Law Question

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Came across a traffic stop last night just outside of Heber, truck with a messed up front end and a yearling looking elk in the road, down but not dead!

 

What does the law say about killing the elk to put it down and out? Legal?

 

Man that little yearling put a beating on that truck front end....

[rossislider]

Years ago I was driving up through the White Mountains and noticed a car stopped well up ahead of me off to the side of the highway late at night. By the time I was up there the car had moved on, but off to the side of the road was a cow elk. She had been hit, was smashed up pretty bad. She was struggling to get up, but it was clearly not going to happen. I put her down with my side arm and called it in to Game and Fish. They warned me and told me I should not have shot her and could be in trouble in the future. Knowing the answer would likely be no, I requested permission to salvage her and was denied. They said someone would come and pick her up very shortly. Several days later on my way back to the valley I drove past her rotting corpse in the same spot I left her, very visible from the road. I was pretty angry about the waste.

 

Given the chance to do it all over again, I would still put her down to end the suffering. Who knows how long she might have been that way since no one came out from Game and Fish to take care of her. If AZGFD wants to go to the trouble to try to find me and track me down to cite me, than I guess I would be willing to deal with those consequences and that battle to do what I perceive is the right thing to do.

[lancetkenyon]

Legal? No.

The right thing to do? Absolutely, Yes.

I may or may not have done this twice.

[4Falls]

There needs to be more training for LEO's on this issue. I had to help a DPS officer dispatch a small bull on 87 once. He was unaware of where to shoot it, nor did he know what do do regarding a salvage tag. I guided him thru the process and both issues got resolved.

 

It sucks to have something like that just go to waste.

[bonecollector777]

Legally no you cant shoot them. But I don't know if there is a judge out there that's gonna care. I believe the county and dps officers have permission to shoot them if needed and they are usually there pretty fast so sometimes better to just let them take care of it.

[wish2hunt]

I found a bull on the side of the road still alive once. Called Game and fish and they came and finished him. I asked if I would get in trouble if I did that, he said call it in and they can ask a few questions about it and grant permission.

[jim]

I had a cow someone hit by Luna lake. It was 330 in the morning called the county and they said it would take hours before someone might get there. Finished her off and she was still there at dark coming back thru. Huge waste of meat.

[tomharveyb]

My daughter hit and killed a young cow elk several years ago near Clints Well. I called G and F to ask if I could salvage the meat. They told me to call the local sheriff and he would meet me and issue a salvage tag and yes I could salvage the meat. I followed all the rules, never got a return call, and the elk spoiled. Total waste. Why make rules if law enforcement doesn't do their part.

[CatfishKev]

While I hate the idea of wasted meat and would also probably do the finishing off, I can still see game and fish perspective on it. If they granted salvage tags easily there would probably be a lot more "uh, I just hit an elk with my truck" calls. Sounds stupid but im sure it would happen. Of course if they could streamline the process and grant them over the phone with exact location and prove it was hit by a car through some other law enforcement agency and or a mandatory check in Of the animal that might be the happy medium. I'd be happy to bring evidence in if I was able to keep it.

[trphyhntr]

I'd shoot it and take the back straps.

[bonecollector777]

While I hate the idea of wasted meat and would also probably do the finishing off, I can still see game and fish perspective on it. If they granted salvage tags easily there would probably be a lot more "uh, I just hit an elk with my truck" calls. Sounds stupid but im sure it would happen. Of course if they could streamline the process and grant them over the phone with exact location and prove it was hit by a car through some other law enforcement agency and or a mandatory check in Of the animal that might be the happy medium. I'd be happy to bring evidence in if I was able to keep it.

if someone wants to destroy their truck to get an elk have at it. Doesn't take much to prove your vehicle hit an elk or not.

[CatfishKev]

 

While I hate the idea of wasted meat and would also probably do the finishing off, I can still see game and fish perspective on it. If they granted salvage tags easily there would probably be a lot more "uh, I just hit an elk with my truck" calls. Sounds stupid but im sure it would happen. Of course if they could streamline the process and grant them over the phone with exact location and prove it was hit by a car through some other law enforcement agency and or a mandatory check in Of the animal that might be the happy medium. I'd be happy to bring evidence in if I was able to keep it.

if someone wants to destroy their truck to get an elk have at it. Doesn't take much to prove your vehicle hit an elk or not.

Agree 100% but you know some moron would do it.

[The Last Wood]

Then hopefully they are dumb enough to do it on a motorcylce

[GreyGhost85]

Sorry, but nobody on earth would purposely hit an elk with their vehicle. I wouldnt even know how a person could do it on purpose. Elk dont just stand there in open fields waiting to be run over.

[CatfishKev]

I was thinking dudes with cattle bumpers and also of deer. Plenty would run down a deer if they had a chance. I was also refering to elk on roads not in fields.