Someone took a Gut Shot! - Then walked off...

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

If I was in that suitation I would strongly consider killing the suffering antelope, don't go near the kill, don't post about it on the internet, and go on about my day. If u happen to run into a warden, tell the story, have the witness tell the story, take the ticket, and plead your case to the judge.

All cell phone(s) better be off otherwise it can be tracked back to you.

Edit: Do not rely upon "anonymizer" technologies to keep you anonymous.

 

[Ryan2.0]

No way in heck am I tagging someone else’s gut shot or leg shot off animal. I wouldn’t even waste time reporting it.

 

[Packmansion]

I talked to the Warden. He said best thing is if you can get a license plate or accurate vehicle description that helps. Also to call the warden if you have their number. Otherwise call operation game thief.
If you want to be the hero just know that if you do shoot and animal and leave it to die that is a felony:

Say good bye to hunting and your 2A rights, maybe even your job... Maybe your spouse too. Might be better for the kids to have a parent who can support them. The warden was specific in saying that it was good that I did not shoot the animal. The warden has to enforce the law. If you are caught with an animal and have the wrong tag that is poaching. If you shoot and abandon an animal to put it out of its misery that is a felony. You can tell them your story but they don't have to believe it even if they want to, they have to enforce the law. By them letting you off the hook they themselves have failed to do their job that they have sworn to do. Don't make them risk their job cause you love pronghorns so much. If they let everyone with a story off the hook then poachers will never be prosecuted. In the big picture animals die from a lot worse all the time. From my conversation with the Warden I will simply never break the law and I will report anything I see immediately. I will also make sure I do not make mistakes. If I do I will immediately self report. It is a good idea to call the warden of the GMU you will be hunting in and make contact. In the event you have to self report it is best that you have a relationship with the Warden. It doesn't guarantee anything but it might help. Just don't be the guy who shoots an animal and walks off.

All that being said it is unfortunate for the pronghorn but its "the way she goes" and what is most unsettling isn't the suffering of the animal but the fact that we live in a society where people do shitty things like this. Its every other hunters responsibility to assist the wardens and create a culture which supports the system that allows us all to hunt sustainably.

 

[Packmansion]

Likewise, it amazes me how much energy folks will put into chasing game they didn't shoot. Dude gut shoots a critter and suddenly it's your/my responsibility? Why is that? Morals? Ethics?

Do you feel the same way about a prairie dog? If not why not? Not much diff between a PD and an antelope in the cycle of life - they are both protein to something else.

No way I'm gonna travel half way across the country on a hunt (might be hunt of a lifetime) and then burn a $350 tag on a half-dead critter someone else shot 2 days or 2 hours ago.

And if i did put it out of its misery (I'm not totally cold blooded), sure aint gonna be calling the GW to turn myself in. If there were a lot of "hunters" around, i would not put it out of its misery cause too many of you-all are whiney "call the GW" types with big imaginations and I'd rather not deal with the pile of BS that could come with it. It'll die soon enough and something will eat it.

I've only dealt with 1 WY GW and he was top notch. Never got to meet him in person but called and spoke with him twice while planning a DIY hunt. Told me stop thinking about it, just come out, don't corner cross, and have a good time. I'd hunt in his territory any time.

Imagine how much time a GW can spend trying to track down every wounded animal or "illegal tree stand" or guy shot "too far" at an animal and might have hit it but drove off or the dude had squinty eyes - he was up to something that someone reported. They are short handed and surely have other stuff to do.

GW's want you to report. They might be short staffed but the information is theirs to do with as they please. I live here. this is no special hunt. I think my tag was $50. The draw for my GMU is 100% for doe tags 0 preference points. That being said it is not your responsibility to track down someone else's game or shoot it. I did not track it down or shoot it. I just observed what went down and happened to be close enough to watch the animal while this all went down. Best practice is to call operation game thief if you witness someone abandoning game. The reason it is important to me is that I am a resident and I would really like my quarry to be there for me every year. Maybe this is a once in a lifetime trip for some folks. This is my backyard and something I do every year. I really don't want people dwindling down the resource cause their lazy. This land is also pressured enough to have people go out and do crap like this. Hopefully the guy notched his tags and wont be out for seconds. You have a solid point. The animal will eventually die. This isn't a "huge" deal from the perspective of the animal, it could have died in much worse ways. Imagine collapsing from a stroke and then being eaten alive by coyotes. That's much worse and I am sure its happed to a handful of elderly pronghorn. The big picture is what this guy did is really disrespectful to MY PROPERTY. As a resident I AM A PART OWNER OF THAT PRONGHORN. He disrespected my property. I'm no pronghorn hugger but we don't have room for behavior like this.

 

[Packmansion]

Extremely Blue mask wearing mofos.

Id love to get more western, however would love to not get a felony.

