Do you pursue a wounded animal even if it means trespassing?

I'm not sure how much damage deer do, farm I hunt farmer not to concerned about it. I do wonder about squirrels, I watched at least 20 squirrels cross my shooting lane heading for standing corn and come back 40 min later with a cob of corn. So how many times a day did they do this and how many squirrels that I couldn't see doing this. This happened every time I was there this year. One actually buried one in my lane and then head back. This sounds like a lot of corn at least to me. i hunted another spot in this bush that was 500m away from the corn field and had a squirrel come by with a cob. So maybe deer are getting blamed for stealing corn.

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Originally Posted by sabmgb

This sounds like a lot of corn at least to me. i hunted another spot in this bush that was 500m away from the corn field and had a squirrel come by with a cob. So maybe deer are getting blamed for stealing corn.

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I used to bow hunt over a corn field next door. Used to watch the raccoons, squirrels etc spend the whole evening gathering for the winter. I noticed that they only 'robbed' the stalks that were already on the ground so of no value to the farmer.

I asked the neighbour about it once and he said he lost the first 3-4 rows of corn along a treeline to wildlife feeding. Not worth the paper work and time to claim it. But he did appreciate my efforts to lower the deer population Haha.

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Originally Posted by sabmgb

I'm not sure how much damage deer do, farm I hunt farmer not to concerned about it. I do wonder about squirrels, I watched at least 20 squirrels cross my shooting lane heading for standing corn and come back 40 min later with a cob of corn. So how many times a day did they do this and how many squirrels that I couldn't see doing this. This happened every time I was there this year. One actually buried one in my lane and then head back. This sounds like a lot of corn at least to me. i hunted another spot in this bush that was 500m away from the corn field and had a squirrel come by with a cob. So maybe deer are getting blamed for stealing corn.

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I walked through fields that had chunks knocked down in the middle of the field, when I say a chunk I mean 20 yards x 20 yards or more, knocked down and stripped, only deer tracks, no raccoon tracks in there.

The soy bean fields were worse, the deer would destroy them when they were coming up.

There has to be a lot of evidence to allow them to get these tags, the farmer back home never was given any and had to claim crop insurance every year on the damage. The guy up this way said they were given a bunch of tags for a few years, 1 guy shot 2 deer then while gutting the one another one walked out so he shot it too, I think it was June, when the crops were really just taking off.

This was back at a time when there were 5 additional tags available for any hunters who wanted them. One hunter I know would shoot 6 does a year back in those years, they were like rats. Then the winters of 2003 and 2004 hit and the population plummeted, now we are in the 40% range for antlerless tags.

Up where I hunt, one farmer planted about 80 acres of corn. It was the only field of corn for miles AND miles. Well, the bears got into it and made a mess. The farmer shot 13 bears over a couple of evenings. When they were combining this fall, 4 more bears ran out.

It is up to the hunter to ask permission from the land owner to access the land in search of a wounded animal. If you the land owner deny's his request, it is then up to the hunter to notify the Ministry Of Natural Resources and explain the situation. With that being done the Ministry will contact you the land owner, to help resolve the situation.

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Originally Posted by gks65

It is up to the hunter to ask permission from the land owner to access the land in search of a wounded animal. If you the land owner deny's his request, it is then up to the hunter to notify the Ministry Of Natural Resources and explain the situation. With that being done the Ministry will contact you the land owner, to help resolve the situation.

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They'll definitely assist in negotiating entry. It's important to note that no landowner is under any obligation to allow anyone on their property to retrieve downed game,not even if asked to by the MNRF or other authority. Some landowners are so anti-hunting that they'd rather watch a carcass rot than let a hunter have it. It's sad,but,it happens a lot. I had one friend who was in that predicament. He contacted the occupier who initially refused entry for a couple of days until contacted by MNRF staff. He waited another two days before calling them back giving permission to retrieve. Of course,by then,retrieval was moot because the animal had began to bloat from spoilage. He left the animal to decompose for the occupier to deal with.

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

They'll definitely assist in negotiating entry. It's important to note that no landowner is under any obligation to allow anyone on their property to retrieve downed game,not even if asked to by the MNRF or other authority. Some landowners are so anti-hunting that they'd rather watch a carcass rot than let a hunter have it. It's sad,but,it happens a lot. I had one friend who was in that predicament. He contacted the occupier who initially refused entry for a couple of days until contacted by MNRF staff. He waited another two days before calling them back giving permission to retrieve. Of course,by then,retrieval was moot because the animal had began to bloat from spoilage. He left the animal to decompose for the occupier to deal with.

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Surprised that it lasted long enough to spoil. A fresh kill around my parts is usually coyote food the first day.

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Originally Posted by Badenoch

Surprised that it lasted long enough to spoil. A fresh kill around my parts is usually coyote food the first day.

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That may very well have happened. Buddy didn't check. He was too PO'd because his tag was cancelled.

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Originally Posted by trimmer21

That may very well have happened. Buddy didn't check. He was too PO'd because his tag was cancelled.

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That kinda brings up a interesting point and something that bug's me year on year. You know how every year Moose get killed and are misidentified. The general course is the guy self reports, gets a out of court fine for $400.00 but then gets to keep his tag and hunt the legal animal he/she should have shot resulting in a double harvest and buggering up the management (nor really as they just take the number out for the next year)

So my question would be wrong animal or not should it not be tagged in any event?

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

So my question would be wrong animal or not should it not be tagged in any event?

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It would be unlawful to put a tag on an animal which it is not validated for. I think the appropriate question is “Should a hunter continue hunting after mistakenly shooting an animal that he (or his party) is not licensed to hunt?”

As this is an ethical question, I would be surprised if we reached consensus. One could argue that it was a mistake and the hunter paid a fine. Furthermore, it is possible that the MNR was able to salvage the animal so it didn’t go to waste. One could conclude that it would be appropriate for the hunter (or group) to continue hunting.

On the other hand, some may feel that, in addition to the fine, the hunter should voluntarily stop hunting as an animal has been taken. Many outfitters consider a wounded animal as a dead animal and end the client’s hunt. Not exactly the same but close.

Unless it’s mandated, I don’t think many hunters would quit hunting.