Just wanted to throw this out for discussion as I've heard varying opinions on the subject recently.
Hypothetical situation:

Hunter A shoots a nice buck one afternoon with a rifle, trails the deer for 3 hours and gives up for the night after bumping the deer a few times. Next morning Hunter A gathers a search party of fellow camp members and organizes a tracking effort/deer drive in a 40 acre block of woods. Three hunters, including Hunter A track the deer mainly by hoofprints and a few blood drops. Four other hunters are posted as standers along the three sides of the block woods.

45 mins into the tracking effort, the buck runs out and is killed by Hunter B. Upon inspection of the deer, it is clear that the initial shot was not a mortal wound being in the front leg, only about 2 inches above the knee. The killing shot was a near perfect 1/4 away lung/heart shot.

So....who gets the deer? Discuss and I'll give my 2 cents later.

Hunter B

Hunter A goes home & learns how to shoot accurately!

That sums it up

A might have thought to clear that point up with B prior to enlisting B to help clean up his mess...


That said, I've helped finish off a number of other's wounded animals and never had any interest in claiming one of them.


{i]That said[/i], on a ton of private properties around here, you punch your tag on drawing blood which, for most non-[bleep], given A a bit of deference....

If I was hunter A, I would say to hunter B, "Looks like you killed him".


If I was hunter B and hunter A wanted the deer I'd just take a pic and let A have the deer.


And then I'd go try to find a bigger one by myself.

Funny. I know a guy who was hunter B in this type of scenario. He kept the deer, had the head mounted and ended up giving it to hunter A about a year later to settle the hard feelings. The first shot was too far back and low but would’ve killed the deer.

BTDT.

If I'm hunter "B", it's the deer of hunter "A". I would not have been in position to shoot the deer if it weren't for hunter "A" in the first place.

And, since it's a member of my hypothetical camp, I'm there to help my hypothetical pard in any way that I can.

Lastly, if I'm hunter "A", I'm happy that another member of my camp got himself a nice buck.

I had a situation like that where I was hunter B. I ended it and congratulated my friend on his buck. We were both happy.

In this hypothetical scenario as hunter B I would not tag it and would even gut it for him/her.

Legally hunter A did not kill a deer, hunter B did. As an example, some 15 years ago I was bow hunting with my oldest son who was 15 at the time. One evening he shot a spike and we could not find it. 3 days later we were walking along a barbed wire fence and here was a spike deer on it's knees that apparently broke it's back trying to jump the fence. This deer was spine shot and the arrow was still in it. I had my son put another arrow into it and congratulated him on his first deer. After gutting he asked what date to cut out of his tag. I reminded him that he did not have a deer until today. Tom

If I was hunter A or B I'd wouldn't mind giving it to the other guy if they wanted it. No point in getting in a pissin match, over a set of antlers. Besides what good is the story/memory if there's hard feelings.

WE Go with first blood period.

Okay what if hunter A had never met hunter B and was hunting with a group that had been tracking a spotty blood trail for six hours because it was a low leg hit with little bleeding?

Tracking spotty blood trail for six hours would be a waist of time. A good tracker would have known the deer was not fatally hit and would likely survive. Lots of exceptions and weird circumstances occur so let your conscience be your guide. Tom

I've been B, A was a friend who had shot the deer a couple minutes earlier, it was his deer. Dad and I were driving up a dirt road we heard a shot, close. A big doe jumped off tbe bank, jaw swinging, I punched the Ebrake, jumped out, and somehow dropped her on the other hill. The shooter came and I left him have the deer. Yes it was illegal, but it was right.

Details should be worked out before the drive/search starts.

I've seen situations like this cause hard feelings. Well, only one turned bad I guess.

Gotta watch yourself in situations like this. I don't know how the Wardens are in your area, but around here, there'd be two tickets written if Hunter A claimed and checked the deer in.

One would be for illegally checking an animal for someone else and the other guy would get a conspiracy charge. Both misdemeanor charges, BTW. It's happened twice around here, with the guys talking about it at the check station with an undercover there.

