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Leaving a Deer in the woods

fishermanbenfishermanben Member Posts: 15,370
edited October 2006 in Bow Hunting and Target Archery
I have something that I do when I leave a deer in the woods. Taped to my tag, I have two pieces of paper with my name, and phone number on them, along with a short message that says, "I KILLED THIS DEER!". One I fold like a paper football, and the other a roll into a tiny ball. I've never had to use them, but my plan is this: If I leave a buck in the woods, the paper football will get shoved down the throat, and the tiny ball will be stuffed in the ear canal. Either should be obvious to a taxidermest when he peels the skin off the skull.

Ben
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Comments

  • gagirlgagirl Member Posts: 5,408
    edited November -1
    ok... well that still does not solve the problem of the person not knowing that the deer was just left there...Do you also tag it around the neck ear whatever? Somewhere obvious?
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  • buckeyboybuckeyboy Member Posts: 5,833
    edited November -1
    I have had to leave deer in the woods. If you hide a deer real well no-one is going to find it. In fact I have had trouble locating deer that I have hid. I dont think or maybe I am nieve that anyone would knowingly steal a deer... If I was hunting and came upon a dead deer i would think a hunter shot it couldent find it and not to see it go to waste I would take it too. thats not stealing. Now if it had a hunters tag I would never touch it it;s not mine to touch... However the tenderloins may not be there[;)] Just kidding
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  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?
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  • buckeyboybuckeyboy Member Posts: 5,833
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?

    HMMMMMM good point well I have never come across a dead deer that I diddnt smell first... great point though... I honestly dont think this is a real problem or happens that often. never for me
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  • gagirlgagirl Member Posts: 5,408
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?


    Then he/she would still be in the area.
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  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by gagirl
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?


    Then he/she would still be in the area.


    Being in the area can me 4 or 5 square miles when it comes to a badly hit deer, or a liver hit deer for that matter. In a dense woods your telling me you can see someone that could be a quarter mile away? Never going to happen.
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  • buckeyboybuckeyboy Member Posts: 5,833
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    quote:Originally posted by gagirl
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?


    Then he/she would still be in the area.


    Being in the area can me 4 or 5 square miles when it comes to a badly hit deer, or a liver hit deer for that matter. In a dense woods your telling me you can see someone that could be a quarter mile away? Never going to happen.
    what would you suggest[?]
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  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by buckeyboy
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    quote:Originally posted by gagirl
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?


    Then he/she would still be in the area.


    Being in the area can me 4 or 5 square miles when it comes to a badly hit deer, or a liver hit deer for that matter. In a dense woods your telling me you can see someone that could be a quarter mile away? Never going to happen.
    what would you suggest[?]


    I don't know? Maybe a note left by the gut pile or something. But I know that if I crossed a dead deer, that was still warm from a fresh kill, I would not pick it up. With that said, I hunt on land that is absolutely hunter free, except for myself, my dad, and one friend. We hunt on different land all the time, but every once in a while we borrow the stand for the day. So if I did find a deer, I would go looking for who shot it.

    Now if I was on public land, I might start working my way back up the blood trail, marking my path the whole way. Some other might meet me in the middle some where, at which point I already tracked it some for him/her.
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  • gagirlgagirl Member Posts: 5,408
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    quote:Originally posted by gagirl
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    What if the hunter was still tracking it?


    Then he/she would still be in the area.


    Being in the area can me 4 or 5 square miles when it comes to a badly hit deer, or a liver hit deer for that matter. In a dense woods your telling me you can see someone that could be a quarter mile away? Never going to happen.


