How often do you find unrecovered animals?

[MNGrouser]

I would say it is rare anymore. I typically only white-tail hunt my home property and a private ranch out west for mule deer. When I hunted public land (primarily Wisconsin) I would find 1 at least every other year. The first year the DNR had an early rifle antlerless season I believe I found 6 bucks. Two had their heads cut off, bodies left. The four smaller ones were just left in the woods. I suspect the little ones were shot thinking they were does and the shooter panicked. I fear the shooters knew what they were doing with the bigger bucks.

 

[mi650]

Only one. Someone shot it illegally across the line, on my property. My son and I were in the woods when it happened, and found the blood trail a couple hours later coming back to the house, followed it about 20 yards to a dead deer. Waited another couple hours, nobody came looking for it. Called the DNRs poaching hotline, they didn't really care what we did with it. So a nephew of mine tagged it and took it home.


A neighbor found one of mine that I never would have. Despite a broadside double lung shot with a 3-blade 2" broadhead, I had next to no blood to follow. The next morning, a neighbor found him while tracking a doe he'd shot. He made it about 30 yards across the property line, and I never would have found him.

Exit hole:

 

[AZmark]

I ran across two elk carcasses today, both were in the wide open and visible from several hundred yards off.

How often do you find unrecovered animals?

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When I voted I hit the wrong button, not an uncommon occurance with me. I meant to click yearly

 

[mtnbiker208]

every year, but it hard to tell how they died. not always hunting related.

 

[WCB]

I've found a few here and there. One that bothered me was a WT buck shot in Wyoming. Walked up to it in the head of a small draw...really open. bullet hole in the shoulder and just the antlers cut off. Not skull cap just each individual antler. Guessing it at 1 or 2 days old at the oldest.

Thought I stumbled upon some poaching on 80acres we own when I found 3 deer carcasses in our pine grove right off the road like someone just drove by and shot them. But further searching found 8 total (all fawns) that must have been winter kill. Most still curled up like they were sleeping. No adult or even yearlings.

 

[rayporter]

just about every year
already found one this year

 

[wytx]

That`s obscene! Glad you were able to get it out. After 10 days, wouldn`t it be spoiled?

Rack only. This is what it looked like the day we hauled it out. Note how it was turned over.
1st pic was about 4 days after it was killed we think, laid there 10 more days before we brought it out to the GW to tag.

 

[Pharmseller]

I found a young bull moose during elk season in the Gospel Hump wilderness area many years ago. The crows were going nuts so I had to see. I figured some a-hole mistook him for an elk.

Only animal I ever found.




P

 

[Turkeytider]

Time to leave this thread. All it does is make me angry. No offense to the OP.

 

[5MilesBack]

Rack only. This is what it looked like the day we hauled it out.

Man, after 10+ days I would think that the carcass would be mostly gone from a bear or even yotes. Must not be any bears in that area.

I've found a couple 6x6's and some raghorns over the years, and a few deadheads that had been there a few years.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

Here in PA, I estimate it averages out to 1 deer per year I find.

Think I've only ever found 1 elk. 2022 NM I was quartering my bull and took the hind to a nice shade tree about 25 yards from the carcass. I hung it and turned around, and had a brief WTH moment. "That's not my elk". Laying 40 yards from my bull was a 6x6 that was shot in 1st archery and not recovered.

Surprised you didn’t smell it ahead of time.

 

[S.Clancy]

I rarely find them fresh, but thats also cuz I rarely hunt around other people. I do find quite a few deadheads in the springtime shed hunting tho.

My brother found a 300" 6x6 killed by an arrow. I've also seen a live raghorn with an arrow sticking out a a hindquarter bugling and rutting.

 

[Jethro]

Surprised you didn’t smell it ahead of time.

That first day I don’t know if the wind was just right or I was distracted by excitement, blood trailing, and butchering. I didn’t smell it.

Day 2 went in for rest of meat and day 3 to get the horns. Came in from downwind, the smell guided me the last 100 yards.

 

[Still Hunter]

I have found four bulls in 9 years of hunting over a 13 year span, However one was recovered the second day but a sow and three cubs was on it. She was not interested in letting it go either. LOL!

 

[justin davis]

Bowhunting gets a bad rap for wounding animals. But I think it happens a lot more than you think with rifle hunters. I think a lot of people shoot animals and “they don’t drop” and the hunter thinks they missed and don’t go check.

 

[LongWayAround]

I found a raghorn that was probably shot early during archery my rookie season. That's the only legal animal I can think of finding unrecovered.

 

[TheHammer]

Bowhunting gets a bad rap for wounding animals. But I think it happens a lot more than you think with rifle hunters. I think a lot of people shoot animals and “they don’t drop” and the hunter thinks they missed and don’t go check.

I was going to make this point. I hunt primarily the horicon marsh here in Wi. As a kid it was shotgun only, muzzleloaders allowed in season or single shot pistol. There was a year we found 11bucks within 100yds of one another. The guy we suspected of being the culprit was confronted and the words “they didn’t fall over when I shot so I figured I missed them” will never be forgotten. Since then I typically find 1-5 a year. I’ve only found 2 bull elk in the Rockies, but smell was more than I cared to deal with so I didn’t investigate. Hopefully the one I hit this year is live and well, that weight isn’t something I wish on anyone.

 

[Gutshotem]

Small parcels of public and private land in the east makes it a pretty common occurrence.

 

[Yoder]

Rarely. I found a small whitetail buck last year. Arrow was laying next to it and someone had already cut off the antlers. It was maybe 30 ft off a logging road. Most of the deer I find are coyote kills.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Found one yesterday. Within view of the main road, which is well travelled by road hunters. Hate to think someone shot it and didn't even look for it but that's where my mind goes.