RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

Not at all. I don't feel that the regs really are meant for this type situation.

I would have used my Buck tag too.

I am saying that the DEC officers have proably heard this reasoning more then once for deer they feel are tagged improperly.

I don't think you'de have any problem with a DEC officer if you said "I tagged him as buck because after I shot him I put one in his head and blew his horns off."

Change that to 'I tagged him as doe because after I shot him I put one in his head and blew his horns off." Something tells me they will pull you over every chance they get.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

A couple years ago I shot a Doe on opening day and filled out a tag in the wrong "zone" I realized what I had done and filled out he right tag when I got to the car.

That Sunday I was pulled over by the DEC officer that had stopped with out my knowledge and had seen the wrong tag on my front seat. He questioned me about the tag and I explained what happened told him I had destroyed the other tag.He couldn't see the deer because I had tucked in the back. He told me had staked out my van on opening day for a couple hours, and recognized my vehicle that day.

I asked him as I was leaving if I was on his list? His reply "not anymore."

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

I didn't mean to imply I thought the guy was pulling a fast one - that's not what I think. I think he was in doubt about what the right thing to do was, I think he should have called a DEC officer to answer the question instead of guess, and I think he should have tagged it as a buck. I think he neglected to consider the intent of the law and to ask himself "How does the situation change if I killed the deer with the first shot - and does anything about the results of my shots dictate what tag I should use". It's not the end of the world, I don't think he is a bad guy or anything like that. I'm just armchair. There is a big difference in making the right choice in the moment and having time to think about it sitting behind a PC. I don't carry an ethics police badge. Maybe I'm wrong, and the DEC would have sympathy that you had to use your tag on a buck with a ruined rack, but i doubt it.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

Try this on for size Why would you shoot it in the head at close range.
If he had not shot it in the head as you say there would not be a problem as how to tag it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

fastfire, i think he shot it in the head to put it out of it's misery AFTER he dropped it with the first shot.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

I surmised that but there are other places to shoot it & other way of finishing the job.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

try this on for size fastfire,

why don't you come down here and impart all of your vast hunting knowledge to me. you seem to be very knowledgeable and actually may know everything there is to know about hunting.

if you have never heard of finishing off deer in the head, then you may very well have some learning to do. that is how I was taught and probably a large majority of hunters. you may want to think about what you post or know more about what you are posting about before you go an make ingnorant staements.

with that being said, I would generally not finish off a buck in the head, but would a doe anythime. but, i was not the one who was doing the shooting.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

I don't give the DEC credit for much in the way of sympathy. A few years ago I saw a 16 year old boy shoot his first buck, a 12 pointer on opening day. The DEC gave him a ticket because he separated his buck tag from his license prior to shooting the deer. The poor kid didn't know any better - when his dad tried to speak in his defense, the DEC told him that he was lucky that he didn't confiscate the deer.

The forest rangers are good folks, the DEC police are another matter.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

Never said I did not shoot them in the head to finish them off.
Never said you did the shooting.
I just never heard of any body that would shoot a buck in the head.
As for the rest you said it it's above in your own words.
As for what to tag it you would have to tag it doe as the DEC sees only black & white and its not worth the fine & loss of hunting rites.

RE: question for NY hunters (doe regulations)
 

I forgot that I actually talked with a DEC officer a week ago and he said that it should have been tagged a buck. but he also said that they should've scooped up the horn pieces (but there weren't any). I really don't think they would have gotten in much or any "trouble" if they had been "caught". usually the officers are pretty good in detremining someones intent. but there are always some pr*cks of misery out there that could try and "screw" people over