what would you do

[jbigb30]

so here is something that has been on my mind the last couple of days, 2 years a go i hit a decent spike elk on the archery hunt i waited and waited and finally got up to track him donw it was late i found him bedded up under a tree from the looks of my vantage point at the time when i ranged him at 120 yards i could tell he was on his last breath so i left him since the weather changed and it was getting late. i got up early and went back in just as the sun was up i waited a little longer just to make sure a bear or something hadnt made his home during the night and got in there a little later to be on the safe side, to my shock when i reached him two other hunters had stumbled into him adn were already dressing him out i left in dismay of why someone would do that let alone find him. so my question should i have confronted them and claimed my bull. for the record the only reason i didnt get him that night was becasue i wanted to make sure he was completely dead and not spook him without being able to recover him. this was on the manti

 

[c86man3]

I would have at least gone and talked to them. Maybe it was an honest mistake? They could have hit a spike and found yours and assumed it was theirs?

If they got angry I would have just left and then talked to law enforcement.

 

[LongRangeBangin]

KNOWING IT WAS JUST A SPIKE.....I would of went down there. Asked them to snap a picture of me with the spike elk YOU shot, and then kept hunting. Atleast you would have the pictures to look at of YOUR bull. I have seen and heard of people doing this all the time. I often wonder what their story is?
I knew a friend that had a buck taken out from under him. He confronted the 2 guys about his decent buck, and they werent gonna give it up. He snapped a few picture of the dead buck on the ground, and then while they were dinking around with their back packs, he blasted the bucks head, so the skull was broke. Yells over, "Yep its yours!" I find that both funny and dangerous....

 

[TOPGUN]

I definitely would have at least gone and talked to them. Since it was early morning they probably figured the animal was going to go to waste since it should have been obvious to them that it had been shot at least the day before. I would have dressed it out if it appeared to be salvageable and then would have probably contacted the G&F or maybe stayed with the animal for a length of time to see if someone showed up to claim it.

 

[GLEDEASY]

It's hard to say what I would do as I have not been in that situation, but the thing one should do is go talk to them. Odds are they probably stumbled across it and simply didn't want it to go to waste. Most hunters, I would say, are good stand up people; but that's not to say there aren't a few who aren't. Being one that doesn't appreciate contention I can see why you chose to walk away.

Years ago my older brother (who was maybe 14) shot a nice 4 point buck. As he and my dad approached where it lay another hunter had already started claiming it as his own (we're talking about a short time period b/w shot and finding the animal). My dad tried talking to the man, but he simply wouldn't have anything of it. My dad and brother decided it wasn't worth it and walked away.

 

[BrowningRage]

I'd have been too embarassed that I had shot a spike bull to even confront them that it was mine...


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

 

[Zeke]

The advice is good.

You should have talked with them.

Let's assume the other hunter, who was field dressing your bull, was me. I would have been thrilled that someone would claim it. I would have dressed the "stiff" bull and called the G&F dept.
You don't KNOW that they were trying to steal your bull.

Bad move man. I'd always talk to them and if they got pizzy just say congrats and walk away at that point. Everyone who I know would have gladly given you the bull!

Zeke

 

[txhunter58]

I guess the question is What would you have done if you had found a fresh dead elk that you didn't shoot? I would have done what they were doing: dress it out in the hope I could find the shooter, if not call the fish and game. From your post, it is unclear if you actually talked to them or just backed out. If not, they may have been hoping the guy who shot it would show up. If not, they they were jerks and it is not worth a fight.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[540BnC]

