Prime hunting spot is shot

[zerodown]

I have this small piece next to my house that my neighbor and I primarily hunt. Usually when we see other hunters come in (esp. during shotgun season) we ask them to leave as its not big enough to sustain more than 2-3 people in it. Its probably 600 yards long by 400 yards wide. One long side has houses and the other long side is a rock/sand pit. For the small sides, one opens to power lines and the other has houses. The deer come in from the power lines and traverse across staying close to the houses. We have some nice deer come through and usually pull 1 or 2 out a season.

Yesterday I was hunting with my buddy and we found a dead buck. It looks to be one of the 6 pointers that I've caught on cameras. Some a$$@*%& shot it, started dressing it and stopped. They cut off the rack with a saw and left the rest to rot. Couldn't have been more than a day or two old. Animals had just started picking through it. I'm so pissed. What a jerk!! You guys think its done for the year or do you think its salvageable for muzzleloader?

 

[Patriot]

If the Yotes were eating it, my vote is it's done for the year.

 

[jefftk]

I have this small piece next to my house that my neighbor and I primarily hunt. Usually when we see other hunters come in (esp. during shotgun season) we ask them to leave as its not big enough to sustain more than 2-3 people in it. Its probably 600 yards long by 400 yards wide. One long side has houses and the other long side is a rock/sand pit. For the small sides, one opens to power lines and the other has houses. The deer come in from the power lines and traverse across staying close to the houses. We have some nice deer come through and usually pull 1 or 2 out a season.

Do you or your neighbor own the land? and if so, is it posted?

Yesterday I was hunting with my buddy and we found a dead buck. It looks to be one of the 6 pointers that I've caught on cameras. Some a$$@*%& shot it, started dressing it and stopped. They cut off the rack with a saw and left the rest to rot. Couldn't have been more than a day or two old. Animals had just started picking through it. I'm so pissed. What a jerk!! You guys think its done for the year or do you think its salvageable for muzzleloader?

No idea as to whether it is "salvageable" or not, but you said "one of the 6 pointers" (implying there may be more) and I'm guessing you know the land pretty well, so I'd just keep an eye out for fresh signs and that should tell you whether or not there are still deer around.

Also - wtf??? who the hell does something like that?
I was in the woods on monday and I saw half a deer carcass on the ground. It was just the head and torso (just the ribcage). It was a doe, so I wondered if maybe someone shot a doe by accident without a tag and just quartered it and left it behind... it looked big enough that a coyote probably wouldn't have gotten it but also not so big that you couldn't easily drag it out. It seemed very strange to me.

 

[PatMcD]

If the coyotes are hitting the carcass nightly, then that area probably won't see many deer for a while. That being said, deer are at their safest as far as coyotes go right now. Dogs are too busy with gut piles and wounded deer to bother with healthy ones. Maybe deer know this? One thing I've learned is that animals are a lot smarter than we are.

 

[FrugalFannie]

I have this small piece next to my house that my neighbor and I primarily hunt. Usually when we see other hunters come in (esp. during shotgun season) we ask them to leave as its not big enough to sustain more than 2-3 people in it. Its probably 600 yards long by 400 yards wide. One long side has houses and the other long side is a rock/sand pit. For the small sides, one opens to power lines and the other has houses. The deer come in from the power lines and traverse across staying close to the houses. We have some nice deer come through and usually pull 1 or 2 out a season.

Yesterday I was hunting with my buddy and we found a dead buck. It looks to be one of the 6 pointers that I've caught on cameras. Some a$$@*%& shot it, started dressing it and stopped. They cut off the rack with a saw and left the rest to rot. Couldn't have been more than a day or two old. Animals had just started picking through it. I'm so pissed. What a jerk!! You guys think its done for the year or do you think its salvageable for muzzleloader?

That totally sucks. there should be a 'special place' for that kind of people.

 

[kjm1022]

That does suck, sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, if it's not your land, you really can't order people off of it and you have to deal with A-holes like that. If it's a small track of land like you say, maybe you can keep tabs on cars or trucks parking in the area and get some plate #'s?

 

[Twigg]

They cut off the rack with a saw and left the rest to rot.

I'd say it was poached or jacked. Over the years I've found a few skulls which had the antlers sawn off.

 

[davemata]

Who the hell does that? Also, is it your land? If it's public, you have no right to ask someone to leave. However, if they're being a shitbag, call an EPO.

Aside from something spectacular, racks go to my dog, she loves them.

I'd also say it's busted. There's at least one poacher working it.

Too bad there aren't poacher tags.

 

[arlow]

Drag it somewhere else or call the EPO's and report it and they will remove it. That will solve the coyote problem.

If not just hunt it and see what happens, worst case scenario you get to shoot some yotes.


As for the spot being shot I say no. I have seen deer walk right by carcasses and gutpiles uneffected many times.

 

[ra5451]

Zero,

I have been studying coyotes and deer for years and I see that even if there is a dead yote or deer in the area, the deer will still come looking for food. AND visa versa

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Drag it somewhere else or call the EPO's and report it and they will remove it. That will solve the coyote problem.

If not just hunt it and see what happens, worst case scenario you get to shoot some yotes.


As for the spot being shot I say no. I have seen deer walk right by carcasses and gutpiles uneffected many times.

A few years ago I saw a doe eating the contents of a dead deers rumen out of the gut pile. Yummy

Bob