Ok so heres an ethics Question, Theres No right or wrong answer, But I just want to see what some of you would do. The scenario goes: Your In your tree stand and Out of the Brush comes a Spike Buck with an arrow sticking out of him, He's Wounded But Not to the point where He'll Die Immediately but questionable if he'll live through the winter. As you prepare to shoot him, Out of nowhere comes a "once in a lifetime" trophy buck. You have only 1 tag, What would you do? NO Judgments, No right or wrong Answers. And if it helps Use the same question with the animal of your liking,Elk, moose, bear, etc
I'd shoot the trophy. The spike might not live the winter anyway. Besides: "Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms," Josey Wales.
Now, if it was my arrow sticking out of him, the spike would have to die.
I would shoot the wounded animal. Thats just me though. Nature has a way of dealing with things like this, so there isnt really any wrong answer.
Besides, I would still have to hit my spot either way. :rolleyes:
I would shoot the trophy,if the shot was good. The wounded one is not my problem, that's somone else's problem.
To be totally honest, I'd shoot both. I've put down deer wounded by someone else before, and didn't burn my tag on them. Some may not agree with me, but cleaning up someone elses mess should not have to end my season.
I would shoot the spike; and then back track it to hope to find someone headed my way - looking for it. If I couldn't find the person that shot the first arrow---and who no matter the size of the buck--should tag it! Then I would track the spike down: and tag it.
I dont hunt small bucks,Im a trophy hunter.
I'd shoot the spike. Don't like seeing anything suffer especially any more than it has to. I'd feel blessed just to see the big one. Plus next year he might be bigger yet.
I'm letting the arrow fly at the biggin, if my nerves can handle it
This is the EXACT reason I ALWAYS carry a hammer into the woods. You just never know when you have to knock off the spikes and use your doe tag! LOL! We can party hunt in MN so I would shoot both as long as I had a partner with me. Otherwise it would probly be my buddy's arrow in him so I would shoot both then to. If it was indeed a "Dream Monster Buck" I would probly shoot him and let the spike live another day!
In Michigan we have two buck tags...I would shoot the spike first and the big one second, if he stuck around...if not oh well I will sleep better at night knowing I did the right thing. I second the opinion of trying to find out who did it in the first place though and using their tag.
I would cuss a lot and shoot the spike.
Probably an easier drag anyway.
Killdeer :banghead:
I had this occur in gun hunting. I was sitting in a ground blind and several deer started to come out to feed. As I checked them out I saw a great 8 point start to come toward me. BUt then I saw a spike that was draging a leg and seem to be hit maybe more than once. So I let the 8 point go pass and then shot the spike and used my tag. As I skin out the deer I found he had a broken back leg and also had a broken shoulder as well.
The spike no question, no regrets. Really sad to see even in our ranks that the trophy comes before ending the life of a suffering animal.
The spike
I'd whackem both and advise the Warden that I finished off a wounded deer. No issues here in that matter, done it before.
I'd shoot the little one. If my tag was full with one punch left then I had a great season so no need to be greedy. We get up to six deer in my area and a bonus two if you want. Yikes that's a lot of meat for both Hunters for the hungry and me!
Still working on my first trad deer.....so I shoot the first one that gives me a good shot. I wouldn't want to wound the spike further or take a bad shot on the "trophy" buck. I have already done that and was fortunate to miss clean.
-Charlie
The first one that offered me a shot.
After a few choice words...I'd shoot the spike...
David
I would go for the best shot, but perfer the larger of the two, then I would track the smaller, Who is to say he would not make it.
Blueline
I'd shoot the spike first and if big'un did not run off and gave me a shot I'd get him too.
-Hillbilly
Lots of variables regarding the spike. Is the hit mortal, how does he look- ie: will he make it, etc. How old is the wound, could he be infected....I'd finish him off he looked really bad, but I'd be focused on the good one more. If I only had one tag- I'm holding out for the better one. The little one won't go to waste around my place, coyotes would clean him up in a night.
Well now that is a dilema if I have ever heard one. I would probly want to shoot the biger one. Though I cannot say what I would do for sure until I was there.
i would shoot at the trophy.. i would probably miss anyway, but i would rather miss a trophy than miss a spike..lol
The bigger buck of a lifetime for sure, mother nature has a way of cleaning up our mistakes. Not that it wouldn't bother me but I wouldn't pass the buck of a lifetime for the wounded spike. Now if you were talking the spike or an average six or eight point then this may play out differently. I'm sure there are folks that would take the spike regardless and I would applaud that decision but my honest opinion is I should take the "Buck of a Lifetime" and worry about the spike later. And if given the opportunity I would take him out as well even though it is not legal to shoot two bucks here in Kansas. My gut would tell me it's better to shoot him and feed the coyotes than let him suffer. But I would have to be certain in my mind he had little to no chance of survival, cause as we all know these critters have an uncanny way of dealing with injuries and living long lives.
spike
What Killdeer and John Scifres said. I would cuss a little more than Killdeer!!! ron w
I would shoot the spike. animals shood not suffer so i would put it out fo its mistery
Big one
Ron W, I wouldn't bet on that! I grew up on naval bases with a lot of sailors, shoveled **** for ten years, got downsized out of a cushy job and now I am a postal worker. My vocabulary runs the gamut! :D
My code runs that any shot on a wounded animal is a good shot, the more the better, as the suffering must end. We, as humans, have put this animal into the state that it is in, and we as humans have a responsibility to end it. That is my code. Your mileage may vary.
Killdeer~%$##*&^%(*^(@)&*)^&*(!!!)
Interesting... Killy saved me having to speculate on that point! :)
Let's up the anty a bit...here in PA, like some other states, spikes are only legal for kids under sixteen...
Now what? If I shot an illegal for me, though clearly wounded spike in some areas, depending on the Deputy Game Protector, I could talk till I was burple in the face and I'd still get my license yanked and a heafty fine!
I'm not sure what I'd do in our situation here about "spikes." I know what I want to do, but I've seen otherwise well-meaning folks doing the right thing, get busted for it, pay heafty fines and lose their license for up to 3 years here in PA!
Being that I would be concentrating so hard on the spike, I in all likelyhood would not even see the trophy so the spike would go down :) The trophy can live for another year, and then maybe he will give me another opportunity.
I'd shoot'em both if possible a deer with an arrow in it is bad for bowhunting.