I've killed more than a few that other people hit first. I have never wanted the deer ever, and never even for a second considered it even when it was sincerely offered. Partly because I want nothing to do with a poorly hit deer that's been chased far enough to finally kill it and I hunt for my table, not my wall. Partly because I prefer to shoot my own or do without. Mostly because it's not hard to get another if I want it. I have never wounded a deer and had to chase it down or have someone else shoot it. Had it ever happened though if the other party wanted the deer he'd be welcome to it no hard feelings period. Same if I shot one and it made it to another property and the owner refused permission to retrieve. I'd personally feel bad if it was just left to rot and it was my fault.

I suppose I could be really disappointed in an adult claiming a kid's first deer. It might well be pretty important to the kid, and I consider a deer such a trivial thing.

If I am hunter B I'd give hunter A the deer

one of my uncles told me that more than once while hunting in PENN that these things happen. It was settled by flipping a coin and a hand shake.

Trick question based on Protocols gents.

In a normal situation where hunter A fails to mortally wound a deer and hunter B anchors it.... Well Hunter B killed the deer and owns it...

However - here Hunter A gathered a group to help his get his deer.
Therefore a precedent was established as to help him get the deer... So hunter.

What do you do in a situation like that as gentlemen.... Both A&B should say.. .it's your deer to the other guy, and most likely they agree to split it.

Done

Split it?
If I am B then I don't want it.....I am helping a friend get a deer

I will go get my own or maybe not but that's just me

A gets the deer and offers B a tenderloin and a 30 pack.

This....

However, as far as splitting, you can't spit a tag.


If I'm hunter A it is B's Deer. I'm just glad it is over.

Good time to wait and let the other fellow make his move or talk first.

Had a similiar situation in that we both shot at almost the same time and the Buck went over a rise. Damn nice Buck it was. We walked over and there it was dead. Now I'm thinking, "What now?" He said I think I hit that Deer. Shook his hand and said. Congrats, nice Buck. Over, done.

Addition: Not much later he realized what was going on and said if you think you hit it, it's yours. I replied, we have already established whose Deer it is, no need take it any further.

Here's my 2 cents:

Hunter B was asked to participate in this deer recovery effort, so the deer belongs to Hunter A.

If Hunter B had been hunting on his own accord, in the same area, at any time after the initial shot and had killed the deer, then I feel that Hunter B would claim the deer. I think it is two completely different situations based on how Hunter B came to be in the right place at the right time.

Follow up question: What if the deer was a B&C or a new state record? Does that change the answer?

B's Deer. Why make things difficult?

I wondered when that might come up.

And it wouldn't change my answer. Greed and jealousy is the bane of otherwise good people when it comes to deer hunting.

You can register an animal under two names if there is a question and both parties agree.
Two good friends who both have their name on the State record. That's the stuff of a great memory and story. I should be so lucky.

Hunter A drew blood, it is his deer if he wants it. If he doesn't want it, Hunter B can tag it. This scenario might be more important in an area where deer are less common.

Cousin shot a runner thru the ear and for some reason it dropped and then got back up and ran off. Left some blood in the snow. Another guy down the hollow killed and rightfully tagged it. First blood is relative.

Same scenario years ago an aquaintence and his brother did same...

Had the deer mounted in halves... never seen it before, one half on one wall, the other on the other brothers...

Would not have mattered much to me, its hunter A all the way around in that scenario to me. I could care less how big or small it is.

Hunter B.

That happened at our camp in 1998. My buddies dad was posted on a ladder stand over-looking a slashing area in early afternoon. He shot a 6pt that came loping along at a trot but with a limp. He dropped it at the shot.

He waited 15-20minutes and went over to take a look. Gutted it out and waited for dragging help. 5 minutes after that "hunter A" came along still tracking the bunch he shot in the morning.

Jim, shook his hand and congratulated him on tracking the buck so far. It was well over a mile. The guy tagged and dragged the buck.

He came to the camper later that night with a case of high-life and the backstraps for Jim. Good gestures all around as far as I'm concerned.

