This used to be discussed and taught during the MD Bowhunter Education Program and I used to be an instructor but it's been a long time since the program existed. Since arrows kill by hemorrhage and rifle bullets kill by shock, deer react differently to being shot by both as we well know. There was a rule floating about that when shooting a deer with an arrow the first arrow in a mortal area owns the deer supposing two hunters shoot the same deer. In gun hunting it's the shot that brings the deer down that owns the deer even though the first shot is in a lethal area but the deer runs away and is shot by someone else and it falls dead.

Problem is I can't find anything in our game laws to support this. It may be just something we learned decades ago and kept passing it on.

Anyone else have any information as to documentation of this? This may impact people who bowhunt during firearms season.

Just a pass me down when in Rome do as the romans do

I lost one to a muzzle loader like that once , he did offer to split it , but declined was only his second Deer ever and thrilled

I shot 1 the first day of gun season one year with a bow and arrow and he ran down a small hollow. I took up the trail quickly knowing it was a good shot and 2 guys were loading him on a 4wheeler without firing a shot. They had never even gutted him, just trying to get out of there. Saw me and took off.

Hookman some hunters can’t do it on their own that also happened to me.

I have done it in the past, guys at the cabin looked am like I was nuts, I just told them, hey, if you want to kill a deer with a bow, you have to carry a bow!

The only reason I brought it up is there could be conflicts during rifle season for bowhunters. The ones that were loading the deer onto the ATV without ever shooting were lowlifes. Had they shot it and it fell down it would be their deer legally according to this rule I mentioned.

I was told of that when I took the NY State Bowhunter course in 1962. I do not know if it was written down anyplace, though.

A friend of mine lost an 8 point to a gun hunter on Thanksgiving Day 1963. Four of us were hunting with our bows during gun season, on public land. My friend hit the buck with a frontal shot. He went to find his father before following up on the shot. About a half hour later, while trailing the buck, they heard two shots from the direction they were heading. A hunter had kicked up the buck and shot twice at it. He missed the first shot and dropped it on the second. He said if it hadn't been wounded, he probably would have not got it. Being that he made the killing shot, he took the deer. bvd

Somethings are just an ethical call. You can't legislate everything....thank Heaven for that. I don't need a deer bad enough to fight about it. Matter of fact, I put down a very nice eleven point that came past me and had been gut shot, years ago during rifle season. I waited for the guy who was following the trail and it turned out to be a neighborhood kid. I did talk to him about making better shots then took his picture with his buck. I was happy he followed up and came out to it.

When hunting in rifle season, you really need to pick your shots even finer than any other time. Can't always call it though but if it runs away and someone else kills it, then it's a toss up.

First tag on the deer I think is the law in Michigan. You will get different interpretations in different camps though about first blood, or first killing shot. If your hunting with a bow in rifle season I would not wait 30 minutes to track unless you know there is no one else in your woods.

Solve the problem with a spine shot, Drop it on the spot.

I have lost one that's same way, now I'm very particular where I hunt when it's gun season and I'm using a bow Every year in our state it seems like we have somebody wounded or killed in gun season.

DC

I can't bring myself to hunt public land during gun season. I stick with archery only areas or private land. Not worth the headaches. IMHO

We’re not permitted to bowhunt public land here during firearms unless it’s a bow- only area, so I guess that’s a blessing in its own way...

I was about to say that there's not much Law on this... but the joke used to be that in Utah, the most important piece of hunting equipment was a good pair of track shoes... And in most places, if it’s got your tag on it, it’s yours.

On the other hand, many years ago I read an article where some bad actors ended up being arrested for theft of a big game animal, so there must be laws on the books somewhere...

I’d hate to think it would ever get to that. JMO, first hit should be what counts - especially if the second shooter would likely never have had a crack at the animal had it not been hit already. OTOH, if the first shooter most likely never would have recovered the animal without that anchoring hit....

I guess the bottom line for me is.... it just depends. Chances are pretty good that it would be pretty obvious what’s Right under the circumstances.

I grew up in montgomery County MD and I remember that rule

Pretty much it is settled between the people involved in every State. If someone has tagged the deer you think is yours, it is then the property of the tagger, who has lawfully reduced the animal to his possession. That's the law as I know it.

Well arrowed deer rarely travel more then 100-120 yards. I would guess less then 10 seconds probably closer to 5 seconds. An archer just needs to get both lungs and walk over and tag the deer. I have killed enough deer with my bow to realize that this is not always the case, I have killed two bucks that went farther quickly and was dead at the end of their run. I would think if you hunt at least 300 yards from the closest gun hunter, any deer that gets that far probably needs to be shot a second time to bring it to bag, at that point, I believe it is the gun hunters deer.

I'm cheating this year, I put trail cameras out close to my house that you can only archery hunt. If I see a lot of deer on the cameras I'll use my longbow during gun season. I'm not to worried about gun hunters because it's too close to houses. I know there is a big one back there but don't know if he's using the area. If I don't see any deer I'm going to gun hunt.

It can work both ways. My uncle shot a deer on a hillside it ran into a steep Gully loaded with Beaver ponds. When he got to the bottom of the gully there were three Hunters there who obviously wanted to claim the deer even though they had not shot at it. Uncle looked up the hill behind and down the Gully loaded with Beaver ponds and thought about getting that deer out on his own. He looked those guys in the eye and said nope not my deer. :)

Your Uncle is a smart Man!

When carrying a bow do not argue with men carrying guns. Did not work out to well with native Americans

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