Punch the tag or not??

bucks

bucks

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I watched a hunting video on you tube last night ,The hunt has left a sore spot with me,I wanted to get a few more opinions on this hunt to help me move on from the effects it has had on me.
The hunt was a 2021 Utah Rocky Mountain Sheep hunt on the oak creek unit,6 draw tags were issued for the unit,As the video goes on the lucky hunter that drew the tag misses two different sheep, Then a few days latter in the hunt he shoots a nice ram it drops and rolls down the hill,
The ram is not found they show large amount of blood on the videos a few days off, a
And then he is back hunting,He misses another Ram,Then a friend shows up gives him his gun and he finally gets a ram..

So my question is Ethically ,should the hunter have punched the tag on the first ram shot, and not recovered?
This is a once in a lifetime hunt,The hunter did spend a full day looking for the ram,I have not experienced a situation like this myself and im sure that the hunter felt bad about loosing the first ram.
So What would you do!!
 
The shooter should have defiantly looked for at least 3 or four days. Give time for birds and Coyotes to show up.
I can't imagine giving up on a bighorn after less than a day of looking.

Post up the YT link.
 
elkantlers said:
The shooter should have defiantly looked for at least 3 or four days. Give time for birds and Coyotes to show up.
I can't imagine giving up on a bighorn after less than a day of looking.

Post up the YT link.
Click to expand...
Definitely agree on spending more time looking. As for punching the tag, that's a personal decision, I won't argue with anyone either way depending on what they decide to do.
 
I’ve never blood trailed a bighorn. But I’d guess they wouldn’t go so far as an elk or Muley would as their territory seems more specific.

What’s the furthest you all have heard of tracking a big horn?
 
I tried to attach the video but it didn't, work anyway its titled,
Utah Rocky Mountain sheep hunt by Outdoor Roots.





Utah rok
 
I saw four problems in the videos
1. nimrod hunter
2.pit viper sunglasses
3. vortex scope
4. Poor level of shooting comprehension ( probably was unprepared for a chip shot up close and shooting to far , I am 2.5+ @100 and good to 300 without dopping )
lots of guys IMO lean on shooting out of range instead of getting in a kill zone , 100-350 yards

it’s a OIL hunt so I don’t blame him for shooting a second ram after gut shot 1st , it’s common practice with long range hunters to wound a animal and keep hunting so he probably doesn’t see it as a problem, I see post daily about it.
my guided hunters are on the blood rule , draw blood and the permit Is filled
 
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mulecreek said:
Yes there is. People know what the right answer is, just not enough have the strength to follow through.
Click to expand...

The difference between a wrong opinion and a right opinion is that the wrong opinion is formed from partial or inadequate information.

The right answer for one isn't necessarily the right answer for another when it comes to ethics.
 
Bigfoot 1 said:
Is it legal?
Click to expand...
If you drop an animal and figure it it has fallen in a specific area but then realize it wasn't the caliber of animal you figured it was......don't go retrieve said animal. Say you couldn't find it and shoot a better animal....is that legal? Whose to say you actually went and recovered the first animal, examined it and decided it wasn't what you thought it was? I guess it all comes down to the hunter and how honest he/she is regardless if it is legal or not. Can you make a long range shot...review footage and see that the wrong animal was hit. Say that it was a clean miss even though you know it wasn't and go shoot another animal......because you never recovered the first animal? That is legal, right? Human error? Legality and ethics colide.....
 
bucks said:
I watched a hunting video on you tube last night ,The hunt has left a sore spot with me,I wanted to get a few more opinions on this hunt to help me move on from the effects it has had on me.
The hunt was a 2021 Utah Rocky Mountain Sheep hunt on the oak creek unit,6 draw tags were issued for the unit,As the video goes on the lucky hunter that drew the tag misses two different sheep, Then a few days latter in the hunt he shoots a nice ram it drops and rolls down the hill,
The ram is not found they show large amount of blood on the videos a few days off, a
And then he is back hunting,He misses another Ram,Then a friend shows up gives him his gun and he finally gets a ram..

