tell me if i did the right thing...

hard_r · Oct 30, 2010

Ok so tonight I saw the biggest buck I've ever had in my scope. He was limping. A bit over a hundred yards. I felt like I had to try to take him. No blood. No body that I could find. I know I missed. The shot was maybe a bit long for me. Should I have waited? Let him go, hoping he comes out tomorrow? I want to be an ethical hunter, I feel like I screwed up? What do you think? Was it ethical to take a shot I'm not 100% comfortable with to take mercy on this hurt animal. For the record I think I would have done the same thing were it a spike... I'm sick to my stomach over this...

larkinmusic · Oct 30, 2010

Sometimes you miss.

KurtM · Oct 30, 2010

Yes! You did good. I did the same thing while Carabou hunting in Alaska...I was lucky and connnected, but his front left leg had been blown darn near off and he was suffering and the preditors were around, I was lucky in the fact he had a good rack and as My daughter said "tasty" but I sure felt like I had to do something! Good for you...even if it missed! I think that IS the ethical thing to do. KurtM

dennishoddy · Oct 30, 2010

I have taken a couple of wounded deer over the years, and no matter what it takes, it would be ethical to attempt to get that animal, vs a sure slow death to infection.

Porter · Oct 30, 2010

If you hunt long enough, eventually you will miss. I can tell you from experience, you will relive that moment in dreams and replay it in your mind over and over again. Don't beat yourself up over it.

Thanks a lot..... now I'm reliving that memory once again. :cry11:

imhntn · Oct 30, 2010

I say you did good too. We all miss but that buck you may never have seen again and 100 yards is not too far for any mzldr. You did not do anything unethical. Sorry you missed but good on you for trying the shot.

jmiller45 · Oct 30, 2010

You did the right thing. As stated above 100 yards is not too far. Especially if it was the biggest buck you have ever seen. I promise you wouldnt have gotten him if you didn't try!

Jon3830 · Oct 30, 2010

what is up with all the shot up deer in oklahoma for the past 4 seasons every deer I have killed has already been shot atleast twice, my doe from last ML season was full of .22 slugs I did a mercy kill on a buck about 2 years ago that was unfit to eat he was so shot up I couldn't believe he was still walking. I understand that not every single person that hunts is going to get a kill shot every time they pull the trigger I am guessing that with my run ins with it that it is the same folks that hunt near my place that are shooting at deer just to shoot at deer. I think that because I have found everything from .22's to birdshot in the deer that I have been taking in the past few years.

ez bake · Oct 30, 2010

Jon3830 said:
what is up with all the shot up deer in oklahoma for the past 4 seasons every deer I have killed has already been shot atleast twice, my doe from last ML season was full of .22 slugs I did a mercy kill on a buck about 2 years ago that was unfit to eat he was so shot up I couldn't believe he was still walking. I understand that not every single person that hunts is going to get a kill shot every time they pull the trigger I am guessing that with my run ins with it that it is the same folks that hunt near my place that are shooting at deer just to shoot at deer. I think that because I have found everything from .22's to birdshot in the deer that I have been taking in the past few years.

That would most likely be due to poachers and not hunters.

AllOut · Oct 31, 2010

U got to do what u got to do, the only thing i see questionable is if u knowingly shot further then u feel comfortable. But in that situation u did the right thing cause like stated above risking the shot to end the suffering is better than not trying and just letting him die in pain.

tell me if i did the right thing...

hard_r

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larkinmusic

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KurtM

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dennishoddy

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Porter

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imhntn

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Jon3830

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ez bake

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