doccash
Buckeye
This little guy was pretty gazing into the rising sun Sunday morning. Dr.C
YOUNG ANTELOPE BUCK [Game warden story added] opinions ?
- Thread starter doccash
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Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Another good one Dr. C 
A
Anonymous
I wish I lived somewhere where I had the opportunity to photograph wildlife like that. That's a lovely shot. It's through photographs such as yours that the average person learns to appreciate the value and beauty of wildlife and the natural world. Imagine if there were no more antelope, no more bison (there almost wasn't, you know), no more elk...just to name a few. What a desolate world we would live in.
doccash
Buckeye
Bigdawg, thank you so very much, I needed that especially now. I have a tale to relate and I'm not sure how to go about it that involves me and the game department..as recently as last Sunday. Antelope season is upon us here in the Texas panhandle and I was fortunate enough to secure a permit the day before the season. As most of you know I kinda live with the wildlife, antelope in particular thru the summer and into the fall. Well, Sunday I ran into one of my kids that was wounded and dying in the pasture that he is always in. It is the very same antelope in the thread 'High Pronged Antelope in Tall Bluestem'. His wounds were swollen and infected and he was close to death so I shot him in the neck and ended his life. Wanting to do the right thing I called the gamewarden and told him what I had done. I stayed there for an hour waiting his arrival. When he arrived he examined the antelope and took my license and said my hunt was over. I can deal with that as he said that I should have called him before hand and he would have shot him . I really didn't want him to suffer one more minute, I know that's silly but damnit I'm balling as I write this. So my hunt is over and so much for the right thing. What do you think ? Dr.C
A
Anonymous
doccash said:
What do I think? If you're asking me personally, well, I'll tell you. Mr. Cash, I don't think anything...I know you did the right thing, and damn the game warden for his insensitivity to the situation, your feelings and beliefs, and the plight of the antelope. Your emotional reaction is completely understandable...at least to me. No real hunter, no real man or no true sportsman will stand by and and allow a wounded animal to suffer.
There will be other hunting seasons for you. I look at it this way. Once an animal is dead, it's gone. Forever. No more bounding through the high grass, no more placidly grazing, no more anything. No more beauty in motion, just simply...gone, never to return.
So as soon as you get yourself back to where you need to be, strap on that Canon again with that big 400mm, and make some more of those photographs that delight and amaze everyone who see them. I wish I could join you.
Mike Armstrong
Hunter
Sometimes the right thing and the game laws just don't tally. But you KNEW what to do.
If us hunters don't have ethics, we're just killers.
And you got 'em.
If us hunters don't have ethics, we're just killers.
And you got 'em.
I'm proud of you Doc. You did the right thing. Some wardens just like to show they are in charge.
Eric
Eric
j p sixguns welldone
Single-Sixer
Sounds to me like you both had a chance to do the right thing and only you did. good call Doc.
jgt
Buckeye
When I visited other states and encountered Game Wardons I was always proud of our state Game Wardons because they were always such gentlemen in their approach to enforcing game laws. In Texas that was mostly true of all law enforcement officers. Lately I have been exposed to a new mindset. Not all mind you, but enough to notice. It is the difference in thinking that they are there to enforce the "letter of the law" rather than the "intent of the law". They seem to use no discretion and try to use a one size fits all approach to their job. That shows a real lack of maturity and is sure to alienate the people they serve. The state believes all the game belongs to the state, but who feeds them?
Rick Courtright
Hawkeye
Hi, Doc
Tough call. What became of the animal? Did the warden take the carcass, or leave it to you? Methinks if he'd taken it, you'd have reason to talk to his supervisor for some clarification. If he left it w/ you, even if the meat was unusable, I suppose writing it off to "doing the right thing" would be the best, if not most palatable, answer.
Wounded animals can't read the game laws, and it's up to us to ensure they don't suffer if we can. Doesn't matter if he was shot, hit by a vehicle, injured in an attack by a predator: you DID the right thing by the animal. Good on ya for that!
Rick C
Tough call. What became of the animal? Did the warden take the carcass, or leave it to you? Methinks if he'd taken it, you'd have reason to talk to his supervisor for some clarification. If he left it w/ you, even if the meat was unusable, I suppose writing it off to "doing the right thing" would be the best, if not most palatable, answer.