You never stated explicitly that hunter B was part of the recovery party. If he was, then there shouldn't be any question that hunter A gets the deer.

If he wasn't, and just happened to be hunting in the area, then it is hunter B's deer.

Hunter A's deer IMO, but that is just me. I'd not shoot a buck that my pard already shot/wounded and try to claim it. However If I shot a buck and hit it in the foot/leg and someone else killed it with a clean shot, well I'd be more than happy it was dead and they could tag it if they wanted. If they didn't want it I'd put my tag on it and then get schit from my pard about him finishing off my deer for the next... rest of my life.

Two rational people should be able to know who tags the Deer. In this case, I think B. First blood means little if the wound is superficial. When we did a bunch of driving these events were sometimes part of the game and the group knew what was right and wrong. Made it easy, because if you were the odd man out, you were probably out.

If the other guy is irrational, give him the Deer. He has to live with it, not you.

I've been there and done that sort of.Horns do crazy things to some.
Last week of the season long ago while I was still young and green and had never killed a decent buck in my life.
Freezing cold morning hung over from my night on the town with the ladies.Counting the time till I could crawl back into my bed at camp,I am looking down the ravine behind my stand watching some turkeys. I hear a stick snap and I turn to see 2 buck 30 yds in front of me. I see the 1st buck a great 8 pt a quick look at the second and he's nothing special.I raise the shot gun and the buck has his front 1/3 behind a large tree,I wait and he takes one step forward exposing just his front shoulder the back 2/3 of his body is now covered behind the tree. I aim and shoot for the shoulder and he buck and bolts up the hill towards my buddy who is in a stand about 120 yds from me. I hear him unload. I scramble down the tree and follow steady blood in the snow up to where my buddy is. I say did you hit him and he replies "no but you hit him good he was stumbling and struggling hard". We start to follow the blood trail and 3 more shots ring out just beyond us in the pines and then we hear a loud shout"yahoooo"
My heart sank and I said "someone just shot him".My buddy says maybe they shot the other buck? I say no way someone is whooting like that for the second buck. We follow the blood trail that Stevie Wonder could follow to find the big buck down with my cousin standing over him.
I say good job Neil I hit that buck and we were following it! And to this day I will never forget the 1st words out of his mouth"thats my phuucken buck"
Wow I was floored. Then the "discussion" of where I hit the buck ensued. I pointed out the shot in the low shoulder and he insisted it wasn't and pointed to the shot furthest back on the deer telling me I hit him there.
I tried to explain how that part of the deer was block by a tree 3' in diameter and the only exposed shot I had was the low shoulder hit.
Long and short was he claimed the deer and what hurt most was he was family and had killed may deer and some very big buck.


I was dejected and went back to camp.Crawled into bed and rested for a couple hours and got dressed and headed back to the same stand for the afternoon.God had mercy on me, I had a whole herd of deer come up the ridge,they were heading to my buddy in the upper stand so I got ready figuring I'd take a shot at a doe after he shot the buck. For some reason unknown to me to still to this day they stopped on a dime and ran straight to me and I killed an 8 pt buck, the 1st decent buck of my life(now I wouldn't raise the gun on him funny how we grow and whats big changes)

I was happy with him and just let everything go to keep peace but still think it was a dick move on my cousins part
My part in the equation was I should have put a better shot on the deer and it wouldn't have got to this point


Buck that my cousin claimed had my buddy take a picture with me since I felt I had the killing shot



The shot placements


Buck I killed later



The 2 of us together with both buck

The common advice from the DNR is 'the deer belongs to who killed it and then tagged it'. The adage about '1st blood' can get all tangled up quickly.

There is always room for ethics and sportsmanship.

Well since you have a pic of him dressed as one of the Village People, I'd say you won.

been b.
was a's deer.

What's with the comments regarding "1st blood"? Obviously the 1st blood drawn was not fatal and if an organized drive wasn't held chances are the deer would have survived.

Hunters safety course and the "moral rule" I have always gone by for 45 years is the hunter who fires the 1st fatal or mortal wound gets the animal.

