Ethical scenario

[Donaker]

Here's a situation I found myself in during the high hunt.  Weigh in what is the ethical or legal thing to do.  This isn't a test, I simply am not certain what to do/should have done.

I was in an area where I knew there was only one camp in the vicinity (I spoke with them), but an outfitter transits through.  I was hiking out, and came across a bear.  It was clearly wounded as it was dragging its hind legs behind it and certainly not moving very quickly.  It is safe to say it was mortally wounded, but would die from infection/starvation/etc.  I heard the shot the previous morning.  The bear was no more than 30 yards off the trail, and there was a trail junction within a few hundred yards - this is to say there was ample access to walk around/look for the animal.  If whoever shot it searched for it/tried to recover it, it sure seems it was a very, very weak effort as the bear didn't have the benefit of hind legs. 

I did not have a bear tag.  This occurred approximately 8-9 miles into the wilderness.  I spoke with the only camp in the vicinity, and they provided a credible story of where they were and that they did not shoot the bear.

[Its_Raining_Brass]

I'd call that in if I was in that senario.

[Bango skank]

Id say put it out of its misery.  Sometimes the right thing to do may not be the legal thing.

[ghosthunter]

Sad

But not much you could do. Since you had no bear tag.
Most would want to end the suffering but without the tag you shouldn’t.
Wild animals meet their fate every day in the wild. And most the time it is not very humane.
It’s easy to come to conclusions we think are right or accurate. But really if you did not witness a shooter making the shot it all conjecture.

The law says in theory if you render the killing shot than it becomes your responsibility and you would be in violation. Someone comes upon you at the time and in their eyes you killed the bear. No story is going to change that.

I don’t think calling anyone is going to do a thing. A wounded bear 9 miles in is too far for our game Dept.

[Bushcraft]

This scenario is fundamentally no different than dispatching a gravely wounded animal on the side of the road that's been hit by a vehicle.

The ethical thing to do is to quickly and humanely put it out of it's misery.  The only difference between you doing it then or wait for an "authority" with a badge is that the animal suffers longer.  The end result is the same.

Let the other camp tag it if they want.

[boneaddict]

Id have dispatched it.

[WAcoyotehunter]

This scenario is fundamentally no different than dispatching a gravely wounded animal on the side of the road that's been hit by a vehicle.

The ethical thing to do is to quickly and humanely put it out of it's misery.  The only difference between you doing it then or wait for an "authority" with a badge is that the animal suffers longer.  The end result is the same.

Let the other camp tag it if they want.

Exactly my thoughts.  Take care of it

[h20hunter]

I would have killed it, let it lay, nature will consume it, and go about my way. I would personally have a clear conscience and sleep just fine afterwards. 

[Fishmaker57]

Id say put it out of its misery.  Sometimes the right thing to do may not be the legal thing.

Agreed!! I have had to do this multiple times...usually associated with being hit by a vehicle, but also twice in the woods. If the animal can be salvaged, I would call it in.....if not, shoot and walk away.

[Okanagan]

Id say put it out of its misery.  Sometimes the right thing to do may not be the legal thing.

^^This^^

I regret to this day that I did not put a deer out of its misery one time purely due to concern that some officious officer would discover it and cite me.  It was a deer with a badly broken hind leg, a break high up in the ham, way back on a logging road, unlikely for anyone to know whether I did the right thing or not but I was wary due to bad experience with a couple of CO's.

[Platensek-po]

This scenario is fundamentally no different than dispatching a gravely wounded animal on the side of the road that's been hit by a vehicle.

The ethical thing to do is to quickly and humanely put it out of it's misery.  The only difference between you doing it then or wait for an "authority" with a badge is that the animal suffers longer.  The end result is the same.

Let the other camp tag it if they want.

[JakeLand]

Legal or not my conscience would dispatch and roll the dice with getting in trouble for doing the RIGHT thing

[pianoman9701]

Most of us hunt because of our love for nature and animals. Ethically, there's no real choice in my mind. I'd have taken the shot, removed the bear or at least the meat, and called it in without having a tag. 

[npaull]

I would certainly have killed it

[WildlifeAssassin]

I would have put it down. Still baffles me that people don’t buy bear and lion tags, so cheap.