So my question is Ethically ,should the hunter have punched the tag on the first ram shot, and not recovered?
This is a once in a lifetime hunt,The hunter did spend a full day looking for the ram,I have not experienced a situation like this myself and im sure that the hunter felt bad about loosing the first ram.
So What would you do!!
Click to expand...
You don't post it on the internet. IMO
 
Homer said:
Are there any big rams on Oak creek?
Click to expand...
Not really - Oak Creek, Stansbury, and Newfoundland units are largely opportunity hunts for California bighorns. The tag #'s are higher (relatively speaking) in these units to kill excess rams and keep them from wandering and contracting pneumonia etc. from domestic sheep.

If you kill a 6-8 year old 150" ram on these units, you are in the upper echelon for the most part. I applied for one of these units this year because I want to hunt and will hopefully draw - should know in about a week ?
 
I doubt that guy could find a dead elephant in a horse pasture....
I would have looked for 2 full days then killed another ram...,,,
especially after reading above about the reasoning for the hunt...
 
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elkhunterUT said:
Not really - Oak Creek, Stansbury, and Newfoundland units are largely opportunity hunts for California bighorns. The tag #'s are higher (relatively speaking) in these units to kill excess rams and keep them from wandering and contracting pneumonia etc. from domestic sheep.

If you kill a 6-8 year old 150" ram on these units, you are in the upper echelon for the most part. I applied for one of these units this year because I want to hunt and will hopefully draw - should know in about a week ?
Click to expand...
so...unlike what the video title says....these are California bighorns??
 
Wiszard said:
If you drop an animal and figure it it has fallen in a specific area but then realize it wasn't the caliber of animal you figured it was......don't go retrieve said animal. Say you couldn't find it and shoot a better animal....is that legal? Whose to say you actually went and recovered the first animal, examined it and decided it wasn't what you thought it was? I guess it all comes down to the hunter and how honest he/she is regardless if it is legal or not. Can you make a long range shot...review footage and see that the wrong animal was hit. Say that it was a clean miss even though you know it wasn't and go shoot another animal......because you never recovered the first animal? That is legal, right? Human error? Legality and ethics colide.....
Click to expand...

That's easy. It's illegal. You know you killed it. By not tagging it, you are willfully attempting to exceed the bag limit.
 
I don’t think he was prepared for a hunt like this. Woke up day 2 and didn’t want to go hiking. Sounds like he rushed multiple shots and missed. Where he ended up killing his ram from, is Probally where he should have sat the entire time. Usually a few rams get plunked from there. At least he got to go sheep hunting though, something most of us only dream of.
 
He's a little inconsistent when he says "while gathering my things the ram got up and crested the ridge before I got back".

He also he says he texted his buddies or his brothers, but he wasn't worried.

Then he says he followed the blood trail for 150 yards and lost it. Why would you do that if it crested the ridge?

Hustle over to the ram is the first thing I would do. I'd be laser focused on that.
 
This may not be a popular opinion but I think the law should state that if blood is drawn you cannot pursue other animals. I think this could have people be more conscious of their shot selection. Obviously animals can survive after being hit, but there are some that die. Sucks to punch a tag on a bad shot, but I think it’s the right thing.

Side benefit of this could also be a way to address long range issues without pushing a tech review of each gadget. Who knows, but maybe a alternative approach to that situation.
 
tallelkchaser said:
This may not be a popular opinion but I think the law should state that if blood is drawn you cannot pursue other animals. I think this could have people be more conscious of their shot selection. Obviously animals can survive after being hit, but there are some that die. Sucks to punch a tag on a bad shot, but I think it’s the right thing.

Side benefit of this could also be a way to address long range issues without pushing a tech review of each gadget. Who knows, but maybe a alternative approach to that situation.
Click to expand...
that is a perfect plan for you
 
tallelkchaser said:
This may not be a popular opinion but I think the law should state that if blood is drawn you cannot pursue other animals. I think this could have people be more conscious of their shot selection. Obviously animals can survive after being hit, but there are some that die. Sucks to punch a tag on a bad shot, but I think it’s the right thing.

Side benefit of this could also be a way to address long range issues without pushing a tech review of each gadget. Who knows, but maybe a alternative approach to that situation.
Click to expand...
Extremely hard to enforce laws like that I would imagine.
 
