Don't shoot deer you don't have tags for...
- Thread starter roymunson
- Start date
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I get what both of you are saying but to me the law of the land is much more important than the law of men. Abortion in murder PERIOD. The dead fish most certainly would not go to waste but it still isnt right and to me considered wanton waste.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
Weather it legal or not, I do not believe you can ethically fish with three rods. Even two rod can at times be pushing it.
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
Is it ethical if the fish aren't biting? Because they weren't biting that day. My mom was sitting in her lawn chair 25 feet away, but I was honest and said she wasn't fishing. If it's not ethical to use 2 rods then why is ethical to put a trap on every trail entering a water hole? I happen to think they're both ethical.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
The reason it (to me) isn't ethical is because IF they would have been biting You would have gut hooked 2 out of every three fish you caught (grey area for the people that keep absolutely everything they catch). The argument you make is the the same as saying you only need a license if you catch or shoot something.
The majority will tell you trapping is unethical no mater how you do it. It isn't illegal or un ethical to put out a thousand traps if you are able to manage them.
The majority will tell you trapping is unethical no mater how you do it. It isn't illegal or un ethical to put out a thousand traps if you are able to manage them.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
totally different issue (to me)
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I ran into ethical vs legal issues a few times, which is bound to happen if you are out in nature. One time I was deer hunting, and like 5 deer were walking out past me, I shot the biggest buck out of the bunch, it dropped right away. It was about 100 yards away. I continue to sit for another hour, and then walked out there. I had 2 deer down off one shot, one was the buck I shot at, the other a doe, the bullet passed through the buck and into the doe. The doe was still alive, so I finished her off. My party (We could party hunt) didnt have an open doe tag. So I called the warded up, he came there, looked at the deer in the field, inspected the wounds, made me buy an extra license, I think it was $21 at the time, then took the doe with him, and said I just donated my doe to someone in need. I was fine with that!
Another indecent, several years later, I was in my stand, and saw a doe with its lower jaw shot off of it, and again none of us had a doe tag. Back then, doe tags were very few and far between. I didnt shoot it when I had the chance, but it laid down in a creek bed, and I figured she was down for the day. When I got back to camp, and told the others about it, we went out and did a drive and kicked her up, and finished her off. Again we called the warden, he came out, looked at the doe, and just said good job, and wrote us a tag for the deer, no charge, and he let us keep it.
The last time wasnt really anything to do with ethics, but it had to do with calling the warden again. I shot my deer on Sunday night of the last day of the season. I tracked it into some large thick stuff, and on property I did not have permission to be on, and at this point it was after 10 pm, so we called off the search until the next day after work. I got ahold of the land owner, and he said he will come along, which was great, more eyes! Anyhow we tracked it and eventually found it, and we had a long drag back, after cleaning it and getting it loaded up, it was again late at night, and the place we register deer at was already closed. I figured I would just take it there after work the next day (Wednesday now), and I would register it, but he said they can only register it 24 hours after the season was closed. So I called the warden up, he wasnt able to come out that day, so he had me bring it into the local county sheriffs office, and have them look at it. He looked at iut, and said, yup, its been dead for a couple days and he wrote me a tag for the deer. All 3 different cases turned out satisfactory in my eyes, and no issues with the law from them. I guess my points were, if you have the choice to be ethical, do it. Deal with the consiquences later if there is any. But usually they are human as well, and will see why you did what you did.
Another indecent, several years later, I was in my stand, and saw a doe with its lower jaw shot off of it, and again none of us had a doe tag. Back then, doe tags were very few and far between. I didnt shoot it when I had the chance, but it laid down in a creek bed, and I figured she was down for the day. When I got back to camp, and told the others about it, we went out and did a drive and kicked her up, and finished her off. Again we called the warden, he came out, looked at the doe, and just said good job, and wrote us a tag for the deer, no charge, and he let us keep it.
