Free: Contests & Raffles.
That's a pretty common theme in the Colokum. When you shoot an animal you better be running after it and get a tag on it before the next guy does........
Unfortunately, this story isn't uncommon up in the Colockum A friend of mine had almost the same exact experience after putting an elk down. It turned into an altercation and eventually ended up with one of the thieves drawing his sidearm.It's really unfortunate but anymore the bad outweighs the good as far as hunting up there goes...
So I decided to give archery in the Colockum a shot this year with a buddy. Opening morning I hiked about 2 miles up into a canyon and sat in a good looking area and started cow calling a bit. About 10 minutes into it I was hearing something on the hillside across from me that sounded like my wifes horses stomach sloshing when she rides it sometimes? About 5 minutes later I let out a couple calls and a cow popped into view about 200 yards across the creek from me and behind her was 2 spikes and about 5 other cows. I called again and the spikes both split from the herd and crossed the creek and started side hilling right to me. I was not hid real well so when the first spike got to 37 yards I pulled the bow back thinking he would spook for sure if I let him get to close. He ended up turning broadside when he stopped and I hit him behind the shoulder but a little low. He instantly whirled and dropped back into the creek drainage and I watched him run about 200 yards down into some thick brush in the creek and crash down into the creek. I guess this is where I made my mistake. I sat and waited for one of my buddys to get to me probably 25-30 minutes and started on the blood trail even though I had a general idea of where the elk went down. I then get a call on the radio from my other buddy that 2 kids were shooting a spike in the creek. Said he watched them shoot it twice while it was down and then they went down and pulled my arrow out of him and toss it in the brush. I started that way and he started confronting them as well. They told him a B.S. story of how it was running when they shot it and they didn't see an arrow or wound in it at all. Needless to say I followed the blood trail right to where this elk laid and then tried to calmly talk to these 2 kids maybe 20-23 and the kid started yelling and getting all pissed off. I ended up yelling back and telling him to calm his little ass down because we were not getting anywhere that way. He then claimed it was not my elk and there was no wounds I looked down and then pointed at the hole where my broadhead had been and told him my buddy watched him pull my arrow. His mouth dropped and all that came out was oh. ! I told the kid he could have the dam elk based on the fact that he claimed the elk was still alive when he shot it and there is no game laws saying anything about dispatching a wounded animal after someone else shoots it. I talked to a warden later that day and he said if he had been there when we had the altercation he would have gave me the bull.But since he was not there was nothing wrote in the laws that say the kids did anything wrong. He said ethically the kids were deadbeats but there was nothing he could do but go harass them in there camp. Anyhow put a damper on my first archery hunt and I figured this would be a good place to vent. I don't know about what everyone would do in this situation but for me if I dispatch a previously wounded animal I will give it back to the person that initially shot the thing. Biggest thing for me is just putting the animal down so it is not lost or wasted. But myself and all the people I hunt with would never tag an animal that is already down or that someone else has already basically killed, its just not right in my book. Anyhow would love to hear what you guys and gals think about this kinda thing.
