Sheds

[trophyhntr]

Just to pass the time until I get my elk and whitetail tag, I would like your opinion of the the legalities of picking up antlers. The obvious is shed hunting but intact skulls sometimes called "Lion Kills" seem to have some strings attached. The following is from the Az Game and Fish wedpage:

 

What are the legalities of picking up an elk or deer antler? Naturally, shed antlers are lawful to possess. However, the legality of possessing antlers, skulls or other parts from animals that have died is more complicated. In a nutshell, if the animal died from an unnatural cause, such as wounding during the hunting season or vehicle impact, it may not be lawfully possessed. Parts from wildlife that die from natural causes, such as predation, disease, drowning, or lightning may be lawfully possessed. You may not make this determination on your own. If you find an animal that you wish to keep a part of, you must contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department so ?cause of death? can be properly determined.

 

A common question that needs to be addressed is the issue of whether individuals may pick up and keep the head, antlers, or any part of wildlife they find dead in the field. What may appear to be an easy question actually requires a complicated answer.

 

State law requires an individual to have evidence of legality when possessing or transporting wildlife carcasses or their parts. A hunting license and/or big game tag meets this requirement for wildlife lawfully taken during hunting season. However, if an individual in the field finds dead wildlife, or any part of an animal he or she did not legally take during the hunt, then that individual may not automatically possess and /or transport any of it.

 

******If an individual wishes to keep such wildlife parts found in the field, he/she must contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department so an officer can determine the cause of death of the animal. If it is determined the animal died from a natural cause, such as predation, disease, fights, falls, drowning, lightning, etc., the wildlife part may be possessed by the individual. If the officer determines the animal died from an unnatural cause, such as wounding loss, illegal activity or vehicle collision, no part of the wildlife may be possessed or transported.*****

 

If the cause of death cannot be determined and the wildlife part is fresh, meaning bone or tissue moisture is present and the part is not oxidized, possession will not be allowed. This also applies to parts, such as skulls, where the age cannot be determined because the finder has boiled and/or cleaned them. If the cause of death cannot be determined and the part is old (with no moisture and oxidized), possession will be allowed.

Clear? Just remember, the key is to contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department prior to picking up the part. There is no way these parts may be lawfully possessed until the department has determined the cause of death.

 

Thoughts? Experiences calling out an officer to determine cause of death? Practical?

[4Falls]

Just to pass the time until I get my elk and whitetail tag, I would like your opinion of the the legalities of picking up antlers. The obvious is shed hunting but intact skulls sometimes called "Lion Kills" seem to have some strings attached. The following is from the Az Game and Fish wedpage:

 

What are the legalities of picking up an elk or deer antler? Naturally, shed antlers are lawful to possess. However, the legality of possessing antlers, skulls or other parts from animals that have died is more complicated. In a nutshell, if the animal died from an unnatural cause, such as wounding during the hunting season or vehicle impact, it may not be lawfully possessed. Parts from wildlife that die from natural causes, such as predation, disease, drowning, or lightning may be lawfully possessed. You may not make this determination on your own. If you find an animal that you wish to keep a part of, you must contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department so ?cause of death? can be properly determined.

 

A common question that needs to be addressed is the issue of whether individuals may pick up and keep the head, antlers, or any part of wildlife they find dead in the field. What may appear to be an easy question actually requires a complicated answer.

 

State law requires an individual to have evidence of legality when possessing or transporting wildlife carcasses or their parts. A hunting license and/or big game tag meets this requirement for wildlife lawfully taken during hunting season. However, if an individual in the field finds dead wildlife, or any part of an animal he or she did not legally take during the hunt, then that individual may not automatically possess and /or transport any of it.

 

******If an individual wishes to keep such wildlife parts found in the field, he/she must contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department so an officer can determine the cause of death of the animal. If it is determined the animal died from a natural cause, such as predation, disease, fights, falls, drowning, lightning, etc., the wildlife part may be possessed by the individual. If the officer determines the animal died from an unnatural cause, such as wounding loss, illegal activity or vehicle collision, no part of the wildlife may be possessed or transported.*****

 

If the cause of death cannot be determined and the wildlife part is fresh, meaning bone or tissue moisture is present and the part is not oxidized, possession will not be allowed. This also applies to parts, such as skulls, where the age cannot be determined because the finder has boiled and/or cleaned them. If the cause of death cannot be determined and the part is old (with no moisture and oxidized), possession will be allowed.

Clear? Just remember, the key is to contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department prior to picking up the part. There is no way these parts may be lawfully possessed until the department has determined the cause of death.