That's bullschidt. Learn how to shoot, and then you don't have to worry about who shot it first.

When the buck is large, things get more interesting. BTDT

First lethal hit has always been my thought on it.

A rodeo is always waiting to happen. Even to the best.

Had one Deer looking over his back, and in the shadows I would have sworn I was looking at the chest. Not until it put its head down to feed did I realize I was looking at its ass.

Village People? Not even close.

I teach Hunter Education and don't recall any text regarding "the moral rule". That said, I don't care 'cause I only hunt on private ground and I give most of the deer that I shoot to Hunters For The Hungry. In Nebraska, hunters have to have landowner permission to trespass, including recovering wounded or dead game.

Dan, your cousin was/is a dick. You can tell him I said so.

I agree, it's B's deer (to do with as he decides).

Dale

Early morning fog did that to me a few years back. Only I shot the deer, turns out I hit it in the hindquarter and the 200 gr Hornady from the 358 plowed on through to the vitals.

Schitt Happens,

Dale

This!!

This is why bucks have 2 antlers. Hunter A gets one side, Hunter B gets the other. Lol

Of course you give the deer to your buddy. That's the sportsmanlike thing to do.

But it's a different issue from that of who is legally entitled to the deer.

The deer belongs to B, since he is the one who deprived the deer of its natural liberty.

amazing how wound up folks get over a flipping deer.....

I would have a long time ago, now I wouldn't think twice. I might call you a few stupid names.... as to your intelligence level but you want it you can have it.

Its meat and antlers maybe.... I can get more where that came from.

BC Buck? Who cares, its just a number. Really. How I hunt and harvest means way more to me than the inches.... I just shot the largest buck I've ever harvested a few months ago. Likely the largest I"ll ever shoot also.
A doe I have on the wall still means a lot more to me...

dvd - I still have a light jacket just like that-un.
Treebark ?

In your instance that buck was yours!!



In the OP hypothetical - hunter B. ----hunter A did not kill the deer.


Jerry

35 years ago I was Hunter B following my friend, Hunter A, down an old logging road. It was sub-zero weather. Hunter A was making a lot of noise on the frosty trail. I hung back about 75 yards, watching.

Hunter A snaps a twig and I see antlers raise up. I aim and fire my Remington 760 pump and hear a weak "click", the super cold weather had solidified the oil/grease in the rifle's action.

Hunter A hears me say "deer". Hunter B shoots it and hits it but not a killing shot. My next round fired OK and killed the deer.

Hunter B claimed it was his before I said a word. I simply congratulated him and then we proceeded on a five hour uphill drag back to camp.

I didn't think it was worth making an enemy.

Wouldn't want a buck that someone else hit, would give it to hunter A. Probably a lot of bloodshot meat....

It's reassuring to hear many of the answers here. Nice to know most care more about those they hunt with more than what goes home with whom. Seen it happen both ways and made the difference who I shared hunting camps with.

One year we worked real hard to help Hunter A get a moose. He did draw first blood, but "hypothetically" his moose wound up with a bit of extra lead (and/or perhaps a monolithic metal thingy) in it. After we heard the initial shot my partner and I circled back to find "A" walking in circles in front of the small hill we told him to sit on (looking for blood). I went in front of the hill and my buddy climbed up the back of the hill to look for said moose. Suddenly buddy yells from the hill and I hear his .338 barking...holy schitt....there was lead flying overhead. Then he points me in a downhill direction and I take off running (in hip waders no less). I run and stop to look and he yells, "50 f**king yards so I run some more. After about 4 iterations of the 50 f**king yard game I can just see a moose's back about 150 yards out. Being completely out of breath, I adjust down a bit and turn loose the mono-metal. Bam, he magically drops!

Happy Hunter A, and we even convinced him his bullet was what killed that moose.

Happy Hunter A!!



I/we'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Haha country I guess I'll call you tomorrow and see what has happened on the farm to start this thread.