i think at least talking to them and see what their thoughts were would be the thing to do. definitely not worth fighting with someone over an animal, but they may have graciously acknowledged they didnt want to see it wasted, we are glad you could find it and claim it, etc. but you never know what is on someones mind.
about 10 years ago near strawberry on the general deer hunt a similar thing happened to me and my son and brother. we were watching a drainage when we heard shooting from around the hill. about a dozen does came single file up the draw, with a 20" 4x4 lagging behind. he had been hit, and was trying to keep up with the does on 3 legs, 1 front leg had been shot and was useless. i shot the deer, mostly to put an end to its suffering, and we went down to claim it. while we were approaching it, the hunters who had wounded it came running up the draw where the deer had come from, and i thought to myself "oh, crap, this is going to get ugly".
there were 4 or 5 of them, and as they came up to us i was unsure of what would happen. they asked if this was the deer they had wounded, and i replied i have no idea. it came up here wounded, and if this was the buck they were shooting at then i guess so. they asked if i wanted it or if they could have it, and i truly did not want to keep what i felt was another persons deer. i would not have shot it if it had not been wounded. but then my 6 year old son said, "can we keep it daddy?" i had my mind changed for me. i asked the group if they cared if we kept it, as it appeared my son wanted to take it home. they said "of course not, enjoy it, we are just glad it did not get away wounded to die in agony." they were gentlemen about it. that is the kind of men i would always like to have interaction with in all of my doings, not just hunting.
so, if you had talked to them, it probably would have gone favorably for you. but you never know.

 

[BPKHunter]

Much good advice so far, except shooting the skull plate. I had a similar situation with a wounded buck who just went over the ridge and laid down. Two shots through the lungs, but no bullet expansion, so small pencil holes. Anyway, two guys ride up a closed road and shoot the buck from 60 yards off their quad's taking 3 shot's including one in his rump. Anyway I came over the hill about the time they walked up. I told em it was my buck, offered to show them the blood trail all the way back to where I shot him 200 yards away. I admit I wasn't much in the mood for a negotiation with guys who broke the closed trail rule. Bottom line is they left. I would be prepared to show some sort of evidence it is yours, as I hear a LOT of stories where there is non to back a claim, in that case I would surely not argue over it. As an archer maybe he had an arrow in him.

 

[Roy]

In the end, you probably did the right thing. Who knows, maybe the bull stood up and they happened by it, or it still wasn't dead yet and they thought they had found one bedded. It is hard to say. There might not have been any way for them to determine he was wounded according to your story. You pretty much have to give them the benefit of the doubt.

This is really a question about your mind set and being disappointed and caught up in the moment. Sorry you lost the bull, but it looks like it didn't go to waste.


HOOK 'EM!
_______________________________________

Since I am frequently asked about my religion on this site and others, I have created a profile that explains my beliefs. If you are interested in finding out more about my faith, please visit the link below:

http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/

 

[kingfish]

I would have done exactly what you did..Confronting people in the woods with weapons is never a good idea especially if your alone. If it was a book class bull I would go talk to them but not for a spike.


Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!

 

[elkantlers]

> I'd have been too embarassed
>that I had shot a
>spike bull to even confront
>them that it was mine...


Ignorance at it's finest.

 

[travishunter3006]

2 guys were hovering over my wife's buck and had just started gutting it (butting it out) when we got onto it this last year. I told them where we shot it from and the entry/exit was consistent with the angle of her shot. they thought that they hit the buck from a very steep angle and I showed them the entry and exit and both guys, who were older gentlemen, stopped, shook my wife's hand and said, congrats, heck of a buck! Then walked away. Later on they ran into my brother in law back at the truck and told him that they thought it was theirs but there was no way they'd take a deer from a new hunter.

These guys showed more class and I wont forget it.I'll do my best to try and pass this kind of sportsmanship along.

 

[justhunt]

i was on a late cow hunt a few years ago on the southwest desert and after i had put 4 shots into the chest of this cow before she piled up, i made my way to her and started dressin her out, i had the hide skinned off one side and noticed 2 extra holes in her, kinda far back threw the liver probably, i thought oh crap! and of course here came the hunters, they made there way to me, and we discussed what had just happened.

they appearently shot the elk up at the head of the canyon and i killed at the bottom, i told them "being they shot it first i would be willing to let them take it, and i'll help them to get it back to the truck" they declined and said "i was the one that actually put her down so it was mine" ....so it was actaully quite funny instead of both us saying "its mine.... its mine", we were both saying "you take it.... no you take it" anyway i endend up tagging it.

i actually kinda felt guiltly for shooting an elk someone else had already shot, so i helped them get there cow later that day

 

[Califelkslayer]

You should have approached them.

