What would you do....

[shedhunter93]

Thinking of it this way.... If I had not found these bucks, the live one would eventually die... Shooting it would put it out of its mercy because theres a pretty good chance he's worn down and not gonna make it if he's been there a while. It'd be a once in a lifetime find that you could talk about. Many different factors come into play if one was to encounter this...

 

[THA4]

Interesting topic. I think I would contact the local CO and try to get a salvage tag for both. I too would not want to waste my tag on a locked up buck, but still feel that putting it out of its misery is the best choice.

I dunno, I have not been in the situation and not sure exactly what I'd do. However, I am inclined to agree with Saskguy on this one.

 

[AZHunter]

I dunno, I have not been in the situation and not sure exactly what I'd do. However, I am inclined to agree with Saskguy on this one.

That's a pretty good summary. I've worked in wildlife management professionally my entire adult life so I know exactly how cruel Mother Nature can be and I've always tried to stay out of Her ways and processes, but I'm with Saskguy (and Cooter for that matter) on this one.

 

[SaskGuy]

I know a guy who came upon some locked bucks last yr. One was still alive and the other was eaten almost entirely to the head. He said all the voyotes in the area made him curious. Unlike what I said I'd do, he left them where they were and returned to the scene after contacting the dnr. By then, they were both dead and eaten, he wasn't able to keep them.

 

[DOR]

:thrwrck:

So your telling me if there is a 100.00 dollar bill on the side walk your going to leave it their because its not yours, not sporting to pick up a piddy 100.00 bill right?

If your not their at that point in time both of them bucks die so its either shoot the live one, and have a rare trophy that was still killed legally or call the game warden and he'll issue you a tag for the dead buck and then attempt to cut off the other bucks rack to free him. I understand the ethical question that some may ask themselves but to say its not sporting? Thats just ignorance IMO. Whats sporting about running around in a group of 20 guys in orange shooting 50 bullets at deer running 150 yards away. Whats sporting about seeing a pheasant in a ditch jumping out of your vehicle and shooting it all legal but sporting?

Not really following ya chief. I don't understand the point your making with the analogy.

I would call the warden and let him work it out. The exact scenario happened here in my home town in the last few weeks. The warden came, shot the racks off the two bucks, one lived and one didn't. I'd give the buck a chance to survive. That's just me. If you wanted to tag it...go for it. Not for me.

There is simply no way I would end my season tagging an immobilized buck.

 

[Liv4Rut]

If I walked up on that I would do everything possible to free them. I would get no enjoyment out of shooting a deer that couldn't get away. If I thought the one live buck was mortally wounded I would then call the CO but there is no way in H E Double hockey sticks I am burning a tag on a buck that had no chance. They could have them both.

 

[nannyslayer]

I'll call this guy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gGhg-tY_is

 

[singlecoyote]

Saskguy - I totally disagree with you.

Why shoot the buck if he is still alive? I understand putting him out of his misery if he is on deaths door step, but why not attempt to free him by cutting an antler lose? Deer are resiliant. Give him a while and see how he does. We don't need to play god here. Give the buck a fighting chance and try and free him!

Ask yourself this... If you came upon this scene, what would be the best possible outcome? Well, I would think that the best outcome would be for the live buck to survive. Right? Why not try to save him?

"Would it be a hell of a cool story and scene to remember when looking at the locked mounts? Yes"

WHAT? You killed a buck that was completely helpless! As a hunter, I don't see what is so "cool" about this. The story would be cool if you freed that live buck, he survived, grew bigger and you shot him next year. THAT would be a hell of a story. Just my thoughts.

Here goes......I shoot that buck and then do this.

Speak to our conservation officers and describe the scenario after I have tagged the animal I have shot. Either they would do
a. issue me a tag for the already dead buck
b. allow my wife to purcahse a tag for the dead buck
c. come to the scene and seperate the dead buck from the one I killed.
C is worst case scenario in my books.

Was it sporting? NO
Would it be a hell of a cool story and scene to remember when looking at the locked mounts? Yes
If I let it play out would it suffer a worse fate than me killing it quickly? For sure.
Would I consider is an accomlishment at all? Nope
If I attempted to free it do I believe it would survive even unlocked? Not a chance, realistically in my home turf, the other one has already likely been partly or completely devoured by predators already and they will be on the scene as well right now.

So, yes, it wouldn't be any sort of accomplishment or even sporting but I'd still feel better having him in my man cave for others to see than the alternative, drug off into the wilderness by wolves, coyotes, lynx, eagles, ravens, etc ...never to be seen again.

 

[SaskGuy]

Then we could agree to disagreee. Realistically I know that in the part of the world I live in, a scene like such has already drawn more predators to the immediate area than I believe anyone from iowa can imagine.

I understand putting him out of his misery if he is on deaths door step, but why not attempt to free him by cutting an antler lose? Deer are resiliant. Give him a while and see how he does. We don't need to play god here. Give the buck a fighting chance and try and free him

If he's healthy enough to survive the ensuing hr then he's way too much for me to handle to get an antler off him. If I can get an antler off him, he's wore down so much I don't believe he'll make it and I'd personally feel better killing him then letting him live a bit longer before he goes down, hind end and entrails first.

