Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Question for Blind Sow

S

sludge

Guest
I would like to add to the question at hand.

If you shoot a deer, for example, late in the day. I you don't recover said deer until the next morning and upon recovery, the deer is chewed up by coyotes. To the point where none of the meat can or should be salvage can you remove the head, tag it and leave the carcuss?
 
You got me interested in laws,
I've seen it done on the interstate and even if it is legal, I'd feel pretty stupid hacking off antlers along an interstate. Not to say that I wouldn't do it because I love antlers as much as the next guy. I think I'll start carrying my homelite chainsaw in my pickup and [Graemlin with Chainsaw] hack off a pair
grin.gif


BT
 
You need to get a salvage tag for racks that are still attached to the skull plate. If the GW doesn't think it was taken illegally, a salvage tag can be issued.

Road killed deer are first offered to the driver of the car that hit it, if that party doesn't want it, it may be offered to the 2nd or third party at the scene. The whole deer must be taken, not just rack.
 
If a person comes across a deer carcass on private (or public) ground that is partially decomposed and and/or devoured by coyotes, can they legally cut off the horns/skull without tagging it? I have heard of several people doing this when they happen across dead bucks with decent racks during the winter and spring. However recently someone told me that if the DNR found out they would fine you and confiscate the racks.

How about road kills? It seems like every road kill I see has it's rack cut off.

Lastly, If it is illegal to cut take them off a dead carcass, what is the intent behind this law and how is this any different than picking up sheds?

TIA
IaCraig
 
Taking the risk of being wrong again I'll spout off anyhow.

If you stumble across a carcass and want the rack you can have it if you use a tag valid for the time you discover it.

If your bow kill is lost overnight or however long it takes to find it you can either let it for the coyotes if its unfit for human consumption or tag it and claim the rack, so long as bow season is still open.
 
I haven't had much time lately to answer questions with the second shotgun season in full swing.

Up until two (?) years ago it was illegal to have a full skull plate in your possession that you had found. The main reason for this (my opinion) was to preclude someone from killing a nice buck, "hiding" the rack for awhile for it to get bug eaten or whatever, and then "discovering" it. Granted it wouldn't be eligible for P&Y, but it would be for B&C as they accept pick ups, or for someone to sell it.

As for the legality of legally possessing sheds and not full skulls (before the change) think about it for a minute. With sheds you know the deer was alive when he lost the antlers. The above paragraph explains why (IMO) it was illegal to possess full skulls.

But the rule has changed and if you come across one out of a season, and your local Conservation Officer can determine that nothing illegal was involved it is yours to keep.

If you come across a dead deer with a nice rack during a season (bow, shotgun or muzzleloader) if you want the deer you will have to use your tag.

Road kills, as mentioned above, go first to the person who hit the deer, then if they don't want it, and some else present does, they can have it. Road kill salvage tags are for the whole deer, not just the rack.

Doug Clayton

State Conservation Officer
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom