Was I right or wrong?

[basssmasher*]

As I was coming home from work today in the cities I saw a pickup with a small atv trailer towed behind . As he passed me i only saw the 1 guy driving, the atv, and i saw 3 deer that were wrapped in blue tarp material. Seems odd to me that there was no blaze orange on the hunter , in the truck, ( i could see all thru the cab) and 12 legs sticking out underneath tightly wrapped tarp. Was I wrong to call TIP? maybe so maybe not, but i guess my opinion was better to be safe than sorry. I did what I though should have been done seeing I was suspicious.. I just want opinions from other hunters, co's or whoever, and if I get grilled, I get grilled. Thank you!

[Scott Stein]

that is funny unless he was transporting them for some of the other hunters in his party?

[Coach1310]

He could have been transporting them for his hunting party. When you register your deer you can fill out a slip that gives someone the right(legally) to transport your deer for you. Not every hunter has a truck or a willingness to haul a deer in their suv/car so maybe that was the case here.

I would not have called TIP, because I wouldn't unless I was almost certain about something. Like when you watch a boat take a limit of fish, run to shore and come back out to take a limit, then I call TIP.

I don't think you did the wrong thing, just a jump to conclusions in my opinion.

[Traxxx]

Whats wrong with three deer? Maybe he was hunting in an intensive harvest zone?

[Quackaddict9]

Maybe? I can shoot up to 5 does here or a buck and 4 does if I buy bonus tags for the extra deer I shoot. I don't think he was doing anything wrong but you just never know.

I would have not called the TIP line. Not saying you were wrong to do that.

[Walleye Guy]

He may have been hunting at his cabin up north and he left all his orange at the cabin because he was coming back up for the second weekend. Maybe he was just hauling the deer home.

Maybe he was headed to one of his hunting buddies houses to butcher the deer with the rest of his hunting party.

Maybe he was on the way to a butcher shop to drop off the deer for processing.

All that being said I don't think you were way off base. Me personally, I would call tip when I see something being done that I KNOW is against te law. There are too many scenarios in this situation where what he was doing could have been perfectly legal for me to make that call to TIP.

[walleye vision]

Last I checked you don't have to drive in blaze orange to hunt deer.

[AlwysFshn]

Personally, I would have not for the reasons already mentioned in this thread. That being said, its good to go with your gut. When something doesn't feel right, usually something is up.

[mrklean]

Yea i dont think you should have, just because you dont see blaze doesnt mean he was doing something illegal, maybe he left his gear where he was hunting, i did that this week incase im going back, intensive zones 5 deer. Not trying to be a jerk but come on, call TIP when you see a guy catching and keeping 9 walleyes, call them when you see a guy shooting off the road, call when you see something that is illegal, dont call because you see a guy with 3 deer and no blaze. Sorry for the rant but i feel bad for the guy if he has the DNR at his house asking him where his blaze is?

[Mark Christianson]

Maybe he was hauling them to the butcher.

Nothing alarming.

[BigGrassBass]

Wow, the responses kind of surprised me.

TIP is there to report what doesn't look right. You called something in that didn't look right, in your eyes. Weather it was legal for him to have 3 deer or not is not the issue. The fact is you saw something that didn't look right and called it in.

Right or wrong, I think it was an OK move.

Would I have called? Maybe. I guess I'd have to see it to make that judgement. You are the only one here that saw it. If you think it looked funny you did the right thing.

BGB

[maros91]

I don't think you should have called but better safe than sorry.

[Big-Al]

A person can have up to twenty legs sticking up in the trailer and sometimes even more and still be legal. As far as the orange goes, mine usually comes off as soon as I get back to my truck and doesn't go back on till I head back to the woods. I know some wear orange 24/7 but I sure would not think it to be unusual if a hunter was not wearing orange.

[outdrzman78]

BGB, you hit it on the nose when you said it is there when things dont look right. IMO nothing was wrong with that scenario in my mind. I hunt intensive harvest, in fact i hunt 101 where i can shoot alot more if i wanted to and be legal. Is far as the blaze goes, you dont need it to drive a vehicle, i for one leaves it at the cabin.

[basssmasher*]

I realize he was probably legal and maybe I jumped the gun, I also know you don't need the orange on 24/7. it was just one of those things that looked very out of place to be because the guy was definately in a hurry, when he saw me as he passed by I got a look of sheer cockiness (for lack of a better term) and I just thought it was out of character is all.. if you want to keep chiming in great, if not thanks for the input so far, i will continue to monitor the responses but if this were an election i think I'm the independant party and gettin a good whoopin put on me as far as yea or nay.. lol Thanks again all!

[bogwalker]

Sounds like PETA.

[Shack]

I realize he was probably legal and maybe I jumped the gun, I also know you don't need the orange on 24/7. it was just one of those things that looked very out of place to be because the guy was definately in a hurry, when he saw me as he passed by I got a look of sheer cockiness (for lack of a better term) and I just thought it was out of character is all.. if you want to keep chiming in great, if not thanks for the input so far, i will continue to monitor the responses but if this were an election i think I'm the independant party and gettin a good whoopin put on me as far as yea or nay.. lol Thanks again all!

If the above is the criteria for a phone call to the TIP line, I would be making calls threw out the day up here in Elk River .

All though I would have not called tip on this guy, I commend you for making the call. A lot of big poachers are brought down with less and even if the DNR did not act on this, you bet they will if this vehicle is called in again.

And I give you props for coming on here and discussing it was us. You may not hear what you want to hear, but these are the type of questions that should be asked on HSO/FM.

Good luck and thanks!

[Double D]

In the end, will TIP do anything about it? Probably not.

DD

[PierBridge]

In the end, will TIP do anything about it? Probably not.

DD

TIP isn't going to investigate something like this especially with the limited vague at best information given to them!....

Where do you live again? I have 2 Deer going to the butcher shop in my Pick-up "no Tarp" I hadn't planned on wearing Orange but maybe I should re think that part!....

[SkunkedAgain]

I think that BigGrassBass was on the right track here. People have offered good comments about whether they believe the hunter was legal or not. However, calling into the TIP line is not a problem. It's the CO's responsibility to determine if the situation warrants a closer look.

I'd rather have folks call into the TIP line in a questionable situation than not. If the DNR someday tells us that too many people are calling the TIP line and "clogging" the system, then I'd probably change my opinion.

This post is a good way for all of us, hunters and non-hunters, to develop a general understanding of what is right and wrong.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I don't think it was wrong to call TIP either and IMO let them get too many calls

[Jim Almquist]

All of my hunting gear is stored in 2 large plastic bags to keep them scent free till I get to my hunting spot. I hunt in a zone that allows 4 does and 1 buck so it would be possible to see 20 legs sticking out of my truck. I would not call unless you really know that someone is breaking the law. Today's COs are spread to thin and to have them running around chasing what ifs and maybe's just seems wrong.

[hanson]

I wouldn't have called.

[Tipup101]

Nothing wrong with it. I got turned in cause a guy seen me on my cell phone walking to the woods. He thought we where using it for a drive. But after the CO checked us out that night he found no calls to any one in my party but he did find alot of calls from a frustrated wife wanting to know when I will be home. I don't know who turned me in but I don't blame them I have nothing to hide and it did look fishy when you think about it.

[Big Dave2]

I wouldn't have even thought twice about it. So, no call to tip from me.