How would you react?

[timberland]

Two years ago a guy pulls into our camp during lunch break and shouts out "Who's all hunting in this camp?" We all bail out of the tents we were napping in. Everybody was accounted for so he tells us his story: He locates a 5x6 early in the morning. He can't close the deal but dogs him for a couple hours until he gets a marginal shot. He sees the arrow clearly hit the bull in the neck, so he waits a good hour and starts on a decent blood trail. He trails the bull about 1.5 miles, pops over a ridge and sees (in his own words) "Two @%$^*@* packing out my elk!" He can't talk to them(too far away). Carcass is cut up so can't verify if they finished it off, found it dead, or maybe they presumed it was healthy out looking for cows. We told him we would help out any way we could but never found out if there was any progress in his search. By the way, he was on leave for a few weeks from I think the Marines and his biceps were the size of my thighs. Definitely someone I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of.

[Still Hunter]

Two comments.

The first one is...............Why were you sleeping when you should be hunting? Sleep at night.

Second comment.....He had no claim to the elk. He admits a marginal shot that may, or may not have killed the elk. The hunters packing it out might have taken the killing shot. There's also the chance it wasn't the same elk. His elk might have gotten away.

[cohunter14]

Yeah, I guess a lot depends on if the blood trail led to that exact elk. If so, it is up to that guy to have the confrontation and show his proof. If that isn't enough and the guys are still going to take 'his' elk, it is time to report it to the authorities. I wouldn't want to get in the middle of anything like that.

[timberland]

Figured when I hit 40 I could slow down a little. Me gots to have me naps!

[Swede]

Tell the marine to contact the sheriff if he thinks he has a case of theft. Inform him things don't look good as he has no proof he made a lethal shot and would have been able to take the elk on his own. Then finish your nap. Don't get into a confrontation with the other hunters.

[WapitiTalk1]

Tough situation for sure but it happens. I suspect the elk he saw being cut up was in fact, the the same elk he had the bad hit on. No way of telling for certain unless he talked to the hunters, or, checked the kill site to see if that's where his original blood trail ended. A neck hit with an arrow is bad business and the bull was more than likely alive when it stumbled into the second group of hunters. Elk contain huge quantities of the red stuff and it takes many, many hours to bleed out with a poor hit; often times these types of hits are not fatal and the wound will close up. I think you addressed the situation correctly, offering to help any way you could. Really nothing else you could do. Well, maybe let the young man know he should not really come blasting into hunter camps hollering

[>>>---WW---->]

First of all, from what has been written here, my guess would be that the other hunters had every right to the elk they were packing out. They most likely finished the elk off. And who knows, it might not have even been the one he shot earlier. And as far as him calling them names, he is the butthole for shooting the elk in the neck in the first place.

Guys, there just isn't any animal worth getting your shorts wadded up over. Besides, now he can either go find his wounded elk or hunt longer.

This guy sounds like a bully type to me. And I don't care how big his biceps are, they are no match for my Glock 27.

Rule #1: Never pick a fight with an old man! If he is to old to fight he will just kill you!

[itsnlkthing]

I was hunting a few years back and a group of hunters had wounded a cow. They were 200 yards away trying to get a head shot on her and kept missing. She ran to about 50 yards in front of me and stopped. I dropped her rather than watch her suffer. Although "legally" mine, I just let the hunters that wounded her tag her. In the situation described, it's too questionable that it was his elk. As others have said, bad hit, long distance and too much time. The other hunters had a right to the elk, they were the ones who made the fatal shot.

[Swede]

Rule #2 Don't forget rule #1.

Regardless, I would just have him call the sheriff because that will be the end of the discussion. The sheriff/deputy will go soon be back to his donuts and coffee, and you can get your afternoon power nap in before heading back out.

[Still Hunter]

I was hunting a few years back and a group of hunters had wounded a cow. They were 200 yards away trying to get a head shot on her and kept missing. She ran to about 50 yards in front of me and stopped. I dropped her rather than watch her suffer. Although "legally" mine, I just let the hunters that wounded her tag her. In the situation described, it's too questionable that it was his elk. As others have said, bad hit, long distance and too much time. The other hunters had a right to the elk, they were the ones who made the fatal shot.

"Tried a head shot, and kept missing."

You just reminded me why I hate hunting where other hunters are around.

[elkmtngear]

If it happens next year, I'll just sic my daughter on him...she'll probably outrank him

It'll go something like "Marine, did you execute a killing shot on that bull"?

"No, Maam"!

"Since they were packing the bull, did they execute a killing shot"?

"Aye, Maam"!

"Nuff said...now move out"!

"Aye, Maam"!

[WapitiTalk1]

If it happens next year, I'll just sic my daughter on him...she'll probably outrank him

It'll go something like "Marine, did you execute a killing shot on that bull"?

"No, Maam"!

"Since they were packing the bull, did they execute a killing shot"?

"Aye, Maam"!

"Nuff said...now move out"!

"Aye, Maam"!

Perfect!

[Texasdan]

I was hunting a few years back and a group of hunters had wounded a cow. They were 200 yards away trying to get a head shot on her and kept missing. She ran to about 50 yards in front of me and stopped. I dropped her rather than watch her suffer. Although "legally" mine, I just let the hunters that wounded her tag her. In the situation described, it's too questionable that it was his elk. As others have said, bad hit, long distance and too much time. The other hunters had a right to the elk, they were the ones who made the fatal shot.

"Tried a head shot, and kept missing."

You just reminded me why I hate hunting where other hunters are around.

+1 to that.

[Jaquomo]

I'd have told him, "Wow, that's a real bummer. Good luck with the rest of your hunt". Then I'd have resumed my nap.