Antlers Seized!!!
06-07-2005, 08:12 AM
#41
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,555
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
Two questions?
Was he sited for having the horns?
Can you apply for a permit retroactively? The can't expect people to get a permit and them go shed hunting with a chance that they might find a skull and horns. I'd try to apply for the permit and then go knock on the inspectors door to retrive them. I would also call the inspectors boss to see what had become of the antlers and whether or not they are being stored appropiately as "confiscated antlers" should be.
Definately shady though.
Was he sited for having the horns?
Can you apply for a permit retroactively? The can't expect people to get a permit and them go shed hunting with a chance that they might find a skull and horns. I'd try to apply for the permit and then go knock on the inspectors door to retrive them. I would also call the inspectors boss to see what had become of the antlers and whether or not they are being stored appropiately as "confiscated antlers" should be.
Definately shady though.
06-07-2005, 07:17 PM
#43
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 350
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
Well I have news for you all....like it or not, the law was broken and the horns were legally confiscated, based on the info that the officer had. As snakelike as his approach to confiscating the horns, the simple fact of the matter is your friend doesn't have a leg to stand on as far as getting the horns back by trying to "do the right thing" and be honorable. You can call whoever and write whoever, your not gonna get too far. Your friend broke a law. If you want to get them back, refer to my earlier post. Otherwise, I hope you learned a lesson or two. Good luck
06-07-2005, 07:35 PM
#44
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NW Montana / SW Alberta Rockies
Posts: 3,258
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
What a case of down right a$$holism. Thats a down right shame in losing a rack like that. As others said, documate what has lead up to it and be factual and brief and hire an attorney. Most of the time they have free legal advice for up to 30 minutes.
Now to play the devils advocate, Why didn't the gw tell him about the needed/required permit? Because the law had already been broken in removing it and its not the gw's responsiblity to grant pardons but to enforce the laws that the public has voted on at public meetings.
I do a lot of hunting myself in wildlife refuges and many are federal hunts, where it is not uncommon to come across archelogical finds such as phrehistoric fossils and bones as well as tools, ect., The law says you cannot remove any of it, not even a rock, and you had better pick up your footprints when you leave, if you know what I mean.
In other words the law HAD already been broken. It would be like buying a deer permit after you killed it.
Good luck and get it back. Bobby
Now to play the devils advocate, Why didn't the gw tell him about the needed/required permit? Because the law had already been broken in removing it and its not the gw's responsiblity to grant pardons but to enforce the laws that the public has voted on at public meetings.
I do a lot of hunting myself in wildlife refuges and many are federal hunts, where it is not uncommon to come across archelogical finds such as phrehistoric fossils and bones as well as tools, ect., The law says you cannot remove any of it, not even a rock, and you had better pick up your footprints when you leave, if you know what I mean.
In other words the law HAD already been broken. It would be like buying a deer permit after you killed it.
Good luck and get it back. Bobby
06-08-2005, 05:22 PM
#45
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Broussard Louisiana USA
Posts: 349
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
In the three states that I have hunted in, once the deer has been mounted (per say) you do not have to have or keep a tag for that particular animal. Do you have to have a tag in other states once it is mounted?
06-08-2005, 08:25 PM
#46
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 5,514
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
In Texas you have to get an affidavit when you give it to the taxidermist. After that there are no tags or permits required for the mount!
I still say use all pubic means to expose these thieves, to possibly get your mount back, but stay legal! Theres wisdom to the saying, "two wrongs don't make a right!" Especially if it could get you in legal trouble!
I still say use all pubic means to expose these thieves, to possibly get your mount back, but stay legal! Theres wisdom to the saying, "two wrongs don't make a right!" Especially if it could get you in legal trouble!
06-11-2005, 12:10 PM
#47
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bureau County Illinois
Posts: 605
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
In Illinois there is a law when it comes to DNR issued salvage permits in which the tag has to stay on the mount forever. My local shop has two deer heads that were harvested this year because they were locked together in fighting and the smaller deer had its neck snapped by the bigger one. They called the DNR out after humanly destroying the other Buck and he issued a salvage tag for one of the deer and they used a buck poermit on the other. CPO said he would have issued the salavage tag for the other one to but they had alwready put the tag on him by the time he got there. No big deal.
Well, later a former CPO who still works for the DNR came into the store and saw the deer head on the wall and pointed out to the owner of the store that the DNR tag should never come off that deer antler and that it was an unsellable mount because of that. That former CPO and the owner are friends so this was no "i'm screwing with you" momment or anything like that, it is just him doing his job. He is a nice guy who is doing his job. Always great to run into him at the shop because you can ask questions about the rules of the state and he is always happy to answer them.
Well, later a former CPO who still works for the DNR came into the store and saw the deer head on the wall and pointed out to the owner of the store that the DNR tag should never come off that deer antler and that it was an unsellable mount because of that. That former CPO and the owner are friends so this was no "i'm screwing with you" momment or anything like that, it is just him doing his job. He is a nice guy who is doing his job. Always great to run into him at the shop because you can ask questions about the rules of the state and he is always happy to answer them.
06-13-2005, 01:23 PM
#48
RE: Antlers Seized!!!
just ask your gamewarden, in casual convo about it. they HAVE to tell you the truth. They are law officers and COMMITED to upholding the LAW even if it pretains to them. Record convo if needed. What you did is no diff than any other person would have done, even non-hunters. You found the antlers and played no part in the deers demise. you have done nothing to break anylaws. I wouldnt be surprised if the inspector had the antlers in his house above his fireplace telling all his buds about how he either fkd you over or killed the big beast himself.
Doc
