Deer recovery

[Burningbootleather]

This is a pretty debatable issue.

If a deer is shot, how long after the shot can you really claim you killed the deer? I’ve seen people post where they went shed hunting and found a deadhead well after season claiming to found the deer THEY KILLED. IMO, even a week after you cannot claim you killed the deer. You may have triggered the events that led to the deer’s death, but you did not successfully take the animal. Those events could be from anything to coyotes preying on a weak animal to infection setting in.

I would almost argue to say that if the meat was ruined, you did not successfully harvest the animal and are flaunting something you should take pride in no more so than picking up a dead head.


Okay-I’ve made people mad. FIGHT But in all seriousness B&C has to have some sort of rule on how long after the kill it can be claimed as a hunter kill

[Boogieman1]

I have never experienced what u r describing and hope I never do. I consider it a kill and respect a hunter who doesn’t give up after 45 minutes. A hunter busting there rump covering ground looking for the deer they shot deserves to call it a kill in my book Wether it takes a day or weeks.

[KRoss480]

I agree with what Boogie is saying, but what I think the OP is referring to is a situation where a hunter shoots a buck in say November but doesn’t find the head till March when they are scouting/shed hunting.

I think you can rightfully claim it if you persistently looked for the deer and found it within a couple weeks after you shot it. I don’t think it’s right to flaunt it if you find it a few months later by mistake. Who’s to say someone else didn’t shoot it after you wounded it, and they never found it either?

[Dewey]

I couldn’t feel good about a buck I wounded and didn’t recover till many months later. Sure I may have some closure finally knowing what happened and the buck didn’t make it but displaying it in any way wouldn’t sit well with me. I for sure wouldn’t just act like it was a clean kill and not tell the real story if somebody asked about it. Forever I would look at it as a buck I wounded and failed to make a clean kill on. Nothing to be proud about.

[Ghost Hunter]

I see a lot of variables here. But, if I truly felt like it was deer I shot. I would claim it and just tell real story.

[gsquared23]

When you give up on recovery of the animal, pure and simple. And I don’t mean emotionally, I mean you stop actively looking. Some guys will look for days or even a week, and as long as they are actively seeking the animal they shot, finding it is legitimate, even if the meat unfortunately spoils. Finding it as a dead head does NOT give you a claim as a harvester. I also would be very sheepish to admit to such a situation. I understand the situations happen, even to best of us with best intentions, but I wouldn’t brag about finding a deer in February, quite the opposite.

I also would accept the idea that if the meat is ruined, you didn’t legitimately kill that animal. It’s always a huge waste of meat to me, and it rubs me very much the wrong way.

[cspot]

I could see at least 2 different scenarios here.

1. The deer was shot at least decently and probably died within 24 hrs or so. Due to terrain, vegetation, and maybe some bad luck when grid searching the deer wasn't found until a week or so later.

2. The deer was hit marginally and didn't die until a week or 2 later.

Knock on wood I haven't personally run into either of these situation. Longest I have had is the next day. However in case 1 I would feel bad that I didn't find it sooner but would lay claim to taking the deer. In situation 2 I don't think I would really lay claim to taking the deer.

[Jdw]

I lost a young buck once because of inexperience, not doing a good enough job of tracking and giving up to soon.
One of the other hunters on the property found it later and I didn’t claim the antlers.

Now I don’t give up on the recovery without exhausting every possible option including looking for birds of prey.

It doesn’t matter to me what other people do but I have more respect for hunters who do all they can to recover the animals they shoot.