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I shot this deer this morning about 8AM, stayed in my stand about 40 minutes before tracking it and found it about 30 minutes after that. I knew my son-in -law was hunting at the top of the hill, and that he was not going to stay out very long so I left the deer and went up the hill about 300 yds to where he was and was going to get him to help me drag it out. Well the conservation officer came in the field where we were and asked to see my licence, which I showed him, he then followed us down the hill to the deer which I did not even have dressed yet. Well I hadn't put the transportation tag on him yet so he wrote me a citation for having an untagged deer. I always tag my deer and if I was trying to hide the deer I would not have even told him about it. I looked up the offense and it carries up to $500.00 fine and 6 months in jail.
Why in the hexx did you get a citation? Are you supposed to tag a legal kill within X amount of time? I don't know the laws in your state...but in MO we're allowed to take a buck if it has four points on one side. There's nothing I know of in the hunting reg's that says there's a time limit on tagging the harvested deer. I would appeal your citation...unless you know of something you didn't mention above.
The law reads Immediatly upon harvesting a deer you have to fill out the transportation tag and affix it to the leg if you are going to leave the deer out of your sight.
He could have confiscated my gun and the deer. I asked him if he was going to take the deer and he probably would have, but he would have had to drag it to the top of that nasty hill.
Last edited by trapfreek; 11-17-2007 at 07:06 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
That is a bunch a crap !!!! I would call the Dept. and explain that you hadn't even went after the deer but instead went for help in locateing and getting it out !
I wouldn't sit still for this, I would atleast find out what your options are before you pay or go to court.
I'm so sorry this happen to you and I would fight back if I knew I was innocent.
Let us know how you come out we all can deludge them with E-Mails if you want us too !!!...A.H
I'm good friends with a detective, but in a different county, than I was cited in, and I am going to ask him for his advice. My court date is not until January.
Been there and done that. I got a citation for hunting without written permission. Same land we had hunted on and fished on every year for eight years. Gave the farmer meat and wine. He always came out to see what was going on. Real nice fellow. Too bad he didn't own the property - his mamma did.
My friend got a ticket this year in utah while phesent hunting for no license. It was in the truck and the officer wouldnt even let him go to get it and show it to him. The guy threatened to take his shot gun too, but didnt.
You might of been able to use the story that you needed help locating the deer, if you hadn't lead the officer right to the kill...not a good one to use now. Why don't they focus on the actual problems, like poachers? A friend of mine was fined and had his gun taken away because he finished off an elk that another hunter had already shot and gave up looking for. The reason? Because he shot 15 minutes after dark. The elk was still thrashing around and no way in hell would anyone in their right mind try to cut it's throat when it's still kicking. Still, he lost his rifle, pistol, elk, hunting license, AND was fined.
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When they come for my guns, I'll give 'em the bullets first!
hmm that sucks...I'm in law school now...and the only thing I would suggest, is can you explain more what they mean by "harvesting"...In law school, you wouldn't believe how many people get out of crimes by one itty bitty little word, it's shocking...You could claim you thought harvesting meant dismembering or capturing...I dunno...worth a shot...sorry bud...
The guy's just being a jerk! Our local game warden stopped me last year after dark when I was going to check the hog traps. He looked at my license and pointed out that I'd forgotten to fill out the log portion of it and told me where the hogs were crossing onto my FIL's property and where he thought they were holing up during the daytime. He gave me his card and said to call him if i ever need his help with anything. BTW, he stopped me because some guys had been shooting off of the road near our our place and he wanted to make sure we weren't poachers.
MyDeer.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
I shot this deer this morning about 8AM, stayed in my stand about 40 minutes before tracking it and found it about 30 minutes after that. I knew my son-in -law was hunting at the top of the hill, and that he was not going to stay out very long so I left the deer and went up the hill about 300 yds to where he was and was going to get him to help me drag it out. Well the conservation officer came in the field where we were and asked to see my licence, which I showed him, he then followed us down the hill to the deer which I did not even have dressed yet. Well I hadn't put the transportation tag on him yet so he wrote me a citation for having an untagged deer. I always tag my deer and if I was trying to hide the deer I would not have even told him about it. I looked up the offense and it carries up to $500.00 fine and 6 months in jail.
You found your kill at 9:10 a.m. an hour and 10 mins after shooting it yet you did not tag it. When did thewarden arrive? Why didn't you tag it when you located it earlier? Did you have a tag on you? We don't have the tag law in SC unless it is a doe on non doe days. You didn't mention if it was a doe or buck. I fail to see any advantage you gained by not immediately tagging or not tagging the deer if you had a tag on you. Sounds like the warden was going by the letter of the law but why? How did you subvert the intent of the law? I don't see a violation if you had a tag on you. I have to wonder if he thinks you were going to use a tag that your son had.
I think the whole point of him getting his son-in-law to tag the deer, but in Wisconsin that is perfectly legal as long as you don't use an electronic device.
I would fight that charge, IF you hadn't cut the Deer (Gutted) or bled him yet, the Deer had run off after being Shot and You had your son go with you down the Hill for safety sake to find it. The Game warden followed you and didn't give you a chance to "prepare" the deer for Transportation By Gutting, tagging,etc. before writing you a Citation, and Since you Had "NO INTENT" to leave the deer untagged,
You were licensed and possessed a tag, Without "Intent"There is no Crime under Most State laws.
If you were Truly in Violation of the Law, The Deer and Gun Should have been Confiscated regardless of the Deer's Location. Because the Game Warden Didn't want to Deal with the Deer, indicates that the Terrain was Difficult and he should have given you the opportunity to abide by the law as you intended, instead of Immediately writing a "Frivolous Citation" to a Law abiding Hunter.
Rich
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[I]You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!:( [/I]
You found your kill at 9:10 a.m. an hour and 10 mins after shooting it yet you did not tag it. When did thewarden arrive? Why didn't you tag it when you located it earlier? Did you have a tag on you? We don't have the tag law in SC unless it is a doe on non doe days. You didn't mention if it was a doe or buck. I fail to see any advantage you gained by not immediately tagging or not tagging the deer if you had a tag on you. Sounds like the warden was going by the letter of the law but why? How did you subvert the intent of the law? I don't see a violation if you had a tag on you. I have to wonder if he thinks you were going to use a tag that your son had.
If you think the game law is vague write to: Game laws, American Hunter, 11250 Waples Mill Rd, Fairfax Virginia 22030-9400 or email to Publications@nrahq.org
Look on pg 20-21 of Amrican Hunter Magazines Dec 07 issue if you wonder why I say this.
We have to fill out a temporary transportation tag immediatly upon killing a deer. You do not have to attach it to the deer as long as you do not let the deer out of your sight until you have dragged it to your truck. I did two things wrong. I did not fill out the tag immediatley and I left the deer temprarily out of my sight without tagging it. The only thing I had on my mind was catching my son-in-law before he left for the morning. there was no way I could have dragged the deer up that nasty hill without help. We cannot fill other people's tags here in IN. I had every intention of tagging the deer before leaving the property, just a lapse in judgement and not following exactly the letter of the law.