But since it's over, you need to let it go.

 

[O_S_O_K]

> I'd have been too embarassed
>that I had shot a
>spike bull to even confront
>them that it was mine...

I keep forgetting how many "I am to good to shoot a small animal" guys are on this site. Maybe this is his first bull. Maybe a spike, or a cow for that matter, is a trophy to him with his bow. I will never understand this type of ignorance!

Oh yeah, the site is called "Monster Muleys", therfore only very big animals should be posted, discussed or viewed.

My Bad!!!

For what it's worth I would have at least talked to them as well. I know if I found the animal still alive and no one was around I would probably have a hard time not putting an arrow in it, even though it may mean the end of my hunt. It would be the right thing to do. If someone showed up and claimed the animal I would have been glad to help and would have given them their bull, but if you didn't approach them then you didn't give them the opportunity to do so.

"The problem with quotes on Internet Forums is that it is often difficult to verify their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln

 

[SDBugler]

I would have approached them and found out their story before you gave them yours.

1. As others mentioned, they may have found a freshly killed bull and didn't want the meat to spoil or go to waste (just doing an ethical deed).

2. Maybe they saw the bull the night before and thought you gave up looking for it when they found it still there int he morning.

3. The bull may not have been dead yet and stood up as they happened to be walking by and they shot it without knowing it had been previously shot. (This scenario actually has happened to me when I saw a bedded buck once, stalked up on it and shot it after someone else had previously arrowed it).

If you really wanted your elk, there may likely have been a arrow or part of the arrow still in the bull as proof of first blood/vital hit.

If they became adamant about claiming the bull, then you could have walked away.

I personally think you made a bad decision. I think it is ethically/legally your reponsibility to follow up on your shot and take the animal into your possestion. You assumed the worst case scenario that they were going to adamantly claim your bull.

 

[Nails]

A couple of posters replied, if they had found a fresh killed bull that they would have dressed it out, contacted Fish and Game and hope the hunter would find and claim his kill. Now I have no problem with that, but if you start dressing out an animal aren't you supposed to tag it? If you didn't, you would sure be opening a can of worms.

 

[CHWine]

Don't be a weenie. Its was YOUR bull. Should have talked to them. Hell, they might have helped pack it out for you!

Venison and Zinfandel are GOOD!

 

[BLooDTRaCKeR]

A couple years ago, my day heard a bunch of shooting above a clearing he was watching. Not too long after that he see's a lone spike elk making its way through the clearing. he ranges it at 328 yards, takes the shot and drops it. He aimed high in the neck and that is where he hit it. He and another hunter arrive at the bull at the same time. Dad asks the hunter if he was shooting at it earlier. The man said yes. Dad told the hunter to look it over to see if there was any other bullet holes in it besides the one my dad put in it. The guy looked it over and could not find any holes in it. My dad offered it to the man and he said no, you obviously killed it and left. When I arrived, dad was skinning it and showed me all the poor shot placements from the hunter that gave it up. We tried to find him to let him know he hit it first but he was nowhere around.

Another experience when I was young, dad took me on the mountain during the rifle deer hunt and shot a deer across a canyon. 2 guys came down and claimed it theirs before we could figure out how to get over to it. Dad said it wasn't worth dragging me down and back up that steep canyon just to get into an argument with people with guns. We kept hunting but never found anything to shoot. I was 6 years old and still vividly remember that day being confused as to why someone would take something that clearly wasn't theirs to take.

 

[txhunter58]

So jbigb30: what will you do if this happens again?