 

Thoughts? Experiences calling out an officer to determine cause of death? Practical?

[bullwidgeon]

How about you just never tell Game and Fish, they won't find out then. They are really busy counting flycatchers and writing people tickets that don't have enough life jackets in their boats, they don't have time to come look at some stinking carcass I found in the sticks that I am sure was killed by an alligator, tiger or wolverine....

 

Bret

[SunDevil]

Fortunately this evidence is on a teenagers bedroom wall back east.

 

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index...?showtopic=3163

[huntswnm]

Here in NM it is legal to pick up sheds, however, intact skulls cannot be picked up without first contacting NM G&F. The officer is supposed to go with you and determine cause of death, if possible. Here however, no matter the cause of death, it is considered state property and more than likely you will have to purchase the skull from the state at a cost you and the officer agree on. There is really no process that defines how much a 70" coues skull or a 380" elk skull should be worth. I can see the reason behind it, to hopefully cut down on poaching, but realistically there is no way that this is an effective way of decreasing poaching. The only thing that I can think of that they can get you on is if for instance they have a reason to enter your home, shop, shed, etc. and see skulls with antlers lying around. Could they ask to see proof of "ownership" such as either a licensce or paper work showing you took it through the proper channels,,,,,,I don't know.

Jeff

[HEADACHE]

Well whenever I am out and about and stumble across a cool skull, it is just a pile of bones and I never have cellphone service. . . .

Am I really supposed to call out a G&F officer and ask him if I may pick up this old chaulky skull? . . . He might be able to find a few other bones, but cause of death???? a bit far out of reach I'd venture to guess. Who wants to wait two hours for an officer to show up. .. .

 

Seems silly to me. . . I mean unless the thing is fresh and bleeding, then thats another issue all together.

 

My humble two cents worth

[SunDevil]

2 hours - try probably more like 2 days

[Whitehntr]

The Game and Fish doesn't care if it is a raghorn bull no matter how it is killed. Find a dead 400 inch bull and its a different story. They sell these at their auction. I have seen a 400 inch plus bull go for close to 10 thousand dollars ( can't remember the actual price) The guy that found had it confiscated and could not afford to buy it back. Why should I give something up that I might find once in a lifetime. Heres what you do. Bring it home, clean it up and tell Game and Fish your gandpa killed it years ago. Its not fair to give something up that they are going to sell.

[ultramag]

i have a secret 375 bull that i found a few years ago and i aint tellin no g&f.heck i would post pics if i could figure it out.they can lick my salt lick.

[BASS]

We have a nice 222" bull on our wall that was found out in the feild. We were going to keep it, then I stumbled upon a GFD officer (officer Phoenix) who set me straight on the rules. He ruled that the bull had been hit by a car, and had died because of the strike. He cut the head off for us, and even hiked it back to camp for us since it was still opening day for our hunt.

[grizzly]

My feelings exactly Whitehnter, you show a trophy class pickup to G&F and you just lost it. They have a few other more important things to worry about than that I think (at least they should.)

[muley]

There is no law, only a Directive they try to use. That guy is full of B.S.

I was charged with 3 felonies for picking up a dead head and refusing to give it to

the officer until he showed me a law, went to court and it got thrown out do to the lack of evidence

of a law. I was also a Reserve Officer for the Forest Service, so that didn't help when it came to pissing

them off. So I call B.S.

[Switchback]

We came across a 300 class bull a few years ago that had been killed during the rut by something much bigger than him. The bull had only been dead a few days, and had puncture wounds in numerous places. We cut the head off and took it back with us. As we arrived at the truck there just happen to be a GW driving by. He pulled over and asked us several questions but was pretty cool about the whole thing and let us take it home. Now if it would have been a 400 class bull i am sure it would of been a different story.

[SilentButDeadly]

I tried contacting the local G&F officer in NM to see about taking home the skull I found on my scouting trip this year, he never called me back (left 3 messages).

 

Besides, when I went to go see how the skull was doing (it was rotten when I found it so I left it there) - guess what - it had already been taken by someone else!

 

Here is pic of that rotten beauty -

[Switchback]

I tried contacting the local G&F officer in NM to see about taking home the skull I found on my scouting trip this year, he never called me back (left 3 messages).

 

Besides, when I went to go see how the skull was doing (it was rotten when I found it so I left it there) - guess what - it had already been taken by someone else!

 

Here is pic of that rotten beauty -

 

you had the pictures left messages with no call back i would have defenintly taken the rack