New England could give a rats ass.

I've been the second guy before......I gave a guy a decent buck because he had liver hit it and tracked it too soon, not waiting the prescribed 4 hour minimum. It came by me, and I had no idea he had even shot it, I put it down with a double lung. I saw the second hole and called the other hunter on the phone, as I knew he was on the same property, and told him he could pick it up at the landowners house. He was a rookie at bowhunting, so it was a learning experience for him. He was glad I gave it to him and offered half the meat, I thanked him and declined that offer.

Ethically....the first one who put a kill shot on the deer should get it. That's how I roll, as not all deer, especially in archery fall to the ground at the shot. Time and distance should and need to be awarded to the first hunter to properly track their game. Many double lung shots in archery, the deer runs almost 100 yards before losing the amount of blood needed to pass out and die. If by chance it runs into another hunter right away, then that hunter should have the decency to feel that they were "in the right place at the right time" and give the first guy a break.

I find most hunters who have experience and have killed a lot of deer feel the same way.

Three caveats....

A) the first hunter should offer the second hunter a portion of the kill for being honest.

B) if the first hunter has an obvious non fatal wound, (i.e shoots the deer the hoof or something stupid) then the second hunter should get the animal

C) If your the first hunter and the second hunter doesn't agree....walk away and let the second guy have the deer.....Karma is a bitch.

 

[ThePreBanMan]

A doe.... eh.... they're a dime a dozen. Let the other guy have it. If it were a B&C buck I may throw up some resistance... Depends on the situation though. If I made a really bad shot then chances are low for a recovery anyway. I would have a hard time arguing.

Honestly though, if you have hunters that close to each other, then there probably ain't many B&C bucks around.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Most hunter ed courses teach first blood. I don't remember what Mass teaches. It's been way too long.

I put down a doe that someone had shot. The other hunter creased the belly and it wouldn't have been recoverable. They weren't on blood they were headed in the general direction the doe went when they heard my shot. By the time they got there the doe was dressed and tied up for the drag out. I went home with it.

Bob


"The Unwritten Law
The “rule of first blood” establishes a fair way to determine who can claim an animal that has been shot by two hunters. Although it may not have legal grounds, its strength and enforcement lie directly with understanding and true sportsmanship by all responsible hunters. The first hunter to place an arrow in an animal’s vital area, which draws enough blood to leave a trackable trail and thus has a good chance of bringing the animal into his or her possession, may claim the animal. Conversely, if the first hunter feels that the wound was superficial in nature and recovery of the animal was not likely, that hunter should give up claim to the game if another hunter brings it to the ground."
Respect Your Hunting Companions

 

[MisterHappy]

There is no "Official" way of dealing with this, in the HunterEd curriculum.

My late Dad's modus operandi was "First knife in the animal," but AFAIK, there was no face-off with anyone in his hunting career.

The general rule that we go for in HE, is the Golden one, more or less. (What we do to the animals is excepted, or course. )

 

[tuna]

I would pass on it. I love to hunt, and love making the shot when I can but could care less about the meat. I’ll take it of course, but I’d be happy to just shoot the damn things and let someone else drag it out.

 

[AHM]

I would pass on it. I love to hunt, and love making the shot when I can but could care less about the meat. I’ll take it of course, but I’d be happy to just shoot the damn things and let someone else drag it out.

Duuude.

If you delivered the first shot, and it was mortal,
you get bonus points for pulling up a stump to sit on
and telling the guy(s),

I shot it and I killed it,
but I don't like all the mess,
so I'm just going to sit back and enjoy
watching you dress it,
use up your tag on it,
and drag it out.
I've even got one spare Wet-Nap for you.​

BTW, it just occurs to me that there must be some
epic trail cam and Go-Pro footage of these dramas up on YoutUbe...

ETA: Joe Paolilli must have some amazing stories.

 

[Mark from MA]

There is no "Official" way of dealing with this, in the HunterEd curriculum.

My late Dad's modus operandi was "First knife in the animal,"

No offense to your dad, Ive heard that first knife comment, from a lot of other guys too.

My response to them usually is, remember if you go by that it works both ways...so...OK you shoot the biggest buck of your life, with a great kill shot, it runs 50 yards and dies in front of another unknown guy, that guy does not even fire a shot, but when you get to the deer he's got his knife in it. So now your gonna walk away since it's his right?

Yeah...OK. This exact scenario happened to my father when hunting shotgun years ago, biggest buck of his life, long story...but last thing he told the guy who stole his deer was....Congratulations,I hope you are going to put that thing on the wall, you can tell all the fake stories you want, you and I know who really killed that deer, but everyday that thing will remind you of how much of a dishonest fxck you are.