Don't personally see how a hunter could do such, even a dirt bag! But it happens like clock work, same type who steals another mans stand or camera. There's scum amongst us who have no respect for wildlife or another mans property. Sorry u had this happen sounds like a nightmare. I report any game crimes I personally witnessed and show no sympathy. Afew years ago on a neighboring property there where 5 buck carcasses found one morning in a food plot by a dirt road. All missing there heads, clearly shot at night out of season. Sad it's got to such a point.

Don't worry, karma is a b*tch!!

That really sucks.  Let's hope he thought he found a deer no one was looking for and needed the meat to feed his family.  I know it's easy to always think the worst of everyone.  He might have put it in his truck and drove around all night looking for you, thinking he was doing you a favor.  One never knows...

I do not understand how someone can take something like that, They will never feel the satisfaction you get when you are the one that actually gets an animal like that yourself! What a piece of S......

I am sorry that you had that happen to you. I know the frustration of it because I had it happen to me once about 20 something years ago. However, this being your first trad kill makes it much worse. Don't allow this to get you down, stay the course and you will be glad that you did.

Just a what if but...  What if that deer, obviously not dead yet passed the other Hunter who shot said deer and claimed it.  It's happened before .
Now who's deer is it.  How do you prove who made the fatal shot??. 
That deer could been shot and dressed just minutes after you shot it. 
Which knows , just something to consider.

Quote from: kevsuperg on October 05, 2018, 05:07:20 PM
Just a what if but...  What if that deer, obviously not dead yet passed the other Hunter who shot said deer and claimed it.  It's happened before .
Now who's deer is it.  How do you prove who made the fatal shot??. 
That deer could been shot and dressed just minutes after you shot it. 
Which knows , just something to consider.

I understand your "What if..?"  scenario.
...it's even possible the guy shot the deer (2nd shooter) not realizing the deer was already shot.
Got to the deer..realized it had been shot twice..and grabbed the deer before anyone came looking to claim it.
Even here the 2nd shooter is less than savory.

I think it's quite strange for a hunter to have loaded the deer into a truck w/o gutting the deer though.
It happens....sure...but not very often that I've witnessed or even heard about.
...makes me lean to the "pick and run" scenario.

250 yards is a long blood trail. Is it possible the other guy shot the deer when it was still on it's feet? Probably not but I'd consider the possibility. Don't know.

And it's a stolen deer even if the other guy put an arrow in it. Sounds like an easy backtrack to find you.

What I do know is it was not a traditional bowhunter.

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Did you report it to the local police, state police and game dept. The guy may post it on facebook, etc.

Maybe he was in the stand and saw it fall and went straight to it and got it and got out.. All while you were doing the right thing by giving it time to die and tracking it slowly so you wouldn't jump it..

If you know his truck I would only be hunting for it all week until I found it and
confront him about it..

I am so sorry, been there before myself.  The lack of ethics is the down fall of modern bowhunting  in my opinion, mainly one form of bow.  Mine happen similarly,  I shot a nice Buck, backed out and gave him time, and got my gear.  Went in and picked up the trail, which only ran 100 yards.  I found massive blood pool.  Something didn't seem right, so I started looking around and sure enough I found just short area away, found the pile.  My heart sank, my gut twisted and instantly was really mad.  I got ahold of the CPO, he came and we talked and they knew that there was someone doing this (they did end up catching them).  My only consultation, was that I did everything right, legal and ethically for me and the animal.  Just as you do, now wax your string and get back at it.

Sorry man, that's a tough break, I hope you get another. 

Terrible and sorry for your experience as your hard work left you with a hurt empty feeling.   Maybe you'll see that truck again so at least you'll know who he is.  Just be careful unless you have some physical proof of his theft as even a deer is not worth the trouble that could come from confronting him. 

Being a retired detective I have a habit of having a pad and pen on or near by and I jot plates down for almost no reason when I am in the woods.  Just a tip for others that read this.  With a plate number the CO could run the guy down and if nothing else let the guy know he did wrong.  Then you can get a copy of the report and find out who the guys is for the future.

I'm a big believer in Karma. It is real and it WILL come around to get him, sooner or later. You can count on that.

Sorry to read this. I've had it happen to my buddy during gun season...4X4 cruising up and down the road listening for shots and watching for wounded deer. Like you, we came across the gutpile while tracking the deer and followed the drag marks to the shoulder of the highway.
Some people have no scruples and I'm sorry this happened to you. But...if this guy did it once, he'll do it again. You know where he hunts now and what he drives.

I've taken to taking photos of plates and vehicles that are suspicious or even just parked where I think it might be.

Mike

Most disappointing....disappointing

That is sickening.  But a story we are wearing a lt, I am sad to say

My son's first buck, a nice 8pt., was hit in the liver and actually went right by me in my stand, head down and slowly moving into some really thick stuff.  Right at dark I see my son coming on it's track and I tell him where the buck went.  It had been about an hour and because I knew it was a liver hit I knew it need more time.  It was going to hit the upper 20's that night so I said we would come back in the morning.  While we were talking we hear a 4 wheeler down back of the thick stuff about 200 yds. away.  It stops we hear voices and after a few minutes it takes off.  The next morning we track the deer right to the 4 wheeler tracks!