I only had this happen one time. A guy from our camp jumped a buck up above me, and missed it with his first shot. It ran towards me and I missed with my first shot. His second shot hit it, and I couldn't hold off in time to keep from shooting it too. No big deal as far as I was concerned-his deer, and I congratulated him on it. His shot might, or might not have been fatal. My shot hit it in the head, so it was dead right there. Still doesn't matter. 'Glad one of our guys went home with the deer, and there was never any dispute whatsoever.

That shirt is long gone, my guide on a Quebec caribou hunt took a shine to it so I gave it to him

In Idaho, if anyone OTHER than B tagged it, it would be illegal party hunting. The one who kills it has to tag it.

Split the deer meat equally. That's how the people I hunt with handle it if more than one person puts a bullet in it. Nobody I hunt with cares about antlers, meat hunting is what we care about.

Hunter A screwed the pooch by making a lousy shot! Not his animal!

Go home and practice!!

Always knew, you were a "Give you the shirt of my back"-kind of man, Dan, Gerbil-King non-withstanding...

Would have to look at the situation in totality to see, hard to always have a black and white rule in situations like this.

If hunter A or B were a novice hunter and his first buck, he might get deference, when hunter A or B wasn't.

All other things being equal, the group I've hunted with, it would probably go to A.

I'm with Skane on all accounts on this matter. Could not have said it better myself.

Given the relationship situation, B should offer the deer to A, and A should refuse it and be glad that the others helped bail him out of his situation. B should offer to share the meat with everyone that helped out.

I've often pondered what I would do on public land if I killed a deer wounded by someone else. My conclusion is that a seriously wounded deer should go to the original shooter, but ones with broke legs and such are fair game for whoever stops it, unless it was wounded by a kid. In that case, the kid gets it.

Honestly, I don't think a lot of hunters even check for blood unless the deer falls at the shot. Also, many couldn't track a D8 across a snowy golf course, let alone follow a scant blood trail through deer cover. Sounds like the crew in the OP's story knew their business.

Given the OP's scenario ... and not getting into the "legal" side of things, or how well he shoots, or how much practice he needs, etc. ... I find it hard - almost impossible - to imagine myself being Hunter B and feeling like the deer was mine.

I don't need rules to be established prior to the search/drive, and I don't need to know or care whether Hunter A's initial shot that drew blood was more superficial or would have been eventually fatal. I'm out there helping Hunter A "recover" a deer that he shot, period. That's the only reason I'm out there.

I'd agree, probably get a picture with it and him, then move on.

B had the killing shot, he gets it. If I was B, and A wanted it that bad, I'd give it to him.

About 15 years ago, I gut shot this doe. She went down and I shot her again, but in the top of the back. The doe got up and ran off. It was pouring down rain and I lost the track. 2 weeks later, I had this doe walking through the woods all funny like. I shot it. When I went down to gut it, I noticed it stunk real bad. When I opened it up, all of this black blood came out and I almost puked. I let go of the deer and it rolled over on the other side, and that's when I saw the wounds. It was the deer that I'd shot 2 weeks earlier still alive.

Just because you shot it, doesn't necessarily mean you would have killed it.

All this good hearted, feel good stuff will for most go out the window if that Buck is a hog that was superficially wounded. Small Buck you work it out. Big one will change most peoples outlook.

Put me in A's place in this situation on a big Buck, and I would insist B take it. In addition to being happy for him. Might never have brought him to ground without B finishing it and in this case I as A, would have to look at and know there was a good chance I wouldn't be if B hadn't been there to kill it. Situation wouldn't be any different than if we put on a drive and B shot it in the first place. Make it an obvious mortal wound and I would let B make the decision.

Someone has to make a decision. In one case we both make it, in another I make it and in the third it's his choice. Most here comment on how they want it, but the other may not feel the same.

Next question is what do the two individuals consider to be big. But as soon as he says he wants it, no matter what the situation it's his.

Best thing is let the other person comment first, then take it from there. However, be willing to perhaps have it go against what you feel is right, accept it and move on.

I agree with you battue, you ought to be a psychologist.

