carbonhunter Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 This season has been awsome so far, I've been seeing tons and tons of deer including some real nice wall hangers. I havnt had a shooting oppertunity mainly because the chance of putting a bad shot on a deer just makes me sick especially a wall hagner, I also havnt taken a trophy with the bow, and i promised myself i would hold out this year. I havnt been able to hunt much of the rut due too work and the fact that i was in Iowa this past weekend. I fine'ly made it into the woods monday night. Everything felt good going in cool temps nice sky and dry crunchy leaves ment that very few deer where going to be sneaking up on me. When i climbed into my stand i just had that feeling that this night was going to be special. I climbed in about 4 pm so i figured that would give me about an hour and ahalf to hunt. Around 4:30 i hear some movment on the far ridge line eventually i make out a little spike he works his way down the ridge and up the tree line towards me. The stand im hunting in is an old gun stand that someone tacked into a tree a long time ago, it only sits about 9 feet off the ground in some thick stuff. I have plenty of shooting lanes and trails leading all around me. I had hung my drag rope with doe in estrus from the bottom of the stand, more to use as a cover sent than anything else. Well this little spike walks straight up to the tree stands up on his back legs and starts nibilling at the drag rope, his head is only about three feet below me. so close i could smell his breath as it came out his nose pretty neat stuff, this little guy isnt around for more than five minutes when i hear a crunching coming from my right and a little behind me, out of the corner of my eye see a NICE 6 point with real heavy beams and tall long points come walking down the trail in front of me, the little spike nows his place as he drops down and dosnt move an inch. The six point pays him very little attention and goes right down the trail nose to the ground and grunting every few feet or so. Not five minutes goes by when i hear more movment coming don the trail the six point was on, this time when i turn it takes away my breath. Two weeks ago i watched two bucks duke it out from this stand the smaller of the two was a 10 point that i figured to be around 150+ he is very distinct because the right beam has alot more mass than the left beam. Well here he is trotting down a trail that is going to put him at 15 yards 1/4 away right in my lane. As he hits the lane i come too full draw and give a little grrr with my mouth, he stops and i bury the pin in the basket and let her fly. The arrow vanishes into his brisket as he jumps into the air. It had become second nature for me to nock another arrow as soon as i shoot just incase the deer gives me another look i can slip another in there. Well thats exactly what he did walked five yards and looked back over his shoulder. BIG mistake arrow number two hits about an inch above where number one went in thos time he walks off tail between his legs. he walks into a pine thicket and disapeers. I climb down and go find my arrows, both are covered in blood from head to fletching and the second arrow has a chunk of lung about half way up the arrow. At this point im pretty pumped, I mark the blood and back out to get my buddy and let the deer bed up. I also had to call the neighbor as the deer moved onto property i dont have permission to hunt. The land owner was out of town but his son gave me permission to go in after it, these guys let two guys hunt that property, so i wanted to make shure i wasnt going to become the hunted. The shot was taken at 5 o'clock by the time i get everything together its 6:30, perfect i figured. My buddy and i hit the blood right away and the trail is not hard to follow, puddle after puddle all the way through this pine thicket. As we are approaching the end of the thicket we hear a pick-up truck rev up and peel out of the drive way.the blood goes to the end of the thicket and into an open field, we follow it another 20 yards and there is a HUGE pool of blood right in the middle of a good size deer bed, then blood leading up to the drivway of the neighbors, thats where it ends this dream hunt turns into a nightmere. Its about 8 oclock when we get to this point we figure the blood will pick up on the other side of the drive way...nope we look around until 2:30 in the morning without ever finding another drop of blood, i spent two hours on my hands and knees looking for drops all around the drive way...nothing. I had to work untill 3:30 today but i hit the wood right after work. I start following the blood trail down, and cross the fence onto the neighbors property. I make it about 50 yards when i hear a voice up in the tree "Are you lost?" i look up and see a grizzly old man stairing down at me, No sir i replied, i then identified myself gave the land owners name and pulled out the permission slip i had to look for my deer. The guys reply almost caused me too lose it, " I was in the stand from noon untill dark yesterday and no buck walked past here" UGGG???? well i find that hard to believe sir since im standing here looking at a puddle of blood the size of a basketball??? The guy gives me the exact same line a second time well no im starting to get a little pissed, i look up and tell the guy well regardless of what you saw or didnt see im going to look for this deer, As i start to walk away the guy says " oh i promise ya that deer made it over the highway" i stop and look up and reply i thought you said you didnt see a deer???, well the guy just ignored me/ pretended he didnyt hear me. Well i follow the blood trail up too the same spot right next to the drive way, this time in the light i can see what looks to be drag marks headed to the driveway. I also notice that the guys truck is parked about 75 yards away in some brush. I kinda walk over buy it and notice blood all over the bed of the truck. Now i'm normally im a very polite kid and will give anyone the benifit of the doubt, but this time i about snapped. I waited the two hours untill the guy got out of his tree and came walking up to the truck, i asked him how the hunt went and such and asked him if he had had any luck this week??? He