Skulls controversy???

[swbuckmaster]

I like looking at the shed hunting forum as much as the next guy. Something comes up once in a while I thought I would throw out their for some feed back. If you found a skull with a set of elk, deer antlers, or what ever would you pick it up and add it to your collection?
It would be very tempting although I have never had the opportunity to test my judgment yet. The only problem is in Utah it is illegal to do so. If you contacted the DWR they would come out and look at it and probably add it to their own personal collection.
The reason it is illegal is their have been people that poach a big buck and let it lay to rot and come back and retrieve it later and say it was a lion kill, killed during season and never found or what ever.
The question?s are:
What would you do pick it up or leave it?
Do you think the law should be changed if you find a legitimate lion kill so you could retrieve those horns?
Have anyone of you ran into a officer that would let you take them home if you could prove it was a lion kill?

 

[NvrEnuf]

Some states let you pick them up and keep them, no questions asked. Others don't let you keep them at all no matter what. In my opinion Wyoming's method is the best overall. If you find a kill and contact the G&F an officer will come out and meet you at the site. He'll check things out and determine the cause of death and then at his digression will offer to tag the rack for you. It costs like $5 for the tag and you can take the rack as long as the officer finds that everything checks out ok. The reasons I like this method is that if someone is out poaching bucks and leaving them to come back later the G&F will know about it and can actually start an investigation and do something about it. If their is a lion problem, some sort of desease or another issue the G&F will know about that as well which would better enable them to do thier jobs. It works out great for everyone.

Here in Utard everyone (90%) just scoops up the antlers and sneaks them home. Then they tell everyone they found them in another state like CO that allows you to just take them whenever. When the poacher comes back later on to get his rack he has to get all ticked off and go find another BIG buck to poach! I think by making it illegal to take the racks has turned a lot of otherwise honest people into law breakers. They've also made some people want the stupid racks even more by telling them they can't keep em.

In my opinion the UDWR are hurting themselves and the animals more than they are helping them by having the law the way it is. These guys have a tough job. I know it would be hard to cover all the ground each of the officers are in charge of on their own. It sure would be nice if they set it up so we could all try to help them out now and then.

NvrEnuf

 

[RACKMASTER]

I left a high 190" in the Pausagunt in early scouting trip and wanted to pick it up however a Warden warned my not to saying if I did he would site me and I would loose my hunt
in October, He thought that some retired folk left it so they could report guys who picked it up so that they could turn them in for kutos and a reward tag!
the rack was in a easy find spot,
and the warden wants to retrieve it. so it was some kind of scam ,the rack was from road kill he said that he saw it before and it was gone when he came back to pick it up! weeks before.
rm

 

[Mule_Deer_Crazy]

All my intact skulls came from ID!!!

 

[mossback]

Found and 8x8 elk rack & skull in New Mexico Gila wilderness about 4 years ago. Was to nice to leave it there for someone to take home. It sure looks nice on the wall in my house after browing the horns back up.

 

[buckmster28]

I would have to pick them up. Its too bad we have to make laws like this to detour poaching. I am sure they still find the buck of justices antlers, but now cannot share them with all of us and that is a shame.

 

[canyoncrosser]

What is Cali's stance on this issue?

 

[legendsguide]

in NM you can purchase a permit from g&f and legally pick that set up. they may want to go out to the site and look at it before you claim it. they sell the tags for around $15. ive purchased several while shed hunting.

 

[BuckSnort]

Compleatly legal outhere in Kali. I have picked up alot of deer skulls and even a couple bear skulls that measure over the P&Y minnimum of over 18".

 

[deerhuntr4885]

I have a great one I picked up on a hunt a few years ago. I guess I better not say what state I was in, but it is really cool with a lot of character. I am having it colored as we speak. I will post a pic when it is done. I have no idea how he died, but he was about a half mile up a mountain, above a highway. I never thought much about it. Finders keepers in my book.

Mike Henne

 

[lone_hunter]

Like so many things a few with no ethics or regard for the law, forces bad laws for all of us. I have also found several nice deer and elk racks skulls in Utah but do not dare pick them up. It is just too bad that there needs to be so many laws to deter poaching.

 

[Longun]

Here's another question for some of the other states besides Wyoming. Are you allowed to saw the horns off the skull(at the base of the horn) and take them home like they were shed? Here in Wyoming its legal. When the wife and I find a winterkill Deer or Elk, if it isn't trophy class(190 for deer - 350 for Elk) we just saw them off.

 

[RACKMASTER]

long....
I am not sure of that sawing is ok...I only say that because I was in Rocksprings walmart getting my stamp and when I came out
there was I in a explorer
who had a moose skull and rack and was starting saw them off it base to fit in car better....he was from OR! and I warden came and yelling at the guy and was giving a citation and had his skull and saw taken(antlers were green in color also).
that same warden came by my camp days later to look at the buck I harvested and I showed him an lion killed(you could see bite marks holes clear as day)buck skull a 4x3 heavy rack 22"wide... and he said I have to throw it back into the brush and It illegal to take! and how bad the poachin thing was there because of winter how locals come and shoot the biggest buck then come back later remove the head!
sooooo I will never pick up anything in UTAH, WYO, CO!
NEVER EVER SAW THEM ALSO!I saw in CO a family once who was in a motor home find a nice 4x4 skull and got $400. fine for keepng it! it had utah plates
Rack