Wounded animals can't read the game laws, and it's up to us to ensure they don't suffer if we can. Doesn't matter if he was shot, hit by a vehicle, injured in an attack by a predator: you DID the right thing by the animal. Good on ya for that!
Rick C
Cracker-American
Blackhawk
What do I think.
I think you are a true Gentleman and a steward of all wildlife.
I also think that game wardens have anti hunter. I think their us vs them mentality is killing any hope of cooperation.
DocCash, you, I, most of this forum and that pos game warden know you did the right thing.
Your pictures are a highlight of my visits to the RugerForum.
I think you are a true Gentleman and a steward of all wildlife.
I also think that game wardens have anti hunter. I think their us vs them mentality is killing any hope of cooperation.
DocCash, you, I, most of this forum and that pos game warden know you did the right thing.
Your pictures are a highlight of my visits to the RugerForum.
Definitely did the right thing in putting the poor animal out of its misery.
No doubt about it Doc, you did the right thing. When I was about 14 I faced the same situation with a big 4 point mule deer on Steens Mountain. Someone had shot one leg off, his bottom jaw off and one through the body and I stumbled onto him when he was about to fall over. I "knew" if I shot him I would need to punch my tag but there wasn't 10# of good meat on him by thqt time and I did not have the solidified code of ethics I have now. As I stood there mentally wrestling with the situation an older man walked up and saw the situation and I told him it was not my deer but he had the morals to but the animal out of its misery. We swapped names and camp locations in case the law ever found out but I was ashamed of myself for not having the courage to "break" the law and put the deer out of its pain. One of my only hunting regrets to this day.
You did what most of us here would have done - the right thing. Hope you at least got to keep the meat. While I think the game warden could have looked at the situation and just said thanks and left, he also is faced with "right and wrong" decisions. Unfortunately he acted by the book instead of by the decent way to handle this.
I had an encounter with an opposite outcome earlier this year. While shed hunting I found the remains of a huge 15 point buck. There was nothing but bones left. I broke off the skull and brought it home. Wanting to take it to my taxidermist, I called the DNR and asked if I needed a tag. The warden said yes, and by law I should report the deer and wait for a game warden to come and check it out. I told him that I was worried someone else would find them and take them. Then he said he would also have taken it and sent me a tag via mail.
I had an encounter with an opposite outcome earlier this year. While shed hunting I found the remains of a huge 15 point buck. There was nothing but bones left. I broke off the skull and brought it home. Wanting to take it to my taxidermist, I called the DNR and asked if I needed a tag. The warden said yes, and by law I should report the deer and wait for a game warden to come and check it out. I told him that I was worried someone else would find them and take them. Then he said he would also have taken it and sent me a tag via mail.
LarryH
Single-Sixer
Thank you Doc! You know you did the right. Shame on the warden!!
TucsonDirt
Single-Sixer
^^^ The game warden's response unfortunately will tend to make more people respond this way ^^^.jeffnles1 said:
I too agree you did the right thing Doc.
Sometimes honesty doesn't seem to work out, but you know you are respected for doing the right thing.
Rick Courtright
Hawkeye
Hi,
A buddy and I went dove hunting last weekend, and, as we found no birds we could shoot at, opted for a leisurely breakfast. He's a Hunter Ed instructor w/ CDFW out here. So I ran Doc's "problem" by him for an opinion.
His initial comment about the warden in the story shouldn't be repeated! Then he took a deep breath...
He can't speak for the wardens, of course, but suggested any of them he knows would most likely have examined the animal, assessed the high probability of contaminated meat from the infected wounds, taken the carcass and NOT punched Doc's ticket for the rest of the season...
He also relayed a "Thanks!" to Doc for doing the right thing by the animal regardless of consequence.
Rick C
A buddy and I went dove hunting last weekend, and, as we found no birds we could shoot at, opted for a leisurely breakfast. He's a Hunter Ed instructor w/ CDFW out here. So I ran Doc's "problem" by him for an opinion.
His initial comment about the warden in the story shouldn't be repeated! Then he took a deep breath...
He can't speak for the wardens, of course, but suggested any of them he knows would most likely have examined the animal, assessed the high probability of contaminated meat from the infected wounds, taken the carcass and NOT punched Doc's ticket for the rest of the season...
He also relayed a "Thanks!" to Doc for doing the right thing by the animal regardless of consequence.
Rick C