replied no. Then i asked him if he would like to explain the blood and deer hair in the back of his truck. While this is going on i notice that the guy hasnt un-cocked is crossbow yet either and im starting to wonder. Well the guy ended it by telling me that he didnt have to explain anything to a little piece of * got in his truck and peeled right out of there. I can see taking a dead deer next to a road or somthing but to do that and then not even be able to look me in the eye and say he didnt do it really really pisses me off to no end. I need some advice on what to do, i have no proof he took the deer but it all adds up. Im about 99.9% shure that my buck is on his pole right now. What would you guys do, i ask because all the thoughts i have had so far would prob end up with me in the back of a police car. Needless to say i wont be hunting this property again, if they will take a deer there is no way im trusting my stands being hung out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please Ouch. I honestly feel that if I were in your situation I would take the low road. Heck, I can't even see the "moral" high road. Its not even on my radar map. Hopefully, someone can help you out here Carbon. I feel for ya. I mean my stomach turned just reading your post. You showed a lot of restraint by not taking that crossbow and putting it where the sun don't shine. You ought to be proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherguy Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please swab some blood, call a game warden and get teh guys name etc. the warden can threaten to have a dna test with your arrow, the blood trail, and the deer at the guys place or blood in his truck. WOuld they? Here they do to prove poaching, so why not deer theft? and if not the threat might get you your deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please I don't know what you can do other than what fisherguy said--contact the local game warden--tell him your story and see what you can do. If he tell's you nothing--then at least take benefit that you know the deer died quickly and isn't suffering or going to waste. I am very sorry--that really stinks. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please I would have completely lost it...but have to commend you on your restraint. Sad to say but I would have to agree with your suspission on the the guy taking your deer.the signs are all there sad to say...I really have no answers for you sorry to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dg Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please It sounds like you really don't have a case (legally). But if that was the buck of my dreams (and it sounds like it is) I would hold a grudge (unfortuneately) forever. Reason, I don't ask for nothing and don't take nothing. So that boy would pay somehow, or I'd welcome him to the sport of baseball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please This is about the most horrible story I have heard in a while. I can't see how anyone could steal someones deer and feel good about it. If I were in that stand, and a deer expired within sight, I know for sure I would have tried to find the hunter who shot him. Either backtracking the blood, or calling out...something. There is no way I could take someone elses trophy ( or doe for that matter). It would mean less than nothing to me. I definately don't need venison bad enough to do that. Unfortunately there is probably not much you can do about it. I commend you on your restraint. It sounds like a situation that could have easily turned ugly. One thing I would do is have a talk with the landowner. It isn't gonna help you get your deer back, but at least he will know what kind of low life scum he has hunting his property, and possibly getthem booted. Carbonhunter... I can't even imagine how you are feeling. I'm fired up, as you can tell, just responding to this.Keep your head up. The next one will be even bigger. Good luck the rest of the season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbonhunter Posted November 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please [ QUOTE ] This is about the most horrible story I have heard in a while. I can't see how anyone could steal someones deer and feel good about it. If I were in that stand, and a deer expired within sight, I know for sure I would have tried to find the hunter who shot him. Either backtracking the blood, or calling out...something. There is no way I could take someone elses trophy ( or doe for that matter). It would mean less than nothing to me. I definately don't need venison bad enough to do that. Unfortunately there is probably not much you can do about it. I commend you on your restraint. It sounds like a situation that could have easily turned ugly. One thing I would do is have a talk with the landowner. It isn't gonna help you get your deer back, but at least he will know what kind of low life scum he has hunting his property, and possibly getthem booted. Carbonhunter... I can't even imagine how you are feeling. I'm fired up, as you can tell, just responding to this.Keep your head up. The next one will be even bigger. Good luck the rest of the season [/ QUOTE ] That is just the direction I've decided to go. I dont want to deal with legal this legal that, in the long run it would ruin my whole season. I contacted the landowner who's land the deer finally died on, explained everything and tomarrow im taking him out to show it too him. He said he will boot the guy if the details are as i described and also gave me an invitation to hunt the property. Like everyone has said here, legally i understand there isnt much hope, and to be honest the gusy penallties mean very little to me. What matters the most is not knowing for shure what has happened/ not getting the deer. I've shot plenty if nice deer with a firearm, but for the past two seasons ive put my tiime into the bow, and this would have been the first wallhanger with the bow and stick. Plain and simple it just sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJR Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please CH, I believe you did the right thing and if the landowner boots the guy off his land, then you have more land to hunt on and it will be better than