Finishing shots, follow up shots.

[BIGREDD]

Recent threads have disturbed me to the point that I wish to take a poll.
How long do you wait to finish your animals off? Do you quit shooting when it is down, or do you wait?
There are all kinds of scenarios in hunting but generally speaking I keep shooting until I am 100% sure it is dead, or until a follow up shot is unsafe or impossible.
What's your take... no flames no flakes...

You can choose more than one poll option... I chose #1 and #6!

 

[exmeathead]

While I have not had the privilege of harvesting an animal as of yet, I feel that this is a pretty much an easy question. Any animal that you are hunting deserves your respect, and as such should not be permitted/forced to suffer unduly. Waiting to see if it will die on its own, or not administering a coup de gras in order to preserve a trophy is not ethical and should not be condoned.

edit: I chose one and six as well

 

[bronco_mudder]

I don't like to see any animal suffer, I don't think very many people do. When I shoot an animal and it runs off I give a 10 or 15 minutes to lay down and expire. You can't see where it is, and you don't know the actual condition its in either, so I believe its best to give it time to die with out pushing it further. If I drop an animal and it begins to try to gain its feet I'll fire another shot and normally that will drop it for good. If the animal is not going to get up again, but is still alive, ie a spine shot I'll walk closer to the animal to give it the coup de grâce, but not right up to it if its struggling. I'll begin walking to it immediatly though. If I walk up to an animal that is still breathing but showed no signs of life as I was walking to it I will still give a finishing shot. Just something for me personally, for some reason I don't like to shoot an animal in the head. When I take the finishing shot I always put a bullet through the top of the neck, just below the head. Thats just me, I don't know why I do it, but its what I do, even if the head isn't scoreable. Oh, and I don't cut the throat of an animal either....living or dead.

 

[BIGREDD]

I don't like to see any animal suffer, I don't think very many people do. When I shoot an animal and it runs off I give a 10 or 15 minutes to lay down and expire. You can't see where it is, and you don't know the actual condition its in either, so I believe its best to give it time to die with out pushing it further. If I drop an animal and it begins to try to gain its feet I'll fire another shot and normally that will drop it for good. If the animal is not going to get up again, but is still alive, ie a spine shot I'll walk closer to the animal to give it the coup de grâce, but not right up to it if its struggling. I'll begin walking to it immediatly though. If I walk up to an animal that is still breathing but showed no signs of life as I was walking to it I will still give a finishing shot. Just something for me personally, for some reason I don't like to shoot an animal in the head. When I take the finishing shot I always put a bullet through the top of the neck, just below the head. Thats just me, I don't know why I do it, but its what I do, even if the head isn't scoreable. Oh, and I don't cut the throat of an animal either....living or dead.

X2 bronco
Behind the ear... top of the neck... works for me. Sometimes its dark when you find em and a firearm is ilegal in many jurisdictions. A knife behind the ear works too but can be downright dangerous.

 

[a j cave]

the idea of letting anything suffer is unacepable.Deer will go liedown and stiffen up,the do not seem to be in stress,bears make a racket & will bite at the wound,a follow up is required. Bigger animals need to be watched close to make sure they are dead.A gopher shot too far back will crall heading for a hole,it too deserves to be finished with a quick second shot.

 

[bone-collector]

it boils down to humanity and common sence, and as of late I see a great lack of both showing up here on CGN, I know not everyone has been a hunting guide for several years or been involved with alot of death in the bush but common sense should kick in at some point and NOT 10 minutes later, there are sircomstances were YES you must wait or your fate could be sealed in stone like hunting grizzly bears and the such but black bears moose and deer are simple easily dispached animals, and especialy when you can see them laying there suffering, deal with it in other ways than having a smoke and a beer cause your proud of your unfinished acomplishments!

I said it before a bear crying isnt going anywere hes crying cuzz he cant get up a moose grunting and flailing its head around on the ground ISNT going anywere its whooped! walk up and paste it again ONLY cowards leave animals to suffer, maybe its a feelgood thing to compinsate for small man syndrome or whatever they lack in manliness but in the end its still WRONG!!!!!

 

[win70]

I voted #6..anyone who voted otherwise should hang up thier rifle..

