Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: huntergreg on September 12, 2010, 10:26:53 PM

Title: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: huntergreg on September 12, 2010, 10:26:53 PM: Well Friday around 7pm I shot a spike elk. I went over to where he was standing and there was blood all over the ground. We gave it until dark to make sure it was down. We got the flashlights out and started tracking. there was a good blood trail. we followed blood for about 100 yards and it came to a dead stop. there was 2 of us and we searched all over and couldn't find a drop of blood. we started following some new elk tracks and they kept going forever so we headed back to the last spot we found blood. It was almost 12am and we figured he was down somewhere close to the last blood spot. We decided to leave him till morning and come back when it was daylight and find the elk. We got back up there about 7:30-7:45 and started to track him again and saw that where the last puddle of blood was he turned back on the blood trail. He walked about 30 yards over the blood trail and took off another direction. To our surprise we were next to the main road heading up in the woods and found a pile of guts from where my elk had gone. he died 40 yards off the side of the main dirt road. On an open side hill. we didn't know we were that close to a road. and someone saw him laying dead sometime just after daylight and gutted him and took him. :bash: I wasn't happy but at least someone got an elk. We were in a new area and dint know it very good. It was a pain not knowing the night before that he had turned around and walked back over the blood trail. Saw 9 elk later on that day. But nothing in range.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: ratherhunt on September 12, 2010, 10:31:22 PM: Wow !!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: PolarBear on September 12, 2010, 10:40:34 PM: That sucks but at least it didn't go to the coyotes.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: carpsniperg2 on September 12, 2010, 10:43:34 PM: pretty crazy.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: huntergreg on September 12, 2010, 10:44:55 PM: Only elk I saw up in Gold creek. :'(
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: wsucowboy on September 12, 2010, 11:00:15 PM: That sucks but at least somebody will get some use out of the meat other than coyotes.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: huntlakewood on September 13, 2010, 06:41:05 AM: That sucks
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: bearhunter99 on September 13, 2010, 06:52:36 AM: That sucks in a way, but on the other hand, at least someone salvaged the meat. To their credit, they probably had no idea someone might still be looking for it. If it had been me I probably would have done the same thing, rather than taking the chance that someone would find it before it spoiled.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: C-Money on September 13, 2010, 09:32:19 AM: Sorry man! Guess you folks were a bit tired after staying up so late looking. To bad you were not up there at first light!
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: bobcat on September 13, 2010, 09:40:11 AM: A good portion of the meat would have been spoiled after laying out there all night, I would think. Maybe it's a good thing somebody else got it. :dunno:
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: C-Money on September 13, 2010, 09:42:16 AM: Maybe the meat would spoil, but it has been flat cold over night above 3000ft! Heck its cold at my houst at 1200ft at night! 42 deg this morning.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: bobcat on September 13, 2010, 09:44:29 AM: I don't think it would matter how cold it was, with the hide still on it and the guts still in it, I'd bet that at least the side laying on the ground would have been no good. Maybe ok for dog food, that's about it.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: CP on September 13, 2010, 09:49:56 AM: Maybe he wasn’t dead and someone finished him off.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: hammshunter on September 13, 2010, 09:50:36 AM: atleast it didn't go to waste
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: WDFW-SUX on September 13, 2010, 09:52:26 AM: people are beating me to road kill too... I guess we need to be quicker :dunno:
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: buglebrush on September 13, 2010, 09:52:43 AM: Quote from: bobcat on September 13, 2010, 09:44:29 AM
I don't think it would matter how cold it was, with the hide still on it and the guts still in it, I'd bet that at least the side laying on the ground would have been no good. Maybe ok for dog food, that's about it.
:yeah:
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: Pathfinder101 on September 13, 2010, 09:59:08 AM: I am going to be charitable and guess that maybe the guy saw it standing there, or bedded down bleeding out, put another arrow through it, and didn't figure out that it had already been shot until he got it home and started skinning it... :dunno:
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: CP on September 13, 2010, 10:03:03 AM: If did see that it was wounded and finished him off, what’s the protocol, whose elk is it? The first shooter may never find it and for all the 2nd shooter knows may not even be looking for it.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: turkey slayer on September 13, 2010, 10:04:31 AM: That sucks man.Just keep hitting the brush
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: Caseyd on September 13, 2010, 10:08:57 AM: Quote from: CP on September 13, 2010, 10:03:03 AM
If did see that it was wounded and finished him off, what’s the protocol, whose elk is it? The first shooter may never find it and for all the 2nd shooter knows may not even be looking for it.

Whoever provides the kill shot
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: NWBREW on September 13, 2010, 10:53:24 AM: Quote from: Pathfinder101 on September 13, 2010, 09:59:08 AM
I am going to be charitable and guess that maybe the guy saw it standing there, or bedded down bleeding out, put another arrow through it, and didn't figure out that it had already been shot until he got it home and started skinning it... :dunno:

That's what I was thinking. Don't be so fast to think someone took a DEAD animal. I know it may happen but I'd like to think differently.
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: boonerboy on September 13, 2010, 11:04:03 AM: Quote from: CP on September 13, 2010, 10:03:03 AM
If did see that it was wounded and finished him off, what’s the protocol, whose elk is it? The first shooter may never find it and for all the 2nd shooter knows may not even be looking for it.

There are fights every year over this exact senario in the clockum. Precisely why I do not hunt up there! :mor:
Title: Re: Shot a spike but someone took it
Post by: huntlakewood on September 13, 2010, 11:57:58 AM: Quote from: bearhunter99 on September 13, 2010, 06:52:36 AM
That sucks in a way, but on the other hand, at least someone salvaged the meat. To their credit, they probably had no idea someone might still be looking for it. If it had been me I probably would have done the same thing, rather than taking the chance that someone would find it before it spoiled.
I agree with you I was just saying that sucks that they did not find it that night so they could fill there freezer.
I would of tagged it to if I thought it was not going to be claimed. It makes me sick to have a animal go to waist.
I have shot a deer before and tracked it for hours and could not find it. I just hope that someone found it and took it instead of it just going bad.