 

[Packmansion]

I agree. Here’s a story…

We were cleaning my wife’s antelope this weekend. She made a perfect shot at 235 yards. Over the course of about 20 minutes we heard 5 shots not too far away. About 30 minutes after the last shot a father and son roll up. They start talking to us and pretty soon mention they shot a doe and it was over there in the field. I look up and she’s standing there. The dad says “I’m not sure I can hit her from here”. I grabbed my rifle and dialed the turret for him an asked if he wanted to give mine a try. We got him all set up on a good wood fence post and wham, down she went.

This guy had shot the antelope 2-3 times out of 5 shots at less than 300 yards and it was alive almost an hour after the initial shot was fired.

After limiting range, are you going to require everyone to take a proficiency test?

I’d take my wife shooting at 500 with my setup over that guy shooting at 250 with his.

This fall I shot a 6x6 bull at 29 yards with my bow. I’m still not sure what happened but I got 2-4” of penetration and never saw him again. I can stack arrows in tiny holes at 30 yards.

Distance isn’t always the reason. And everyone is different.


I do agree that at some point technology needs to slow down. In my world as head of CPW in Colorado I would designate primitive areas. Specific GMU where technology was HIGHLY limited on rifle, ML, and archery. Wounding of animals might honestly increase in those areas, but the age class and quality of hunt would skyrocket.

I jumped the gun on that comment. I agree with what you are saying. I should not project my own abilities or preferences onto everyone else. That said I will stick with my own philosophy. I will continue to try to get as close as possible to game. I prefer playing that game than the marksmanship game.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Was out hunting pronghorn in southern Colorado on public land. Saw a Male and Female Pronghorn and I also saw a hunter. The bastard took a real long shot. He botched it pretty bad. He just walked straight to his car an left. I watch the whole thing unfold. The pronghorn had blood all over his left hind quarter and there was so stuff hanging out of his gut. We tried to catch up with the guy who took the shot but he really booked it out of there. Really soured the hunt. Wife was with me. She was pretty upset by it all. Unfortunately I had a Doe tag so legally I could not finish the job. Otherwise I would have... When something like this goes down is there something I should do? He may have committed a felony.

I started a thread a while ago asking if you make a bad shot on an animal and don’t recover it do you punch your tag or keep hunting? I was super surprised how many guys said keep hunting. This is an extreme example of that mentality, but it is more popular than you think. It comes down to a lack of respect for the animals they are hunting.

 

[Rich M]

GW's want you to report. They might be short staffed but the information is theirs to do with as they please. I live here. this is no special hunt. I think my tag was $50. The draw for my GMU is 100% for doe tags 0 preference points. That being said it is not your responsibility to track down someone else's game or shoot it. I did not track it down or shoot it. I just observed what went down and happened to be close enough to watch the animal while this all went down. Best practice is to call operation game thief if you witness someone abandoning game. The reason it is important to me is that I am a resident and I would really like my quarry to be there for me every year. Maybe this is a once in a lifetime trip for some folks. This is my backyard and something I do every year. I really don't want people dwindling down the resource cause their lazy. This land is also pressured enough to have people go out and do crap like this. Hopefully the guy notched his tags and wont be out for seconds. You have a solid point. The animal will eventually die. This isn't a "huge" deal from the perspective of the animal, it could have died in much worse ways. Imagine collapsing from a stroke and then being eaten alive by coyotes. That's much worse and I am sure its happed to a handful of elderly pronghorn. The big picture is what this guy did is really disrespectful to MY PROPERTY. As a resident I AM A PART OWNER OF THAT PRONGHORN. He disrespected my property. I'm no pronghorn hugger but we don't have room for behavior like this.

You reported him, i think. That's what you feel obligated to do.

You have taken personal ownership of the game animals, and I'm sure you volunteer your time and do all kinds of stuff to promote the wildlife and I applaud you.

I've shot 2 speed goats and hope to take a third. After that, they are all yours!

 

[Packmansion]

Get on the spotter and try to pull a license plate number and call the warden asap. Finishing the job is a question best answered by the warden on the same phone call.

This is all great advice. Unfortunately the heat mirage was so bad I could not get the plate #.

 

[Rich M]

I started a thread a while ago asking if you make a bad shot on an animal and don’t recover it do you punch your tag or keep hunting? I was super surprised how many guys said keep hunting. This is an extreme example of that mentality, but it is more popular than you think. It comes down to a lack of respect for the animals they are hunting.

Most guys in your thread spoke of pursuing the animal and if the critter didn't die and if they couldn't find it in X hours, they would assume it wasn't dead and would continue to hunt.

It is not the same as the OP said - shoot and gut hit and then just drive away. That's diff from the majority of your answers.

 

[Packmansion]

Most guys in your thread spoke of pursuing the animal and if the critter didn't die and if they couldn't find it in X hours, they would assume it wasn't dead and would continue to hunt.

It is not the same as the OP said - shoot and gut hit and then just drive away. That's diff from the majority of your answers.

