ORIGINAL: KodiakArcher
ORIGINAL: drhntr178
If its not my deer as soon as I shoot/wound it, why is against the law to not attempt to recover your deer/turkey.etc.. If its still the states deer then let them worry about the carcass. I can shoot as many as I want, as I long as I dont tag it, right.[&:][8D]
The issue after you shoot one or shoot at one is that the definition of "take" then kicks in and in most states that means if you hit the animal you have "taken" it and must punch your tag. It's not a question of whether or not you recover the animal.
As an example; Here in AK that definition of take is somewhat ambiguously worded and has some conflicting statutes regarding recovery of the animal and wanton waste regulations. If you kill the animal you have to recover it or you're guilty of wanton waste but if you don't recover it that day and you puch your tag (as you could interpret the definition of "take" to require you to do) and you come back to hunt that animal the next day you're guilty of hunting without a valid tag, and if that animal survives then your tag has been punched for that animal so couldn't you be in the woods trying to affix the punched tag to it? The logic runs round and round like a dog chasing its tail...
So there isnt a real clear answer as to when the deer is yours. I know here in MO and several other states Ive hunted that Ive never heard of being required to "punch" your tag once you shoot it but before you recover it.