Success or not

[Greg Ragan]

#3540

Just wondering what others think.

I hear more and more about hunters that cannot find thier buck until “a few days later.” When they do find the animal the meat is rotted and scavanged yet they claim “success” and proudly boast their “trophies”. Now maybe it is just because I was raised a little “old fashioned”, but to me this is not success. If I did not find a great buck until the meat was rotted, I would not be proud at all. In fact, I probably would not show the rack to anyone but my closest hunting friends and certainly not mount it. I would try to do better next time and have a successful harvest.

After all, would folks still have the same proud point of view if the animal was a doe and there were no antlers to “show off”. I just think that to be successful is to recover the meat….isn’t this what hunting is about?

Or am I just “special”? 😳

[David Petersen]

#21136

Two4, IMHO you are right on the money in your views, and my experience suggests that a majority of the interested nonhunting public would totally agree, which is something we always need to consider when we talk or write about our hunts, kills, and attitudes. Sooner or later if you hunt you will lose a lethally wounded animal. I have (see a forthcoming article on Coues hunting in TBM). What separates true, ethical, real hunters from the slobs is what we do or do not learn from the experience, and how we feel about it. If we feel awful (my response has always been to punch the tag and quit hunting that species for that season) and seriously cross-examine ourselves for likely causes — say using too light an arrow, a bad broadhead, taking long or otherwise risky shots — and make serious efforts to correct those problems so that they don’t recur, then we have learned, attempted to make moral amends, and are better hunters and people for it. So far as the “stuck one but he ran off” braggarts, they are not hunters at all and certainly not gentlemen. I do all I can not to be around that type and refuse to stand and listen politely to their arrogant stupidity.

[david Keech]

#21222

If you are missing consistantly you are likley to wound consistantly and need to stop hunting and hit the range to find out the problem..Good luck..

[Dan Sweeney]

#21298

Pretty much what Dave said. If I found one I after it was essentially a waste for my use (very little in nature is actually “wasted”, but I certainly can’t use rotten meat, etc), I would leave it, punch the tag, and only admit to it as a reference point for lessons learned. Not brag about it.

[garydavis]

#21404

That is why I’m only killing paper this year…and maybe next if my groups don’t improve soon.

I have permission to hunt my next door neighbors place and yesterday I was over there picking up a few bales of hay and looked out the barn window to see a 3X eating fallen apples about 25 yards away. I held up my bow arm and pointed a finger and admired how beautiful he was.

I’m not ready to take a shot yet though. I hope that 3X’s little brother is there next year and that I’m confidant in my shot placement by then.

[William Warren]

#21527

The most recent post I’ve seen like this was on another site and if it were me I’d have kept it to myself.

What do I think? I think it shows inexperience and a desire to have something to show on a site where lots of hunters are showing off their success stories and the poster probably has limited success because they have not been at it as long many of the others.

We all went through that phase but now we have social media adding pressure to the mix.

[lyagooshka]

#22106

Well, I guess with this post it’s time to change my signature. My $0.02 on this is my prior signature. I found it on a bottle of Jägermeister and liked it (the quote not the Jägermeister, that gives me major issues). Now I think it’s a fitting reply.

Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild,

Daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild,

Waidmännisch jagt, wie sich’s gehört,

Den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt! – Oskar von Riesenthal

Roughly translated:

It is the hunter’s honour that he

Protects and preserves his game,

Hunts sportsmanlike, honours the

Creator in His creatures! – Oskar von Riesenthal

My guess is that if everyone did that (keeping spirituality personal, as each individual sees it), we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

Be well.

Alex

😕

[Ralph]

#22135

Right on Alex, Ralph.:D

[Jason Wesbrock]

#22188

Duncan,

I’m pretty sure we saw the same thread. I agree woth your assessment. I’d have just left those antlers for the mice…and my tag along with it.

[Ripforce]

#22513

I am almost reluctant to take a shot up here Northern Mi at dark, unless it is REAL close and dead bang, reason, coyotes, more and more hunters are losing their deer because they arrow the deer at dark, lose the trail and go back only to find the deer several hours later ravaged by the yotes! I have them all around me, I here them callin in AM and especially active right before dark, in fact one almost ran me over couldn’t get an arrow in him though! Most of the guys I know that have lost deer its at nite, I am also more confident in my shooting with a lot of daylight! If it does ever happen I will do the same tag it out and leave it in the woods! I pass on more nite shots than not, I would rather let the animal walk there is always another hunt! A case in point I have been watching this 3pt buck all this fall could a shot him several times but I have bigger bucks and a lot of does so I have gave him a pass! I seen him last nite and he has a damn arrow just under the skin, just above the spine right by the tail! Not fatal and its doesn’t bother him, the arrow is carbon with small veins, compound my guess, from along distance at a bad angle! I think the popularity of crossbows, and all the technology, there will be alot more wounded animals not recovered cause hunters seem to have a false confidence on shot selection as to distance, angles etc and will take more riskier shots! Sometimes things happen the shot was well placed and mortal, the animal is not recovered, thats hunting but I sure like to cut my odds of that happening!

[vajd]

#22561

One thing that I break with the traditional gear, is that I cary a high tech flashlight just in case for blood trailing. Not many yotes around here, yet.

[Stumpkiller]

#22734

Success is what is in the freezer. Antlers are a conversation piece.

A deer not recovered is a tragedy.

[Roger Norris]

#23231

I abhor lost/wasted game. It has happened to me. I shot a huge doe one night, and had some great trackers in camp. We had marginal blood. We made the proper decision to pick up the trail in the morning. We found her 100 yards away, completely consumed by SOMETHING (we have wolves, coyotes, and bears). To this day I know in my heart I caused that waste. I don’t like the taste of that.

Finding antlers a few weeks after? I would keep them. I wouldn’t hang them on the wall. I would keep them as a reminder to what I did WRONG. Would I have a picture of myself taken proudly with the rack? Not in a million years.

[lyagooshka]

#23300

Stumpkiller wrote: Success is what is in the freezer. Antlers are a conversation piece.

A deer not recovered is a tragedy.

Charlie,

Beautifully said sir. Couldn’t agree more. Be well.

Alex

😀

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