In Pa your license must be visible, it's part of your attire. I've deer hunted for 33yrsand have NEVER "forgotten" to buy my license. In fact, that is one of the FIRST things I get out of the way in prep for the upcoming season! That "forgot" his license crapis an insult to everyone's intelligence. He's a smacked a$$.

I am not defending his actions in any way, but how many times have to put your hand in your pocket to see if you had something with out looking at it? Then you you go to use it, it wasn't what you thought it was. Maybe he checked to see if he had license and felt them there, went out hunting, found the buck, went to fill out his tag and discovered it wasn't the right on. Failure to plan correctly isn't considered poaching, just plain stupid!

In NC....we have to purchase a license....AND we have to have our Big game report card.

Two separate pieces of paper.....but I'll show you how I almost was in his same boat.

Night beofre the opener.....2007. Our licenses run for one calendar year. I'd bought my '06 license in Oct.....so it was still good. I figure I've got a good month of hunting before I have to purchase a new license. Everything's legal.

BUT.....What I Didn't know is.....we HAVE to get a new report card. These expire on June 1, I think. So.....luckily Wal-Mart is open 24hrs....and I go ahead and buy a new tag and get my report card.

Accidents occur. I would have been guilty of ignorance if I'd taken a deer on the opener.....but it WOULD have been an honest mistake. I can see it happening.

Did it happen in this case? Can't say for sure either way. I can tell you this.....if I'd taken that deer I think I'd kept my mouth shut.....and I CERTAINLY wouldn't have entered it in a contest.

Dhooo. What an idiot.

What a putz this guys was

Stupid, yes! the fact that his licensing was not in order is not in debate

Poacher, not enough facts yet in my book.

Another thing, the article says it was a state trooper was after this buck too. Then it goes on to say that they suspect that he had a history of hunting without a license. That ought to be simple to prove or disprove and that should have been done before a statement like that was made to the press by law enforcement. If the history truly shows that then he's a poacher. On the other hand, maybe he's just a doofus who screwed up and pissed off a guy who was jealous that someone else shot the buck and has a badge and therefore went looking for a way to discredit the guy. Of course, if the doofus would've done things right, he'd have no problems right now

It says he didnt have an archery permit. As you know, In PA the archery permit is a little stamp that attaches to the regular license. More than once, I've had to makea secondtrip to the store after buying the general license to buy an archery, muzzleloader, waterfowl, furtakers,or whatever stamp that the stores chronically run out of. I have one backpack that always goes with me.I pin the license to it and thats where it stays till I need to get a tag out to tag my game. I could imagine forgetting to get that other stampbefore I went out into the field, license on my back and all.

No, the original story says he didn't have a license at all. He bought it after his kill. He's still a smacked a$$.

I have a "REALLY" hard time believing this guy actually "forgot" to buy his license. Sure I know that we've all made mistakes but I can promise you that one of my mistakes has never been forgetting to buy my license before I go hunting or fishing. You may forget them at home or in the truck but never completely forget to buy them. I'm saying that he knew what he was doing. Another thing that makes me wonder is why he all of a sudden remembered, after killing this monster, that he hadn't bought his license.

EXACTLY, gutshot. Well put.