Who's Trophy is it anyway? Wounded Animals

[Hunt anything]

In many parts of the world and even regions of the country; how are wounded animals handled? Is it whomever draws first blood or the person that finishes off the animal? Not necessarily in a PH client situation but on a deer hunt .
I would always finish off a duck or goose if it had definitely been hit to keep it from suffering when guiding.
Just curious

 

[Rare Breed]

Great interesting post. In my US family experience given I come from a long line of deer and dove hunters the answer is who takes the last shot to put the animal down at least in my family. However very different in Africa, the hunter who wounds an animal even if a PH has to put the animal down it is the client who made the wounding shot who owns the animal…just my POV

 

[Hunt anything]

My experience also @Rare Breed , on guided big game hunts it’s always been, if you draw blood you pay for it. Heck I even count lost game birds in my limit.
It will be interesting how others say about it.

 

[skydiver386]

In my experience deer hunting here in North America, it's whoever delivers the killing shot. Guided hunts may differ.

 

[K-man]

In Spain on a Monteria (driven hunt) I was able to make a decent shot on a running boar, however it wasn't a quick killing shot and the hunter at the next station finished it. I was grateful and was happy to have him claim the animal, but their custom was first blood was the credited hunter. Here in the states we have usually counted wounded animals against the first hunter's limit, but we don't do driven hunts often. Birds still flying it is usually the finishing shot. Swatting waterfowl is just whoever is closest with a loaded gun.

 

[Arctic97]

It probably should be whoever makes the killing shot, but on guided hunts that will probably never be. It is still a business, and they have to keep the clients happy for obvious reasons. Also, it is not like they want to collect an animal for themselves that a client has wounded. They just want to end the suffering.

 

[375Fox]

Anywhere you are paying for the trophy it’s yours after first blood regardless who puts in final shot.

On a guided hunt it has never bothered me if guide or PH felt the need to shoot. We are hunting as a team and it’s still my trophy. I’d rather see it put down as quickly and ethically as possible.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I had one guy shoot at my dog because she swam after a lung shot mallard that landed on my end of the pond. I sent that turd on his way with a BB goose load lobbed in his general direction. Don't mess with my dog.

Back in '82 I cleaned up some other guys' mess finishing off a raghorn elk ... that almost finished me. They wanted to leave it overnight and I wouldn't do that. They hit it in the left ham and I finally took a shot when it stopped at the treeline. Hit him too low but that shot was bleeding him out badly. Got that bull in the neck by flashlight just as he was coming for me. They generously offered me the hind quarter they shot up. I let them have it without a fight. I needed to be to work the next day in the next state ... where my horses were.

Typically, the animal belongs to the one that finishes it. However, most of us will give it back to original shooter if the animal was hit well enough to be mortally wounded. Putting it down expeditiously is a favor to the animal that everyone should respect. I would take very little pride in shooting even a record book animal that someone else had crippled. Not a great story/memory attached to that kind of trophy.

 

[BryceM]

It seems to be different in the US and Africa. I really dislike the US laws that prohibit anyone other than the tag or permit holder to finish a wounded animal. Where I live you can be charged with criminal poaching for finishing off a mortally wounded animal in the highway.

Once wounded by a hunter, it seems most ethical for everyone and anyone to finish the animal. As far as I’m concerned, first blood should have rights to it, but this is often hotly contested, especially on public land.

 

[62flint]

Typically first person to hit, Birds always the first hit.
Big game its the same. one exception is running whitetails with hounds, thats typically the one that puts it down unless the first shooter obviuosly mortally wounds it.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

In North America it’s the person who inflicts the mortal wound. There are reports of someone causing the last flesh wound or shooting downed game to try and claim it as theirs.

In Africa or anywhere a trophy fee is due upon drawing blood, the trophy goes to whoever drew first blood.

 

[Nyati]

In Spain, it´s the hunter who draws first blood who owns the trophy.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Great question @hunting anything.

And some good responses so far. Don't want to hijack your OP but add more to it.

Case in point:

A client wounds an animal, pays for that animal and then pays and kills a second same species animal, client leaves without him or the outfitter/PH putting the first wounded animal down.

Next client shows up. The new client and outfitter/PH fond fresh blood on the first day of the new client's hunt, outfitter/Ph claims it's probably from the previous client's wounded animal.

Against the new client's hunting ethics the outfitter/PH has no intentions of hunting or killing the wounded animal.

By sheer coincidence the new client kills the previous client's wounded animal.

Whose animal is it?

New client considers the animal belongs to the previous client since the previous client paid for the animal.

Outfitter/PH considers it the new client's trophy animal with the intentions of being paid twice for one animal.

 

[Hunt anything]

Interesting, going to have to think on that one for a while!

