Patient #2

[Red Sparky]

I just read again CNS pinned topic on being patient after the shot so since I have a few questions I thought I would make a #2 post since the last post was two years ago. A lot of good information in the original topic but it leaves me with a few questions.

 

I hope it is like the first post and argument free as I would like different viewpoints. Trying to add more knowledge to my bag of tricks.

 

Here is my scenario that is getting me upset. I watch these "hunting shows" on TV and it seems like a deer is shot close to dark. They start tracking and then decide to back out to recover in the morning. So they go back to cooked dinner and nice comfy beds and have "long sleepless nights". The next morning they recover a set of antlers and the rest has been eaten by coyotes. Also hunting in Sept. where the lows may only be high 50's low 60's and daytime highs are low 80's I want to field dress and start cooling off the meat ASAP.

 

I agree that you need to give an animal time to expire and not bump it or you may never recover it.

 

Now I mainly solo hunt until I can find a decent hunting partner. I carry with me a pack where I can spend the night out in the woods and not have to go back to camp. Not a comfortable night but food, water, shelter are covered in my pack and a fire if I want it. Would it be better to spend the night where you would give up the trail and listen for coyotes if they find your animal expired? Then you can head to the area and possibly find your animal with some meat still on the bones.

 

It also seems like you would be at the right spot to start tracking again as soon as the sun comes up if you don't hear any coyotes. I figure if a bear or cougar find it I am not going to hear it anyhow like with coyotes.

 

So what are your thoughts? My only problem is if the animal is still alive but too sick to get away from coyotes. It is illegal to shoot 30 minutes past sunset but to me it is more ethical to put the animal down quickly and humanely. That is a bridge I will have to cross if I am ever in that situation. Hopefully I am never in that situation but it is better to prepare for it.

[Guest 300ultramag.]

what are you packing for shelter?

[idgaf]

The guys on tv do not eat the meat anyway. I think the answer is "it depends." It depends on the animal, the amount of predators, area, etc. I have shot two animals where it was a judgement call on whether to follow or leave over night.

 

One was an elk from a couple of years ago. I shot it at last light with my muzzleloader. I forgot my flashlight and went home for the night. The over night temp was 25 degrees. I lost the majority of the meat. Contributing factor was I shot it through the wind pipe and the slug ended in its stomach, it died very quickly

 

Second one was an arrowed bear. Shot thirty minutes before dark through one lung and the liver. we waited three hours and started tracking, it ended with us finding the very alive bear in the moonless night at less than ten yards and an ethics question of legal and ethical

 

I am less concerned with predators as much as the animals own skin. An elk and other well insulated animals follow through the night. Deer with easy access, its up to you. Deer five miles from a road in rough country, stay.

[Red Sparky]

300ultramag--For shelter I usually have either a big contractors trash bag or a light weight painters tarp. Good enough to block the wind or keep any rain off. I carry a cable saw and some 550 cord so building a lean to is no problem. Usually if I spend the night away from camp I just cut some boughs to make a bed and sleep under a decent tree like a Blue Spruce.

 

idgaf---I don't think I have big enough juevos to follow a bear or lion after dark.

[idgaf]

Sure you do, There is nothing like the feeling of having a black bear in the dark on his hind legs popping his teeth at you from feet away.

[208muley]

I hunted back east and I don't care for many of their recovery practices. One camp I was in won't even attempt to recover in the dark unless it dies within sight. They say it is so it doesn't get pushed onto an adjoining property, maybe so, but I watched a few deer get brought in the morning and, minus the antlers of course, dumped. It's sad as there are three trophys in any hunt, the hunt itself, the meat, and the antlers.

 

I myself, let the blood trail tell me when and how I will track. Sometimes I error and learn, but most of the time I recover in a timely maner and very very rarely loose meat. I have spent many a night working my butt off all night in rain, snow, hot, and cold and occasionally perfect weather to get it done!

 

Red, you seem to be pretty savvy out there, I would use your best judgement. If you make a mistake then learn from it but otherwise go with your gut and you will be fine.

 

Tv shows are one of the worst things that has happened to hunting IMO. Don't believe all you see! I have seen shows " filmed" and it's pretty much all staged except the kill shot. But this is a whole other topic.

 

Good luck out there!

[murfys69law]

Here's a question. You shoot an animal at last light. You find good blood but the trail goes for a ways and it gets dark quick. You decide to back out and go again the next morning. Day breaks and you go find the animal was just 300 yards from where you shot it and had died within minutes of being shot. There is nothing left but hair and horns. Could G&F cite you for wasting game meat because you didn't try to find it? Or the decision of backing out because of predators scared you and you didn't want to take a chance of becoming bear or lion poop be a reason to get cited?

[Red Sparky]

Murpys69law---I don't think they could cite you. You have to read the definition of wanton waste. I think if the antlers/horns only were taken without the meat they would cite you. You tried to recover the animal but scavengers got to it first so there was no intent of wanton waste. Just like the animals that are tracked and never recovered. I would document with pictures and if they tried to cite me, it is always better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6.

 

Like I said animals getting to an animal before you do occasionally happens. I have learned to use my experience to judge each situation and make decisions based on "now" factors. I appreciate other responses and experiences that have been posted.

[Sneaker]

I feel like checking the immediate blood trail can tell you a lot, especially if it wasn't a perfect shot. It's always a tough call though. Coyotes got my brothers buck a couple of years ago.