Just cause you hit an animal does not mean it was killed. It is your responsibility to do your best to track it down. This is probably a bit of a gray area. I know a guy who took a bull elk. When quartering the Bull he found 2x 243 Winchester rounds in the Elks back. That's some novelty stuff. Make a pair of earing out of them for your wife.

 

[Packmansion]

Any update on what the wardens told you?

I updated the First post on the thread with what the warden advised. In summary, do not shoot an animal yo udo not have a tag for. Report people who abandon game by either calling the warden or calling operation game thief.

 

[Packmansion]

You reported him, i think. That's what you feel obligated to do.

You have taken personal ownership of the game animals, and I'm sure you volunteer your time and do all kinds of stuff to promote the wildlife and I applaud you.

I've shot 2 speed goats and hope to take a third. After that, they are all yours!

I would just prefer that there are more animals next year and better odds for drawing. If everyone went out and did crap like this the population would collapse and the quality of the quarry would likely decline. I'm foremost invested in a better future for all hunters including myself. Unfortunately I am not mother Teresa and do not volunteer haha. Between fishing, hunting and work. I don't have time for anyone but my family. Wish you luck on your third, fourth and so on speed goat.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I hate that answer from the game warden but I understand it.

Different scenarios but I've called a game warden twice in WA when I saw deer that had been hit by cars and were suffering. Both times I was told on the phone to shoot them if I had a gun. I did so and was glad they allowed me to do the right thing in the situation.

 

[Packmansion]

I hate that answer from the game warden but I understand it.

Different scenarios but I've called a game warden twice in WA when I saw deer that had been hit by cars and were suffering. Both times I was told on the phone to shoot them if I had a gun. I did so and was glad they allowed me to do the right thing in the situation.

I agree. Would be nice to be given that level of trust. However the game warden can't be certain that this isn't a setup and some poacher is creating a false narrative and the getting permission to poach. There are arguments for both sides. Would be nice if we could trust each other and foul play just wasnt a thing. At the end of the day it's the wardens responsibility to do what they think is right.

 

[sndmn11]

I hate that answer from the game warden but I understand it.

Different scenarios but I've called a game warden twice in WA when I saw deer that had been hit by cars and were suffering. Both times I was told on the phone to shoot them if I had a gun. I did so and was glad they allowed me to do the right thing in the situation.

When I worked, CPW wouldn't let on duty law enforcement kill any game animals after vehicle collisions. The only other agency allowed was Colorado State Patrol. The "logic" was that CPW and CSP were both state agencies, and the wildlife belonged to the state. They generally got real pissy about bean bagging dumpster bears too.

My perspective is that wildlife stands a 99% chance of dying in any other way than peacefully due to old age in their sleep. Their path is almost certainly a suffering death unless they are fortunate enough to make a mistake in front of the right hunter.

 

[Rich M]

I would just prefer that there are more animals next year and better odds for drawing. If everyone went out and did crap like this the population would collapse and the quality of the quarry would likely decline. I'm foremost invested in a better future for all hunters including myself. Unfortunately I am not mother Teresa and do not volunteer haha. Between fishing, hunting and work. I don't have time for anyone but my family. Wish you luck on your third, fourth and so on speed goat.

I know the feeling. Once the kids are out, there are a few years, then the parents need help.

As always, family first and fun 2nd.

I do volunteer at a refuge, but only to make sure they don’t mess things up. Thats where i take my 80something father hunting.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Same for vehicle hit/wounded. Have to leave them to suffer otherwise you'll be in the crap if you shoot it and get caught.

Horse cookies...I take my phone out, video myself exiting the car and show the animal's suffering, then state for the record that if shooting it and ending this suffering is wrong...I don't wanna be right. I choose to be humane rather than strictly legal. My dad taught me it's never wrong to do the right thing. There are many things that are legal that shouldn't be. No Judge would enforce such a citation.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Horse cookies...I take my phone out, video myself exiting the car and show the animal's suffering, then state for the record that if shooting it and ending this suffering is wrong...I don't wanna be right. I choose to be humane rather than strictly legal. My dad taught me it's never wrong to do the right thing. There are many things that are legal that shouldn't be. No Judge would enforce such a citation.

I agree with your sentiment, but that doesn't always mean a judge will. Each person should consider this type of action and the possible consequences carefully before making a decision.

We all have to live with our own choice and the consequences one way or the other.

 

[BBob]

Horse cookies...I take my phone out, video myself exiting the car and show the animal's suffering, then state for the record that if shooting it and ending this suffering is wrong...I don't wanna be right. I choose to be humane rather than strictly legal. My dad taught me it's never wrong to do the right thing. There are many things that are legal that shouldn't be. No Judge would enforce such a citation.

Good for you for having the time and $$$ to deal with the fallout and all the travel to and from NM. Your from CA correct? That'll be some cheap travel right there. It is NM after all and the circle jerk courts will have your head spinning

PS My post you quoted was directly referencing a post about NM.