 

[CBH Australia]

Anywhere you are paying for the trophy it’s yours after first blood regardless who puts in final shot.

On a guided hunt it has never bothered me if guide or PH felt the need to shoot. We are hunting as a team and it’s still my trophy. I’d rather see it put down as quickly and ethically as possible.

But, I hope that it’s rare an outfitter needs to put down the clients animal.
Yes if you completely fudged the shot or shots and have shown you are in poor form or the PH has to stop some DG to keep everyone safe but I hope most clients get to complete their own hunt and finish the animal if subsequent shots are required.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Great question @hunting anything.

And some good responses so far. Don't want to hijack your OP but add more to it.

Case in point:

A client wounds an animal, pays for that animal and then pays and kills a second same species animal, client leaves without him or the outfitter/PH putting the first wounded animal down.

Next client shows up. The new client and outfitter/PH fond fresh blood on the first day of the new client's hunt, outfitter/Ph claims it's probably from the previous client's wounded animal.

Against the new client's hunting ethics the outfitter/PH has no intentions of hunting or killing the wounded animal.

By sheer coincidence the new client kills the previous client's wounded animal.

Whose animal is it?

New client considers the animal belongs to the previous client since the previous client paid for the animal.

Outfitter/PH considers it the new client's trophy animal with the intentions of being paid twice for one animal.

I would say it's the killer's choice. If the animal was dying, he should not have to pay for it if he doesn't want to. If the animal was not significantly damaged, he should accept it as his. Perhaps the first hunter might still want to take it. Lots of ways this could be resolved.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Great question @hunting anything.

And some good responses so far. Don't want to hijack your OP but add more to it.

Case in point:

A client wounds an animal, pays for that animal and then pays and kills a second same species animal, client leaves without him or the outfitter/PH putting the first wounded animal down.

Next client shows up. The new client and outfitter/PH fond fresh blood on the first day of the new client's hunt, outfitter/Ph claims it's probably from the previous client's wounded animal.

Against the new client's hunting ethics the outfitter/PH has no intentions of hunting or killing the wounded animal.

By sheer coincidence the new client kills the previous client's wounded animal.

Whose animal is it?

New client considers the animal belongs to the previous client since the previous client paid for the animal.

Outfitter/PH considers it the new client's trophy animal with the intentions of being paid twice for one animal.

An honest outfitter won’t charge the 2nd hunter.

I was once the 2nd hunter. The Outfitter said that’s an animal the previous hunter wounded. Would you mind putting it down, or letting me so we can send him the trophy? Now whether or not the outfitter told that hunter it was finished by another hunter or they “found it” I don’t know. It was only a day or two later w/ 1 broken leg on a hard quartering shot that missed all vitals and ended up in the guts.

 

[Hunt anything]

An honest outfitter won’t charge the 2nd hunter.

I was once the 2nd hunter. The Outfitter said that’s an animal the previous hunter wounded. Would you mind putting it down, or letting me so we can send him the trophy? Now whether or not the outfitter told that hunter it was finished by another hunter or they “found it” I don’t know. It was only a day or two later w/ 1 broken leg on a hard quartering shot that missed all vitals and ended up in the guts.

That’s an outfitter I would like to hunt with’

 

[Siennacoyote]

I had one guy shoot at my dog because she swam after a lung shot mallard that landed on my end of the pond. I sent that turd on his way with a BB goose load lobbed in his general direction. Don't mess with my dog.

Back in '82 I cleaned up some other guys' mess finishing off a raghorn elk ... that almost finished me. They wanted to leave it overnight and I wouldn't do that. They hit it in the left ham and I finally took a shot when it stopped at the treeline. Hit him too low but that shot was bleeding him out badly. Got that bull in the neck by flashlight just as he was coming for me. They generously offered me the hind quarter they shot up. I let them have it without a fight. I needed to be to work the next day in the next state ... where my horses were.

Typically, the animal belongs to the one that finishes it. However, most of us will give it back to original shooter if the animal was hit well enough to be mortally wounded. Putting it down expeditiously is a favor to the animal that everyone should respect. I would take very little pride in shooting even a record book animal that someone else had crippled. Not a great story/memory attached to that kind of trophy.

Good take

 

[Doug Hamilton]

In many parts of the world and even regions of the country; how are wounded animals handled? Is it whomever draws first blood or the person that finishes off the animal? Not necessarily in a PH client situation but on a deer hunt .
I would always finish off a duck or goose if it had definitely been hit to keep it from suffering when guiding.
Just curious

Where I grew up in Northern California, the buck belongs to whoever drew first blood. Over the years, I have been able to fun show several bucks and a hog that had been hit by other hunters. Never any question as to who claims it.