that is a stretch calling someone a poacher in this case. that word shouldn't be thrown out so loosely.

Sometimes things just happen so why not be a little supportive and constructive and mabey the next time this kid might do something a little different.

Tag or not to tag??? There are enough POACHERS around doing it all the time so back off and leave the kid alone.

chuck7.. man i tried that line before about every hunter.... illegal yada yada yada and it turned into quite the argument. I am surprised more people didn't bite on that and I agree with you.

Tersec & ipscshooter. So let me get this right. either one of you 2 shoot a deer and don't find it for a week lets say. So, you 2 save that tag all season just incase you find it?

Here we get 1 buck tag for gun. If I hit a buck and can't find it on opening day I should not hunt the rest of the season just incase someone finds it? What happens if I do hunt and kill a buck and then find the first one? Am I a poacher?

The dude shot the deer and found it the next day. If he doesn't tag it, I would bet he's violating a game law in pretty much every state. Even the guys coming to his defense about "spoiled" deer" are in jurisdictions where you have to tag it, and then apply to the warden for a replacement tag. Maybe "poacher" isn't exactly the right word, but, I'm not sure what you call it when someone doesn't tag his deer.

Well said!!! anyone have any idea how many deer are left to rot by some of the archery hunters out there??? and these are (supposable) knowledgeable hunters!!!! cut the kid some slack, he came here for some advise, I think we should make it constructive, and calling him a poacher is not the right thing to do, sounds like a good guy to me, owned up to a mistake, how many of you can say the same??? Doc

dont think anyone was being hard on the kid,
nor did they call him a poacher,
think the reaction was more against those telling him not to tag it,
saving a tag for a more favorable animal is poaching,

I thought I'd post a legal definition:





My original comment was in response to a gentleman who said "don't tag the deer." I said, if you killed it, and you found it, you have to tag it or you're no better than a poacher. And, "poacher" fits nicely within the legal definition, i.e. a harvest made without complying with the regulations for legal harvest. I wasn't being hard on the original poster, unless he decided not to comply with the laws of his state regarding the tagging of a deer that he shot, and that he found only 100 yards away, the next day.

well i just think this kid was made to feel worse than he was when he posted. and we don't know if he tagged it, he never said. It just seemed like the main focus here turned into tagging or not tagging issue rather than hey it happens and try this next time. Which is what he was looking for I think to begin with.

And as far as the definition of poaching goes. This kid nothing illegal so quit looking for something that isn't there. And so I don't get beat up to bad I will say that if he took the head he should tag it.

am I missing something but no where did i read next day. he said last Wednesday he shot it the found it yesterday. well yesterday was monday. and by the way congratulations u just made this form unenjoyable for another person, u think this kid will want to post again? im sick and tired of reading all the posts with more people being ******* then helping someone out.

Once again, my comments were really directed to the guy who said "don't tag the deer." If the OP followed that advice and he didn't tag it then he's likely violating a game law, and I wouldn't want the him getting cited for something like that. Maybe it came out wrong. As regards the dates... You're right it wasn't the next day. He shot on Wednesday, posted on Sunday, so he found it Saturday.

Wardens here understand people eat the deer and want you to have meat in the freezer. Makes their job easier if I tag one legally instead of hunting them in July. If a deer was not found for a few days I honestly do not think they would expect you to tag it unless you wanted to keep the head or something. Times are hard guys and some really need the meat not a tag filled with spoiled meat.

dont know hunters state code
but ny is:
§180.10 Game Species Reporting

(a) Applicability. This section applies to reporting the harvest of deer, bear, and wild turkey.
(b) Deer, bear, and wild turkey. A hunter who has taken a deer, bear, or wild turkey shall, within 7 days of taking the animal, report the harvest via one of the following methods:
(1) By telephone, calling the number advertised on the department's web-site and published in the current Hunting and Trapping Law and Regulations Guide;
(2) By internet via a web-site designated by the department;
(3) By any other means as described in the current Hunting and Trapping Law and Regulations Guide.

why 7 days?
DEC gives people time,
some may need days to find the animal,
some may need the time to get back from a camp,
what happens after 7 days?
doesnt mean dont need to report it, would be in violation,
would then need to explain to state agency why you went past 7 days,

as deifinition for taking, coulding quite find it,
but NY law is tag must be filled immediately when you locate the animal
either attached on the spot or when dragged back to camp and/or vehicle.

think most agree not the hunters faulty, new didnt know,
our gripes are with those posting advise against most states game laws such as telling him not to tag,

hopefully the hunter takes the right advise and checks his states game laws to know what to do next time

If he takes the head for the rack or utilizes the deer in any way, he should tag it. If not leave it lay with no obligation to tag it. Someone else could have even shot it. He has no proof that he even killed the deer.

