azpackhorse Report post Posted December 7, 2006 What do you all think this buck would score? And what would you do if you found him dead in this condition? Not what the law says to do but what YOU would do......................fire away ethics police! This buck had been dead for a few days and had his back end eaten off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
singleshot Report post Posted December 7, 2006 If there were no signs of blatant poaching I would probably wire his rack to a large rock or tree limb, mark it on my GPS and come back in a few months and retrieve it. Unusual find,. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted December 7, 2006 There had been a hunt going on in the area so I can only assume that it was not poached. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted December 7, 2006 Personally I would take all the pics I could to show that it had been there for several days and then called the game warden for the area to ask to see if I could pick im up. If they said no I would put him in a tree or bush out of site and come back a couple months later and pick up the rack. And I put him in the 88 to 93 range beautiful animal its a shame that it wasn't tagged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted December 7, 2006 It will score around 60 inches. What woul I do? I will call game and fish and report what I found and will ask them to come and check it out. Once they finish with their bussines they will give it to me. Ernesto C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted December 7, 2006 What is the cause of the hair being scraped up. Are there any puncture wounds from a buck fight. It is no lion kill. I guess i would wire his skull to a tree as well. The coyotes need a free meal in that area anyways.GO back in a month and have yourself a nice skull. I am not very ethical though. They are not going to come out and look at it first of all. I know a guy that had pure proof of a young cub bear beeing poached and they never gave him the time of day. The main reason is they did not want to get out of the truck and hike to the spot of the cub. He recived one call from them to take a statment and that was the end of it. This guy has sure proof and they brushed it off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted December 7, 2006 looks to me like there is a bullet whole right where it should be! that is a dang nice buck! i agree with Christian on score and what i would do. nice find brian, when/where did you find him? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tucrats Report post Posted December 7, 2006 That's a total shame! I would probably contact Game and Fish, and hopfully they would allow me to keep the rack. Just a shame though! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilentButDeadly Report post Posted December 7, 2006 I'd do an informal autopsy - like look for bullet holes. If I found him within a mile of a road I would look for broken bones or bruises. No broken bones or bullet holes = call G&F and have them come look at him. If they said they couldn't be there for a couple of days I'd stash him somewhere that his rack wouldnt get all chewed up. If there were bullet or arrow holes and it was during the hunting season I would ask around (ie if I saw you while I was out hiking or driving back to a main road) to see if anyone was looking for a buck before considering taking him. If there were broken bones and he looked like he had been struck be a vehicle and he was in no way going to be found by someone in a vehicle (ie way way off of a road) I would take the skull. I feel like I've got to go with Karma sometimes - like if somebody else shot him and might be looking for him. But it doesn't feel like karma if the buck was struck by a vehicle and is now property of the state and its illegal to take the skull. I feel like telling the truth - since this is only a hypothetical question. Tyson ps. If i find any skulls wired up into trees I am taking them home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted December 8, 2006 His hair had been pulled out from critters eating him, I beleive he had been shot and not recovered,it was the last weekend of the November hunt. No roads very close and the ones that are closest are bad so I don't think you could go fast enough to do any damage...........other than to your truck. He was in a deep bottom of a wash where he would've been hard to see. There was no one camped close and no one around so asking someone if they lost a buck was out of the question. I did not measure him but guess him right around 90" (he smelled real bad) I did not take the head either nor did I call Game and Fish. I wasn't going to wait there for an officer to come, I didn't have my GPS on me, it would be difficult to give directions, and most of all I really didn't think it would matter. I did not originally find the buck but did take a trip out there to check him out. When I seen him he was really torn up by scavengers but his head was still there, I will most likely be back in this country this month and will see if I can find him. I really don't want to get caught with a semi-fresh head in my truck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BuckNasty Report post Posted December 8, 2006 After further review, that looks like my buck. If you would, go ahead and take him to a taxidermist. Get a nice mount done. Then, call me and I will come and pick him up. Thanks for saving me the work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted December 8, 2006 To me it is a waist for him to just lay there. I know the meat is far waisted by the time you found him but please do not let that skull go to waist as well. I do not think most of us on this site would look badly on you for going in and getting it in a month. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flagcoueskiller Report post Posted December 8, 2006 Ernesto, 60 inches??!! I hope you missed the 9 key I would guess 85-90 on the score, but I wouldn't overanalyze whether or not it's ok to pick up the skull. I would caution you though that the critters may have taken him far from where you saw him if you didn't anchor him. I too will take any heads wired to trees and then post to see whose it was! Ok I won't I just thought that was funny when I read it. Go find it and boil it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted December 8, 2006 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!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted December 9, 2006 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!! Congratulations we have our first 100% honest person Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