The last time wasnt really anything to do with ethics, but it had to do with calling the warden again. I shot my deer on Sunday night of the last day of the season. I tracked it into some large thick stuff, and on property I did not have permission to be on, and at this point it was after 10 pm, so we called off the search until the next day after work. I got ahold of the land owner, and he said he will come along, which was great, more eyes! Anyhow we tracked it and eventually found it, and we had a long drag back, after cleaning it and getting it loaded up, it was again late at night, and the place we register deer at was already closed. I figured I would just take it there after work the next day (Wednesday now), and I would register it, but he said they can only register it 24 hours after the season was closed. So I called the warden up, he wasnt able to come out that day, so he had me bring it into the local county sheriffs office, and have them look at it. He looked at iut, and said, yup, its been dead for a couple days and he wrote me a tag for the deer. All 3 different cases turned out satisfactory in my eyes, and no issues with the law from them. I guess my points were, if you have the choice to be ethical, do it. Deal with the consiquences later if there is any. But usually they are human as well, and will see why you did what you did.
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
I've been struggling with a regulation vs. ethics decision for several years now. It's no secret that Mass. is a super liberal state and has just about some of the most restrictive gun and hunting laws in the nation. AR's are banned, can't ship ammo into the state, can't use rifles for deer hunting, etc. Military surplus 1911A1's were recently sold by the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program) and there was only a single state out of 50 which banned their sale...Mass. Pot is now legal. Gay marriage is legal. But I can't hunt on Sundays. And for working men and women, that last one really gets under my skin. For the past few years I've been thinking about hunting, on my own land, on Sundays. I haven't yet, because I was raised to be ethical, and follow regulations, and do the right thing even when nobody is looking. I have kids and want to teach them the same lessons. But dang! I sure would like to get one more day of hunting in on the weekends...in a state that is just about as nutty as it gets with anti-gun and anti-hunting laws.
So...hunting on Sundays? Certainly not unethical. But against the regs. and therefore illegal. I suppose the simple answer is to simply cross the border and hunt VT or NY.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
I like being outside too much to lose my license over a silly violation.
What about deer retrieval law? You track a hit deer to the neighbors line, do you stop and back out to get permission, or if you have blood, do you keep rolling and get the deer and drag him back to your side? I know which I'd do and it probably follows the spirit of animal retrieval rather than the letter of the law.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
As a landowner if I caught someone doing that who didn't call me first I would have them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, that wouldn't just be trespassing it would be hunting on someone else's property if the deer wasn't dead.
I didn't save money and do without for years to spend huge money to finally buy my dream property, spend thousands of hours and dollars making that property even better just to have someone with a deer they made a poor shot on think they can walk right past my posted signs and do whatever they want on my land without contacting me first to gain permission.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
I totally agree. And I'd want someone to do the same to me. I do know the neighboring property's owner is a recluse of sorts, its not hunted, and she's 1200 miles away in a sunshine state.
We have people call us when deer cross over, and we'd do the same. I understand the sentiment that I don't want someone stomping thru what i've set up to hunt. It is dicey at best.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
My area is terrible for people that see a buck run into a posted property or just know that deer are there, pretend to have a "wounded" deer so they can hunt it or push it out for their buddies, if they even ask.
If I am called I want to see the blood trail in and help find it...after we are done hunting for the day. I have no problem helping someone get a wounded or dead deer out if they do it the correct way.
I contact all my adjacent land owners each and every year before the WI archery season starts in September. I ask them if I can retrieve any wounded deer that makes it to their side before it dies. With one exception, all my neighbors have given me permission. In return, they have the same rights to retrieve a wounded deer on my land. There are some stipulations. I call any neighbor before I go on their land. Unless it is over 50 degrees outside, the retrieval waits until after dark. I ask any neighbor to call me first. No ATVs or UTVs are allowed by me. You walk onto my land with a helper or two. Basic common sense also applies. Leave no traces of your presence when going after the deer. Do not gut it on my land or will I gut it on yours. I had to retrieve three deer this season that were well hit but managed to run 20 to 50 yards off my land before they died.
