How often do you find unrecovered animals?

[hunthikecamp]

I found a cow this year in first rifle CO, first time in 5 years I've stumbled across a critter but im sure more to come. She was shot on opening day and I found it the morning of day 2. We crossed paths with the guy who shot it on our hike in that morning, chatted and he said he was unable to locate a cow he shot. Mid day I was still hunting through some darker timber and cut some pretty fresh tracks so I followed them and I found the animal that made them...tried to reconnect with the guy that shot that day in hopes he could salvage something but never crossed paths.

 

[Pharmseller]

Here in Oregon we can’t legally recover antlers with the skull attached.

Unless we kill it, of course. But finding a dead buck/bull with antlers we have to let lie.

Legally.




P

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Where the spike is my guess is he didn't fall at the shot so nobody tracked, very close to the road.

Was it in CO? If so are there any tags that allow harvest of a spike? I am not readily aware of any, someone likely shot a spike on accident and didn't own up to it versus not find in is my guess.

 

[sndmn11]

Was it in CO? If so are there any tags that allow harvest of a spike? I am not readily aware of any, someone likely shot a spike on accident and didn't own up to it versus not find in is my guess.

Yes, there are a bunch of any bull (over 5/6") hunt codes.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Yes, there are a bunch of any bull (over 5/6") hunt codes.

Brain fart on my part now that you mention it. I never hunt in those units but that did cross my radar when I was looking at some options for my kids hunts, I just forgot about it again.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Found impala ram horns next to a hyena den in Limpopo, South Africa. African PH let me keep them. Happy hunting, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[sndmn11]

Brain fart on my part now that you mention it. I never hunt in those units but that did cross my radar when I was looking at some options for my kids hunts, I just forgot about it again.

I'd LOVE to see them rotate that into other hunt codes for a BGSS. I'd bet the results would be a wider distribution of bull ages.

 

[Dogone]

Have found mules , antelope and white tail over the years. Last one was a160 wt only eighty yards from my house. My dogs had barked all night . Only spine and head left. Was I season but couldn’t determine reason for death.

 

[probablymissed]

I have never come across one

 

[StuckoYota99]

A few years ago my cousin and I found a dead cougar during scouting in September then found a gut shot buck during rifle season. Both in the same drainage. Public land a couple miles back behind a gate.

 

[go_deep]

Found lots of dead critters, can only definitely say one was shot by someone and not found, a whitetail buck.

 

[I live in round valley]

View attachment 792999

Found impala ram horns next to a hyena den in Limpopo, South Africa. African PH let me keep them. Happy hunting, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

Do you reckon one of the Limpopo natives made a poor spear toss and didn’t try hard to recover? “Eh! Oh well…keep going and try and stick a warthog next time.”

 

[Jtb.kfd]

Between elk and deer season, one a year or so. This buck was found right before rifle in a 3pt min area. I would guess it was from muzzleloader season. Too bad, it was 30yds or so off a well used trail

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I rarely find any, probably can count on my fingers how many I have found, butI think I have found more whitetails killed by getting stuck in a fence than by hunters though

 

[dtrkyman]

Occasionally. Though often cause of death is not so obvious.

 

[Miguy]

Quite often

 

[sierracharlie338]

Not many times here in Texas as most land is private. However, I did find a large bodied deer that was headless dropped less than 100 yards from my lease’s (at the time) front gate. Don’t know if game wardens ever found anything about it

 

[hunterjmj]

Found quite a few dead heads over the years but I have no idea if they were from hunters, winter kills or predation.

 

[Jethro]

Have not archery hunted PA at all this season. First trip in yesterday afternoon to do some stand/blind work. Found dead doe within 10 minutes. No chance for autopsy. Just a head, 2 legs and a big mess of hair where the body should be.