Filling a tag for someone else : (

by **dreamhunter** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 1]

Just to set the record straight ,This is something that I do not do and will not do ! I have had other hunters talk about it around me and do not like the thought of the idea even. What are your thoughts and how would be the best way to handle it. I had a situation 2 yrs ago while deer hunting and a friend shot an animal that he shouldn't have.It wasn't even a deer. It bothered me and it took me a few months to tell him that he needed to come and pick up his stands,etc. Hunting season was already over by this time to. After stating the reason why ,he got peeved and wanted to throw the guilt back to me. I simply said that's not how i hunt and I can't be hunting with people who do. Friendship suffered ,we don't hunt together anymore but we do talk still.I would be interested to read what gets posted.Thanks guys/ gals

by **Goneelkn** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 2]

Need more info. What was shot, why it was shot, legal or illegal, etc.

by **Freebird134** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 3]

I'm with you dreamhunter. Like them or not, rules are the rules. Hunting ethically means following all the rules all the time.

by **2OArchery** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 4]

Its against the rules regardless of the intentions. If someone pulled something like that, (shooting the wrong animal) I would have no problem kicking them out of my camp. If it was an accident, and the appropriate actions were taken, it may be forgivable.

Several years ago, I took a 12 year old kid out to shoot his first deer. We were accompanied by his father. We came across a herd of about 15 mule deer does. He had a doe tag. We got out of the truck, walked a several yards to a nice flat spot and got him set up with his bipod. The first shot was no more than 100 yards. He missed. He missed several times as the deer slowly walked up the hill. They never ran, I still don't know how that happened. His dad was at the truck, about 15 yards away, watching with binoculars. The kid was sitting on his butt with his bipod up and I was on my knees right behind the kid. I was coaching him through each shot. "Wait til she's broadside. Slowly sqeeze the trigger... boom... You missed, put in another shell..." Like I said, they never ran. I was watching each shot with my binoculars, as was his dad. After the 7th, yes 7th, shot, his dad asked if he hit one(he thought he could hear it hit, but didn't see anything). I told him I didn't think so, I was watching him the whole time and I didn't hear it or see it. On the 8th shot, the deer were about 250 yards away, he makes an absolute perfect heart shot on a doe. We head up the hill, the kid and I. When we get to his deer, lo and behold, there were two identical looking does, with identical perfect heart shots, laying not 15 feet from each other. I congratulated the kid on his first deer, and his second. I called my friend, who was at the house, about 15 minutes away and told him to bring his tag. Both deer were tagged and eaten. I didn't feel good about it, as I felt responsible for that happening, but I would have felt much worse if the deer had gone to waste.

Sometimes we make mistakes and then there is the intentional filling of someone else's tag. I don't condone it, but I also don't want any meat to go to waste.

by **Goneelkn** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 5]

It's not illegal in all states. That's why i wanted more info.

by **dreamhunter** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 6]

ok it was a bobcat out of season and without ant kind of tag or license . It was a 30 yd headshot with a bow. He knew it was wrong but did it anyway

by **Goneelkn** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 7]

He was WAY WRONG. I agree completly with you for kicking him out. Did he intend to have someone else tag it?? And if so how if it was out of season?(we have bobcat tags in WI) Did he even keep the pelt??

by **dreamhunter** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 8]

yes he kept it and was going to give it to his brother to tag a few weeks later on.As far as i know he was going to have it mounted. I don't know what ever happened to it. It was several months later before we even really spoke even though we saw each other, It was awkward to say the least.

by **POk3s** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 9]

Obviously killing a bobcat out of season without a license....we ALL know that's unforgivable and stupid.

Something like was just mentioned above where two does are killed on a doe hunt where you can't see a hit and there's been several misses and the deer are still standing there....hey that stuff happens and I believe if someone is WILLING to give up their tag so that meat does not go to waste then I have no problem with that. Laws are different in different states I guess and that is most certainly illegal in most of them....but it's one of those things where you have to ask yourself what is right. Personally, if I'm seeing this happen I like the fact that somebody is going to use the meat of that second deer rather then seeing it just go to the coyotes (not necessarily a waste as nothing goes to waste in the wilderness).