WHAT? You killed a buck that was completely helpless! As a hunter, I don't see what is so "cool" about this. The story would be cool if you freed that live buck, he survived, grew bigger and you shot him next year. THAT would be a hell of a story. Just my thoughts.

I'm not killing him to stroke my ego, just b/c I believe it's best in the situation described as I am confident he won't make it. Yes it would be "cooler" in the event he survived, grew bigger and was shot by me the next yr,...just see that as being near impossible.

Also, the fact, that it is the rut, bucks are fighting make it Nov. and by then I'm down to 1 hunt per week, maybe 2 if I am lucky, I'm not afraid to burn my tag in that situation, judge all you wish.

I also know for certain I am not getting a warden to the scene anytime soon, and that darting one is not going to happen in the province I reside in.

 

[KSHUNTER]

Saskguy - I totally disagree with you.

Why shoot the buck if he is still alive? I understand putting him out of his misery if he is on deaths door step, but why not attempt to free him by cutting an antler lose? Deer are resiliant. Give him a while and see how he does. We don't need to play god here. Give the buck a fighting chance and try and free him!

My train of thought is trying to free the live buck would be a little more apt to playing God, then killing the live buck. Mother Nature is cruel and unforgiving; we seem to forget that pretty often.

It would be a tuff choice, and until I was actually in the situation it would be hard for me to make a decision. Both sides of the argument have valid points.

 

[singlecoyote]

Thinking of it this way.... If I had not found these bucks, the live one would eventually die... Shooting it would put it out of its mercy because theres a pretty good chance he's worn down and not gonna make it if he's been there a while. It'd be a once in a lifetime find that you could talk about. Many different factors come into play if one was to encounter this...

It might be a once in a lifetime chance to SAVE a deer's life.

I like how some people just throw that excuse out there "well he's not gonna make it, better shoot 'em."

Sure, I'll put a deer or any animal out of it's misery if needed, but I think that some of you guys are a little too in to horn porn and are using this as an opportunity to get a "trophy". I think you could use it a a chance to save a trophy.

Attempt to free him. Saw or bullet to the antler.

 

[SaskGuy]

Spend a yr, especially a winter where I live...
maybe you'll see I'm not just throwing out an excuse, b/c he's not going to make it, hell half the older bucks that come out of the rut don't make it.

 

[singlecoyote]

On a side note, if he is a mature buck that has learned to "reason", then he will understand when you walk up to him and shoot him with your bow to put him out of his misery.:way:

 

[singlecoyote]

Spend a yr, especially a winter where I live...
maybe you'll see I'm not just throwing out an excuse, b/c he's not going to make it, hell half the older bucks that come out of the rut don't make it.

My point is, if you kill him... he IS DEAD. If you get him free, he MIGHT LIVE. Why not try?

 

[SaskGuy]

My first post says why I'd kill him. I don't need to have a "warm inside" feeling that he MIGHT live. To me, the scenario described in a "once in a lifetime opportunity" and to me, it'd be cool as hell to have that memory in my basement. You can call it hornporn if you wish, I'll call it displaying a tremendous animal and mother nature at it's finest. Diff't strokes for diff't folks.

 

[singlecoyote]

My first post says why I'd kill him. I don't need to have a "warm inside" feeling that he MIGHT live. To me, the scenario described in a "once in a lifetime opportunity" and to me, it'd be cool as hell to have that memory in my basement. You can call it hornporn if you wish, I'll call it displaying a tremendous animal and mother nature at it's finest. Diff't strokes for diff't folks.

Man, I don't see shooting a helpless buck and then dislpaying it as "cool" at all.

What if it was not a "tremendous animal", what if it was two small bucks, say two year olds. Do you still shoot the live one and call it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and show them off in your basement? And I will call it horn porn, because I think that is, what it is.

 

[singlecoyote]

One more take on this...

You atleast attempt to cut him or shoot him loose.

If you get him loose and he gets up and runs off, you tell him good luck and you feel good about doing the right thing.

If you get him loose and he lays there and won't move, then shoot him, and feel good about doing the right thing. :way:

 

[bigbuckhunter88]

Kind of ironic that this was brought up. I'm with Sask on this topic, especially if he was run down. Here a text I got today. From the Edgewood area. Locked and dead. Don't know who actually found them, but to my knowledge it is legit.

Two old warriors that got locked and let mother nature take care of the rest.

 

[Blaster]

I'm with Saskguy here. I think i would shoot it. But it's very rare so i would bet i will never have to make that choice.

 

[SaskGuy]

Man, I don't see shooting a helpless buck and then dislpaying it as "cool" at all.

Hey like I said, diff't strokes for diff't folks. I do, and I'm sure I know lots of folks that'd love to look at them and hear the story of how I aquired them. Like I said, accomplishment,...nope.....unique story, absolutely.

I'll not convince you, you'll not convince me. You are stuck on the fact that it's lesser of me to shoot a helpless animal, heck I do that all the time, those ruffed grouse don't even fly. Maybe it is, but I'm trying not judge you for what I feel is silliness in prolonging the agony as b/c I see it, he's dieing anyway, 100% certainty.