First blood

[T-BONE]

Hypothetical situation-
If someone shoots a moose and draws blood (gut shot) and the moose runs (say 100 yards) and another hunter shoots it too. Who has rights to this moose?

[Frostbitten]

Hypothetical situation-
If someone shoots a moose and draws blood (gut shot) and the moose runs (say 100 yards) and another hunter shoots it too. Who has rights to this moose?

Arm wrestle for it...winner takes all.

[stid2677]

First hunter to take a FATAL shot,, that said possession is 9/10 of the law.

[hodgeman]

Hypothetical situation-
If someone shoots a moose and draws blood (gut shot) and the moose runs (say 100 yards) and another hunter shoots it too. Who has rights to this moose?

This comes up every year.... in the crowded E. Coast, etiquette seems to favor the guy who put it down and hangs a tag first.

In the less populous West, etiquette favors the guy to draw first blood...that said, I couldn't bring myself to tag an animal with a bullet wound inflicted prior to mine. Once it's been hit in the torso, everybody else is supporting cast in my book.

[Jerod]

I shot a nice bull caribou on the slope one year. A couple of guys had already put an arrow in it and had chased it all day. I drove up, saw it coming and set up an ambush. I put it down and up pops the other two hunters. The first thing out of their mouth's was, "Thank you!" Then they proceeded to start butchering it. I kindly let them have the bou, but thought it was a little bold of them. Their shot was not a killing shot, and the bou would have kept going, but it was obviously run hard all day. They did offer some of the caribou to me, but I declined and went on my way.

[stid2677]

I shot a nice bull caribou on the slope one year. A couple of guys had already put an arrow in it and had chased it all day. I drove up, saw it coming and set up an ambush. I put it down and up pops the other two hunters. The first thing out of their mouth's was, "Thank you!" Then they proceeded to start butchering it. I kindly let them have the bou, but thought it was a little bold of them. Their shot was not a killing shot, and the bou would have kept going, but it was obviously run hard all day. They did offer some of the caribou to me, but I declined and went on my way.

You got the best of that deal. I bet he tasted nasty with all that stress.

[Mammoth Hunter]

I gotta vote with the one who puts it down. I shot a bou that had been shot in the hind quarter and I put one in the chest for an immediate drop. No hunter came looking for it but not taking a humane shot should not really be awarded. I probably would have split some of it with him had he really wanted.

[Catch It]

I shot a nice bull caribou on the slope one year. A couple of guys had already put an arrow in it and had chased it all day. I drove up, saw it coming and set up an ambush. I put it down and up pops the other two hunters. The first thing out of their mouth's was, "Thank you!" Then they proceeded to start butchering it. I kindly let them have the bou, but thought it was a little bold of them. Their shot was not a killing shot, and the bou would have kept going, but it was obviously run hard all day. They did offer some of the caribou to me, but I declined and went on my way.

True, there should have been a discussion. I'm just impressed they were still tracking it. Folks give up way too early and without enough effort on wounded animals in my estimation. My dad always taught me that all hunting stopped until all effort possible was exhausted to find the wounded animal. So, good on them for being right behind it.

When I was a kid, I took a long shot with my 32 special at a whitetail. Too long. I had hit it back, but it was a lethal hit, just not sudden death. I had an ok blood trail and was working my way through a cornfield tracking him. He pops out the other side and this guy starts laying lead. I hit the deck in a dead furrow and wait for the bullets to stop whizzing. I scoot out into the field so the guy can at least see me, and he heads over. I said I had hit it, he said he had it down in the woods. (I would hope so when he took 5 shots). Well, I was just 14 and an adult was tellin me it was his deer, my dad wasn't around to back me up. So I just basically let him have it. I felt bad that I didn't down it soon enough to avoid that but at least it got harvested.....SO I THOUGHT. A buddy of that guy told us later that winter he had shot the thing in the jaw, and tracked it for a whopping 100 yards into the woods and then gave up. I can guarantee you I'd have gotten another crack at that buck if this guy hadn't blocked me. S

o, in many ways if it was a lethal hit (which guts certainly eventually will be if you can trail it) I go with first blood. However, an arrow sticking out of it's hump or rump......not so much.

Also, I hope to god I am never moose hunting within 100 yards of another human who is not in my hunting party. Plus, an animal even shot well can run 100 yards. I double lunged a moose with a bow and he collectively went 150 yards before laying down. Have had rifle moose go 100 yards as well. Who's to say it wasn't lookin for the right hole to drop in, or that if the other person wasn't there that they wouldn't have followed it to its deathbed or caught up and finished it. This one's always sticky but if a guy is on the animal's track the way he should be, and the animal ends up in front of someone else, I kinda think the first shot gets the nod.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Hypothetical situation-
If someone shoots a moose and draws blood (gut shot) and the moose runs (say 100 yards) and another hunter shoots it too. Who has rights to this moose?

What is wrong with sharing?
My dad once shot a monster buck in GA many years ago. He shot it through both lungs, but it ran over two hollers. Another hunter finished it off with a shot to the neck.

My dad heard the other guy shoot before he arrived on scene and the other guy heard my dad shoot. There was a joint gutting session and my dad kept the horns and most of the meat but handed off the tenderloin for the guy's help. My dad also tagged it.

If I was the one to finish the bull off, and the other hunter showed up, I'd offer it to him/her. I'd also offer my help in butchering it. If it was a miss and there was only one hit...then it is a whole different ball game (But I'd still share if they helped).

