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SaskGuy

SaskGuy

Active Member
Seeing that buck that Jarin posted really got me thinking. Let's say you're hunting and you find a dead buck like that. Is it legal there to tag it with your tag and be done hunting for the year. It is here. Assuming it is there as well, do you tag the buck and pack in the hunting for the yr? (assuming you have 1 tag) or do you take your chances on getting a permit to keep it?

I'm pretty sure that if I found a buck like that, I'd gladly cut my tag and be done for the year. I'd be as happy to have found that buck or one like it than killing one. I guess it is a sickness for antlers that makes me think that way. Mother nature's art. Some guys love paintings, some love cars, me...I love antlers and those are ones I'd be willing to "tag out on". I'd love to hear what everyone else's take is on it.
 
I'd take the chance on getting a salvage tag for it. I'm not sure you could leagally place any tag on it, and even if it was legal you're opening yourself up to being beaten by the "surrounding" hunters opinions of how you really attained the skull and antlers. I'd take the chance of having either the County Sherriff, or a DNR officer coming out and verifying it and then allowing you a salvage tag for it. I'm not saying that a find like that isn't worthy of any tag, because it is, I'd just be a little concerned with the future outcome of it.
 
It depends on a few things there. Do i own the ground, permision to hunt land , or public ground?

If i owned it I would take my chances w/ the dnr and get a salvage tag. If they decided to take it they would be public enemy # 1 and I would see them in court. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

If it was the latter two I'm afraid i would I would keep it to myself for my own private collection. I know way to many horror stories w/ this situation where the deer is taken away which is so wrong in so many ways. I just can't fathom all the time and energy I spend hunting and looking for antlers just to have someone take it away because they can. I'm certainly not saying that this would happen everytime but I don't think I could take that chance.

I wouldn't put my tag on it because i love hunting way to much to do that.
 
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permision to hunt land

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Let's assume it is private, the landowner doesn't hunt, doesn't care about the antlers.

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I'm not sure you could leagally place any tag on it, and even if it was legal you're opening yourself up to being beaten by the "surrounding" hunters opinions of how you really attained the skull and antlers

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Here is is perfectly legal to do so and declare it as a "pick up".

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I'd take the chance of having either the County Sherriff, or a DNR officer coming out and verifying it and then allowing you a salvage tag for it.


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If that chance was about 1% that you'd be able to keep it, as it would be here would your decision be affected. ?

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I just can't fathom all the time and energy I spend hunting and looking for antlers just to have someone take it away because they can

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So if your only option for possession was your own tag??????? Does it affect your decision?

Just food for thought guys. I just know that I never ever want to stumble on some monster while shed hunting. My 3 options then will be to "drag it home illegally", "hand it over to DNR" or "leave it lay for the porcupines"
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I'd take the chance on getting a salvage tag for it.

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i am going to say to take a pass on that option. friend of a friend found a monster buck dead along side the road (or dead from an old hunting wound, i can't remember for sure. pretty sure it was road kill).....anyhow..
he called the dnr for a salvage tag, he didn't want to take any chances with a huge buck like that. the dnr told him that it was too big for a salvage tag, they were going to keep it. i imagine it will make its way to the deer classic, or will be used in one of their classes.

so, my answer would be to slap my tag on it, and be done
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"drag it home illegally",

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or, more realistically, that would be what i would do
 
Could one of you link to the buck you're talking about? I'm a little out of touch and I couldn't find anything about a salvage buck on the last few days of threads. Thanks.
 
KSQ2, they are talking about the buck in this thread which was found about 20 years ago now Lobster Claw

If it were me I would burn a tag, probably not as difficult since we can draw more tags but even if it was my only tag I would burn it and hunt does for the rest of the year. I like hunting as much as the rest of us but I think I would give the buck tag up for a year in this case.
 
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KSQ2, they are talking about the buck in this thread which was found about 20 years ago now Lobster Claw

If it were me I would burn a tag, probably not as difficult since we can draw more tags but even if it was my only tag I would burn it and hunt does for the rest of the year. I like hunting as much as the rest of us but I think I would give the buck tag up for a year in this case.

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Is it legal though? I just wonder if they could come back and ask you if you harvested the animal with the intended weapon on your tag?
 
I enjoy the hunting aspect more than the horns, so I would have a hard time sacrificing a season of magic for the horns cause you never know how many more ruts one will see or participate in. What would be the penalty for dragging the deers head home without a tag? Is the theoretical deer in a state of decomp?
 
Great post.
I'd take it home without a tag. I've done it in the past and will continue to do so.
Fortunately, our laws are now a bit more lenient when it comes to this subject.
Up until about the late 1980's or 1990, I can't remember the exact year, it was illegal to even possess sheds here.
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I was somewhat involved in an ugly battle with our Game and Parks concerning this law. Other folks got involved and the law was finally changed.
The old law never stopped me from shed hunting or hauling home found racks.
Was I wrong for doing that? I have no regrets.
 
Yes Im pretty sure it is legal, a few years back some friends of mine found two bucks that had gotten locked together a fell into a pond where the had drown. They were not bow hunters only gun hunters the local CO told them if they both went and bought bow tags they were legal to take them as long as they took the whole carcasses, so they did. Not sure if there is anything actually in print on salvage tags and how they can be given out. I know that a couple local guys shot a deer from the road in a refuge type area where Im from and then called the sherriffs office because another local hunter saw them dragging it back to the road and loading it in there truck, and told them they had found a dead or wounded deer and the dispatcher told them to take it home and they would send an officer out with a tag. So since the dispatcher had given them the go ahead to take it home the CO had nothing to go on when he came to check it out, pretty sad outcome. I dont think the police should be allowed to issue salvage tags, just because of things like this.
 
