ORIGINAL: Rob/PA Bowyer
The right thing to do in my mind is to have someone contact the guy who found and took the buck.
Yes, that's the plan, but in such a fashion that the possessor does not suspect his employee as the one who gave him up.
If I understand your post correctly, you would have recovered the animal the next day if the other guy wouldn't have taken it the night before.
You understand correctly.
If the guy refuses to turn the animal over to the shooter who intends on tagging said animal then I would notify the current possessor that you intend to notify the proper authorities about the incident and the untagged animal.
Not a good idea. Tell him without having the rack in hand and it's gone before you can say 911 let alone dial it. It would also jeopordize the employee by doing so. No, he'll be telling someone else about his big buck soon. I've made certain he'll be entering into that conversation with a third party - AND - without association to the employee who originally contacted me. Thus, he's not going to dispose of the rack, having no idea that we know he has it. I'll capitalize on that.
.... if your friend has no intention of taggin this animal then by law he has no right to it.
Really? So,
... where in my post was that suggested?
The current possessor is still in possession of a unlawful untagged animal.
You're right twice.
You really have two choices.....forget about it, or in my book, do the right thing. BUT the more time you procrastinate on the matter the harder it is going to be for you to prove that you lawfully took this animal and intended on recovery and tagging of said animal. The evidence will unfortunately go missing.
You're right 2 and a half times. The evidence could go missing if he thinks someone is closing in on him. Swing and miss by sending the boys in green to his door and it's game over if he doesn't comply.
The plan is weighed, not procrastinated.
This subject who has the rack has less than perfect ethics. I have learned many things about him. He is not a bow hunter. He is a drunkard and a known poacher. I know that if approached by johnny law, a better than 99% probablity exists the rack will be GOA. There is next to a zero chance they are getting a consent to search form signed. Without a credible person who has seen the rack to sign an affidavit, the PAGC will not be able to obtain the search warrant to proceed. Go there without one and it's over. I won't bore anyone with the who what and why.
What can be accomplished with what I have to work with thus far without alerting the person is what I aim to do. The pressure will stay off until more is known. The outcome should be received in a few days, and hopefully I'll have a happy hunting buddy with a nice buck to share with his friends.