    I dont like loseing anything. ( lost my first a few weeks ago) but yeah if they are 1/4 mile off they should be able to walk there by the time I had it gutted. If they are 4-5 miles off then the likelyhood of them finding it is slim to none anyway.
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  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I never hunt without a buddy ... to help and share with the hunting experience [^]. I am blessed with two sons that hunt ... and here in MT, you're never short of a hunting buddy [:p].
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  • ryan_marineryan_marine Member Posts: 635 ✭
    edited November -1
    NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER have I had to leave a dear in the woods for any reason. The only reason that I will acept for leaving a deer in the woods over nite is due to an injury that you had coming out. And then you should have enough friends to go back and get it. I have shot Elk, Mules, and white tails that took more than me to get out. I have always had help if I get one. It is called being prepared. There is no excuse for leaving an aminal behind. If you are leaving it behind you have no ethics. Now there is one other thing about leaving a poorly shot deer. If I think that I hit the deer too far back with an arrow and it is late when I shot it then I will be out there at sun rise to get it. (that is only if it is cold enough not to spoil the meat over nite) But I am coming out of my stand at sunset. I don't think that bow hunters should be taking shots at dark. The reason is just too much to chance to a lost deer. We have lost 3 deer down here on the base. In all cases I went in the next morning with my lab and found all of them. It is just to bad these guys wouldn't let me do it the after they gave up on it. 2 out of the 3 times they walked right past the deer. Now I am the first one called if someone can't find there deer.

    Ray
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  • fishermanbenfishermanben Member Posts: 15,370
    edited November -1
    Ray, I think that your making alot of assumptions in your statements. I would never leave a deer in the woods overnight for no reason, and neither would anyone else here. Occasionally you do need to go get help to drag, and that is the time I would use this method. I've heard too many stories of people having their own tagged deer being stolen by the time they got back to them, or even stolen right out of deer camp while everyone is out hunting.

    So take a step down off your ethical high-horse. Nobody's killing animals, and letting them lie.

    Ben
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  • buckeyboybuckeyboy Member Posts: 5,833
    edited November -1
    I ve hid deer in the woods many times because I found it after dark and could not drag it out myself. Ive even quateres them up and carried them out in peices the next day. Ive never had any one find or take my deer. Ryan you were a little harsh some folks have to get home for kids go to work the next day ect. tell ya what I will hide a deer in the woods and I gaurentee you wont find it without a blood trail . and no dog.. I think eveyone is going deep on somthing that happens real infrequently..
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  • bang250bang250 Member Posts: 8,021
    edited November -1
    We hunt private land so we don't have a problem with other people. Our problem is coyotes. If we were to leave one out it'll be eaten by morning. One of the reasons we use radios. They are not used to aid in hunting but they are used to call one of the boys and say, "got one down get the fourwheeler." If you got one down at dark you'd better be on it and get it outta there in a hurry. No joke, they are that bad!
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  • buckeyboybuckeyboy Member Posts: 5,833
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bang250
    We hunt private land so we don't have a problem with other people. Our problem is coyotes. If we were to leave one out it'll be eaten by morning. One of the reasons we use radios. They are not used to aid in hunting but they are used to call one of the boys and say, "got one down get the fourwheeler." If you got one down at dark you'd better be on it and get it outta there in a hurry. No joke, they are that bad!


    I have had the Cyotes eat a little once or twice. N.Dakota is the same way if you dont find that deer that night, Kiss it Goodbye... lots of cyotes. I don't get scared to easily. let me tell you they can make some freaky sounds the hair on the back of your neck will stand up , and they hunt in large packs up there. I got use to them being around. but was a little freakey at first now I'm use to the noises. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO[:I]
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  • ryan_marineryan_marine Member Posts: 635 ✭
    edited November -1
    Sorry I miss understood the situation. But you should always have someone on stand by just incase you can't get it out your self. And also carry a phone or radio to call in the help. I still don't think that there is any reason you should leave one in the woods. I carry over 300FT of rope to reach any deer in the woods by 4wheeler. Plus an extra 50ft of wench if needed.

    Ray
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  • SuspensionSuspension Member Posts: 4,783
    edited November -1
    If I leave one I gut it then prop it or hang it up best I can to drain out then I leave to get my 4-wheeler.
    A few years back I saw a small buck coming down a ridge towards my stand then it fell over dead about 60 yards out. I was thinking I was bad to the bone. [:D] I gutted it and waited for the guy tracking to get up there.
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