Whitetail escapes hi-fence preserve...legal to harvest?
 

If a whitetail escapes from a hi fence game preserve and shows up on my property the 1st day of hunting season, is that deer legal to harvest?

I think as long as the season includes white-tailed deer and you are legally licensed you'd be "legal". Just hide the rope lead before you tag it and I'd be prepared for some fallout from the owner of the managed property. Are you planning to have the mount done with the ear tag in place or with the big hole it leaves behind? It would help your cause too in that managed property was three or four parcels away from your property too. If you are right next door you should be certain that you can prove the deer was out of its own accord.

If I lived adjacent to a deer farm and saw what I knew was a deer that came from that farm out of the enclosure I'd call the owner. The brewha that shooting said deer could stir up wouldn't be worth killing it and you might end up with more headaches than the deer is worth. But that's just me.

Definitely legally licensed, mount would be with ears back, my property borders the preserve along with at least 50 other residents (large preserve), and the owner of preserve has been notified and is aware of the escape.

Don't know exactly what state you are in but most likely the owner of the preserve has no right or authority to trespass to search for this deer. It is also likely that is is legit to harvest it.

State of Florida

Shoot it. If the season is open and the animal is in a legal area it is legal game.

Pheasants that escape from the game farm are legal game if they get off the game farms land. I would think deer would be the same way. Further more, this is how CWD got so widely spread. Shoot it

My thoughts exactly. A real shame game farms are allowed to continue. Many states including mine have awakened to the risks involved with allowing deer farms or preserves to exist.

Would be a legal deer in Texas.

Shoot it! Deer farms have no use being in business! Hopefully more escape and shoot them too!!