Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 41

Thread: What would you do?

  1. #1
    Senior Member bds9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Currently Mason, but raised in adams county
    Posts
    279

    What would you do?

    Well after a weekend with no success, I found out through the grapevine that some guys from pennsylvania that are hunting with an outfitter potentially found the giant ten point I shot two weeks ago. I haven't talked to the actual person that is in possesion of the deer, but I have talked to the outfitter. I described the deers rack to the outfitter to a "T" and he said "That sure sounds like the one they found." The story he tells is that these guys found this buck in the creek on the outfitters property, which is about 300 yards from where I shot him at. they cut the head off when they found it and brought it back to camp to show the outfitter. The outfitter told them that they had broke the law and they needed to get a tag for it from the GW. To my knowledge, they didn't do that. The outfitter says these are a nice group of guys and he's gonna try to get me these fellows phone numbers so I can get a pic of the deer and if indeed it is the deer I shot then hopefully they will do the right thing and send me the deer. But if they don't then should I try to get the GW involved? Or am I in the wrong thinking that I have a right to this deer?

  2. #2
    Senior Member heelbilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Williamsburg
    Posts
    676
    I don't think you are in the wrong thinking that way. The only problem I see with it is proving to the GW or anyone else for that matter that you actually killed the deer. Whatever becomes of it, good luck to you and I hope they do the right thing.
    Bear Lights Out 27"/60#
    Beman ICS Hunter 400 arrows
    Whisker Biscuit
    Extreme Archery 3 Pin Sight
    100gr Rage 2 Blade


    "There are hundreds of millions of gun owners in this country, and not one of them will have an accident today. The only misuse of guns comes in environments where there are drugs, alcohol, bad parents, and undisciplined children. Period."

    Ted Nugent

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    126
    I agree with the above...in both aspects that i hope it works out for you and that the burden of proof is on you and will be tough to prove. I would say start by telling them what you think and describe it to them first and see what there reaction is. Maybe it will all go smoothly if they are a stand-up group of guys.

    However, personally i wouldnt get the GW involved. Its out of state, and (no offense to you), basically heresay that you shot the buck and they found it. GW has more important things...like dealing with actual poachers. They didnt poach the buck. I would think the outfitter would have done a bit more when his hunters showed up with the head. Like be the one that calls the GW himself. Not to get the hunters in trouble but to do things the right way.

  4. #4
    Senior Member bds9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Currently Mason, but raised in adams county
    Posts
    279
    Well I do know where the actual carcass is. And I know exactly where I shot the deer, it was a very low shot but went through the chest cavity and through the oppposite side and broke his front left leg. I was thinking of going and taking pictures of the carcass for evidence in just in case...

  5. #5
    Senior Member treelounger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    trumbull county
    Posts
    179
    thats a tough one. I'd say if you are willing to put your tag on it then pursue it. If not let it go.

    I also think that the "outfitter" should have done more. It surprises me that he would and untagged rack leave his property. I'm sure that he would be liable for that in some way shape or form. Being he is an outfitter and he knew they took it out of the woods illegally. I'm sure not one to beat someone over the head with these laws when you know they didn't shoot it but being an outfitter I would think they would take the extra step to protect themselves and their clients.

    good luck

  6. #6
    Man tough call on that one. Sounds kinda like a finder's keepers deal to me, but to be honest, if you had any sort of hunting etiquette you would give over the rack off a nice deer that someone else shot....'IF' you knew that they indeed did shoot the deer. We have all probably lost nice buck at one time and it's a sick feeling for sure. I would personally love to see the joy on a fellow hunters face by returning a deer or just a set of antlers

    Answer this question...did you give up on your search?

