Weirdest day of hunting in 25 years!!!!!!!!!

[Bullfrog 1]

I will try to keep this as short as possible. Opening day of the Maryland season I shoot a really nice buck only to lose him. Looking back I guess my shot was a tad high and maybe I should have given him more time but 3 hours that night and 4 the next day turned up no deer. I was sick. This has not happened to me in a long time and I was really down about it. This past friday evening I am hunting the same stand. I have deer all around me. I was going to shoot a spike but I usually only shoot mature bucks from this location. 6pm I have 3 does under me and see a really nice buck approaching. He sees the other deer and is coming my way at a pretty good clip. I manage to get an arrow on the string without the other deer seeingme. He steps inot my opening 20 yards. I tell myself to aim low. I was watching the "pocket" where the Treeshark tipped broadhead disappeard. Off he takes on a death run. I wait about 30 minutes and take up the easy to follow trail. I am now on a neighboring property with my flashlight. The landowner came out and was screaming to get off his property. I explained what I was doing and he said he was calling the police. I was forced to back off the trail. On my way out I FIND the deer I shot on opening day. He was a 130plus inch 8 point. He had double back and was way off where we had looked. So I take the rack from him and head out. I called the Warden and they tell me if the deer is on another property without permission there is nothing I can do. I went back the next morning in regular clothes and sneak up to the trail to find a gut pile and the deer gone! I have heard of this happening but never to me. I am having a euro. mount made of the 8 point and will share when I get it back.     BILL

[DannyBows]

Wow, strange but cool. No meat, but you got your trophy. It was almost like the hand of fate was helping you find/recover the big boy. Awesome!

[Keefer]

Bill,
  Sorry to hear about the neighbor and the gutpile but so glad you found the first one...Hey were you at Tuckahoe shooting with us a few years back with a Northern Mist longbow? Not sure if I'm thinking of the same guy or not? I hang with Otis and Bruce... Keefer's <")))><

[hardtimes]

My father lost a 12 point he shot with his Hawken during early muzzleloader season pretty much the same way. We returned later, just as you did, only to find the gut pile too. It is BS that people will take your deer. Maybe its a Maryland thing, this was when we hunted in Frederick MD.

[David Lewis]

Hi Bill,
What a raw deal at least you were able to find the first one. Look on the bright side, the best hunting is yet to come. I love mid to late October!!

[mmisciag]

This would not happen in PA. The deer would be considered yours by the Game Warden. He or she could go and recover the deer. You could not but they could. I am suprised that it is not the same on the MD side of the border.

Martin

[Dirtybird]

You should of asked for permission first.  And then called the game warden if he didn't let you on his property.  At least you got your first one, better luck next time.

[rraming]

In Minnesota we are not allowed to persue it and have to call the game warden - they say they get most of them even if the people don't want you too - we would not be allowed to take that rack either. Least your getting some action

[greg fields]

mmisciag,
I am not aware that is how it works in PA.....  I don;t think a warden can go on another property to retrieve a deer if the owner says no.
Bullfrog, sorry to hear your story.  Did you know this neighbor??  Knew he wouldn't give permission to retrieve it??  Sounds like time to go in late at night.

[David Yukon]

Wow, I'm shocked... I don't understand people some time... It is to bad that you couldn't get to your deer. Hope for you that it never happen again!
Cheers

[highpoint forge]

What an a-hole. I would had helped you look for #2.

[Jerry Jeffer]

When hunting near another property it is a good idea to get permission ahead of time in case these things happen. Good relations with land owners and hunters is paramount. I would have been a little angry if you didn't ask me first.(Of course I would let you). Game wardens are not always the answer to a dispute. BTW in PA you still need permission to retrieve a deer on another property. The warden can help you, but it is not a sure thing. We should all be careful and not just assume you can go on another property to get your deer.

In Iowa one is allowed to go after their game, unarmed.  If there is a problem, the game wardens are real quick at setting the situation right.

[cacciatore]

Think positive,you have a very good spot and having fun.

[wapitimike1]

I've had my share of Gotchya's. This past weekend I shot a doe hit it good saw it run around some thick brush. I'm heard a bunch of crashing and figured it went dowm around 40yds away.
I'm hunting near a logging road and the guy's that cut wood there are major stand stealing bandits. I saw there trucks going down the road as normal but they stopped where I couldn't see them for about 5mins.
This was 15mins after I had shot the deer. I waited 1 1/2 hours to go after the deer since it was 8:30am any how when I shot her. I got down picked up heavy blood 10yds from the hit. It went farther then I thought about 80yds to the edge of the road. No more blood no deer just a mess in the leaves and boot tracks! It was about ten yds off the road in a turn around area where the blood and deer stopped.
I looked all day with a bud nothing! I get home and have a message from the land owner saying the wood cutters found a deer laying in the middle of the road and she needs to have a talk with her hunter.
They are trying to get me tossed off the property so they can hunt it. The land owner can't stomach the guy's she knows the drill. There kids and them have been caught poaching on the property twice.
Problem is there making my life miserable. I lost 5 stands (Lone Wolfs and Gorilas plus sticks) totaling $1500.00 this season. Lotta hate there and vengence!
My job is not to forgive, it's to arange the meeting so God can.

[jrstegner]

Conservation officers can go where they want, when they want, without a search warrant. Their jurisdiction even extends beyond state lines. I don't know Maryland law, but perhaps once that deer enters another property the deer becomes the property of the land owner. One should always ask permission when stepping even one foot on private property for any reason. I have had my hunting ruined for the day by trespassers trailing allegedly shot deer through my property more than once. The deer should be yours to recover, but it should be on the landowners terms. Nobody ever has the right to trespass for any reason. Period.

[bornagainbowhunter]

I am gonna have to side with jrstegner on this.  If you come to my house an asked permission, I would help you find your deer.  If you showed up on my place looking with a flashlight at night, I would also run you off.

The reason is simple.  Not trying to be hard to get along with, but I am sick of folks thinking that my land is public use land.  I have folks poaching on it every year.  One fellar even shot a deer in my front yard and drove his truck up in the yard to get it.  

Fact is, you never know what the neighbor has had to deal with in the past.  You should always try to put yourself in their shoes before making a decision like that.

God Bless,
Nathan

[lpcjon2]

Originally posted by Bullfrog 1:
  I am having a euro. mount made of the 8 point and will share when I get it back.     BILL

And unfortunately the other land owner is having one done of the deer you just shot.       I would try and talk to the other land owner and get some recovery rights for when this happens again.Maybe offer him some meat for the freezer  if he allows you  to recover game on his land.

[Bullfrog]

I hear what a lot of you guys are saying. I would also come out if I saw flashlights and wonder what the hell was going on. The problem is the place I am hunting is residential. Everyone has 3-5 acres. I would venture to say I am the only one hunting the whole place! That is why I don't want to raise a stink and try to keep as low key as possible. The place is UNREAL for deer.   BILL

[Bowwild]

Officer access laws vary from state to state. Even more variable is the officer's discretion in most situations. As much as the law other things such as demeanor, history, work ethic, etc. impact an officer's decisions.

The book is to try to get recovery permission before you need it. Offer to 1). call the landowner when you need to access property for recovery.
2). To take no bow or firearm on the property during recovery.

Like others have posted, it is an all to common ploy of trespassers to feign recovery attempts when they are really hunting illegal or scouting.