If I was A, I would also insist B take it.

If you want to start down that road (and I don't mean just you personally, but anyone for this matter) ... Then we should consider the OP's scenario, and change a few little details, or at least ask a few questions about "what if" ...

1. Instead of Hunter A doing the driving, and leaving Hunter B in the position to make the kill shot, why not have Hunter B do the driving, and have Hunter A be in the spot to catch the deer coming out on the drive?

2. If you are any hunter/helper other than Hunter A, and Hunter A comes and asks for your assistance with a buck he shot, are you at that point helping him search for a buck, or are you out "hunting" while Hunter A is "searching"? For that matter, is Hunter A still "hunting" while looking for the buck?

I could go on with a few more questions, but what I asked myself when I read the OP's scenario is, "What exactly am I out there doing in the woods with Hunter A when he's requested my assistance?".

At the point I go into the woods with Hunter A, to an area I never intended on hunting (at least that day), looking for a buck that I had not been hunting (at least that day), I've already made the decision that my only reason for being out there is to help a "friend" finish off a buck that he shot already at least one time that day.

I really guess this is all about a frame of mind, once you disregard the "legal" side of things per DNR regulations, etc.

Also, consider that some people may get more satisfaction out of helping someone out vs. hanging a big set of antlers on the wall that you got only because someone else drug you out there and unwittingly drove a deer out right to you.

1: You can't change the details of the OP. It is what it was. A was driving and B was posting. "Damn we have a Buck that's been hit, who wants to drive, who wants to post? I think you should drive." "No, I want you to." "But what if?""Ok, but what if this happens." "Yea, but what if that happens?" "[bleep], I don't know, lets call the wives?"

2: Of course you should help end the situation for a friend if they ask. And of course I'm hunting, perhaps a different Buck will show up. And obviously A is also hunting. So yea, common sense tells us both are hunting. Making it complicated of who is hunting, who is helping, who is were they are for what reason only clouds the issue of doing what is right, and both parties have a role to play depending on circumstance. The only answer is how it plays out in the end. Then somebody makes a decision.

In Idaho, you kill it, you tag it. Anything else falls under the law as party hunting and is poaching.

After you put your tag on it, you can give the meat and horns to anyone you wish. But you are done hunting that species for the year.

I wasn't implying we should try to manipulate the OP's scenario ... I was just giving some changes to it for thought.

Thing is, I really don't get all eaten up about the "who gets the deer" thing ... I already said that I feel it was always Hunter A's deer. I'm not saying I'm right, and anyone else who thinks different is wrong.

In that instance, if I were Hunter B, I would probably have never shot at the deer when it was driven out. That kind of strict law really doesn't promote hunters helping other hunters track/kill a wounded deer, now does it?

Sounds simple, however the only reason for the rule is so the GC doesn't have to get in the middle of people from not doing what is right on their own. The GC's easy way out.

Damn, the Deer was hit in the leg. I've seen them run hard with only three. You can't guarantee you would always be able tell if a Deer was previous hit or it was a different one.

They do walk a little odd when they only have three.

Ok, one opinion.

Big or little, if I decide to shoot there is a reason. So, I hit it in the leg and you finish it. Your Deer, I don't deserve it.

You hit it in the leg and I finish it a day later. Mine unless you want it. Take it if you feel like it, but I won't think as much of you as I may previously have.

Addition: And then there are those you really don't care if someone else tags it. They just really like the killing part.

The reason for the rule, is so Dad does not go out and kill six deer or six elk and then have his five kids put a tag on each one.

Through the fifties and sixties, party hunting was pretty much the norm through rural Idaho. People did what they needed to do to fill the freezer. Nobody much cared as long as there was a tag on each deer to come through the check station.

I remember when I was a little kid, on more than one occasion Mom or Auntie would get a call from the payphone nearest the hunting grounds that the hunters had a flat and needed a spare tire, or perhaps two spares.

We little ones were quickly bundled up and driven to the families favorite base camp. But I do not remember any extra tires loaded into the car.