    Best of luck to you

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Toledo,Oh
    Posts
    37
    just kinda curious cause I remember you posting when you shot it and hoping it would live but not really posting of an exhaustive search,so how is it you know right where it is now and only 300 yrds from where you shot it ????? sounds like your friendly with the outfitter and you can get pics so he probably would have let you search the property,IMO probably let it go

  8. #8
    Senior Member mrbb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    northeast PA
    Posts
    5,925
    OK I say your fine with what ever you decide

    BUt if it was me I would contact them, ask them about the deer, and tell them your story

    I would inquire about if they got a recovery tag or what ever its called for ohio DNR, and if they claim they did, well nothing you can do but check to make sure

    and if they didn't I would then say to them, well, any chance of me recovering the rack, and if not, tell them you have plans to call the dnr, and inquire about the tag if they got it

    hey thats the right thing to do, if they ain't willing to do it on there own, maybe a little extra effort from you will help grease the wheel!, and get you the rack back

    BUT will that still be an issue with NO tag??

    could call your local game warden and run teh story by him and ask for feedback before you give them up too!

    then you have a little extra on your side pending how it goes!

  9. #9
    Grand poobah member Stonegod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Olmsted township
    Posts
    1,767
    Quote Originally Posted by Blown_R/T View Post
    just kinda curious cause I remember you posting when you shot it and hoping it would live but not really posting of an exhaustive search,so how is it you know right where it is now and only 300 yrds from where you shot it ????? sounds like your friendly with the outfitter and you can get pics so he probably would have let you search the property,IMO probably let it go
    That's how I was thinking. Though it wouldn't hurt to ask for the rack back, if you get a no...... Then I'd let it go.
    Enjoy your hunt- the long sit......... the cold.......the rain and snow......the peace and quiet, it may just be your last hunt........... you never know.

  10. #10
    Senior Member bds9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Currently Mason, but raised in adams county
    Posts
    279
    Sorry guys, I didn't get to tell the full story earlier I was at work and just trying to vent some of my feelings quickly. Anyhow, to answer Tonekings question, No. I didn't give up on the search. I've looked and looked for this deer with nothing but a few drops of blood and a bloody arrow for evidence. I was simply hoping that he was still alive. And to answer blown r/t, I only know where the deer is now because the outfitter explained to me where the hunters found him. Which was twisted up in a log jam in the creek about 300 +/- from where I shot him. I was told about this deer from my buddy. My buddy had booked this farm the deer was found on for his son during the youth season. I think my buddy and the outfitter are somewhat friends. I used to hunt the farm then the outfitter leased it. So I'm very familiar with the farm and it adjoins my parents property. Which leads to my phone call I made two years ago to this same outfitter asking if I could have permission to hunt which in turn he told me "NO". So that is partially why I didn't ask for permission to look for the deer on his lease. The other reason is after we bumped what we thought was the buck I shot while looking, he ran in the opposite direction of this outfitters land. Well I assume what happened is the buck eventually died in the creek and with all of this rain the past week or two he was washed down onto the outfitters property and thus eventually found by the other hunters. I searched the creek two or three different times, but I also live 100 miles away in the city with a job and a family to provide for so I simply couldn't spend as much time searching as I would have liked. Now to speaking with the GW. I called the GW sunday evening and spoke with him personally about the situation, I didn't give him any names but my own and kept everything anonymous because I'd like to resolve this without him if at all possible. Anyhow, I explained the situation to him, explained exactly what the deer looked like, where I shot it at, where the entry and exit wounds would be and so on. He in turn told me if I could get "evidence" that the deer they found was indeed the deer I shot then by all means I had rights to the head. Now this evening I called the outfitter back (he told me sunday that he would try to get me the guys name and phone number that has the deer) and he seems like he's getting nervous about the situation, he says that he doesn't know if he has the guys info anymore that he probably threw it away because he didn't need it anymore, And then tells me "these guys weren't clients of mine, they were just hunting my property because I didn't have anyone else hunting it" This sure seems kinda fishy to me, but I tried to assure him that I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble, I'm just trying to get my deer back if it is indeed my deer! If it's not my deer, I don't give two craps who has it or what!!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •