Dirtbags steal deer head in Wy.

This one is for the books and absolutely true and priceless. I was one of the first International Bowhunter Instructors for NYS in the 70's. ALL bowhunters had to take the course REGARDLESS of your age or how long you bow hunted.

I was bow hunting with my Uncle and he shoots a doe but a little far back. Since we had snow, on public land, we waited only an hour because there were other hunters in area. We began tracking and it was obvious he hit an artery from continuous blood on snow. Not liver but arterial hit. As we followed she was falling down quite a bit. As we cleared a small rise, we saw her laying about 50 yds in open hard woods. "Fred Bear" was stalking her tip toeing ridiculously since she was dead. We yelled at him, this is our deer. He looked at us, sprinted same distance as us about 50 yds and shot her with 3 arrows. We obviously walked up and ask the normal question what the hello are you doing? He said you can't prove its your deer. We pointed out the blood trail, the fact she was dead, and we had bloodied arrow in quiver. Made no difference and after we looked at where he shot her, middle hindquarter, straight into back loins snd one in gut, we said since you messed this deer up so bad you can have her and walked away.

Life can be real interesting. So that following summer we had a mandatory bowhunter class at our club. Its a 2 day affair covering archery, safety, ethics and blood trailing. You prob guessed it didn't you?

As the course wound it way through first day, I noticed a guy that I couldn't put my finger on where I knew him. The funny part he mentioned to me several times he was quite sure he knew me but couldn't recall where. So in a break before ethics, he was in group where we were talking blood trailing from previous session. The more he talked, the voice became recognized. The "trap" was set!

Halfway through the session where we go over ethics scenarios, I broke from plan and my fellow instructors were looking at me with ????? So I started to discuss an ethics scenario exactly like my Uncles doe and when I got to where I mentioned another hunter was stalking the dead doe, I stopped and called on "my buddy". I asked him based on what we went over in the scenarios, what would he do? We did this in other scenarios so not out if ordinary.

He looked at me, recognition hit him like Mike Tyson! Redfaced beyond belief he got up and left the class and did not return. I suggested break so I could look for him to bring him back not to further embarrass but to talk through it, but he got in his truck and left. I was going to leave the scenario where I did with no intention of identifying him as that hunter. My instructors were like what the hello was that all about. They couldn't believe it nor believe he took off. Of course I changed the real ending to fit our teaching plan but ethics lesson delivered loud and clear. I bet he never does that again and no he did not show in another class I taught.
 
I had the opposite experience. I shot a deer at the bottom of the mountain (my truck was parked at the top of the mountain). I gutted it, tagged it, and found an old logging trail, so I started to drag it up the mountain. I lost all my strength and will power when I was still a long way from the top. So, I left it lying in the middle of the trail, and trudged up the mountain to the truck with my rifle. I was hoping someone would steal the deer, because I knew that I would have trouble dragging it any farther. When I got to the truck, I put the rifle away, and had a nice lunch. After a while, I spoke with some other hunters, and mentioned that I left the deer down the mountain trail. They offered to help me, and when we went to where I had left it, it was still there. No one had stolen it. I guess there are a lot of honest hunters in the woods in my area.
 
See, stories like these are part of the reason I have been reluctant to date to fulfill my lifetime dream of going elk hunting. I almost assuredly will be going by myself, and am afraid that some fine, upstanding human being will steal either the elk from the field, or my stuff (ice chests, game processing equipment etc.) from my camp.
 
That is bad, really low and despicable!! As bad as that , or maybe even worse, was the story of the hunter who shot a huge jersey buck, with a big rack, and it was expected to be a State Record, and a New Jersey Game Warden took it during Check in and refused to return it to the rightful owner. !!! The story was written in either Field and Stream or Outdoor life, about 15 years ago. I do not believe the hunter ever got his prize back. You Know its in somebody's basement, behind their Bar. Even when you do everything by the book, there is always some DB who wants what you have, and is low enough to steal it. Very Sad for you Buddy
 
Lowest of the low! I feel for the hunter. My Wyoming deer from 2020 (avatar photo) was stolen from the taxidermist shop when they were boiling the head outside. I'm still bitter and it was only a 160" buck. Even though I have shot larger deer, I love being able to look up at the wall and remember all the hard work that went into the hunt to harvest each trophy. From a forkie to 200"… they all mean a lot to me. For someone to have a 180"+ deer stolen…. That's extra salt in the wound!
 
I've been lucky, but if I have to leave an animal, to make several trips or get help or get a vehicle closer , I always cut the tounge out on a 45 degree angle and put it in my pack , so if I ever found someone with my deer/ elk , I could prove it was mine with that piece of tounge.
Never had to , but always felt a little better about-having to leaving one for a while.
 
cornshank said:
I've been lucky, but if I have to leave an animal, to make several trips or get help or get a vehicle closer , I always cut the tounge out on a 45 degree angle and put it in my pack , so if I ever found someone with my deer/ elk , I could prove it was mine with that piece of tounge.
Never had to , but always felt a little better about-having to leaving one for a while.
Click to expand...
Never thought about that but that's a brilliant idea!
 
sxssixteen said:
I had the opposite experience. I shot a deer at the bottom of the mountain (my truck was parked at the top of the mountain). I gutted it, tagged it, and found an old logging trail, so I started to drag it up the mountain. I lost all my strength and will power when I was still a long way from the top. So, I left it lying in the middle of the trail, and trudged up the mountain to the truck with my rifle. I was hoping someone would steal the deer, because I knew that I would have trouble dragging it any farther. When I got to the truck, I put the rifle away, and had a nice lunch. After a while, I spoke with some other hunters, and mentioned that I left the deer down the mountain trail. They offered to help me, and when we went to where I had left it, it was still there. No one had stolen it. I guess there are a lot of honest hunters in the woods in my area.
Click to expand...
Maybe if it was closer to the parking area and not at the bottom of the mountain it would be a different story?
 
Teri Anne said:
.... Since there has been discussion on the .308 lately, she was using a Winchester Model 70 shooting .308 hand loads with Nosler Partition 165 gr bullets. A deadly combination.
Click to expand...

In this instance, a "git her done" combination. 👌🏼

Sorry she lost the 1st one. While the guy was technically correct, there's also 'the right thing to do.' Never wanted an animal so much that I could take one out from under another hunter.

Not interested in startin' a discussion; I get there's all sorts of circumstances. Gotta look at myself in the mirror the rest of my life. Doing as you describe would make it way more difficult.
 

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