Through the 70's and 80's Idaho's population grew exponentially, as did the number of deer hunters. Hunters were limited to purchase one deer tag per season. And the taking of antlerless animals became strictly controlled.

And the game department started very actively enforcing rules against party hunting.

We never had party hunting here. You have a personal limit. Shoot over it and you broke the law. However, letting someone else tag game happens here on a regular basis. Cousin was a fur buyer from a small town. When we had a lot of Doe, by the end of the season every legal hunter in town had pretty much tagged one.

So how long after wounding it does A's 'its mine' last? The deer likely would survive it so are you expecting B to give it to A that day only? How about if he shoots it next week? Next season?

Officially, we never had party hunting here either. It was illegal. It is just that game was plentiful and need was great in many families, so it was only prosecuted in flagrant cases.

But wasting of the meat would have gotten a guy hung!

Had a situation something like that this year. Last drive....Last day.

There were 5 of us, I could shoot either buck or doe. My cousin, doe only. Both his sons had tagged out earlier that day so they were just drivers and his BIL Steve was out for a doe.

We put 5 out. My cousin was the lone flanker and fired twice right at the start of the drive. He hollered that there was a doe hit in the drive. I was the high driver and had just climbed a spillbank when I saw a tail flick. Saw it was a deer. It took 2 or 3 steps and came into a small opening....I fired and put one through the chest breaking the onside shoulder and putting it down.

I yelled to Steve that it was straight in front of him in the scrub and he tried a head shot to finish it but missed. Didn't matter as the deer expired rather quick.

As we gathered around this doe, we seen that it was the one my cousin had fired at. He fired at it head on and grazed the neck on a severe downward angle and basically just put one heck of a slice in the hide.

It was my deer. I put the lethal shot into it. If my cousin had put a killing shot on that deer, it would have been his as I would have simply anchored it for him. if Steve had hit the head with the finishing shot....It would have still been mine because I put the first lethal shot into it.

We go by who put the first killing shot into the deer. Whoever does that is the one who tags it. What you do with the meat is then up to your own discretion.

My buddy shot a buck that we tracked for several hundred yards but failed to recover. A year later I killed a buck that had a big knot 2 inches above the knee. He said it was the same buck he had shot the year before. Was I supposed to give it to him?

I'd relish the chance to flame someone else's wounded deer, and watch them gut it, and pack it, and process it, and find out it tastes like crap.

I'll finish the job he couldn't, all day long, but no thanks, he can have the meat.

The law here in PA states the person who puts the killing shot on the deer gets its.

If my shot wasn't enough to kill the deer and it runs to someone else it's my fault. It's their deer. I was in this situation neary 15 years ago. Nice 8 came in maybe 100", I had a .223 put it on his heart and squeezed. The deer dropped right there but had his head up looking at me. I put another round in the TC Contender and only had a head shot. Before I could decode to take the shot he jumped and bolted. He made it into the rocks and laurel before I could shoot. I immediately heard another shot. Now I don't believe this guy actually hit the deer, I think he saw it shot and the deer died from my shot. It was turning ugly, we were both getting pretty hot. All I wanted to do was see a second wound and prove he hit the deer. Before we started throwing fists I walked away. A deer just isn't worth it.

I ended up shooting a 130" 9pt later in the season.

Point is, the law says the killing shot owns the deer. It is what it is... If someone in my hunting party wounds one and I finish it, they can have it. Otherwise, the law applies.

A few years ago in Idaho, we had a game warden who admitted to finishing a deer shot by someone else. He became an ex-game warden after paying his fine.

Change a couple small details and this is how my uncle got his best buck, a beautiful 160" 10 pointer. I tracked the buck for hours, determined where he was holed up, organized the drive to push him out into the open again and put 2 slugs into his chest dropping him for good.
My uncle walked over, shot him 2 more times to feel good about it, tagged him and never even bothered to thank me.
My take is, without the spotty blood trail from a non-fatal lower leg wound and plenty of fresh snow, I would have never killed the buck. No hard feelings except he owed me a thank you.

Ridiculous!