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[Ed]

You cannot tag a dead animal that you didn't shoot since you cannot account for its legal kill.

 

[O_S_O_K]

Ed - Where in the regs does it say that???


"The problem with quotes on Internet Forums is that it is often difficult to verify their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln

 

[pookiebar]

I think you should have just gone and talked to them. Not in a confrontational manner, just ask them where and when they shot it? Then tell them you thought it was yours and ask if they can help you "find yours"

Chances aren't real good they will give you the animal, but it is worth going down and talking to them.

 

[idahoguy]

Let me throw this one out there because it happened just last year. A guy spent all summer watching a 400 class Bull and come archery season in a huge unit with only 15 tags he shot the bull and hit him too far back. He ran in to a two guys and told them he was in this draw somewhere. He hunted the rest of the day for it and the next morning the other guy was standing over it gutting it. The guy posted his pics on the internet and he was some dumb young guy in jeans and tennis shoes, not even dressed for archery at all. So who's elk is it. The first shot, the kill shot or should the guy have found another area to hunt and let him find his bull, or should he have helped him find and humanely kill the bull already wounded? I know what I would of done. Help.

 

[Utah400Elk]

Many years ago in Utah I had a very similar situation but from the other perspective. A friend and I were hunting an area out by the flaming gorge. We knew another hunter had been in the area. We had talked to him several times. It was getting to the point of being sick. He claimed to have hit four different elk (all big bulls) but he couldn't find any of them. He gave us his telephone number and asked us to keep an eye out for his ?big bulls?. He even showed us his arrows to help ID any ?big bull? he had shot.

The day after we talked, my friend and I found one of his ?big bulls?. It was a young cow that had obviously had a calf (first and only time I have cleaned a cow that still had milk). We cleaned the cow, packed the quarters to a nearby road, and called the guy. He first denied he had shot a cow. He agreed to drive back from SLC to meet with us. We took him to the kill site. Showed him his arrow and then took him to his cow. He was more than a little embarrassed by the entire incident. He ended up taking us to the lodge and buying us some gorge burgers for the help. We gave him a rash of crap for the multiple hits on elk. He was a new hunter and was still figuring out what his ethics were going to be.

If I were to find an elk that had been killed by archery equipment I would probably do the same thing again but maybe a little different. I would clean the elk and hang it. If there were no other hunters in the area I would probably call the game warden and let them know. I had never thought about getting into trouble for not tagging the elk. If the game warden were upset I would tag the animal. I would rather punch a tag then see an elk go to waste. The time that happened at the gorge was back when only a few archery elk tags were for either sex. Neither my friend nor I had a cow tag. I think we could have had a lot of explaining to do.

This is a tough situation. There is no way of knowing if those guys were trying to save the meat/ help another hunter out or if they were trying to steal somebody else?s elk. A quick conversation could have answered all those questions.

 

[trophyhunter]

I would also have gone and talked to the hunters and snapped a picture if possible. Since it was a spike I wouldn't have made a big deal out of it. Also if I was in your position at 150yds and had eyes on him. I would have snuck down and put another arrow in him to not let the animal suffer. The best quick clean kill I could make. Then I would have tagged the elk and went back to camp for the night. No one would have done anything to your elk if it was tagged.

))))-------->

 

[Ed]

It doesn't specifically state this but in AZ they are specific about what weapons can be used during each season, and what time of day hunting can be legal.

The only reason I am aware of this is from a Kaibab mule deer hunt 6 years ago when I saw a nice unskinned buck hanging at the check in station. I inquired about it and was told by GF that this buck was brought in for check by a hunter who told them he found and tagged it. He did not kill it. They seized it for the reasons I stated above. He explained it as how can one account for its legal kill if they did not kill it. It could have been shot at night, rifle during archery, rifle during muzzleloader. A hunter could be stumbling across a potential crime scene as opposed to just an untagged animal.