Highly disappointed and bummed out!!

[J270]

Deer season starts Aug 9 here in California and this will be the first time in four years that I will have the money and time to go. I got my tag and license last week and wiped the dust off the .270. As opening day gets closer I get more anxious.

To help curve my cabin fever I grabbed the .22lr and went for some jacks.
20 minutes into my walk I come across a doe that was not acting normal. As I got closer I could see that someone had shot her with a bow.

To make a long story short I sent her home and that was the end of my rabbit hunt. This happened about 3 hours ago, and it really gets me when a person does something like this just to... well hell! Who knows why peploe do things like this. Its not legal to shoot doe in California (let alone leave to suffer).

Who knows how long she was there. The blood on her hide had dryed and her head keeped jerking upward when I got close. :barf: I would have went back and got her, skinned her out and put her in the frezer- but with my luck I would have gotten caught.

It just gives me that sick empty feeling and killed my hunting buzz. (Sorry!! I had to vent!)

Thanx, Jason

[Jack O'Conner]

Feeling bad about this suffering animal is normal. I'm glad you were able to shoot the doe discreetly without bringing down the law upon yourself.

Animals suffer.

- I've seen a car-crippled deer torn apart by coyotes; they gulped mouthfuls of meat before the animal was even dead.

- I've observed an eagle attacking and killing a youngster antelope kid. The attack was cruel; the animal was blinded by sharp beak early in the attack.

- I once took a big mulie near Rapid City. While skinning it I noticed a bad odor. Further cutting revealed an infection caused by .177 pellet that was shot into the rump. This buck had gangrene!

In summary, animals suffer. No one likes it. A hunter's well aimed bullet brings about quickest death. But claws and fangs of predators cause much more suffering.

Jack

[simonkenton]

The worst thing about hunting is when people injure deer, and they go off into the woods and suffer.
We have a responsibility to these creatures to kill them as quickly and humanely as possible.

I am glad you were able to end this poor doe's suffering.

By the way, Jack, I love your work! I memorized your classic, The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns when I was 12 years old, back in 1963.
Glad to see you are still around.

[copenhagen]

Its not legal to shoot doe in California

Actually, we are allowed to shoot them on Pendleton in season.

[guntotin_fool]

While many here are reputable and reliable bow hunters, I find bow hunting to a primary cause of wounded animals left to wander and die. Every year we find them around our property as a carcase with a arrow shaft or broad head stuck in the big bones.

One hunter I used to know, flippantly called a lost arrowed deer "weasel food" and said it all goes to good use. He no longer is welcome with us hunting.

Further more, shooting bucks in velvet is the new thing I guess. but all this does is prevent the big bucks from mating with the does he has harremed.

Far as I am concerned, there should be no bucks killed until after the rut.

[W. C. Quantrill]

I have noticed a rash of this velvet hunting on the TV shows. I think that is where it starts. They will all be whining when the landowners get a belly full of it and take their hunting places away from them.

I still have the last say on my property.

[458winshooter]

My hat is of to you for doing what was right and humane.I wish everyone would be as thoughtful.I think anyone who has spent anytime in the woods has seen something like this.Sadly it won't be the last.The thing of it is what you described is one of those cases that doing what is right and what is legal don't always coincide.Thank you for your kindness for such a bad situation.

[T. O'Heir]

"...I sent her home..." As in put it out of its pain? Well done. Despite the possible ramifications. Hunters are a compassionate bunch. You did the right thing. Where was the poacher's arrow? Just curious.
"...bow hunting to a primary cause of wounded animals left to wander and die..." Nonsense. There being no requirement to prove competency with whatever tool used is what causes it. Not the tool.
Up here, there are no public rifle ranges and few public archery ranges. And you don't have to prove shooting competency to get a hunting licence. Even though you have to take a firearms safety course, taught by unqualified people, to be allowed to own one. You don't have to prove shooting ability anywhere in North America.