This thread reminds me of a little exert out of the Bible..when the hypocrites brought Jesus a women caught breaking the law..ADULTERY


7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

I think it would be interesting to compare the opinions of those who think it's fine and dandy for the OP not to tag his buck, thereby "probably" violating game laws, and seeing how they feel about Ted Nugent's unintentional violation in California, or about David Morris's completely legal so called "game farming" or about legal "high fence" hunting.

I'd be willing to bet that some of the folks condoning a possible game law violation here would be willing to string Ted up for violating a game law, and would be openly hostile to certain other legal hunting...

Right On!!!! If I happen upon a dead deer while hunting , am I suppose to tag it ??

I think you should go back and read the OP's opening sentence, He is not a Ted Nugent or a David Morris, those people know better Doc

If it was a deer that I knew I shot, I would tag it. That's what the game laws require. The OP acknowledged it was his deer and that he just didn't look enough.


First, Ted should have known better and admitted as much. That's not the point. And, Morris hasn't done anything wrong that I am aware of... I was just wondering whether folks were consistent, or hypocritical, in their assessment of various situations...

Several years ago a doe came by me all shot to Sh##, front leg gone, one hind leg sticking out, What to do?? I didn't have a doe permit, I didn't want it, so I let it go, I did the wrong thing, I let it go, a few minutes late I heard a "POP" pistol, shot, curiosity got me and I walked toward the shot, I found the deer, someone did the right thing, put it out of its misery, it had one in the gut also, whoever shot it didn't tag it,(don't blame them) the coyotes ate well that night, it didn't go to waste, nothing goes to waste in nature, That isn't to say we shouldn't follow the law,we should, but there are gray areas, and I think this is one of them. he made a mistake, I am not sure he broke the law, when you shot a deer and it runs out of sight?? is it the deer you shot? there have been many an argument in the woods about who shot the deer!, Doc

Yeah, do the right thing. On my way to moose camp 3 of us where driving the main highway and a doe was high fenced on barbwire. We turned around went back to check on her.Hoping we couldfree her we realized her stomach cavity was ripped wide open intestines were strong everywhere and she looked like was suffering something miserably. Luckily we where with a Fisheries Officer who let me slit her throat. Couldn't shoot the thing cause we where in the middle of a
Construction Zone.He called the CO told him what we found and did and the CO just said."Is it dead?".Fishery buddy said "yep" and that was that. CO who was part of our crew generally speaking, choppered up a few days later and we chatted about what we saw. But yeah he told us that things like that aren't a big deal to them.. Making an serious honsesr mistakes aren't a big deal to them so long as you are upfront honest and remorseful. You may get yelled at and lectured a warning but no charges.. Lyeing and covering mistakes up are huge, huge..

in ohio buckshot is not allowed to be used. Slugs only i have a friend that uses a youth model 20 gauge with buckhammer slugs made by remington (i dont think they make the ammo anymore) and they make a huge exit wound and make easy tracking if its even needed. if anyone knows where i can get more of those buckhammer slugs let me know cause they are awesome. but as far as not recovering the deer soon enough idk what to say besides it happens to everyone and i know next time you shoot a deer you will search longer. good luck on your search for a buck

Lot of states don't have a tagging system.

If I shot a deer and found it a week later, I would not tag it. I'm not gonna tag a uneatable deer. Thats my feelings on it. I know of no law in Arkansas that requires a hunter to do so either, I might be wrong, but I have never read of such a law. If a hunter wants to tag it, more power to you, I'm just not gonna do it.