[JuliW]

I kinda think the first shot gets the nod.

Legally the first lethal shot.. which is not necessarily the shot that draws first blood.

Of course, then you have the whole discussion of 'what is lethal'...
I would suspect the authorities would agree that a lethal shot is one in which the animal dies within a short amount of time after being hit (any ideas as to what that 'time' might be?). There are many ways to injure an animal in which it may or may not survive....gut shot, leg shot, neck shot, brisket shot, muzzle/snout shot, antler shot(LOL)..these may not be lethal in a short amount of time, although with 'time', the animal may die as a result of the injury. (except antler shot, of course. LOL)


Juli

[swampdonkey]

I shot a nice bull caribou on the slope one year. A couple of guys had already put an arrow in it and had chased it all day. I drove up, saw it coming and set up an ambush. I put it down and up pops the other two hunters. The first thing out of their mouth's was, "Thank you!" Then they proceeded to start butchering it. I kindly let them have the bou, but thought it was a little bold of them. Their shot was not a killing shot, and the bou would have kept going, but it was obviously run hard all day. They did offer some of the caribou to me, but I declined and went on my way.

My last slope caribou was also shot prior to me shooting it. The whole arrow was literally dangling out of the hide, very top of the left shoulder blade, just the back of the broadhead holding it in. The blood on the shoulder was already drying up. I snuck up on him as he was feeding. He was acting normal otherwise. I shot him and down he goes. As I'm just getting my hands on him, two guys pop up over a knob. They come over, look and point at the bou and say, "yep, that's him". They put their bows down like they were staying for awhile. I pulled the arrow out and gave it back the closest guy. I said, "your shot was not lethal, mine was. You wound was inferior, but I killed it". They left without saying much else.

[Catch It]

Legally the first lethal shot.. which is not necessarily the shot that draws first blood.

Of course, then you have the whole discussion of 'what is lethal'...
I would suspect the authorities would agree that a lethal shot is one in which the animal dies within a short amount of time after being hit (any ideas as to what that 'time' might be?). There are many ways to injure an animal in which it may or may not survive....gut shot, leg shot, neck shot, brisket shot, muzzle/snout shot, antler shot(LOL)..these may not be lethal in a short amount of time, although with 'time', the animal may die as a result of the injury. (except antler shot, of course. LOL)


Juli

I think the rest of my post sets up the true meaning of what I meant beyond your truncated quote. I have found deer the next day, still alive some of them, due to extensive tracking on hands and knees, circling, and of course some luck, but mostly due diligence. I can safely say any animal that I have not recovered was not retrievable (not that it didn't expire, sadly) without extensive luck because I know my efforts were everything I had to give. Most any animal (even gut shot) is retrievable if it is left to it's own devices and lays down, stiffens up etc. ask any bowhunter and the tracking stories will pile in. The problem becomes when hunter densities are such that an animal that is hurt and will lay down within a quarter mile or less, ends up running in front of someone else. Then the discussions start. True, what is "lethal" and when one is in a high hunter density area, it is very likely an animal that is marginally hit (or simply has a startling will to live) can end up in another person's sights. It doesn't mean that without the interference that the person would have have retrieved it. Personally, if I took an animal that someone else had hit, and at any point in dressing it etc. they come up on me on the blood trail, I very likely will be handing that animal over to them. 100yards as posted would hardly be far enough for one to say that it wasn't a lethal hit.

On the other hand, if something I hit makes it to someone else, I will not get to the point of harsh words over the animal (but you can bet if it was hit well I will make my case, or offer to share). I will largely be glad that it was harvested and will be eaten and enjoyed.....and try to hunt somewhere else in the future so that I am not that tight to someone else......I live in Alaska for a reason.

[Catch It]

My last slope caribou was also shot prior to me shooting it. The whole arrow was literally dangling out of the hide, very top of the left shoulder blade, just the back of the broadhead holding it in. The blood on the shoulder was already drying up. I snuck up on him as he was feeding. He was acting normal otherwise. I shot him and down he goes. As I'm just getting my hands on him, two guys pop up over a knob. They come over, look and point at the bou and say, "yep, that's him". They put their bows down like they were staying for awhile. I pulled the arrow out and gave it back the closest guy. I said, "your shot was not lethal, mine was. You wound was inferior, but I killed it". They left without saying much else.

And I think that's how it should have gone down for sure, and those boys should have been glad that the animal was taken down without any undue suffering due to a poor hit. There may be more the story but were I them, or you, I would have walked away from that scenario feeling that things went as they should. and hopefully nothing got tense.

[JuliW]

I think the rest of my post sets up the true meaning of what I meant beyond your truncated quote.

Apologies Catch It, I didn't intend to take away from the meaning of the sentence in its entirety. I was merely bringing up the fact that the legal definition is 'first lethal shot' and trying to encourage a bit of discussion regarding what is 'lethal', by legal definition... I wholeheartedly agree with you... if the first shooter is making an attempt to track and dispatch an animal they shot, and they do in fact catch up to it during the course of another hunter making a killing shot, it ought to be acknowledged as the first shooter's.

[SmokeRoss]

.... due to extensive tracking on hands and knees, circling, .... mostly due diligence..... I know my efforts were everything I had to give. Most any animal (even gut shot) is retrievable .....I live in Alaska for a reason.

I once tracked a bow shot moose for 14 hours. The first 4 were on hands and knees. I finally finished him off just before dark. Not many hunters would have taken him to the freezer.
Glad to know there are others out there who know how to track, and don't give up.