About 10 years ago a guy in our hunting party (before I was part of the hunting party

) was out hunting elk with his rifle. He ran across a raghorn bull in a clearcut. He leaped off of his horse, grabbed his gun, got a rest and fired. After the recoil the elk was still standing there so he shot again and dropped it. As he walked up to his bull he saw he had killed 2 bulls and they were literally 5 feet apart. Both similar looking raghorns. Was he trying to kill 2 elk, absolutely not. From the story I heard he had his horse at a full gallop as he rode into camp and was nearly in tears as he told everyone what happened. Somebody's tag was used for the second elk. Now is that better then tagging one elk and letting the coyotes and bears eat the other.....you be the judge. Everyone's "ethics" can and do go a million different directions. We try to all obey the laws while still doing what we think is right....and sometimes what is right isn't necessarily to the full extent of the law.

by **JohnFitzgerald** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 10]

Tough spot to be in dreamhunter. Two faults here.

1) He took a illegal animal.
2) He put you in a really uncomfortable situation.

Lousy hunters do the first and lousy friends do the second. Sounds like a friendship and/or hunting partner you don't need. Never forget that he ruined your friendship not the other way around.

by **JohnFitzgerald** » 08 18, 2012 • [Post 11]

POk3s wrote:Obviously killing a bobcat out of season without a license....we ALL know that's unforgivable and stupid.

Something like was just mentioned above where two does are killed on a doe hunt where you can't see a hit and there's been several misses and the deer are still standing there....hey that stuff happens and I believe if someone is WILLING to give up their tag so that meat does not go to waste then I have no problem with that. Laws are different in different states I guess and that is most certainly illegal in most of them....but it's one of those things where you have to ask yourself what is right. Personally, if I'm seeing this happen I like the fact that somebody is going to use the meat of that second deer rather then seeing it just go to the coyotes (not necessarily a waste as nothing goes to waste in the wilderness).

About 10 years ago a guy in our hunting party (before I was part of the hunting party ) was out hunting elk with his rifle. He ran across a raghorn bull in a clearcut. He leaped off of his horse, grabbed his gun, got a rest and fired. After the recoil the elk was still standing there so he shot again and dropped it. As he walked up to his bull he saw he had killed 2 bulls and they were literally 5 feet apart. Both similar looking raghorns. Was he trying to kill 2 elk, absolutely not. From the story I heard he had his horse at a full gallop as he rode into camp and was nearly in tears as he told everyone what happened. Somebody's tag was used for the second elk. Now is that better then tagging one elk and letting the coyotes and bears eat the other.....you be the judge. Everyone's "ethics" can and do go a million different directions. We try to all obey the laws while still doing what we think is right....and sometimes what is right isn't necessarily to the full extent of the law.

Nicely stated Trent!

by **Goneelkn** » 08 19, 2012 • [Post 12]

by **Sucobowhunter** » 08 19, 2012 • [Post 13]

I had an issue once. I unfortunately did not grow up hunting and got into hunting thru being a videographer. My first hunt I filmed and the first hunt I was ever on was an archery elk hunt here in co.. We went up first morning to scout, so I thought, the "guide" showed up with his dad and cousin and rifles. I was confused but being a complete rookie I said nothing. After a hike we split up and I stayed with guide. In front of me and on camera he proceded to killed 2 cows and wounded another. I asked him and he said they had 3 tags. I was not aware of "Party hunting" and that it's illegal in co!! I was confused and did not know what to do. I did not turn them into DOW but I did not ever go out with them again and have never talked to again as we were not really friends. Since then I have gotten hooked on archery elk hunting and realize that if your an unethical hunter than most likely your an unethical person in general. I still to this day wonder if I should have turned them in but feel there unethical hunting will come back on them in long run.

by **idahoghost** » 08 19, 2012 • [Post 14]

I believe mistakes are made whether intentional or not. Maybe we should focus on future behavior and who the person is now, rather than who he may have been in the past.

When I was had just turned twelve my father took me out for my first deer. Too make a long story short, I ended up killing two deer, not knowing I had ever hit the first one. We didn’t even know it had been shot until the next day, when we were looking for a lost pair glasses the night before. When, by the time we found her, the meat had spoiled. My father was furious at me, but he took it as lesson to be taught not as a punishment to be given.

We all make mistakes, it is how we handle and learn from them that make us who we are.

by **dreamhunter** » 08 19, 2012 • [Post 15]

Ok this guy is in his 40's , he knew better but did it anyway. I know when i would go bird hunting with him he would give me heck for even looking across the fence onto posted property.Oh well, I do appreciate all the comments and will see what i can come up with next so we all can visit about something fun like calling in the herd bull and putting him down.

by **Bullnuts** » 08 19, 2012 • [Post 16]

There's a big difference between an accident and a total disregard of the law. If someone shoots something on accident, as was stated in several of the examples above, I can see putting a tag on it and using the meat for my family. BUT if someone decides to break the law and intentionally shoots an animal that they know they aren't supposed to shoot? That's wrong and I don't believe a person like that should be in my camp.