Who's Elk?

[dirtytough]

While growing up the understanding was whoever draws first blood tags it. But most states the law reads whoever kills it tags it.

My buddy had this happen in Colorado this year. He wounded a deer. Another hunter wounded it after. Then my buddy killed it. Game and fish had to be called because it was turning into a big confrontation. They said that legally whoever killed the animal has to tag it.

 

[njdoxie]

I can’t imagine claiming an animal that someone else had to finish off, talk about entitlement gone wild.
If I shoot an elk and it runs off and is finished off by someone 100 yards or 1000 yards away, I would thank them for putting the animal out of its misery and then make sure they’re tagging it. Congrats to them and my bad for not making a better shot. If they refuse to tag it, then I will.

Think about the bad spot you’re putting the 2nd shooter in, the one who finished off the elk, he’s supposed to tag immediately upon recovery, not wait for an indeterminate amount of time for the first shooter to maybe show up. And should he hold off field dressing too? Should he “untag” it if the first shooter appears with a pouty face and bowed up??? Ridiculous.

We never know how far a wounded animal will run until we’re standing over it, neither does the 2nd shooter who finishes off the animal, so you can’t say “oh, I know it was only going to run 200 yards past the 2nd shooter and then fall over”.
We should thank the 2nd shooter for ending a wild goose chase and be on our way.

If “first blooders” want to claim ownership of the animal the instant they draw blood, then fine, it’s theirs and they should tear up their tag if it’s not recovered, the animal belongs to them, found or not, after all they can claim “first blood”. But of course if it’s not recovered, then they no longer own it, and will continue hunting.

 

[bsnedeker]

I can’t imagine claiming an animal that someone else had to finish off, talk about entitlement gone wild.
If I shoot an elk and it runs off and is finished off by someone 100 yards or 1000 yards away, I would thank them for putting the animal out of its misery and then make sure they’re tagging it. Congrats to them and my bad for not making a better shot. If they refuse to tag it, then I will.

Think about the bad spot you’re putting the 2nd shooter in, the one who finished off the elk, he’s supposed to tag immediately upon recovery, not wait for an indeterminate amount of time for the first shooter to maybe show up. And should he hold off field dressing too? Should he “untag” it if the first shooter appears with a pouty face and bowed up??? Ridiculous.

We never know how far a wounded animal will run until we’re standing over it, neither does the 2nd shooter who finishes off the animal, so you can’t say “oh, I know it was only going to run 200 yards past the 2nd shooter and then fall over”.
We should thank the 2nd shooter for ending a wild goose chase and be on our way.

If “first blooders” want to claim ownership of the animal the instant they draw blood, then fine, it’s theirs and they should tear up their tag if it’s not recovered, the animal belongs to them, found or not, after all they can claim “first blood”. But of course if it’s not recovered, then they no longer own it, and will continue hunting.

So, you shoot an elk, perfect shot through the vitals, it runs 100 yards, you can still see it, it stops and is about to go down, some dude shoots it in the head... his elk?

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[WannabeHunter]

I don't hunt with petty people. We'd be arguing for sure. Trying to give it to the other guy until ultimately an arm wrestling match would ensue. All would get meat, memories, and since I know where they all live an I can go look anytime I want. We carry equip as group, we scout as a group, we kill as a group. Doesn't matter who flung the arrow or lead.

 

[Sled]

After 4 pages the moral of the story is... be a better shot.

 

[njdoxie]

So, you shoot an elk, perfect shot through the vitals, it runs 100 yards, you can still see it, it stops and is about to go down, some dude shoots it in the head... his elk?

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Yes, his elk, wounded animals stop and then later run off and are never found, you can’t assume anything, so if it’s not laying still on the ground, it should be shot until it is. Maybe it was gonna drop dead, but in that moment no one knows and you have to act quick or risk not getting a shot. It should be shot again until it’s laying still on the ground and belongs to the last shooter, whether it’s someone in your hunting party or not.

 

[IdahoElk]

One thing for sure is your Uncle needs to practice shooting more.

 

[bsnedeker]

Yes, his elk, wounded animals stop and then later run off and are never found, you can’t assume anything, so if it’s not laying still on the ground, it should be shot until it is. Maybe it was gonna drop dead, but in that moment no one knows and you have to act quick or risk not getting a shot. It should be shot again until it’s laying still on the ground and belongs to the last shooter, whether it’s someone in your hunting party or not.

Well, that's an interesting perspective. I think that is pretty ridiculous personally. If you shoot my elk immediately after I do and try to claim it we are going to have a serious problem.

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Edit: I'll elaborate because I had this exact scenario play out in reverse this year. Hunting with a buddy of mine we hit the top of a ridge, he went one way, I went there other. After 5 minutes I heard BANG, I immediately turned and hustled back the way I had come. About two minutes later as I arrived I saw my buddy standing about 80 yards from a cow elk that was down on the ground. As I came up the elk started struggling to get up. It was facing directly towards my buddy and was broadside to me so I had a perfect angle to put one through it's brain so I did just that. There wasn't even a millisecond of thought from either my buddy or me about who's elk that was... it was his. The shot he put on it was clearly lethal, but elk are tough. We cut it up, packed it out, and he gave me some steaks, the tongue, and heart. I hunted the rest of the week without success. This was my buddy, but I would have done the same for anyone.

 

[njdoxie]

Well, that's an interesting perspective. I think that is pretty ridiculous personally. If you shoot my elk immediately after I do and try to claim it we are going to have a serious problem.

No worries, if I finish off your elk, I would much prefer you tag it, and I would only tag it if you refused so the elk is not wasted. On the other hand if someone finishes off my elk, I would encourage them to tag it, but if they won’t I will so it’s not wasted. Yes, I would prefer to only tag elk where I’m the only shooter, but I will tag an elk if the other party won’t.



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[bsnedeker]

No worries, if I finish off your elk, I would much prefer you tag it, and I would only tag it if you refused so the elk is not wasted. On the other hand if someone finishes off my elk, I would encourage them to tag it, but if they won’t I will so it’s not wasted. Yes, I would prefer to only tag elk where I’m the only shooter, but I will tag an elk if the other party won’t.



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Fair point, in my case my buddy actually called out to see if I had a shot so we did communicate at the time. I just think the things are very situational, hard to have a clear rule about it from what I've seen in the woods.

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[Gatorgrizz27]

So.... hypothetically, you make what you thought was a decent shot, start tracking and quickly find a blood trail, start following said blood trail which looks promising as it is picking up and looks bright. All the sudden you hear a boom from 100yds ahead. You quickly discover the bull you shot and were tracking is down. Upon inspection the bull has 2 lethal shots in him. You dont know this other guy from Adam. Who’s Elk? Gender neutral bathrooms aside.


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I’d agree with you if it was a fast paced deal. You’re 200-300 yards away, hear the shots, and start walking that way to help clean it. Elk runs by you trailing a bunch of blood and you put in a shot that stops him, it was probably unnecessary. Their elk.

If an animal is freely walking around an hour later, and hadn’t just been bumped from an area where he was bedded down bleeding out, I’d call it a non-fatal shot and it’s your elk.

Share the meat regardless, the antlers will tell you what kind of people you’re dealing with.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

from CPW regs- it is illegal to

20. Party hunt (i.e. kill someone else’s game or let someone kill yours).

I would have to believe that applies to stuff like a husband and wife each having a tag, hunting together, and the husband shooting both of their elk.

Not the same as one finishing it off and the other killing a second later on.

I can see how the guides view it as the last shot tags it, being they have a lot on the line with loss of licenses, fines, etc, if they are found “bending the rules.”