This last weekend I had still not filled my buck tag, so a buddy of mine put me on some private land where I was sure to get me a big buck since I saw none on public land on the opener,(only saw two points). Anyways I will try to make this long story short. The only other people hunting the land was a guy and his two sons, (and my wife of course), This guy also knew I was the only other person hunting this area. We had ran into each other several times because every time we jumped a two point they were quick to shoot right next to us to try and get them. We also had friendly conversation about what we had seen and what not. Well on saturday afternoon my wife and I jumped a nice 4 point and I hit him. I hit him good but there was not a spec of blood anywhere!! We searched for three hours for this deer!! Nothing!!! On sunday afternoon I run into this hunter and his sons again, but this time they are dragging a spike out right close to where I hit this 4 point. We talked about his hunt that day and weekend basically what he had seen and then I told him I hit a 4 point yesterday and couldnt find him anywhere, he asked where I saw him and I pointed right to the spot and he just changed the subject but I thought nothing of it. He then said they were done and were leaving so he said and I quote "GOOD LUCK". I said thanks and my wife and I proceeded. We did a quick push and decided to go down and get some lunch. When we got to the bottom we saw the guy in his tahoe. He was turning around when he saw us in my truck. We slowed down and looked at the deer he had on his little hitch rack, and it was MY 4 POINT!!!! For sure I knew it was mine! We stopped the truck and made it obvious we wanted to talk to him about the MY DEER. He then just sped off!!! I was furious! We then went and talked to the land owner to thank him for the hunt and I immediately asked him "what was the deal with that guy having that 4 point?" The land owner said "the guy found him dead this moring, gutted him and took him! I cannot believe that someone knowing we were the only ones hunting this property and knowing I still hadnt found my 4 point would just gut a dead deer and take him and run off with something he wasnt even good enough to get with his gun???? Am I wrong about this??? Its driving me nuts!!! It just keeps flashing through my head the moment we saw the deer on the back of his tahoe, this wasnt any four point, this was my first 4 point after 12 years of hunting deer! He wasnt a monster or anything but he was my best and I worked hard for him and I just think the guy could've had the common courtesy to tell me he found my deer!! This is gonna haunt me all year!!! Maybe even forever! What would you have done? By the way the freezer is still filling up but not with a 4 point!
What would you do?
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That totally sucks. I think you take pride that you got the deer, and let it be. Switch places. You are hunting in the same area, and the other people left. The next day you find a deer. Everything looks good, and you, as a conservationist, don't want the deer to go to waste so you cut it and tag it to take home. I think that is fair.
Where the story screws up is when you tell him about it and he directly avoids the issue - basically lying to you. He should have said - "yea, we found a dead one over there and gutted it. Here it is." But letting the land owner know is the best thing you can do. I'd let him know about the shooting near you - he will probably be more concerned about that - I know I would be. And in that case, depending on how related the guy is, he won't let these folks hunt there again. And losing private land hunting as you described is tougher than anything else that could be dished out. That totally sucks though.
Where the story screws up is when you tell him about it and he directly avoids the issue - basically lying to you. He should have said - "yea, we found a dead one over there and gutted it. Here it is." But letting the land owner know is the best thing you can do. I'd let him know about the shooting near you - he will probably be more concerned about that - I know I would be. And in that case, depending on how related the guy is, he won't let these folks hunt there again. And losing private land hunting as you described is tougher than anything else that could be dished out. That totally sucks though.
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man that sucks bad sorry to hear that. He should have told you that he found one and let you see if it was your buck and if it was gave you the chance to tag it. That was good of you telling the land owner about it. I would have told you I found a dead four point and let you claim him. hopefuly you next year you cna get a nother four point.
i do not think the other person really cared about the antlers like you do, probably the reason for hush hush part about it. He meat is what he wanted and could have been afraid that if you found out then it would have been gone.
try talking to the land owner about it and see what he says.
try talking to the land owner about it and see what he says.
Let it be. The person you should be mad at is yourself. I don't condone what the other guy did, but I would have to ask if you were shooting over your ability. If you didn't find the buck after hours of looking, you probably never would have. Be glad someone else did find it and the thing was not wasted. Not worth letting it haunt you forever.
Not exactly the same scenario but I knocked a BIG deer down and watched it get up and go over a small hill. When I went over the hill a guy had shot it where it lay and was cleaning it. I helped the guy load it in his truck. This was the biggest deer I have ever shot and I've hunted way longer than 12 years. It's your deer when your tag is on it.
