Keep hunting?

[jayhawk]

Depends on the shot and how wounded the animal is.
I've seen three legged deer before, and even killed a bull that had a broadhead in its front shoulder.

 

[DakotaBPNW]

I used to be in the keep hunting after you’ve made an effort to track/ recover an animal mindset. Now, unless I’m dead certain that I’ve completely missed an animal, I call it the end of my hunt. Hasn’t personally happened to me but after seeing how many people take poor/questionable shots at animals with both rifles and bows; I feel that it is only ethical that if you’ve wounded an animal you consider your hunt over. I’ve already had 3 guys at work hunting archery elk that either found their bull and all the meat was lost, or they never found them at all. Just because they’re tough animals doesn’t mean we should be lodging bullets and broad heads into them and thinking “oh well let’s find another”.

 

[badgerboy]

I'm 28 and after 16 years of hunting, I can say I have never had to make that decision. I would likely continue to hunt though.

If I'm fishing and have a limit of 3, I wouldn't stop after catching 2 and hooking into one that got off, even if I thought it was maybe hooked bad....

I don't believe anyone can, with 100% certainty, determine if an animal will make it or not after being wounded unless they see it later.

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[ODB]

Keep hunting…for it…

 

[brachtenburger]

Depends on how confident you are that animal is dead, I will tend to continue to search an whole area for it but continue hunting at the same time but if you u made a good shot and that animal is dead. Feels only right to notch your tag.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Somewhat surprised to see the volume of "keep hunting" and the lack of "after exhaustive search" in the same sentence on so many posts.

Would be interesting to see the overlap of users between the "keep hunting" and "pro marginal shot" groups amongst the various posts on this forums.

Does make you wonder how many keep killing (and somehow continuously lose those animals) until they get one that they like. This is generic and not directed towards any specific individual. Found a lot of "lost" elk last year right after archery and early rifle seasons. Defying the odds, every single one was not a shooter. I am curious how it will be this coming week leading up to black bear opening back up.

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

Somewhat surprised to see the volume of "keep hunting" and the lack of "after exhaustive search" in the same sentence on so many posts.

Umm, maybe because people such as myself think that the "exhaustive search" part goes without saying. Though it may not be true, I assume everybody searches to the best of their abilities.

I don't know about everybody else but I am a meat hunter. I don't give a damn about antlers or anything else other than filling my freezer. The idea that I would go out, expend all that energy and time just to burn a tag, is crazy to me.

To each their own, I suppose.

 

[Yoder]

I hit one last year and never found it. I looked for it for three days, then I kept hunting. I never even considered not hunting after that.

 

[jmez]

I keep hunting.

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[thinhorn_AK]

Try to the best of my abilities to find it or track it. If I don’t find it…..keep hunting.

 

[Geewhiz]

Try to the best of my abilities to find it or track it. If I don’t find it…..keep hunting.

That about sums it up for me. Do everything I can to make a great shot. Then I do everything in my power to find the thing. If I can’t find it, I’m going to keep hunting. I hunt for meat, antlers are a bonus. I ain’t notching my tag if I don’t have meat to bring home.

I feel like the guys that notch their tag after shooting at one try to pull the nobility card because they know they won’t be able to get on another one.

What’s tricky is if you shoot one and then find it rotting days later. Pretty sure you have to tag it to take antlers or anything else from the carcass in Montana.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Umm, maybe because people such as myself think that the "exhaustive search" part goes without saying. Though it may not be true, I assume everybody searches to the best of their abilities.

I don't know about everybody else but I am a meat hunter. I don't give a damn about antlers or anything else other than filling my freezer. The idea that I would go out, expend all that energy and time just to burn a tag, is crazy to me.

To each their own, I suppose.

Fair enough but others can assume that the omission implies zero effort on recovery.

Folks will do what they want.

Looking forward to overwhelming scent of death this coming week in the elk woods while chasing bear.

 

[603hunter]

I fill the tag consider it done. I shot a buck last year and didn’t recover it until the next day. It was 3/4 eaten by coyotes and everyone told me I shouldn’t fill my tag. I always say if it doesn’t feel right then it’s not.

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

Fair enough but others can assume that the omission implies zero effort on recovery.

You so negative! Hahaha

I can see where you're coming from. I'm not naive because I have twice witnessed hunters throw in the towel super quick. I put hunters like that into the same category as road warriors and the guys that go striding thru prime area at 9 am back to their camps for coffee. I don't respect it and wish they'd find a new hobby, but what can you do?

Good luck on your bear hunt!

 

[Decker9]

I’ll keep hunting, but I will target that animal only. My first deer was the only animal I lost temporarily. I found him 2 weeks later and harvested him. I think he woulda been fine, but sure felt better after finishing what I started.

 

[PassCreek]

If you shoot an animal and don’t recover it, do you consider your tag filled or keep hunting?

I consider my tag filled and will detach my carcass tag. I'll help others with valid tags after that but my rifle, muzzleloader, or bow will stay at camp.

I take losing game really hard. I'm glad it's a very rare occurrence.

 

[Ehunter]

Yes it has happened to me I tore the tag up and went home. Especially if your sure you had a killer shot. I found my bull 2 days later thanks to birds.

 

[4rcgoat]

Yeah,just keep on hunting. Let's see how many critters we can fill full of lead and cheap pussy ass mechanical heads. If your sure you hit the animal well,grow some balls and punch your God damn tag,sorry ass son's a bitches that keep on hunting after they KNOW damn well they hit the animal clean......how'd ya like that response.

 

[mtnkid85]

Ive now done both. Depending on the shot, if I think the animal died or is going to die then Im done. If Im as sure as one can be that the animal is going to survive then Ill keep going. Making that decision to take responsibility for your self and punch the tag isn't easy but it is what it is, killing can be messy and doesn't always go like we hope.
I too have spent days tracking a gut shot bull that Im sure eventually died because of my poor shooting. I was done on elk for that year with him.
Ethics are the only interesting thing to talk about anymore.

 

[Rusty Green]

This one is a weird one for me, I actually lost a very nice 150 class WT last year looked for almost a week but I was done trying to kill a buck after that. I kept hunting but just for doe’s, I just didn’t like losing one and going after another after my mistake, and granted I’m in ky and we’re over run just didn’t want to shoot another I guess to each they’re own that’s not to say if I seen a 180 I’d be able to control myself. And yes I know it’s different out west y’all have limited tags and opportunity definitely different than where I’m from. Either way I think it’s up to the person hunting I don’t think I would but I also don’t have anything against people who do, unless it’s someone who consistently wounds animals every year.