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Seeing that buck that Jarin posted really got me thinking. Let's say you're hunting and you find a dead buck like that. Is it legal there to tag it with your tag and be done hunting for the year. It is here. Assuming it is there as well, do you tag the buck and pack in the hunting for the yr? (assuming you have 1 tag) or do you take your chances on getting a permit to keep it?

I'm pretty sure that if I found a buck like that, I'd gladly cut my tag and be done for the year. I'd be as happy to have found that buck or one like it than killing one. I guess it is a sickness for antlers that makes me think that way. Mother nature's art. Some guys love paintings, some love cars, me...I love antlers and those are ones I'd be willing to "tag out on". I'd love to hear what everyone else's take is on it.

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I have given this some thought this morning and think I have my own answer. Your question said if you have 1 tag. I enjoy hunting way too much to use my 1 tag on a dead deer just to possess some horns. I realize that sometimes I am overly critical of hunters that are fansinated by antlers, but to me a trophy is something I have worked for and killed in a fair chase manner. A trophy is not something you stumble over in a ditch while walking in to your stand because it has no meaning or memories or stories to tell. There are many who would say the horns are very valuable and they might be, but I have never and will never tag an animal just to sell it for profit. I have expressed my views for years about the legality of selling antlers or trophies of any kind. In an attempt to be very honest, after some soul searching, I think what I might do is either wait until the end of the season to see what may come along to tag or actually take it home "illegally" and hide it away for the time being. I would proably not be overly concerned about getting a salvage tag, being unsure of the end results of those efforts. If at all possible I think I would eventually try to donate it to some kind of worth while group for display or educational purposes, but absolutley not for sale at any time. Far better to have it viewed that way than hidden away in my basement or garage where only a very safe and select group would ever see it. Just my opinons but I did try to be honest and I hope I am never in that position.
 
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I think what I might do is either wait until the end of the season to see what may come along to tag or actually take it home "illegally" and hide it away for the time being. I

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As I re read the post and discussion I feel as though my original answer was likely not truthful. I wouldn't use a tag, I too would sneak the thing home and be in illegal possession of a rack.
If I didn't tag out I would use my tag on it and if I did, I'm sure I'd still be in possession of an illegal rack.
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I guess my scenario wasn't all that good b/c I likely wouldn't use my tag either. However, even if I just stumbled on something I'd deem it a trophy, though in a different manner. I guess a better, more likely scenario....you're shed hunting and come across it, do you take the risk of losing it or do you sneak it home?
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I for one will break the law if I find something huge one day, call me what you will...but I will.
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I have never broken the law while hunting... just too risky, and once you get caught you have a bad reputation for the rest of your life. The next time you legally harvest a monster, the rumors will fly.

Here is a pic of one I found dead here in South Dakota. He is a 8x9, 24 1/2" inside spread, 28" outside spread and almost 50" of mass. When I found him I contacted the local warden and asked about a salvage tag.. his response was "it depends on the size". So I took him to the spot and showed him the buck. The SD GF&P is now the owner of this rack and I've only seen it once since.

They had a booth at a local deer show and this rack was in their display, they were trying to tell me that it was taken illegally, until I told them I was the one who found it and then their story changed real quick.

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I tip my hat to you.
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his response was "it depends on the size".

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This is a crock though and if tags can be issued they should be issued to any and all deer unless foul play is suspected.

Looks like you can speak from personal experience unlike most of us. Had you been issued a permit would it be legal there to sell it. Here it is illegal to sell any picked up rack. I would never dream of selling such a thing. At least yours has been on a display, the people I know with the greatest collections of big racks are SERM officers. They just hang in their offices, never to be seen by anyone unless they go inside. I've seen it with my eyes when I asked a officer a ? regarding our early moose season.
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Anyways, you are one honest fellow. I wonder if I'm the only one on here who would take it home...or just the only one willing to admit it.
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Sask you are not the only one willing to take it home, if I was shedding and found it I would take it home, I know people who have lost racks in the past after doing the right thing and calling the local CPO, this to me is a crock of [censored]. You are dead on that all salvage tags should be issued no matter the deer size unless there is clear evidence of foul play.

I believe the running found dead bucks last year on this website was well into the 100s, and I am sure that less than 20% of them were actually called in.

Kratz
 
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I know people who have lost racks in the past after doing the right thing and calling the local CPO

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Me too Jarin, too many guys. It is b/c of this that I have my opinion, though flawed as it may be.
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Let me see if I can put this right because it seems to be the way most of us feel.

That most of us would try to keep the rack in some sort of way not because we are criminals or poachers or into illegal activity but more less because we feel we would be horribly wronged to let someone w/ more power abuse the law that is put upon us for their own use.

Basically we feel like we are doing the lesser of two evils.

I know it is a touchy subject and I'm w/ ya saskguy, it would be coming home me in your situation as well.

I guess I just don't want to have power used incorrectly and it seems this is going on in some situations.
 
It doesn't bother me all that much, they told me they were going to have it mounted and hang it in a place here in town called the Outdoor Campus - it is mainly an educational building that shows the diversity of habitat and wildlife of South Dakota. It is used to show young kids what this state has to offer and to try to get them interested in the outdoors. I would be MORE than happy if that is what happened to the rack.

But, I found it in march of `05 and it to this day sits in the corner of a back room at the local DNR office.

No biggy I guess, there are bigger ones out there and at least I got to snap a few pics to remember it by. Its all good.

But, to answer your question... it is legal to use a rifle tag on a dead deer in South Dakota as long as it is in season and no fowl-play is suspected. The deer would have to be pretty big for me to do it. We used 2 tags on a pair of locked bucks we found dead back in the `90's.
 
Pick it up and take it home. Done it before and will do it again, of course none were monsters. And only private land.
 
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