Rule of First Blood
- Thread starter SD_Prairie_Goat
- Start date
SD_Prairie_Goat
Well-known member
I just thought of the other piece of the puzzle that would make this difficult to decide: If I had been hunting hard for two years and finally shot a bull, then to have someone try to swoop in and take it, I would be pretty hard pressed to give that bull up...
From what I can gather out west this isn't all too common of an issue, but I remember the old man telling me that in Wisconsin this was very common in the rifle deer season since there is so many hunters in the woods together.
From what I can gather out west this isn't all too common of an issue, but I remember the old man telling me that in Wisconsin this was very common in the rifle deer season since there is so many hunters in the woods together.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
My son Jeff, then in high school, shot a bull elk near Gardner, MT, and tracked it down the mountain with his buddy. He had shot it twice, each time putting it down, then watching it get up and head down the mountain. The bull finally reached a fence near the road but was too weak to even get over or through. A suburban full of adult hunters rolled up and a guy got out and put the elk down. My son thanked him, as the road hunter pulled out his tag and claimed the elk. Jeff and his buddy were really upset and went down the road to find a game warden neighbor of ours. The warden explained that, although he viewed the road hunter's behavior as highly unethical, the rule of thumb was that an elk standing was fair game.
The happy ending to story was that the next weekend Jeff and I climbed the same mountain and he took a trophy six-by-six bull. He still proudly displays that bull's antlers, which I had mounted for his Christmas gift.
The happy ending to story was that the next weekend Jeff and I climbed the same mountain and he took a trophy six-by-six bull. He still proudly displays that bull's antlers, which I had mounted for his Christmas gift.
SD_Prairie_Goat
Well-known member
That's terrible, but I am glad it at least had a happy ending for you guys!
elkduds
Well-known member
Clear illustration of the difference between laws and ethics. I hope your son got into hunting after his success.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
Here's a head scratcher for you, on POW if you hit a bear that bear counts against your bag limit, regardless of if you recover said bear, (bag limit for that area is 1 bear). So let's say you are hunting a bait with a guide, you shoot a bear with an arrow wound it, it runs off, 2 days later another hunter with that same guide kills a bear and finds your arrow in the bear. Do you get to then keep hunting, does that bear count against your bag limit even though it was recovered and tagged by someone else?
beginnerhunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2016
- Messages
- 1,320
I'm kinda shocked this happens often enough to have this many examples. It's a little disheartening.
RidgeRunner76
Active member
Indeed.
Early 90's there was a incidence here where a guy shot a small raghorn bull out in the open sage flats. Before he get down to tag it a truck pulled up via 2 track, 4 guys hurried out, tossed the bull in the back and hauled ass. The hunter meanwhile jumped in his truck with his hunting partner and gave pursuit. It ended up in a near gun battle at the theive's residence. A long time game warden friend of mine relayed that to me many years ago. While I've not seen anything of that nature again, some folks go to extreme's. If you ever want a good overview of Wildlife Violations and such, CO's yearly Law Enforcment Annual Reports are eyeopening.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
@beginnerhunter
To view previous years just swap the year in the hyperlink.... some great stories in there over the years.
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Oh yes! His pickup license plate reads "HNTMAX". His boy Caden, and my grandson, just turned twelve, has a full complement of OTC tags and already has taken two nice muley bucks through the hunter mentor program. Hunting is fully engrained.
Ben Sellers
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2018
- Messages
- 573
Gila
Well-known member
That many hunters in SESD now? I grew up there and sold my ranch (farm) about 3 years ago to become a permanent "snow bird". I bowhunted my own property up there though. I did see a nice a buck on a small piece of public ground one season. Probably about 15 years ago now. I wasn't going to hunt that area the first part of the season because everyone is out there setting up next to each other and just generally stinking up the place. Actually I waited until after the rifle season was over with. I can't get any hunting done with other hunters around. It just never works out for me. The buck was there but didn't come close enough. If I was ever in that unlikely situation, I would pass on the animal. I reckon it is the responsibility of the first hunter to wait it out and track it. If you get a pass through on a gut shot, the deer will most likely, eventually bleed out. It's a sleepless night and a tough morning after, but that is the responsibility we take on as bowhunters.
SD_Prairie_Goat
Well-known member
I guess it all depends where you hunt, the closer to Sioux Falls the more hunters. I tend to stay a little further out from Sioux Falls so that helps, but if you're in Newton Hills on a weekend, I would say multiple arrows is a high probability.....
Gila
Well-known member
I have never wanted to hunt there. There are still public areas within an hour or two drive fom Sioux Falls that you can hunt in virtual solitude. Another option is a lease along the James. When it floods like this the farmers need the income. Best of luck to you.
I guess I’m officially “old school”. Ethically I was always taught and have abided by the theory that whoever draws first blood, claims the kill. I understand that this could be a technical violation of some state’s laws, but if I have to choose, ethical hunting is more important to me. I cannot and will not judge what a “kill” shot is. For example, several years ago a member of our party hit a 6x6 bull behind the knee. We ended up following him for several miles, mostly by his tracks and sometimes, a little blood. After about 6 hours we were about to call it a day when we saw a cloud of dust a couple hundred yards ahead. Sure enough, we found the bull dead. Would I have ever initially said that a nick behind the knee was a kill shot, NO. Was it a kill shot, YES. The other part of the equation is whether the shooter tracked the animal. If they did not, I would not let it go to waste. I lived by this rule during my almost sixty years of bow hunting and have had several occasions to put the theory into practice, and always with a very encouraging outcome for me and as a positive influence on those who were newer to hunting than myself. Given any particular situation, each of us has to make our own choice; I clearly understand mine.
