A question for scn.

[102]

Here is the scenario.
Actually, it is this years "campfire question".

In your opinion, OR by the law (if applicable because I can't find it), what would be the "right thing to do?

(for those who do not know, scn is TWRA and has I believe, over 40 years experience in law enforcement)

Here is the scenario:

A hunter shoots a unique horned and easily recognizable buck late one evening and spends the next day looking for it to no avail.
Then, several days later, he finds it several hundred yards from where he lost the trail. Obviously ruined meat. He is 99% certain it is his lost buck.

Question, does he claim it, cut off the horns and use one of his buck tags? or does he just walk away, stinking rack in hand?

What is the right answer?

My guess is that if any part of the carcass is claimed, you punch your buck tag. And if it were a doe you might not be able to be as certain of it being YOUR doe, as their may not be unique features as with a buck. And if you claim that doe kill, it may be claimed by another hunter, who knows?

Please give your input on this scn.

 

[Trevor2]

This was brought up last year and idk if there was ever a "by law" answer given but I believe the majority said they would tag it.

 

[bigtex]

It happened to me several years ago during archery season. I shot a pretty nice buck [120+] on my lease in Giles Co. but hit him a little back. I searched for that deer for days untill I had to return home for work, etc. A couple of weeks later I went back and continued my search and found him. Of course there wasn't much left after the yotes and mother nature had taken her course. I cut the rack off and immediatly tagged it.
I don't know the "legal" aspects of it but to me it was the ethical thing to do. I doubt that it is legally required to do so. BTW, I later killed a smaller racked deer later in the season and used that cape on the deer I lost.

 

[Nimrod777]

Went through the exact scenario once and the WMA manager instructed me to tag it if I wanted it.

 

[102]

TTT

 

[102]

My guess is to tag as well, as I stated earlier. But in another state, a similar situation occurred with me and we found it the next morning after leaving it overnight.

I can't explain why, but seeing what the coyotes did to this dead deer, in just a few hours, gave me chills. There was literally only skin and bones left. The coyotes actually ate this deer from the inside out. It was like they peeled all the meat from inside the doe and left head, skin, and bones.

I shot it at dark the eve before. I took video of sex ID and headed to the check-in. They asked me not to punch a tag and said the state would count it toward "road kill". They wanted me to kill MORE does.

Still, an interesting question and I suppose that if I had wanted the head of the doe, I'd have been told to tag it.

Hopefully, scn will chime in.

 

[102]

ttt

 

[bowriter]

SCN is out west fishing, taking a bit of a break before his "busy" season starts.

 

[scn]

SCN is out west fishing, taking a bit of a break before his "busy" season starts.

Oct 5 for the fishing.

IMO, if you take the head, you need to tag it to legally possess it. To do otherwise would give the "horn hunter" crowd the legal ability to shoot a pile of bucks that they retrieve after the fact.

Our officers have made cases on deer that were not checked in and that were not road kill.

 

[TRIGGER]

I'm not scn nor edumacated but if I kill a dear I tag it. Just because I don't find it rite away doesn't mean I didn't kill it. Makes the kill numbers more accurate also.

 

[bowriter]

I fought you weft westerday. Don't forget to take pitchers.

 

[tasaman]

Spell check must be on the fritz again. haha

If it were me I would tag it here in TN no prob. Heck you get 3 of them.

In KY if you call warden and have him come out and verify its wasted he can give you a "found" tag to keep it.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I can't think of a justification for not checking it in. If you shot the animal, and then you retrieved it, what's the difference (legally or biologically) between finding it an hour later and finding it a week later?

 

[ImThere]

Went through the exact scenario once and the WMA manager instructed me to tag it if I wanted it.

Thats how i remember it

 

[timberjack86]

I agree.But what would happen if the hunter dosent find it till after season and he has already tagged three bucks?Highly unlikley but it could happen.Should he leave it and notify twra?

 

[102]

thanks scn

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

To add a real life twist to the question. You hear shots in the distance. New property have no idea who or exactly where,While hunting several days later you notice vultures circling and investagate you find a nasty dead buck with decent horns.Can you call the law imform them claim the horns and be legal ??The one I found a few years ago I left it lay but felt like the smell ruined the spot it was so terrible.I did bring some lime out and throw it around the remains. Picked the rack up shed hunting the following spring.

 

[UTGrad]

I fought you weft westerday. Don't forget to take pitchers.

Dang...time for someone to go back to 1st grade.

 

[hcdeerman]

I have a question that kind of branches of the question of the OP. By TN state law (if I'm not mistaken)in order to be in posession of antlers, spurs, beards, etc. we are to have the kill tag for the animal. What about shooting a buck only to finally recover him after season? I shot an 8 pt during muzzleloader last year in early November, trailed him into a pine cutover before losing him. Had no luck the following 2 days either. I found him in late January while doing some post season scouting, but of course he was only bones. I brought the rack home, but would hate to be breaking the law somehow out of ignorance.

 

[scn]

I have a question that kind of branches of the question of the OP. By TN state law (if I'm not mistaken)in order to be in posession of antlers, spurs, beards, etc. we are to have the kill tag for the animal. What about shooting a buck only to finally recover him after season? I shot an 8 pt during muzzleloader last year in early November, trailed him into a pine cutover before losing him. Had no luck the following 2 days either. I found him in late January while doing some post season scouting, but of course he was only bones. I brought the rack home, but would hate to be breaking the law somehow out of ignorance.

All of us, law enforcement and hunting public as well, would prefer laws to be black and white. Unfortunately, in many cases that just isn't possible. You end up with various shades of gray and sometimes the judicial system making their determination.

I have NO reason to doubt your post and the way the events happened. But, on the other end of the spectrum you have the guy who has filled all three of his buck tags but continues to hunt. A "trophy" type deer walks by and he/she can't resist the urge and purposely lets it run off to be recovered later.

We allow sheds to be picked up. But, for freshly dead animals there are major issues and cases have been made on such. If I were in that situation, I would be in touch with the local officer prior to retrieving and possessing the animal. That way there are no "surprises" on either side.