Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting I killed someone else's buck

It was the first day of the Wisconsin gun deer season and I am in a tree stand on a side hill of a deep hollow. The hollow is a funnel that deer move through frequently, especially during the rut. It was in the 40s and windy. Before noon several deer came thru within range, a couple of nice bucks I would have shot if it was last day of season.

About 1:00 PM I detected movement on the opposite hillside and up went the binoculars, it was a good looking buck, moving slowly. I had ranged a rock outcropping earlier that the buck was near. 325 yards. No way to put a bullet thru that swimming pool of brush and Red Cedar trees. He disappeared into a small draw, but I did not see him come out of it until about 30 minutes later. If he continued on the hillside he would eventually run out of heavy brush and tree cover. Oh, oh as he kept moving he laid down twice. That buck was hurt.

Watching, watching then it was time to send a .257 87 gr Speer HotCor. Placed the 99-A gripped in my left hand on the tree stand front bar and the crack of the 250-3000 echoed thru the hollows. The sight picture was a high shoulder shot. Buck down and he rolled sideways a couple of times. Range was 145 yards. Got to the buck and looked him over to find a bullet hole high and back of the front leg and one hole in the front shoulder and exit on back of the oft side shoulder. Blood had weeped out of the side of the deer and along the rear part of the belly and lower rear leg. Out of curiosity I went to the area where I saw him lay down the last time and there was evidence of blood loss but not extreme.

Returned to the buck and as I put my drag rope on him, i received a text message from my wife saying a neighbor and his son are here at the farm and want permission to follow up on a wounded buck that crossed over onto our place. I told her to tell that them I killed a wounded buck, but I have two hours of shooting time left and I am going back to my stand. Will work out the logistics later. Drug the buck about 75 yards down the hill, took a picture and went hunting.

Dang it. That’s a nice buck. Been involved in this type of situation and it usually sucks for all parties, hope it worked out for you okay.

Hope it goes ok for ya

You did the right thing. Rock solid.

Good on you! They'll be pleased that they didn't lose it.

So… was the deer laying down when you shot him, or was he up and standing or moving?

Makes a difference where I’m from.

Proper even if one doesnt believe in karma.

Respectful thing to do and I’m glad the animal was put down and didn’t got unfound and wasted. That is what good neighbors do.

Good call, been there.

Tip of the hat to you sir.

When I was a teenager hunting with my buddy and his dad in northern MN, my buddy’s dad shot a nice buck that came loping into the clear cut he was watching. Jim shot and the buck somersaulted and never got up again.

A few minuets later another hunter came up and told Jim he’d been following that buck since first light. Jim shook the man’s hand and congratulated him on his deer. They used a sled to haul it to where the guy could get his wheeler to it. Later that evening the knocked on the camper door and gave Jim both back straps from that buck.

Both men handled it perfect IMO and I’ll never forget it. It sounds like you did too.

Roundoak,

I assume you used the beautiful Savage 99 you have posted pictures of over the years?

Care to elaborate on the difference? Where are you from?

one of my uncles told me when he hunted PENN back in the 60s and 70s during the 2 day doe season, that it was common for two or more guys to be shooting at the same deer. More than once he said they flipped a coin and the winner tagged the deer

Nice Deer and obviously you made a couple appreciate your being a good neighbor.

No matter where one is from you made the right move.

Congrats!!!!

You’ve shot far better deer. No doubt you killed it. Not sure the point of this post. Congratulations if that’s what you need.

That was a good thing you did.

It was also refreshing to hear your neighbor and his kid came to ask permission before perusing the
buck. I've seen many who just think they're entitled to follow a wounded deer anywhere they please.

Well do tell what the difference is.

I have always been a believer in first blood gets the deer if they are still putting in the effort to retrieve.

I killed one during muzzleloader season that my buddy had shot in the neck 5 days earlier.

Good job, roundoak. I finished a wounded buck last year. I waited for quite a while, but no one ever did follow it up. Wish they would have. It was a pain in the arse getting out of where it was.