This season one neighbor called me to tell me he hit a buck during the WI gun season. I told him fine, you can go after it. He said that they could not find any hair or a blood trail so for that reason he did not track it. Later in the year when there was snow on the ground, I saw tracks that were an indication of a deer that had been shot in the leg.
This season one neighbor called me to tell me he hit a buck during the WI gun season. I told him fine, you can go after it. He said that they could not find any hair or a blood trail so for that reason he did not track it. Later in the year when there was snow on the ground, I saw tracks that were an indication of a deer that had been shot in the leg.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
We have a neighbor that hunts an island in a huge crop field, all his deer bust across the field and die where we hunt. We try to be there to help find them, but he's also been known to go "just onto ours to retrieve a deer" but we find a gut pile deep into the sanctuary. Fine line between being a neighbor and letting someone walk all over you.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I'd have to check the current regs in Minnesota. I know that you used to be able to track wounded game right past any no trespassing sign you wanted without land owner permission. However, you were NOT aloud to bring a weapon with.
I dont have problems with small tracts of land near by or hunter densities that a lot of people deal with. If you shoot a deer and it wonders onto our property by all means go after your deer. If you try calling me im in the woods without cell service anyway. As long as it is at lunch or after dark there is no problem whatsoever.
My area has an APR of 4 points on a side to be legal (total BS because in my area a large percent of yearling bucks sport 8 and once in a while ten point racks anyway) and and most of the neighbors passing on smaller bucks it's not like they will be screwing up my hunt for a basket rack anyway.
I dont have problems with small tracts of land near by or hunter densities that a lot of people deal with. If you shoot a deer and it wonders onto our property by all means go after your deer. If you try calling me im in the woods without cell service anyway. As long as it is at lunch or after dark there is no problem whatsoever.
My area has an APR of 4 points on a side to be legal (total BS because in my area a large percent of yearling bucks sport 8 and once in a while ten point racks anyway) and and most of the neighbors passing on smaller bucks it's not like they will be screwing up my hunt for a basket rack anyway.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I have agreements with my neighbors, they can retrieve a deer from my land, and I can from theirs. If I am up hunting or at my land, come see me, and I will help them, and depending where it is, even take an ATV to haul it out, after dark. If it was shot in the morning, call me, to make sure I, or someone else is not already hunting in the woods before tromping though.
In my story above, we stopped at the property line, this guy is a big hunter, and has his land posted all over, and is well known to not let people on his land. So that is why we stopped at the fence line. Being he was a sportsman, we knew he would allow us, and possibly come with, and that is what he did. In fact, as we were tracking it, he even said, I am betting he is laying in a swampy area about 1/4 mile away, and that is exactly where we found him.
Trespassing, is trespassing, regardless of your excuse. I sure dont want someone walking through the middle of my sanctuary during the middle of the day, and chase every deer that thinks it is a safe place, out of it, and wreck what I have spent years making, all for a neighbor to tromp through my land to see if his bad shot may have dropped on my land. Now being most of the neighbors are all small land owners less then 100 acres, this is something that does happen, and is expected at times, so being courteous to others, will get you the same in return.
In my story above, we stopped at the property line, this guy is a big hunter, and has his land posted all over, and is well known to not let people on his land. So that is why we stopped at the fence line. Being he was a sportsman, we knew he would allow us, and possibly come with, and that is what he did. In fact, as we were tracking it, he even said, I am betting he is laying in a swampy area about 1/4 mile away, and that is exactly where we found him.
Trespassing, is trespassing, regardless of your excuse. I sure dont want someone walking through the middle of my sanctuary during the middle of the day, and chase every deer that thinks it is a safe place, out of it, and wreck what I have spent years making, all for a neighbor to tromp through my land to see if his bad shot may have dropped on my land. Now being most of the neighbors are all small land owners less then 100 acres, this is something that does happen, and is expected at times, so being courteous to others, will get you the same in return.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
I'd follow the law. Laws can get complicated, and it's always better to be on the right side of it. Like you said:
"I like being outside too much to lose my license over a silly violation."
Luckily where I live, we are allowed to cross property lines to retrieve game we've shot. Even birds.