[Kreyzhorse]

The worst thing about hunting is when people injure deer, and they go off into the woods and suffer.
We have a responsibility to these creatures to kill them as quickly and humanely as possible.

I am glad you were able to end this poor doe's suffering.

You did the right thing by putting her down. I know good hunters also lose dear, but slob hunting ticks me off to no end. Thanks for putting her down.

[roy reali]

I really believe that some minimal competency testing should be required to get a hunting license. I know that in some countries a shooting test is part of the requirements.

A driving test is required before a drivers license is issued. Pilots must prove they can actually fly an airplane prior to being deemed qualified. Minimal shooting competency is even required for a CCW. So why not for a hunting a license?

I do feel that this would help weed out all the Bubbas.

[J270]

I can understand a lost animal once in a wile,weried things happen, but to shoot a doe when its not leagal, (only speacal circumstances, or hunts) just to see what would happen, just boils my blood, and then leave her there is just haunting.(still kicking) what is wrong with people.Im sure anny of you would have done the same,finishing her off ,and -all, but part of me wishes that I had gone and skined her out, but then crap who knows!!(As you can tell this is still fresh on my mind)I think this is going to be with me for a wile!!

[guntotin_fool]

One other thing, report it to your local game officer. Leave out that you shot it, but say that you found this arrowed deer on your property. IF they come out, you can say you it was in agony and you finished it, but let them show up before you let that out of the bag.

Some places, putting down wounded animals is understood as good thing to do, some places, the DNR is too full of themselves and seem to think people grow all thumbs when season is out. Wisc for some reason used to NOT like people putting down an animal, whereas the UP sheriffs would ask you on the phone when you reported a car deer accident if you can put the animal down or if you need a deputy to show up. I got an atta boy from one deputy in northern minnesota after being "caught" walking back to my car with a 10/22 in my hands after another car broke the back of a nice full doe, he never gave the .22 a second glance, just asked if IT was done.

[HorseshoerJT]

Jason, Good for you! I am just sorry anyone is put in that situation. I could tell you at least a dozen story's like your's. The worst I have ever witnessed, was a local rancher, where I shod horse's. They had five horse's arrowed the evening before I got there. It was a mess to say the least. Still, at my age, cannot understand why anyone want's to be cruel to any animal. Putting an animal down humanely for consumption is not cruel. Anyway, Good job.

[azwizard]

First off, I'm going to take some exception to calling all bowhunter's irresponsible killers... Put the blame where it belongs, on The POACHER! They used the bow because it's silent. It was a crime in any state I've ever hunted in.

I've hunted for over 25 years and the type of weapon is only a means to the hunt for me. If its Muzzleloader season that's what I use, Bow, Rifle, Shotgun with slugs only or Handguns doesn't matter to me so long as I make it into the field. I may be blessed to be proficient with all of the weapons listed or just lucky. I've unfortunately lost game with some of them, Two to be exact, but only after looking till dark and returning again at first light and searching again till noon. I've looked whether I've found blood or not, I've looked if all I found was a bunch of hair on the ground, I've looked even if I couldn't find anything initially, Sometimes I haven"t found a blood trail for over a hundred yards and once I never found one till the animal bedded down and died right there.

Things can and do happen to the best shots, there was a twig you didn't see, the animal stumbled into a small hole as you broke the shot, the wind affected the arrow flight. Once I was hunting mule deer and sat out a down pour that while I made an effort to keep my bowstring dry I didn't pay attention to the cat whisker string silencers that got soaked. Consequently when I made my 30 yard shot at the buck I'd been stalking The water collected on the string silencer had enough (weight?) to literally drop the arrow 7 yards from my bow with absolutely no energy.

Anyone who's hunting and hasn't had a incident, Just hasn't had it happen yet or isn't being honest with themselves. My personal observation is that most animals I've taken with a bow died rather suddenly, I've shot deer with my rifle that even while shot through the heart ran 300-400 yards.

