Taking Responsibility- Folding a Tag

By Keith Denoncourt

This Gemsbuck only went 40 yards. It was however not the shot that I wanted. Although minimal tracking was required, my heart initially sank as I knew that I could have done better.

When I started writing articles with Non-Typical Nation, I had a discussion with Brody Teale about what type of answers should I give when I get asked opinion related items. I was concerned about stirring up unwanted feedback. Very plainly Brody said ” You have been a Teacher for years….Do not take criticism from anyone that you would not take advice from...” With that in mind, here is one of my first questions that I answered:

Just recently I had a newer hunter ask ”What should I do? I wounded a deer. I found a blood trail, but I can not find my animal...”

I was Blessed that this Whitetail Buck went straight down. I was 100% sure of my shot placement. I am very grateful for the quick harvest with absolutely zero tracking required.

Before I answered him, I reflected back on roughly a 40 year hunting career. I transparently admit that I have had three ungulates unrecoverable where the predators beat me to the recovery. I am not proud of this, and normally I am very private about mishaps. I am embarrassed, and I know that I could have done better. As well, I have had a few migratory birds / upland game birds fly off that have been wounded. Even on my trip to South Africa, my Gemsbock harvest did not go entirely as planned. I rushed my shot and went for a quartering away shot on a larger Gemsbock Bull. At first, we all thought that my shot went farther back. The herd scrambled in to the bush before I could reidentify which one was the one I had hit. My heart dropped initially as the herd ran off. We instantly called for backup. I know better. I rushed, and I got Gemsbock fever. I initially thought that we were in for a long night of tracking. I was embarrassed as how things were going down as a direct result of my poor shot placement. The animal deserves better. We initially backed off for about 30 minutes while more help arrived. When help arrived we found the Bull in roughly 20 minutes of tracking time. He did not go far. My shot took out the far lung and he only went 40 yards straight in to some bushes. Boris, and Michael could tell on my first visit to South Africa that I wanted to do better. I was very appreciative for their support and for the initial privacy with my Gemsbock. Although I always pay private respects first and foremost, I also needed this time so that I could regain some focus. Wounding an animal is not something that I would have been very proud of. In every case prior, I was prepared to, and have historically folded up my tag, as my statement of my personal accountability. I will not hold an animal, or an Outfitter, responsible for what I had control over.

For the new hunter, it had been over 12 hours since he pulled the trigger. I told him to go back to where he last found blood. I advised him to start doing expanding semi circles looking for further signs, while marking his trail . Listen for ravens, crows and birds, and definitely be ready for a predator to be on your harvest. The animal may even still be alive. I advised him to get as much help as possible. You need to put substantial diligence in to the retrieval. For your own self respect you should be asking yourself “Did I do everything in my power to retrieve the animal ?” More than likely your meat will start to spoil within a few hours. You still need to continue your search. There might have been extenuating circumstances that would have slowed down the decaying process. However after a couple days of searching you still have not found your animal, it is time to be accountable. If blood has been found, you were responsible for its death. Even if it ran hard, eventually infection and lameness would set in and the predators would get an easier meal. Without restitution your hunt for that animal has come to an end. Fold your tag, and get to the root of what went wrong. Was the firearm off ? Did you practice ? Did you rush your shot ? Step back at first and learn from your experience. Practice so that it never happens again, and put it behind you! We have all been there. When I return to South Africa I will be focusing more on identifying the color distinctions in reference to shot placement on a new species. This is while practicing more on the “aiming small, and missing small” principles for my next visit.

When I had Nature beat me to the retrieval of my game I felt horrid. I folded my tag each time. I realize that nothing in Nature gets wasted. Sadly, even a wounded animal will die faster than if left by natural causes alone. However this is not the standard that we want to set or accept. We have a responsibility to ensure the cleanest harvests possible. I recognize that I am a casual hunter, and only an average shot. I must practice. By the time I start hunting, I can hit a large plum repeatedly with my rifle at 100 yards. I stay within that comfort zone so that I can provide the cleanest harvests possible. My normal rifle shots are less than 75 yards when I hunt in the Boreal Forests at home. Before I head to South Africa, I will be practicing at a range out to 300 yards with sticks, and with a rest. I will also be spending more time focusing on my specific shot placement. Practicing your shooting craft, and cleanly being able to identify shot placements, is the best prevention that I could ever recommend. I will also add that if you ever come across a case of misidentification, check your local regulations. If you have accidently misidentified an animal, had secondary impacts on additional animals, or been forced in to shooting a predatory animal, take the responsibility and notify the local Fish and Wildlife ( RAP 1-800-642-3800 Alberta) , or report your incident to your Outfitter immediately. Maintain your honor by being truthful and forthright. It will set a standard that everyone can respect. Incidents happen to all of us, and we must be accountable when things go wrong. We all must continually practice our craft to prevent such tragedies. Lying about it, hiding it from authorities, or posting publicly about wounding an animal is unnecessary, and reflects poorly on us all. Unless there is an educational / legal value to your admission, and you are using your experience to help teach others, while preventing it from happening again, respectfully keep wounded animals private. Always get back to the root of what when wrong, and diligently practice your craft to prevent it from happening again.

Thank you for respecting wildlife ! Always sponsor a Non-Profit Conservation Organization !

-Keith