Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What to do when hunting morals clash with the law

Paul
Use just a bit of common sense, with a paunch hit thats advisable, with a double lung Iv'e been along with others and watched them fall less than a minute after and arrow did its work... They won't rot that quick because they are not dead yet. Same with a paunch hit with a rifle... you gotta apply sense here and understand what was meant by the comment.

Now as to dying in 6 hours I don't see that happening, but rotting in 6 hours, I've never had the pleasure of an elk, but it won't happen on a deer. And I"ve had moose meat out for well overnight and the night was in the 50s.... no issues.

Jeff

BTW regardless of the law, I'd have tagged the animal if it was my gut shot. All the other arrow did was speed it up, its still mine and I"m damn stubborn and would take that one to court and argue it all the way. On principle, which might not get me far. A paunch hit is a lethal hit, it just takes different recovery methods and time.

I don't know for sure what I would have done in that situation. I believe if I were in the father's position that I would not have been able to ignore the little voice in my head telling me to put the elk down quickly. Floating by in a boat with a motor may or may not have crossed my mind. I don't know for sure. However, ignorance of the law is never an excuse. Tagging? That's another story. I know that in the future, faced with the similar situation, my tag would go on it. For all eternity, from my perspective and that of my family, it would be my son's elk. Heck, he would be happy with that because, from his perspective, he would have the remainder of the season to legally obtain an (another?) elk.