With the variety of answers here, I guess it depends on where you live and the law there. I am the one that started the "replacement tag" bit and it was misunderstood or possibly that is the way the law is in other states. The law in Pa. states that you must make every reasonable effort to recover game. I don't think a Game Warden here ever had some one bring in a deer that was dead for 5 days so they could get another tag. That is a lot of extra work for a GW to do and he throws the deer on a dump any way, so what was gained?

yep..new member..new hunter...and some of you ran him off..with your holier than thou attitude

Not true. He was gone after the 2nd page, on the 23rd. No one had said anything that would run him off. There were discussions among other members about advice that was given to him, nearly a week later, but, nothing untoward was said to him.

i know your getting chewed by everyone but you know you messed up, that's good you understand that. everything will be fine. happy hunting.

I don't mind getting "chewed" by folks who are either (a) condoning game law violations, or (b) simply wrong, which are, pretty much, the only two choices if you disagree with what I've said. And, it's not everyone. Quite a few have agreed that the deer should have been tagged (assuming that his state uses tags).

And, bottom line, the Original Poster had been gone for a week before I ever posted on the thread.

new hunter or not,bottom line is if he was caught by a warden he would have been charged with failing to tag a harvested game animal.

the law is the law.welcome to reality,best go tell the government they have a holier then thou attatude and see what they say.

Just remember this and always look for sign early the next morning in the daylight. If the temp. is cold enough the deer meat will still be good. Even the best hunters loose game. Keep hunting and keep looking! Jim

This is very good advise, the best of this thread!

You are correct, NO one is above the law!! a person should get a book of regulations and read & follow what it say, period!!

I do not totally disagree, but, a dead deer + hunter doesn't necessarily = that hunter shot the deer. I have found deer dead in the woods, had a warden came upon the scene should I be charged? I think not. if (the op) found the deer the next day or the day after that, the warden would be "hard pressed" to issue a ticket, after a few hours even the person who did shot the deer would would be hard pressed to say inconclusively that it was the deer they shot, (they do look a lot alike) The best I think anyone could do would be to say Yes, I shot at a deer!! is that the one??? I don't know. jmop Doc

My point exactly!!, 4 days later!!! I sure as heck wouldn't tag it!!! Did he find the deer he shot at??? or did he find a dead deer??? he is new to hunting, All we really know is that he shot at a deer, (he said so) we don't really even know if he "hit it." "cut the guy some slack" Doc

true enough but is that the case here?being ethical will be key in keeping true hunting alive.

It sure seemed to me that, in the context of a thread entitled "really botched my buck search," he was acknowledging that he knew this was his buck and that he simply didn't look enough.

im more to believe it was his deer,30 yards with buck shot?big chance its his deer.u can ask well how come he didnt find it since it was only 100 yards away but ppl tend to walk right over their deer at times.specialy with a very little blood trail.seems to me he thinks its buck also.

my thoughts exactly

I totally agree, from his posting it would appear it was the one he shot. I was just trying to point out that in a court of law he probably would not face any charges (as long as he didn't know), with all the talk of "poaching" this kid might be hiding in the basement, afterall we haven't really heard from him. Maybe he thinks "Big Brother" is watching. I kind of feel sorry for him. jmop Doc

one thing ill say about the law is this,most ppl tend to hang themselves with what they say.theres a time to talk and a time to shut up.

You should have looked harder for the deer. That was your only real mistake. You should use the search mode on this forum and you will find a lot of threads about how to find a downed animal.

I think some of the "ethical" stuff here is really over the top. Not all states have the same game laws and if you got a ticket it would be up to the courts to decide who was in the right. A recent article in the Pennsylvania Game News magazine is a good example. A bear was reported dragging itself along a road and it was assumed it was hit by a car. It turned out it was shot in the spine (during deer season). Long story short, the Wardens trailed the bear and found the woman that shot it. The woman said she saw something moving in the bushes and thought it was a deer. She got no ticket because there is no law covering killing a bear by mistake.
Anyway, I really don't pay attention to "super law abiding hunters" since I caught a rather well known outdoor writer intentionally breaking the game law when I was checking my fox traps one day.

if that woman was here she would be fined for shooting something she never had a tag for unless she did have a tag,then she would have been on the trail of a wounded animal,theres no crime in that,this is a far cry from not taging a harvested animal,btw i hope shes not stillout there considering she shooting at things she hasnt totaly identified.isnt that the very first hunter safty commandment,be sure of your target and beyond?