hunter1975
Active Member
- Messages
- 191
Here is the situation:
So,I'm bowhunting in a late archery area last saturday. I spot a couple of decent bucks chasing does and head up the mountain to get a closer look. On my way up I encounter another bowhunter going the same direction and he was already on them as well. He was a friendly guy and told me he was trying to catch up with a buck he had wounded earlier. The buck he hit and the others just kept chasing the does' around into the next canyon. I told him I didn't want to get in his way and asked if there was a way I could help. He just said he was going to set up on an escape route and have some friends try to push the wounded buck over the hill to him. I could see they were going above me so I told him I would stay below them out of their way. I knew the bucks I had seen were probably in the same area and I thought they might push them back down to me. I watched his buddy's on their way up the canyon but nothing ever showed up. I watched the hunter go over the top and figured things must not have worked out. I worked around the ridge into the next canyon and I spotted a buck bedded down. I carefully made my way up the canyon to get a better look. At about 80 yards I realized this buck wasn't 100%. He seemed a little less alert than normal. I figured it must be the buck the other hunter had wounded. It was then that I noticed the hunter sneaking down the canyon towards the buck and his friends had come over the hill above the buck also. It looked like we had the buck surrounded (as unplanned as it was). I decided to let the hunter continue his stalk and just wait to see what happened. The hunter kicked up a doe and fawn and the buck stood up. I heard the hunter shoot and watched the arrow stick harmlessly in the bucks back. 4-5" of penetration at most. The deer whirled around and while packing the arrow headed straight for me. The buck was still quite alert and running up hill when he finally saw me at 30 yards and put on the brakes. The buck isn't big enough that I want to tag it. The other hunter and his buddies know your there. He has now been shot poorly, twice! What would you do....let him go and hope he dies soon or shoot and help finish the job?
So,I'm bowhunting in a late archery area last saturday. I spot a couple of decent bucks chasing does and head up the mountain to get a closer look. On my way up I encounter another bowhunter going the same direction and he was already on them as well. He was a friendly guy and told me he was trying to catch up with a buck he had wounded earlier. The buck he hit and the others just kept chasing the does' around into the next canyon. I told him I didn't want to get in his way and asked if there was a way I could help. He just said he was going to set up on an escape route and have some friends try to push the wounded buck over the hill to him. I could see they were going above me so I told him I would stay below them out of their way. I knew the bucks I had seen were probably in the same area and I thought they might push them back down to me. I watched his buddy's on their way up the canyon but nothing ever showed up. I watched the hunter go over the top and figured things must not have worked out. I worked around the ridge into the next canyon and I spotted a buck bedded down. I carefully made my way up the canyon to get a better look. At about 80 yards I realized this buck wasn't 100%. He seemed a little less alert than normal. I figured it must be the buck the other hunter had wounded. It was then that I noticed the hunter sneaking down the canyon towards the buck and his friends had come over the hill above the buck also. It looked like we had the buck surrounded (as unplanned as it was). I decided to let the hunter continue his stalk and just wait to see what happened. The hunter kicked up a doe and fawn and the buck stood up. I heard the hunter shoot and watched the arrow stick harmlessly in the bucks back. 4-5" of penetration at most. The deer whirled around and while packing the arrow headed straight for me. The buck was still quite alert and running up hill when he finally saw me at 30 yards and put on the brakes. The buck isn't big enough that I want to tag it. The other hunter and his buddies know your there. He has now been shot poorly, twice! What would you do....let him go and hope he dies soon or shoot and help finish the job?