The root of this problem was the POACHER who ruined the OP's day and I thank him for doing the Doe proper service and ending her suffering before she ended up enduring a lingering death or worse coyote fodder. But this wasn't about a bowhunter it was about a Poacher and it shouldn't be turned into a bashing of bowhunters.

[davlandrum]

+1 to AZ

Hunting deer in velvet is not new. Early archery season in a lot of areas has deer still in velvet. It takes a knowledgable Taxidermist to make a good velvet mount.

Visability of it might have increased "thanks" to TV.

I won't mind if they slid the bow season a few weeks later so we could hunt the rut...

[guntotin_fool]

i prefer hunting of bucks to be banned until the rut, otherwise all we are doing is pulling the best genetics out of the forrest before the breeding takes place.

[simonkenton]

While many here are reputable and reliable bow hunters, I find bow hunting to a primary cause of wounded animals left to wander and die.


I could not agree more.
I know three good bowhunters. I have seen each of these guys put five arrows in a row into a silver dollar sized target at 40 yards.
Yet, each of these guys has told me stories of how they have taken 30 yard shots, and hit the deer, but it got away.
The deer flinched, or the arrow hit a twig etc.
Then they always say, "But an arrow wound will heal up with no damage."

Yeah, right.
More often than not that creature will go off into the woods and suffer for a few days and die.

I know that gun hunters cripple deer. But bow hunters cripple and wound deer to an extravagant degree.
If it were up to me bow hunting would be illegal.

[roy reali]

Some folks want to make all hunting illegal!:

[J270]

Hey Horseshoe, What part of Nor cal do you live in? I'm in Lakeport, and this happened at Highland Springs (Lake Co.)

[davlandrum]

Animals get wounded by rifles as well, but there is not another season right behind guns season to have people out in the woods looking for animals and so they don't get seen.

I fully admit that there are irresponsible people out there with a bow in thier hand. But there are also irresponsible people with a rifle in their hand as well.

Slobs are slobs.

One thing I have often wondered about is states where you can hunt every season, rifle, bow, muzzle loader. Do you think the bow hunters there are fully committed to bow hunting, or might want to just extend their season? I am sure there are both types. When I was stationed back east, I came to it as a bow hunter and then added rifle to extend my season.

When I choose to bowhunt a species - deer or elk, in Oregon, that is the only weapon I can hunt that species with for that year. So I make sure I am ready for bowhunting - practicing daily, knowing shot placement, range estimation, etc.

And the informal group where I hunt elk are all ready and willing to help track and find an animal if neccesary. It is not fun or exciting to spend your hunting days trying to find an animal someone else shot, but we do. We are not 100% successful (wish we were), but it is not through lack of trying.

[predator86]

all of you people knocking and bashing bowhunters need to quit the bashing......there is no reason for it....and i have seen way more deer lost to guns than bows.....

[Desertfox]

Actually, TRUTH be told, more deer are wounded by automobiles every year.
All you guilty suckers stop driving NOW!

Rediculous isn't it. I will continue to hunt and harvest with Bow, muzzleloader, rifle and shotgun.
Thanks for playing!

[Jack O'Conner]

I advise you NOT to call in Law Enforcement, especially in California. You'll be guilty until proven otherwise. Anything you say will be twisted around and used against you in front of a jury consisting of bambi lovers.

I grew up in Wyoming where the code of conduct is quite simple: 3 S's.

- Shoot

- Shovel

- Shut up

Jack

[TheNatureBoy]

I think you did the right thing by ending the deer's suffering. Why do people do these things? Who knows. Intentionally harming a animal for kicks isn't the kind of thing I'm into. I have more respect for life than that.

[davlandrum]

i prefer hunting of bucks to be banned until the rut, otherwise all we are doing is pulling the best genetics out of the forrest before the breeding takes place.

mmmmm - how exactly would you do that? My calendar doesn't have "Rut Week (or Month)" marked on it.

Of course the deer killed before the rut might actually have inferior genetics and we just kept him out of the gene pool

Lord knows, the deer I kill aren't the best in the woods - just ask my buddy...