Can I keep his Horns?

[mnhunter2]

I found a dead buck while I was pheasant hunting today, looked like he was gut shot and has been dead a few days, he has a basket 5pt rack and I was wondering if I can keep the horns?

[RumRiverRat]

Nope, since deer do not have horns.

[Joe15]

Sure you didn't take a shot you couldn't resist? Besides you have enough horns at your place to last two or three lifetimes.

[waterbound]

You should contact a Conservation Officer. If you hit a deer with your car I believe you can contact a CO and report it and they can decide to let you take the animal if you want it. You can probably take the antlers but I would ask first.

[Dave S]

Ditto on calling a CO. I'm guessing you will need to get a possession tag even for the antlers.

[zzammon]

Good question. I know antlers won't stay on road kill for more than a day in my area.

[Gofishleech]

are you guys serious,,,you found them,,,,, take the dang antlers!!

[Arctic]

Take the antlers! We found a wolf-killed 10 pointer in October and took the antlers.

They now reside in my neighbor's garage.

[DonBo]

If you didn't already take 'em, they're probably already gone.

[Wanderer]

If you're truly worried about it....

I would say you better check first. I asked a CO once in SoDak if I could take the rack off a deer I found while pheasant hunting. He emphatically said "no way".

Yes that was another state but I believe I read in the regs that you have to retain all registration documents for any deer you retain the parts of until all the meat is gone or the remainder is reduced to a taxidermy product, or something like that.

Most people don't worry about it though and just grab the antlers and go - but you are transporting an untagged, unregistered big game animal product.

Just sayin.

[bak2MN]

Just wondering, whats the difference in finding this way or picking up a shed?

[Wanderer]

Good question. I asked that myself and was asked if I had a valid deer license. If not, he said he would cite me.

I suppose this might be another one of those gray areas left to the interpretation of the CO in the field. And again, this was in another state.

[Neighbor_guy]

...or the remainder is reduced to a taxidermy product, or something like that....

By that logic, as soon as you have removed the antlers, you have reduced it to "taxidermy product". You are not going to be able to use the rest of the roadkill, or failer recovery.

In WI you have to have a tag....

I have removed them from road kill in MN.... There is a well used sportsmans club in the area that used to be decorated with roadkill cut offs.

[deets22]

i think every state has a law that says you need to get some sort of tag, since the antlers are off of a dead deer and not a live one like sheds. i think the idea is to try and keep people from killing an animal and letting it sit somewhere safe till the heat dies down and collecting the antlers. for the most part i think you could take them but might have some explaining to do if caught.

[Wensel]

This is a special topic of interest to me.

In Nov of 08 I shot and lost a potential B&C buck.

I never gave up the search and found him in April 09

Needless to say someone beat me to him.

Personally I'll pick a shed any day, but I'd never put the saw to an animal that I assumed was shot by another.

[Heartman]

Finders keepers, losers weepers. Especially after a Minnesota winter.

[Hoyt4]

There are many states you can not even remove roadkill antlers so I would check with the CO and make sure you are ok to take them.