Just makes me sick!!

[sdpikehntr]

I have a son in 4-H and we have been getting up at 6:00am to go to the farm (8 miles) to work with his 4-H steers; well this morning when we were done we headed back to town... well just a mile ahead we saw flashers on and a Tahoe sitting on the road side.

DEER HIT!

I know, it happens all the time, but this was was tough to see. The driver was just fine and the passengers were also fine. The deer went over the hood hit the windshield and deployed the air bags. This was all tolerated well on my behalf. But the 6x6 buck in full velvet sitting on the road with a estimated 24" spread(estimated because both antlers were broke in the skull and moved with the hide) and 14" G3's made me just sick. When I pulled it off the road, my hand didn't reach around the base. I would guess it was a 160-170 class deer.

I wanted to keep it but the CO woulnd't allow it to be released, he said I could have the meat if I wanted... I don't like deer that tender though.

Has anyone else had this sick feeling seeing a trophey dead on the road?

[Craigums]

no

[paceman]

Ah yes I have seen some dandies laying along the road over the years. Good thing we wack a few every year hunting or there would be more smacked on the highways.

[Bear55]

Oh ya, a few years back a very nice 10 (140-150 area) that I was on to got clipped about 2 weeks before the bow season opened. Not a good feeling but not much you can do about it, time to move on to the next buck I guess.

[Jameson]

Every vehicle killed deer I see along side of the road makes me sick.

I get angry when I see a huge body of a buck laying there with just the head and antlers taken away.

[vister]

even worse feeling is when that buck is one you've had your sights set on! the only good thing that comes out of that is knowing that the jerk neighbor wont get to hang him on the wall

[Kyle]

FYI, the CO didnt let you have them because he took them for himself. I know of several people that have hit large bucks in the summer and the each CO told them to take the antlers before someone else did...You did the right thing to call it in, but next time bring a saw with and take the antlers. Dont be fooled, DNR officers love antlers too!

In response to the person that said they dont like seeing the antlers and head of a buck gone....What do you expect? Most of the time a badly hit deer is not salvageable. If you had the misfortune of hitting a buck with your vehicle and it was just laying there, would you honestly drive off? I dont think so. People in general love antlers, even if they are meat hunters. This is why shed hunting is become ever more popular. My thought is the same as everyones', it really sucks to see a nice deer, buck or doe, hit by a vehicle, but if a part of the deer is salvageable why would you take it, even if it is the antlers?

[LOTWSvirgin]

FYI, the CO didnt let you have them because he took them for himself. I know of several people that have hit large bucks in the summer and the each CO told them to take the antlers before someone else did...You did the right thing to call it in, but next time bring a saw with and take the antlers. Dont be fooled, DNR officers love antlers too!

In response to the person that said they dont like seeing the antlers and head of a buck gone....What do you expect? Most of the time a badly hit deer is not salvageable. If you had the misfortune of hitting a buck with your vehicle and it was just laying there, would you honestly drive off? I dont think so. People in general love antlers, even if they are meat hunters. This is why shed hunting is become ever more popular. My thought is the same as everyones', it really sucks to see a nice deer, buck or doe, hit by a vehicle, but if a part of the deer is salvageable why would you take it, even if it is the antlers?

Yah the COs might like them too but you still just cant take them you need to have a a tag still to prove it wasnt poached sure there are ways to get around it. Just like in the winter when I shed hunt. I can pick all the sheds I want with no problem but in order to pick a whole skull up You need to call a CO to prove ou found it and didnt poach it. If you would of taken the whole deer there is no reason you shouldnt of had the antlers too.

[KG243]

FYI, the CO didnt let you have them because he took them for himself. I know of several people that have hit large bucks in the summer and the each CO told them to take the antlers before someone else did...You did the right thing to call it in, but next time bring a saw with and take the antlers. Dont be fooled, DNR officers love antlers too!

In response to the person that said they dont like seeing the antlers and head of a buck gone....What do you expect? Most of the time a badly hit deer is not salvageable. If you had the misfortune of hitting a buck with your vehicle and it was just laying there, would you honestly drive off? I dont think so. People in general love antlers, even if they are meat hunters. This is why shed hunting is become ever more popular. My thought is the same as everyones', it really sucks to see a nice deer, buck or doe, hit by a vehicle, but if a part of the deer is salvageable why would you take it, even if it is the antlers?

Don't be so hard on the CO's as they do a dirty job for not enough money and all of them that I have met are outstanding individuals! If it is some sort of law that he/she cant give the antlers away then they are just doing their job. To many people rip on the CO's, that is sad to me as we should be working with them not against them.

[Kyle]

I never said anything about working against them. I simply said they are people too, and being that they love the outdoors, they more likely than not love sheds as well. I am not slamming CO's in general or at all for that matter, and I have no personal qualms with them. Just more or less saying I dont know where the rationale lies from CO to CO when one will allow you to take the head and the next wont.

I did not realize a person needed to have a tag to take a skull; Good to know...Luckily for me, I have not had the mis fortune of seeing a large buck in the ditch, otherwise I may have been slapped with a fine. So I guess that is a good thing. Still, I think that if you do the right thing and call in a hit deer and it happens to have bone, in my mind there shouldnt be a reason a person wouldnt be allowed to take it for a suvinere.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Anytime a buck that I know has been hit if the person or anyone else want it they can have it but you have to take the whole thing and do what ever you like with it with in reason.

[CANOPY SAM]

12-pt. with a 24-inch inside spread and 14-inch G3's???

He sounds bigger than 160-170. That was a giant!!!

Bummer.

[sdpikehntr]

12-pt. with a 24-inch inside spread and 14-inch G3's???

He sounds bigger than 160-170. That was a giant!!!

Bummer.

Ah, Yes, you would be right but the G2's were only about 4", I hadn't seen a rack like it before, it was heavy all the way around except for the small and thin G2's. I wish I would have had a camera with... There is a teachable moment here, always keep a camera in the boat, car, truck, camper or back pack. I now have disposable cameras in all my rigs; just in case.

I have a call into the CO to see if he still has the rack, if he does I will try to get a picture and post it.

This is in an area I rifle hunt, I had not seen him before, but it would have been nice to see him in the fall... Through the cross hairs.