Not exactly the same scenario but I knocked a BIG deer down and watched it get up and go over a small hill. When I went over the hill a guy had shot it where it lay and was cleaning it. I helped the guy load it in his truck. This was the biggest deer I have ever shot and I've hunted way longer than 12 years. It's your deer when your tag is on it.
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the last time I rifle hunted I had someone still my deer. Biggest deer I had ever hit. Big monster 4 point looked like 30" plus. He was coming through the trees and I found a small hole through the branches and drilled him, my dad was up above and he saw me hit him and him spin around and take off. We go to where he was hit and there was blood everywhere, so you know I hit him good. We follow the trail and it just ends, but we see some weird drags like someone is covering up blood. We then see a man and his son(younger kid about 15) and we ask if they saw it, they were not happy we were in there area and angerly said they did see or hear me shoot. We keep looking for my deer, well didn't find it so we walked back to camp, well we saw him with my deer in the truck and he also sped off. Pissed me off, from then on I have been a bow hunter.
Shooting over my ability? I shoot at a 4 point and now its over my ability? What does that have to do with it? I admit I only really get buck fever when the big ones are around but I hit the deer...and the one hit was fatal so tell me how it was over my ability? And when I say ive hunted for 12 years im referring to deer hunting in particular. Im only 26 and have bought a tag since I was 14. I am very very passionate about the deer hunt. Now... a few days after the hunt, I have settled down quite a bit. I took you guys advice and decided to just get over it. I have many more years ahead of me and I still tagged out either way on sunday night! I forgot to mention my wife got her first buck this last weekend too!!! One shot and he was done! Im proud of her! Thanks for everyones responses!Doc said:
It was good that you looked hard for the buck. but if it were me i would have been looking that next morning also. if you had still been trying to find it, ( you did feel you had a good shot) you would have been in the area and that jerk would not likely get away with what he did. it is the craps that we have morons like him out there, but they are there. Any decent person would have looked you up and got the deer to its rightfull owner. even more so since you were on private property and only two of you were hunting it. I have actually found deer in similar situations and spent alot of effort to find the guys that shot them. i have made two great friends doing that. it just would have been the right thing to do. too bad he didn't.
100 yard shot may be over your ability. Every person is different. If you practice running and then shooting then your distance could be longer. But I know after a good run my archery range goes down and is basically 20 yards, which is equivilant to 100 yard rifle shot. How long was the shot on this 3" spike? :lol: 8)
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Hogan the guy probably never had a chance to think it through, He though he would do the right thing and drag the buck out, have a good story to tell, nad some extra meat. then when confronted with the situation he panicked and choose the low ground. There is a very good possability he regrets this choice and now the hunt is over and he has had time to think he wishes he would have just given the buck over. Becuase unless he is a completeley hardened individual he will never enjoy that buck. and he will regret ruining his and your hunt. just a thought on the lighter side i have been meaning to talk to you about your ability because never in the history of hunting has anyone ever had to look for and animal past the first 2 minutes after the kill. you are the only hunter who had to continue his search into the second day Shame!!!! It was great talking to you, AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR LIMITED ENTRY HUNT!!! Greeting from MIssissippi Dave.
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My brother shot a 6x7 elk in Idaho one year with his bow. The next morning, I had to take the long way to the canyon with the horses to get my 6x6 and hopefully his also. He went over the mountain on foot to look at first light while I took the horses around. After he had looked for blood etc... for nearly 3 hours, he found himself further down the canyon than he would have hoped. He heard a cow call. He answered it. It responded and both parties decided that the scenario was too perfect for elk and they both came out of the trees. After the introductions, the other man asked my brother how long he had been looking for his bull. My brother wondered how he knew that he was looking as that had not come up yet. My bro said, "A bit last night and then a few hours this morning." He pointed to the trees and said, "He's over there." They went into the trees to find his bull that scored 347 points all quartered, and caped out. There was two of them and they said that they were hoping that the person that hit that bull would be back to find it. They felt sick for the person who lost it. They spent their entire morning of prime hunting, caping and quartering a bull that they happened upon so that if someone came looking, it wouldn't go to waste. They hadn't decided what to do with it if someone didn't come back. These guys are true SPORTSMAN AND HUNTERS!!! What you ran into are BOZO'S.
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