ELKINMTCWB

I shot an elk 2 years ago. An good shot till a dog got on his trail and ran him for a few miles.

It was 1 hour befor dark when I shot in snow.The elk ran down hill till there was no snow,we tracked him in the dark jumped him2 times at very close range.I took the mobile phone and call the worden [it is not alowed to shoot after dark here in MT for big game].The worden drove up to the spot I was at and we meet up.We then went to the last place Isaw the elk and there he was,still alive. The worden held the light and I shot the elk with my bow.He said under the law you should never do this but knowing the elk would be eaten by yotes or a bear you should finish the job.

The 1st year I left a nice bull elk in the dark to return to a grizz and 2 cubs at daylight. Never did find the elk just the bear and TONS of bear crap with elk hair in it.

I beleave you where lucky to get the deer with no yotes eating it or the deer getting up and moving 100 yards and making it very hard to find.

In my hunting I will take a ticket be for I will leave a wonded deer or elk that I can walk up on under 20 yards.I think if you leave the deer alive it is not right to let the animal suffer and if you have to pay a little than so be it.

ash2042

Thanks, elk this is what I am looking for, all kind of opinions and all kind of answers. Thanks Again

Lady Forge

SLIM;
Please check your Illinois Hunting Digest!!!!!

Illinois Firearm Hours are 1/2 hour before Sunrise to sunset.
Shooting your buck after sunset with a firearm would of made your buck an Illegally Shot Buck in the State Of Illinois.
If this occured in a time in past where these hours did not apply please disregard my post.

dkeener

"It was 1 hour befor dark when I shot in snow.The elk ran down hill till there was no snow,we tracked him in the dark jumped him2 times at very close range.I took the mobile phone and call the worden [it is not alowed to shoot after dark here in MT for big game].The worden drove up to the spot I was at and we meet up.We then went to the last place Isaw the elk and there he was,still alive. The worden held the light and I shot the elk with my bow.He said under the law you should never do this but knowing the elk would be eaten by yotes or a bear you should finish the job."

That is a good game warden there. Nice to see common sense rule.

I would have shot the deer again. Yes, it may have been technically illegal, but the law is written to prevent primary night hunting, not recovering a wounded animal. Sometimes laws don't apply to all situations. And I bet the DNR would not give a ticket once you explained the situation to them, presuming you got caught.

121553

Even if it was illegal, it was ethically the right thing to do. Bobby

funeralplanner1

121553,
I would LOVE to see you jump a wounded dear. I have to say, I'm sure it would make for some great video.

I just pictured myself doing that, and just had to laugh.

Sorry for being off subject

Gryan

I am late on this one but...

First of all, perfect shots kill very quickly. 99% of the time, if a deer walks off, youve paunch shot it. Play the odds and give it time.

Did you find tha arrow? You must have, otherwise how did you know it passed through. What did it look like? Smell like? If you are tracking and you come upon eyes, leave and come back a minimum of eight hours later.

It never fails. If you have to shoot again, it is light and legal and the animal can be too incapacitated to run. Most likely it is dead where you left it.

I did this once this year and encouraged a friend to do the same. Both of us with our son's deer. I came upon my son's buck in a bed at very close range. I turned and left as fast as I could and he was dead in that bed at first light. My friend didn't. He found the bedded deer, returned home for his son's bow. Shined the light over his kid's shoulder while he shot again. They did not find the deer after it took off with a second arrow in it. This after calling me and asking what to do. I said leave it alone. The worst part, the farmer next store called my friend after dinner and asked if he shot a deer, it was bloated and floating in his pond. (Incedentily, I told him to check all water at first light after he shot it again. He didn't do that either.)

So anyway, if there is no bad weather and it is cool enough, waiting never hurt anything.

Greg

Charlie P

Unless there are coyotes around.

121553

funeralplanner (intresting name), I don't do that anymore, I did it to a doe and a spike buck and got bucked, kicked and being slid down an embankment into a canal edge by this doe, but if I let it go, it would get away and I had to hang on for dear (sp?) life, after a few moments it finally bleed to death in my arms. I really don't recommend that to anyone, dodging four hooves and a head and those hooves cut, not too mention your own knife that you have too hang on too so your actually fighting/hanging on to the deer with one hand and having the living crap kicked out of you . To this day I still carry a open blade knife, you never know. I have never had two deer kills the same. Bobby

121553

Just one more thing, with all the predators around here, it would not be a good ideal to leave an animal out over night, much less you out there at night with a bow. Bobby