Fitting this happened in Utah. Growing up hunting there I’ve been apart of this playing out 4 different times. Maybe not all this bad though.
Personally, if a deer is wounded mortally but not well I think finishing it is fine. I’d want someone to do the same for me. However, taking ownership and projecting to his degree of how it would have went is too much.
When I was young I shot two deer wounded by other hunters. One I claimed and one I didn’t. I also have had one wounded deer shot by another hunter.
One was going Mach 3 down a bottom after taking a 300 to the meat of the ham. Dropped it and when we got to it there was a discussion. The other kid was pissed. Dad’s did an autopsy and my shot was quickly lethal and the kids shot may or may not have resulted in a recovered deer. The dads decided it was mine and we moved on. The other kid was angry about someone else shooting at the same deer. I Get it. But in this case it quickly ended the animals suffering and his shot was going to make recovery tough.
Another time as a kid I had no idea the deer had been hit, heard a shot, buck pops out of the trees and stops. I shoot and it drops. Get over there and it had a good blood trail leading to where it was hit. I Was certain the buck was going to drop there if I didn’t shoot. Tracked the guy down who tried and tried to get me to take the deer but it was his and I made him take it.
One of the first bucks I shot at was a big 4. I had buck fever something terrible. I hit it in the guts and then just couldn’t hit the poor thing again. It went over the ridge. Boom boom boom. Got over there and they were already on it gutting it. Sad I missed out on that deer but not that they shot it. I was happy they shot it, It was a bad hit and I am glad they put it down. Recovery by us was unlikely.
Point being I don’t agree with the “never shoot at someone’s deer” approach but this guy messed up. He doesn’t seem genuine and he’s making a ton of assumptions and gymnastics to make this his deer. Also, his story just sounds like bullshit especially when you can’t make your mind up about the deers characteristics.
Personally, if a deer is wounded mortally but not well I think finishing it is fine. I’d want someone to do the same for me. However, taking ownership and projecting to his degree of how it would have went is too much.
When I was young I shot two deer wounded by other hunters. One I claimed and one I didn’t. I also have had one wounded deer shot by another hunter.
One was going Mach 3 down a bottom after taking a 300 to the meat of the ham. Dropped it and when we got to it there was a discussion. The other kid was pissed. Dad’s did an autopsy and my shot was quickly lethal and the kids shot may or may not have resulted in a recovered deer. The dads decided it was mine and we moved on. The other kid was angry about someone else shooting at the same deer. I Get it. But in this case it quickly ended the animals suffering and his shot was going to make recovery tough.
Another time as a kid I had no idea the deer had been hit, heard a shot, buck pops out of the trees and stops. I shoot and it drops. Get over there and it had a good blood trail leading to where it was hit. I Was certain the buck was going to drop there if I didn’t shoot. Tracked the guy down who tried and tried to get me to take the deer but it was his and I made him take it.
One of the first bucks I shot at was a big 4. I had buck fever something terrible. I hit it in the guts and then just couldn’t hit the poor thing again. It went over the ridge. Boom boom boom. Got over there and they were already on it gutting it. Sad I missed out on that deer but not that they shot it. I was happy they shot it, It was a bad hit and I am glad they put it down. Recovery by us was unlikely.
Point being I don’t agree with the “never shoot at someone’s deer” approach but this guy messed up. He doesn’t seem genuine and he’s making a ton of assumptions and gymnastics to make this his deer. Also, his story just sounds like bullshit especially when you can’t make your mind up about the deers characteristics.