 

[stubblejumper]

Another vote for #6

 

[hannibal]

I've been lucky that the animals I've shot where one shot one kill, last breath on the spot, 2 minutes tops. Use enough gun and practice till you can't miss. I've passed up on some nice animals because I didn't like the shot situation. Respect your prey, and remember we are hunting not harvesting, if I need food I can go to the store. I hunt for the hunt and eat it for health, respect, and that's what you do when you kill something, then I am the predator.

 

[pharaoh2]

X2 bronco
Behind the ear... top of the neck... works for me. Sometimes its dark when you find em and a firearm is ilegal in many jurisdictions. A knife behind the ear works too but can be downright dangerous.

It is 100% your resposibility to make sure any animal you wish to harvest is put down as quickly as possible. In regards to after hours, I will shoot if I have to, and not give a damn about what time I pulled the trigger. If it's down and needs to be finished, they can bill me.

 

[nexgen]

In my opinion if you are going to take a shot it is your responsibility to make as quick and as clean a kill as possible. I will fire a finishing shot at whatever time I found the animal, I think most CO's would be reasonable about a finishing shot after hours and if not, oh well. I went with #6

 

[BC Bigbore]

I've been responsible for more than one critter being "put down" after being hit on the highway and suffering grievous injury. When hunting, I place my shot to kill as quick as possible and absolutely will not shoot unless I am 110% certain of making the shot. I'm years past taking a risky shot and there are too many other factors that can mess things up. And if the right shot opportunity doesn't present itself, so be it. There's always tomorrow...or next week...or next year for that matter.

 

[Johnn Peterson]

# 6.

 

[bone-collector]

gee I guess all of us that chose #6 are all anti hunters, as we did NOT see fit that a animal should lie on the ground with a broken back and suffer! this is acording to the guys with small man syndrome on CGN!

 

[huntinstuff]

I tend to shoot close up and I know where my shot is going. I've never wondered "I hope that was a good shot".

I shot and lost a grouse once when I was 12. My dad tuned me in. Said there was no excuse for losing an animal, and if you weren't sure you could kill it quick, you shouldn't shoot.

I know things happen out there. But that is where practice and more practice is needed. And the use of proper equipment. I know that big grizzlies have been killed with a .22, but use your head.

 

[BabySeal]

6 , 1 and 5 can be the same thing. If you shoot an animal and it drags itself out of sight to where you can hear it but could likely end up too close before having a shot, damn right I would wait. There are alot of "Ifs" that could be contemplated till the end of time.

This is all highly situational. Its really easy to sit and pick apart how something played out, after the fact. Especialy when you are looking at it emotionaly.

This is all very liberal. How could a person not choose 6? Its the most vague answer up there. That is certainly the idea we should all have in our heads, but there is alot more to it than that too. Non-hunters might not have the field experience to draw from to make the distinctions. I think that this is only going to have more people feeling hurt and not lead to any better understanding of ethical issues for anyone. You cant really delve too far into ethics before you hit an almost religious core. And we all know how well arguing religion goes.

 

[stubblejumper]

6 , 1 and 5 can be the same thing.

Obviously since only 5% of the people chose #5 the poll results show that most people disagree with you.

How could a person not choose 6?

Again the poll results showed that some people didn't choose #6.

 

[MTM]

Scrap it.

 

[eltorro]

A subject like this can drive some folks to vote the most ridiculous option, just to stir some....

I shoot to kill fast, I try to match the bullet to the game as to take advantage of all the best things out there... and when the game is a little farther, and fell down, I run to it if possible, or wait (reloaded and ready to shoot) watching for signs of life if there's an obstacle.

On the other hand, it dependswhere are you hunting. I've recently seen some hunting videos from Spain.... (downloaded from e-mule.... the search word is "caza") that turned me off.... They do not shoot again a wounded animal. Rather they have the dogs pin it and the hunter goes there with a long knife to finish it. It is their tradition and I gather there's no other way. I don't speak spanish (in spite of my name) and didn't get all the explanations the narator was giving, but it sounded like " if someone shoots a wounded animal, he is a dog" and "the animals deserve the dignity to die of the and of the hunter".
I guess it's something they do since waaay before there was white men on this continent.

 

[fogducker]

so who the ones who voted for option #5?? i know i can guess one of them