Just for conversation - who's deer is it?

[Eric Wettschreck]

Interesting topic, and a very good question.

The ethics of the situation warrent killing the wounded deer.

I'm not a lawyer, thank goodness, and I don't know the legal end of this situation. However, since the CO is right there, why not let the CO decide???? All of the CO's I've ever met up with have been more than fair. I would think that if you told him you just dropped a wounded deer and were waiting to see if anyone came by looking for it, he'd be willing to hang out for a while with you. This is not an uncommon occurance. After a while, if no one comes by, I'm sure the CO would have you tag the deer.

[TroyMcClure]

Boilerguy, that is kind of what I was thinking. I have met a few CO's and not had any issues with them. There are a couple of deer hunter stories on this HSOforum that would say otherwise. I guess as long as he wasn't visiting upon a report of somebody leaving dead deer around while he kept hunting, he would be pretty cool with it.

Let us just hope this doesn't become an issue at some point. I would rather speculate then have to find out.

[BobT]

Quote:

somebody leaving dead deer around while he kept hunting,

I don't know if this is really an issue. The requirement is that we validate our tag at the site but it doesn't require us to actually afix the tag until we get it dragged to the loading point. I believe that was a change in the law recently. Plus, it is still legal to continue hunting as part of a hunting party. The law is a little vague about what constitutes a party in the forest so you better be able to show you are hunting in a party.

I rarely leave my stand after taking a shot for at least 20 minutes to a half hour or more. Gives the deer a chance to stiffen if I didn't hit it well enough. Less tracking that way.

I take this time to validate my registration card.

Bob

[Sandmannd]

Quote:

somebody leaving dead deer around while he kept hunting,

I don't know if this is really an issue. The requirement is that we validate our tag at the site but it doesn't require us to actually afix the tag until we get it dragged to the loading point. I believe that was a change in the law recently. Plus, it is still legal to continue hunting as part of a hunting party. The law is a little vague about what constitutes a party in the forest so you better be able to show you are hunting in a party.

I rarely leave my stand after taking a shot for at least 20 minutes to a half hour or more. Gives the deer a chance to stiffen if I didn't hit it well enough. Less tracking that way.

I take this time to validate my registration card.

Bob

Oh it's an issue alright. On my first hunt last year I got stopped for close to an hour because some jerk said I shot a deer and left it lay. It was a huge hassle and not a pleasent experience. I went into detail last year. We called the captain and she came back and appologized for his actions. It bad and he was talking of taking our guns and all. We had four tags and would have kept anything we shot. Not to mention at first it was a doe I shot, then a fawn. Guy kept changing what it was. I would rather not run into another CO when hunting if this guy is an example of them. I know most are good, but this guy was A1 Steak Sauce if you know what I mean.

[jlm]

Bad apples in every bunch I guess. I have had nothing but great experiences with our CO's. Very professional and always speeding things along so we can back to the field.

[harvey lee]

I have to agree with the CO's I have run into. Very polite and doing the job we have asked them to do and that is to protect our resourses.

[Sandmannd]

Don't get me wrong guys, I have run into a lot out on the water and have been nothing but great to talk to. This was just one deal where it was a real bad experience.

[jlm]

Thats really unfortunate, I hope some action was taken against him by his boss. Most public figures are very well watched and any trends that "look bad" usually result in a desk job! Or no job!!!!!!!!1

[Hammer Handle]

I have shot over 60 deer in my life.

Out of those 60 or so, about 5 run more than 50 yards.

So, no or very few arguments.

Drop it with a good clean shot...and it is yours.

However, I don't hunt with a scope and rarely shoot deer at long range (over 100 yards). I let the deer come to me and am sure of my shot.

Drop is where it stands (yes, you can do it consistantly) and no problem....

Ooops, I guess I was off topic too.

I would NEVER let a crippled deer go by. If I had a tag, I would use it. Wouldn't even think about it.

[Red Miller]

Sandman...just curious, what area of the state were you hunting when you ran into BA (bad apple)? Not to defend a truely BA but I could see those guys losing a little patience if they had been running into violating yahoos all day long. I have hunted areas of the state where the locals there were (shall we say) marching to their own drummers...

It has always been my opinion that if you run into a game warden, your not deep enough in the woods

Anyway, yes the regs were changed so you dont have to tag the critter at site anymore but you do have to validate. If the game warden showed up and I was waiting it out, it would be his call, right or wrong. Getting into an argument with law enforcement is great way to cut your hunt short.

[BigGrassBass]

I guess it all depends on the situation.

If it's the last couple days of the season and I've missed a few or just have not put everything together and I happen to hit one, I'm going to fight tooth and nail to get that deer. It wouldn't matter who shot it first, killed it, whatever. If my slug is in that deer, it's mine. (Of course not getting violent or anything like that but I'd put up one heck of an argument)

On the other hand if it's opening weekend and it's the first one I see and I happen to find out it's been hit already I'm likely to wait for the other hunter to show up and finish his/her job.

It all depends on the situation. I don't think any of us can say "always" or "never". I think for every one of us it would all have to depend on the situation.

Just my thoughts,

BGB

[MinDak Hunter]

"But, if I was sitting in my stand, and shot a crippled deer dead, and the game warden walked up to me, would he say I must legally tag the deer, or could I give it away to another shooter, let's say someone I've never met before? If I kill the animal, doesn't that mean I take possesion of the animal, meaning I have to keep it?"

Taking defined:

Pursuing, shooting, killing, capturing, trapping, snaring, angling, spearing, or netting wild animals; or placing, setting, drawing, or using a net, trap, or other device to take wild animals. Taking also includes attempting to take wild animals or assisting another person in taking wild animals.

If you take a deer in MN you would need to tag it unless you are party hunting and have another person who is willing to tag it.

[Red Miller]

Not to confuse the issue further but there appears to be confilcting info on the DNR HSOforum. This is from the Deer Information Document on the DNR HSOforum, Page 1 "New for 2008"

Hunters no longer need to validate their deer license at the time of kill. The site tagging requirements have not changed, only the license validation portion.

This is from the 2008 regs:

Before moving the deer, validate the tag by using a knife or similar sharp object to cut out the appropriate notches indicating:

• Month the deer was killed,

• Date it was killed, and

• Time of day it was killed

(a.m. or p.m.). Mark carefully—if more than one month, date, or time is cut out or marked, the tag becomes invalid.

2.A person may move a lawfully taken deer from the site of the kill without attaching the validated tag to the animal only while in the act of manually or mechanically dragging, carrying, or carting the animal across the ground and while possessing the validated tag on their person.

What I am reading is you dont have to do darn thing unless you move the animal. !?!?!?

Clear as mud!