Hunting Forum

rt4, not only is that ability to retrieve nice, it's also nice that surrounding neighbors down in SC are aware of and honor that right. Here in NY I would probably not intentionally enter another man's property with a firearm unless he first granted permission. Guess I'm livin' in the wrong state. I do own a house in SC but have yet to go there.

in my opionion its the right thing to do but it isnt allowed i guess it to me depends on the situation if its 15 yards into there land then you know... but if it runs 3-400 yards in there and is still going then i think your better off leaving it.. also this is why you should know the land owners around you so this wouldnt be a problem and you could explain to them why your there and they might have a better understanding.and you can always just give them a quick call and tell them what happened and ask permission to track down and finish off the animal

Happened to a friend of mine last year. He shot the biggest buck that he had ever had the opportunity to take. Shooting deer with shot guns deer rarely drop on the spot. Anyway the buck ran on to a neighboring property and the land owner told him no. He could not enter his property to retrieve his deer. The next day although illegal he went to retrieve the deer anyway. When he found it 30 yards on the property it had been almost entirely consumed by yotes. He go the nice trophy rack. but the deer was wasted. What a shame.

Legally you cannot shoot across the property line without permission from the next landowner. Everywhere elk live there are predators and scavengers to finish the job. If you see it die, or know it will die, most states (not all) allow you to go unarmed to retrieve it. If you go to retrieve it and the landowner makes a stink, you call the peace officer or game warden, and have them go with you to retrieve it. None of us want to see an animal suffer, but the laws are there to keep you, the hunter, from being shot by the irate landowner, and to keep unethical shooters (I won't call them a hunter, as a true hunter is ethical) from poaching. Yes, I use real terms, I'm proud to not be politically correct!

I allow all my adjacent land owners to track wounded animals on my land, and they allow the same.

He shot it on land that he had permission to hunt. He even called the game warden. In Indiana if the land owner says no, then you cannot retieve it.

Same way here in Ohio rmathews.

Same rule in Mi. if they say no, you can't go get it, but they can't touch it either. It has to be left to rot, cause you can only legally tag it if you killed it. This regularly leads to cluster f$%Ks.

I think if you can put it down without possible harm to a person or property put it down if already wounded. Then contact the landowner to see if you can retrieve the animal. If they say no then at least the animal won't suffer.

Of course, these situations change dramatically if one takes the time to get to know the adjacent landowners long before the hunting season. A bit of simple traditional neighborliness can go a long way. Bring a gift and advertise your strong sense of responsibility and ethics and who knows, you may make a friend and even pick up some new hunting ground. In any case, you will no longer be a "stranger." My neighbor's lease hunters made the effort to come over and introduce themselves, a basic gesture that has allowed us to coordinate which stands will be in use on what days and improving safety and success for all concerned. Even my other neighbor, who doesn't allow hunting (creating a valuable sanctuary for the deer), understands the ethical commitment to recover a wounded animal.
As a lawyer friend says,"law comes in where civility fails."

In Wisconsin you are supposed to get the permission of the land owner before entering their property. Even to retrieve wounded game. A lot of hunters don't get permission. They just jump the fence and take their chances. This very incident happened to me. It was late Bow Season in December and it was COLD!! Normally I try to tag out before this part of the season hits, but I gave my first deer away to an old couple. So I was out there, ready to take buck or doe. I needed meat. I was hunting some excellent property but right next door was a person that HATED hunters. Well as luck would have it a doe came in. And I drew back the bow, but was not used to wearing so many clothes. When I released, the string hit my sleeve and flipped the shot. I saw the arrow hit and knew it was gut shot.

1 hour later I climbed out of the tree and started tracking. Blood was every where in the snow. I really thought I would find the deer very soon. But it ran right to the neighbor's fence line and crawled under his fence. So I went to the neighbors and knocked on the door. I explained I had wounded a doe, and I could see the veins on his neck already start to pop. I further explained that it went under his fence, so I suspected it on his property laying somewhere. I asked permission to get the deer. He then started giving me a lecture about hunters, and wounding, and so in. But I finally said, I was loosing day light. Either he could give me permission, I would get the deer, and take it off his property, or the next day, try and shoot another one. He then told me to get it. Which I did. Funny thing is, the deer went 30 yards onto his, made a loop and came back on to the property where I had been hunting. After I retrieved the deer I went back to his house, told him it had entered his property, but did a circle on me. So actually it was not on his property when I retrieved it. But I thanked him again for his kindness.

My point is, I followed the law. And even though the neighbor was a nasty old devil, I still reasoned with him, and got permission. Now I could have jumped the fence and did the track, but I knew that had this happened on my property, I would have liked to be contacted. So I extended the same consideration. Also later that winter I took him a stick of venison sausage I made. He was very pleased then. This old neighbor that never talks to anyone, even invited me in for a beer.