2010 Unit 10 December Archery deer hunt.

[elkaholik13]

On December 29th of 2010 i shot a 180 class mule deer in unit 10. I had been hunting extremely hard for this deer for most of the season. When i shot my arrow hit a tree branch and hit the deer a little far back. We had around 12" of snow on the ground when i made the shot and it was snowing steady. we decided we better try to stay on his blood trail so the snow would not cover it. After about 5 or 6 miles and jumping him from his bed a few times we decided to back off until morning and hope for the best. Well that night we got 26" of snow on top of the 12" we had. it was very difficult to get in and look for my deer. We walked in knee deep snow searching for him and even brought out snow machines. On January 8th 2011 i found the deer and called the Arizona Game & Fish. The officer came out and looked over the area i showed him the arrow i recovered after the shot. The officer stated he had no doubt it was my deer but had to take the antlers anyway. I have a hearing set up with the commission in March or April to try to get it back (haha!) but i will probably end up having to buy it at auction. I will be at the ISE show in 2012 and would greatly appreciate it in no one else would bid on my deer rack. Thanks

[elkaholik13]

[yumabowhunter]

Let me start by saying that I hope you get your antlers back.

 

After reading numerous stories like this Im inclined to think that if Im ever in your situation there is no way Im calling a game and fish officer. I know it sounds horrible and Im not advocating poaching or any activity that is unethical but it just is not right what the game and fish is doing to you guys.

 

You should be commended for putting in the time and effort for trying to retrieve your game and not abandoning it. I think its great that you kept after it and should be praised not penalyzed. This is yet another example of the ludicrous government intervention in our lives and our sport.

 

I will definately take the other option is ever in your situation.

 

Good luck I hope it works out for you.

 

 

Mitch Ford

[Coues Archer]

You shot the deer during the correct season you should not have gotten it taken away. Why does the G&F have to take your antlers? its your deer you just didnt recover it. I think its B.S this happened to you, hope you get antlers back. Next time just recover your buck without any reporting anything, there is really no need.. If you do happen to do this again just search for your buck without a weapon, they cant say anything to that.

[roadhunteraz]

Game and Fish could have atleast let you put your 2011 tag on it and be done for the year.. Game and Fish are not for the hunters in my opinion. Its all about the money for them or power trips. I guess they forget us hunters are the ones that pay their salarys

 

Congrats on a awesome buck

[bonecollector]

Game and Fish could have atleast let you put your 2011 tag on it and be done for the year.. Game and Fish are not for the hunters in my opinion. Its all about the money for them or power trips. I guess they forget us hunters are the ones that pay their salarys

 

Congrats on a awesome buck

+1

Should of just tagged it with your 2011 tag. That sux what happened to you. It makes me not want to contact them for anything.

[hawkeye]

Same thing happened to me on my 3a 3c elk hunt two years ago. Only difference was that it was the next morning after a very bad lightning storm sent us running for shelter. The next morning we resumed the tracking for the 330 class bull I had shot a little high. While serching the next morning we had a game warden (I have his name) ask us how things were going, and I said not to well, and that I had shot a bull the evening before and was still looking for it. He asked me to describe it because another hunter had called in and found it. I told him it was a 6x6 around 330 to 340 in score. He had a picture on his phone of it and kept pressing on a description. All I knew was that I had only a few seconds to decide if he was big enough for me to harvest and I let the arrow fly. He finally showed me the picture and asked where I had hit it. It so hapened that the bull he found was hit in the same spot. He then took me to the carcus and showed it to me. I told him I was sure it was my bull. Well when they found it that morning they had cut the head off and took it back to the office. I asked if I could tag and keep the antlers. He said He could have if I could have described them to him. You see it had an abnormally thick 3rd on the right side. I explained I didn't notice because I was on his left side.

It didn't matter to him he told me tough luck, but he would e-mail some pictures of the rack and he could find out when the auction was so I could buy them. I don't think I should expand on what I said next, but if the antlers ever made it to the location I told him to he could place them, he would have a very hard time walking or sitting.

