Nice Coues buck

[mkaml4868]

I know that this is different but my father in law found a 6 point bull this past year. It was near his camp there was no hunt going on. He found this bull that had been hit by lightening that night ( He was there watching the night before and it wasnt there) When he came in the AM there it was. He called the Gand Fish and wouldnt you know they told him not to touch it because he asked He wanted to see if the meat was good to be able to use it. A few hours later the wardens came and cut the head off and away they went. He was ticked And what a waste. he is still mad about that. These guys are the animal conservatioists sometimes they act pretty strange for that title.

[az4life]

I think I would mark the spot and plan a return hike to do some shed hunting in a month or 2.

 

I would also call my buddy, Ace Ventura, and we might do some detective work and check with other hunters in the area (if any) and observe the carcass for signs of foul play or vehicular damage. Probably would post something somewhere "like this forum" so if I happen to run across a skull and antler find in the next few weeks, that everyone is aware it was from a dead buck found perviously, and not poached by me.

 

Ernesto... You really think the AGFD would give you the okay to take the head?

[25-06]

What would I do?? I'd cut his rack off and take it home with me!! Then I'd take it out and look at it from time to time and think back on when I found him... and smile!!

Thats prolly just about what most of us might do. But how fishy would that look to the G&F if you were stopped on yer way out. They could think it was poached and you would have a bunch of talkin to do. My best advise is to tell the G&F about what I found and that I was going back to go get it.......Then you have at least one leg to stand on if you were stopped on your way out with it. By the way...Were in the heck is Lark

[Webber]

That buck looked like it had drag marks? and on that first pic it looks like the back end is still there

[monstercoues]

Well you want to know what I would do? I would do what the law says to do and call the Game and Fish. U cannot legally possess the deer without evidence of legality. I had this exact same thing happen to me with a bighorn sheep head I found near Yuma. I called the G&F and they came and took the head until I could go take them to where I had found it the next day I had off of work. 2 Game Wardens walked 3 miles with me to where I found it and determined that it had died of natural causes. They let me keep the 170" ram. They were very nice about the whole thing and I would call them again. I am kinda tired of everyone bashing them all over this website. Maybe somebody called them and said they hit a deer and couldn't find it in that area and maybe they could help someone find this deer. U never know. Give it a shot and call them, It's the right thing to do.

 

I know I was out in Redington Pass the last day of the Nov hunt with my brother and a guy asked us to keep an eye out cause he shot at a deer late in the evening and couldn't find it. Didn't know if he even hit it. If this is from there, maybe you found his deer.

[CritterGitter]

What unit was it in? My brother missed a buck in 33 way back in that looked just like that on the 3rd day of the november hunt .... or so he thought. we searched for blood for ever in the dark but didn't find anything.

[muleybull]

Nice find, whatever you do, be very careful. I know a guy that just cleared up 3 felony charges just for picking up a dead head.

 

Its not all about the law, its all about the fishcop you run into.

[monstercoues]

Wow, 3 felony charges for picking up a dead head. Must not have been in AZ. Thats not even close to a felony offense. I believe all G&F violations are misdemeanors anyways aren't they? Not that that matters, apparently nobody but me obeys any laws anyways.

 

Its not all about the law, its all about the fishcop you run into. Yeah it is about the law, and if you don't break it, than it doesn't matter who u run into. I like the fishcop comment. Its people like you that make good people not like the people who are out there trying to help hunters. I ran into a fish cop this weekend and he was talking about the road I was on that was going to be closed because of people dumping and people driving off road and hunters shooting everything in sight. He said he was working with the land owner to try to keep it open for hunters. Nice guy, I hope things work out for us hunters. I could see him going the other way, if I would have called him a fishcop or something. He prob would have put a lock on the gate himself right then and there. I have good experiences with the azgfd, maybe thats because I don't break the law. Haha.

 

 

 

 

Nice find, whatever you do, be very careful. I know a guy that just cleared up 3 felony charges just for picking up a dead head.

 

Its not all about the law, its all about the fishcop you run into.

[flagcoueskiller]

Wow monstercoues I am honored to be able to respond to the only guy who pays attention to the law! It's true you should call GFD but let's not go overboard here, you're not posting to a bunch of poachers, most of the replies simply stated that coming back for it after the critters got to it awhile wouldn't be a big deal and I agree. The paralysis of overanalysis seems to have taken place pardner. Oh and I think the only way you could get 3 felony charges for having a deer head is if he failed to mention it was full of crack and he had warrants!

[azpackhorse]

The buck was not in the Reddington Pass area. If there had not been a hunt going on and it looked to be suspicious I would've called Game and Fish. I have called Game and Fish before when I found a Mule deer buck and they responded very quickly, the officer was very polite and a pleasure to deal with. I personally have not had any problems with Game and Fish officers........because I also obey the laws.

[mattys281]

As long as you didn't spot this carcass using a chute plane, ethics aren't an issue . Nice rack - I hope you go back for it.