what you started with. Good luck on the rest of the season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYBUCK Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please I still would get the authorities involved. This story really erks me. I had the same thing happen to me one year, just a small buck, but that doesn't matter. The only difference I tracked it to a four wheeler trail and saw the drag marks, but know one was suppossed to be in there so I had no idea who it could have been. Scums of the earth. DNA testing is possible and I wouldn't give up. If he has teh deer on his property, how did he tag it and if he used his how is he hunting now? Good luck and I am sorry to hear about your story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please man, that's a pisser Aaron. i know bill bullard fairly well. his number's in the book. i'd be happy to go over there with you and have you explain the story. maybe there's enough evidence that he'll follow it up. he's a pretty good DNR guy in my book. you still have my cell number? i'm going hunting in delaware county tonight, but i'll give you a call when i get out and we can go over there if you want. Bill lives about 5 miles from my house, right near johnstown. let me know bud. this situation just isn't right. and i'll add that if the scum was willing to take the deer, he still has that rack, and i'm also guessing he didn't tag it. if he did, then it looks like you're out of luck. either way, i think we need to pay bill bullard a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please CH, man, sorry to hear about this, that is totally unbelieveable!! I think you should at least call the DNR, worst he can do is tell you ther is nothing he can do, and it won't cost you anything to make the call. But VTDW also had a good point also, but any ETHICAL hunter, (which by now we know tyhis guy wasn't) should have at least said he shot the deer, and that he had it, possibly split the meat with CH, as he did draw first blood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuster11 Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please Man that's the biggest pile of crap I have heard in a while. I really dont know what I would do in that situation. Like you said, unless you have hard evidence its going to be tough to prove anything. I would be about as jacked up about it as you are but if theres nothing you can do about it, then there is nothing you can do about it. I would try to just let it go. There is no use ending up in legal trouble over it. But man that is just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kracey Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please Get his name then check all the local check in stations ect. see if he slipped up and checked it in... I start with that and go from there. If it was good he might want to brag so , he would have checked it in. But then again if he was a big enough loser to steal one he might not have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puffy Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please Tominator has a good Idea there Carbonhunter. Sounds like you could get an assist from the right source. I got choked about that s.o.b. while reading your post, and if it were me, I'd not give up without exhausting every possible avenue available. ............................Good luck! Keep trailing this! ............................HUNT SMART-EAT WELL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please [ QUOTE ] I will play the devil's advocate here. What if your buck came by his stand as you said and he shot the deer? Sort of like someone shooting a deer with a gun and it runs off over a hill and another hunter shoots that same deer. Dave [/ QUOTE ] If that happened...why not just admit it???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbonhunter Posted November 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please Chris thanks alot for the offer. I took to the woods tonight down in loancaster to think things out, i took the bow but never nocked an aroow, havnt hunted there in almost three weeks so i mainly wanted to do some spotting. Saw alot of deer and two nice bucks pushed some does out of the corn field about 125 away..to bad i was in the wrong stand.....oh well it was a good couple of hours to clear and sooth the mind. I met with the landowners earlier in the day (all three of them) we talked about the differant options and i included this suggestion. What it simply come down to is this, The guy got booted from the property, and i have gained permission to hunt it. The problem is i cant feel right about turning this guy in to the law. First off it would put a serious clamp down around the landowners because he is a longtime friend of the landowner(a very long story) Elain(landowner) was pretty ticked off over the whole thing and telephoned the guy, told him the problem and took away the hunting right. At this point the guy knows that deer is going to cause him problems, and im also just sick of the whole thing. For me its over done with. I chalk it up to a lesson learned. I know this might not be the right choice, or the one that makes people happy. But its the one I made sitting in the stand today....i do this for pleasure not for pain, i would rather just not get tangled up in the mess. so pretty much what i said last night thanks you all for your thoughts and replies............ Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted November 11, 2004 Report Share Posted November 11, 2004 Re: all for naught, advise please [ QUOTE ] I know this might not be the right choice, or the one that makes people happy. But its the one I made sitting in the stand today.... [/ QUOTE ] Whatever you decide is the right choice carbonhunter. It has to be right for you, not for anyone else. If I were you though, I would be checking my tree stands carefully, just in case this lowlife decides to go out for a little revenge for losing his hunting spot. Not that I think he didn't deserve it, you just never know how somwone will react. He might have rationalized it to himself that he did nothing wrong by taking your deer. Good luck the rest of the season!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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