[SunDevil]

these are really sad situations. the Director should and could step in and do something about this once and for all. all this leads to is people not trying to do the right, ethical thing because they are just going to get screwed. this totally sends the wrong message to the public, hunting community, who like was said before, PAYS THEIR SALARIES. despicable if you ask me. shame on the G&F!

[youngbuck]

If they keep this up, its gonna get rough on em. Most of the guys that I've read about this happening to seem like decent, stand up guys. Sounds like the G&F is making enemies outa normal guys for no reason at all. Pretty soon they will be lucky to have the rest of the normal guys on their side.

[hawkeye]

You got that right. They made an enemy out of me that day. After that I wouldn't even help one, even if they were broke down. In the past I have always tried to do the right thing. I alway called them if I saw something out of the ordinary. Not anymore. I will just go hunting and keep my nose out of anyones business.

Not My Worry!

[120carp]

Same thing happened to me on my 3a 3c elk hunt two years ago. Only difference was that it was the next morning after a very bad lightning storm sent us running for shelter. The next morning we resumed the tracking for the 330 class bull I had shot a little high. While serching the next morning we had a game warden (I have his name) ask us how things were going, and I said not to well, and that I had shot a bull the evening before and was still looking for it. He asked me to describe it because another hunter had called in and found it. I told him it was a 6x6 around 330 to 340 in score. He had a picture on his phone of it and kept pressing on a description. All I knew was that I had only a few seconds to decide if he was big enough for me to harvest and I let the arrow fly. He finally showed me the picture and asked where I had hit it. It so hapened that the bull he found was hit in the same spot. He then took me to the carcus and showed it to me. I told him I was sure it was my bull. Well when they found it that morning they had cut the head off and took it back to the office. I asked if I could tag and keep the antlers. He said He could have if I could have described them to him. You see it had an abnormally thick 3rd on the right side. I explained I didn't notice because I was on his left side.

It didn't matter to him he told me tough luck, but he would e-mail some pictures of the rack and he could find out when the auction was so I could buy them. I don't think I should expand on what I said next, but if the antlers ever made it to the location I told him to he could place them, he would have a very hard time walking or sitting.

 

this is bull! they didnt even give you enough time to find your bull! i have a couple of friends going through the training and i hope they turn this around? and have other WM's do the right thing.

 

[AzHuntingAddict]

What happened to the sportsman ethics the G&F preach? I think there are some really good folks over there, but I know for sure they have some bad apples. Unfortunately the mighty dollar seems to push what is said and done in the field. I never knew there were shed auctions, and if I found out someone lost their harvest, I would'nt even consider bidding on the remains. Good luck, and watch your back!

[ac guy]

What do the rules say? If the GWs are following the rules, then it is a law problem, and you shouldn't begrudge the individual officers. Would you jeopardize your job and pension for someone else? Let's work to change the rules.

[hawkeye]

Show me the rule that says that while tracking your elk, if a game officer finds it first then he gets to keep it. I would think that if he was really worried about the law, he would have let me tag it so I wouldn't go out and kill another one. I don't care how good of a hunter you are you are going to have weather or other problems arrise while tracking an animal. I would think that the Game and Fish would be their to help instead of taking your animal then instead of having you tag the animal and stop hunting, they would rather make money in the antler auction. I bet if it would have been a small rack I would have been given the chance to claim it. On top of the whole story, the meat was still good when they found it that morning and all the took was the head. It was cold and it had been just over night.

[naturegirl]

I majorly commend you for sticking with it and recovering your deer. I truly hope u get the rack back. It doesn't seem very fair but rules are rules and I think u did the right thing. Its all the ***hole poachers and idiot hunters who make it hard for us ethical law abiding hunters. I've seen poached animals and I don't envy some of the duties of a GW. Luckily I've only met nice helpful GWs so far.