I had a BH tag last year. Ran into another hunter that had hit one back in the gut area but could not locate it. There were a few of us tag holders out there keeping an eye out for it. He tagged it but could not verify the measurements for the kill. Pure class right there. Once in a lifetime tag and he ate it. Much respect.
 
Homer said:
Are there any big rams on Oak creek?
Click to expand...
I am very interested in what subspecies these ram are in the rocky mountain bighorn family in this unit , as I see some of species are extinct ( Audubon's bighorn sheep,) and where restocked with some IMO supieror genetics)
pictures of some rams killed in North Dakota ( the older pic is a Audubon)
We have desert bighorn here but the biologist are very vague about the genetic origins of them ?
389B9A50-1585-4B17-87C9-8010052A6CB0.jpeg


AA044763-F9C1-4670-A444-4AB6DBF59936.jpeg
 
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Pretty crappy video in my opinion. We all know stuff like this always has and does go on. Just don’t like it posted all over the internet. Also, he sure does like to see himself in the video.
 
That video was hard to watch..lots of pizz poor hunters out there now a days...too bad they have to post their talents on the internet makes us all look bad
 
yoteduster said:
That video was hard to watch..lots of pizz poor hunters out there now a days...too bad they have to post their talents on the internet makes us all look bad
Click to expand...
The YouTube heroes pitching 500-800 meter shooting @ game aren’t doing anyone any favors, wonder what amount of game has legs blown off , gut shot, ect by incompetence
emulated on a video
 
I have to commend him for being honest about all the bad choices and stupidity in his video. That said, we see this every so often where being on youtube is more important than the hunt itself. This guy is a fish out of water when it comes to hunting. I guarantee the ram he hit was dead, not far from where he gave up, or it wasn't big enough and he lied. The acting job about being disappointed that he couldn't find it was way over the top. It took another guy to get it done for him. Who knows, maybe t he other guy shot the ram for him. Why ruin yourself and your buddies with a video depicting how bad you are at hunting.
 
S-3 Ranch said:
I am very interested in what subspecies these ram are in the rocky mountain bighorn family in this unit , as I see some of species are extinct ( Audubon's bighorn sheep,) and where restocked with some IMO supieror genetics)
pictures of some rams killed in North Dakota ( the older pic is a Audubon)
We have desert bighorn here but the biologist are very vague about the genetic origins of them ?
Click to expand...
Those rams on oak creek are mainly from antelope island Utah and were brought there from British Columbia.
 
Some guys are more interested in the Hollywood aspect of the hunt than they are in the hunt itself. It reminds me of mobs standing around filming an old lady being beaten by a thug and not lifting a finger to help her. At least they captured it for their social media friends to watch.
 
bucks said:
I watched a hunting video on you tube last night ,The hunt has left a sore spot with me,I wanted to get a few more opinions on this hunt to help me move on from the effects it has had on me.
The hunt was a 2021 Utah Rocky Mountain Sheep hunt on the oak creek unit,6 draw tags were issued for the unit,As the video goes on the lucky hunter that drew the tag misses two different sheep, Then a few days latter in the hunt he shoots a nice ram it drops and rolls down the hill,
The ram is not found they show large amount of blood on the videos a few days off, a
And then he is back hunting,He misses another Ram,Then a friend shows up gives him his gun and he finally gets a ram..

So my question is Ethically ,should the hunter have punched the tag on the first ram shot, and not recovered?
This is a once in a lifetime hunt,The hunter did spend a full day looking for the ram,I have not experienced a situation like this myself and im sure that the hunter felt bad about loosing the first ram.
So What would you do!!
Click to expand...
Hello bucks,
You ask "So what would you do?" Given the situation as presented in the video, I would make every effort possible to find the first Ram he hit. If I was sure I had exhausted every possibility of finding him, I would continue hunting.
I think any ethical hunter would cringe when they watch this video. I also think many ethical hunters have experienced similar hunts, especially when they were first learning. Your question is a valid one that, I hope, each of us considers when we head out for our adventures. Good luck to everyone on their hunts this year.

Elkchaser
 

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