One Elk Two Shooters, who gets it?

So I had an unfortunate experience this last weekend. I had my wife out for her first elk hunt.

wifes 1st shot-gut shot
wifes 2nd shot-solid hip bone shattering shot. (thick woods)

Animal kept moving away. Solid blood trail for 200 yards.. Then out of no where we hear a close shot.. I knew someone had just shot our cow...

It turned out to be one of my friends that had made his way around the mountain. I felt that it should be ours. Two decent hits, and the blood trail..

Ill probably end up sharing some meat.. What do you all think??

I think it is yours. You were tracking a mortally wounded animal.

It's yours for sure, but it never hurts to share with a buddy! (can i be your buddy?)

Someone of really integrity would know that it is yours. Being a friend of yours makes it a lot easier. Ask yourself what you would do if the shoe was on the other foot. If you share with him good for you. If you need another buddy, I'll be sure to take some off your hand and will pick up too! [Beer]

Or you could just have a grillin' party! I'll carpool with Southpaw. It's cool to share, although it is your kill!

Id say its yours only based on the 2nd shot. While the first would be fatal it would almost for sure be lost as that cow would keep moving a lot.

If were just another hunter I would take the whole thing. If it was a good friend id toss him some meat for finishing it off but make sure he and my wife knew it was her kill.

First blood, is what we have always said.

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Originally Posted by MCarp71

Or you could just have a grillin' party! I'll carpool with Southpaw. It's cool to share, although it is your kill!

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There's an idea! [Coffee]

Good point sniper7. I have been encouraging her a lot wanting her to know she would have had the final shot.

"Group cookout"? You guys are real funny.. thanks for your thoughts though.

There is common courtesy and then there is the law.

ALL of the CO DOW regulations use the word "kill" for tagging, use of meat, etc. The actual legal right to an animal is to the person who "killed" the animal. If it was alive and then finished off with a subsequent shot, the kill shot claims possession.

There is some gray area. If your shot "would" have killed it, there is obviously a potential claim. Based on the description, I would say that the kill shot of your friend would obligate him to tag the animal. The proper thing to do (IMHO) would be to share the meat unless your wife ended up filling her tag. Then your friend should at least thank her with the backstraps.

Be careful of the regulations on party hunting. If your friend's shot was viewed as the "kill" shot by a DOW officer, but it had your wife's tag on it, they could potentially take the carcass and issue two tickets for party hunting.

Go read the regs..."kill" is the operative word.

its your elk

Whoever was scarier lookin. [Luck]

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Originally Posted by MarkCO

There is common courtesy and then there is the law.

ALL of the CO DOW regulations use the word "kill" for tagging, use of meat, etc. The actual legal right to an animal is to the person who "killed" the animal. If it was alive and then finished off with a subsequent shot, the kill shot claims possession.

There is some gray area. If your shot "would" have killed it, there is obviously a potential claim. Based on the description, I would say that the kill shot of your friend would obligate him to tag the animal. The proper thing to do (IMHO) would be to share the meat unless your wife ended up filling her tag. Then your friend should at least thank her with the backstraps.

Be careful of the regulations on party hunting. If your friend's shot was viewed as the "kill" shot by a DOW officer, but it had your wife's tag on it, they could potentially take the carcass and issue two tickets for party hunting.

Go read the regs..."kill" is the operative word.

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We had that same situation happen to our camp other then it being a friend part. one of our guys shot it followed the blood trail and then some other guys shot it and tagged it. We decided to give it to them just not to deal with the hassel. but then later we asked the game warden and she said techincally it should have been ours.

Gut shot you say??? Let your buddy have it...
[Coffee]

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Originally Posted by waxthis

Gut shot you say??? Let your buddy have it...
[Coffee]

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Did you read the 2nd shot? If the gut shot was the only hit, I might agree with you. I'm just hoping this weather helps out for this weekend...

Thanks for your opinion.

Had a NICE Pronghorn buck I shot 2 years ago go this way too. Shot the in the left shoulder and sadly I was low 8 inches and broke his leg . He ran off on three legs about a mile to another group of hunters that dispatched him. Either I felt bad about the whole thing and stopped hunting for a couple hours and practiced about 40 rounds. I was dead on in the practice but i believe I got excited when i shot at this buck. Later that day I got another nice buck and that was a clean kill. Either way I learned a lot from that hunt and that is to concentrate on the vital zone. Either way in a deer hunt a month later I concentrates so hard on that shot and he went to deer heaven instantly. If the friend is cool he would share the meat with you and if he were a gentleman give your wife the kill.

Sounds right... what a bummer

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Originally Posted by waxthis

Gut shot you say??? Let your buddy have it...
[Coffee]

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gunoholic

Did you read the 2nd shot? If the gut shot was the only hit, I might agree with you. I'm just hoping this weather helps out for this weekend...

Thanks for your opinion.

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I think he was referring to the mess of a gut shot. Stomach contents, etc. floating in the cavity can ruin a lot of meat, plus, it's just nasty to have to field dress. Yuck!

Should share. Texas heart shots probably took care of a lot of the meat.