Lost bull search ?

COLOelkman · Mar 7, 2012

I had a muzzy hunt last year and ended up hitting a bull near the next to last day and didn't find it. I tracked it via blood trail quite a ways and got a 2nd shot. After that I found no blood at all but was able to track it for proably another half mile before loosing the trail. I went back the next day but had to cut out mid day due to a big snowstorm that ended up dumping about 18 inches of snow. It grieved me to have to leave without being able to search more than I was able but I didn't really have much choice. Anyone who has experienced this can probably relate to not being able to get it out of your mind. I was thinking about trying to go back this spring and see if I could find it but didn't know what rules/laws apply. Does anyone know that if I were to do that, would I be able to legally take the rack if I somehow found it. I was going to call the DOW but thought I'd first see if anyone has experienced anything similar? I've read the post about the AZ bull that a guy wasn't able to recover and someone else found it and the State technically owned it since he didn't recover it during the season in which he had the tag. Not sure if UT laws are similar.

AAA · Mar 7, 2012

I know the result of the Arizona incident you mentioned was that you can NOT apply, peel, or stick a tag to an animal after the date on it is elapsed. No questions. Your tag is invalid after the season is closed.

Most likely be the same for Utah or any state. Now the question is can you possess an animal carcass you "find" in the woods? In most states, no.

Blegit · Mar 7, 2012

Unfortunately it is illegal to pick up dead heads in Utah. However I do know it is legal to pick them up in Colorado.

CATMAN · Mar 7, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Mar-07-12 AT 07:35PM (MST)[p]In Utah on a couple of cases I've heard of: IF you find your bull....call the DWR...they will investigate, and at that time if they find no foul play...be possible for you to gain the antlers, BUT it is totally up to the DWR. Like stated above you cannot pack a dead head out. GOOD LUCK....I hope you find your bull and everything turns out well

theox · Mar 7, 2012

what unit was this on if it was sw desert or panguitch ill keep an eye out

COLOelkman · Mar 8, 2012

Thanks for the offer but I was hunting the Manti. I'll check with the DOW first to see what they say. If it can't be legally recovered, I'll have to just let it go!

treedagain · Mar 8, 2012

my advise is to not take no for an answer from the 1st person you talk to....keep asking until you get the answer you want. if needed make it a item on their next wildlife meeting

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big6 · Mar 9, 2012

I know of a few cases like this some have turned out in hunters favor and a few they have had to buy at auction. The first thing that should have been done the night your hunt ended should have been contact dwr and tell them of your situation. the 2 guys i know that did thia they found there bulls durring the spring and one while cougar hunting. dwr came in looked at the bulls carried them out with the hunter. they took the heads for about 2 weeks then returned them to the hunters. in the other case they guy had shot the bull on the archery hunt then while muzzle loader hunting he found the bull he cut the horns off and headed out dwr stopped to check the animal and. asked why it was tagged with an archery permit he told them the story and they took the bull. Later they contacted him and told him he could buy the bull back at auction in the spring. you will have to let us know how it turns out for you good luck

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COLOelkman · Mar 9, 2012

I talked to a DOW guy today and he said he'd need to talk to his lieutenant to see what the rules are. In general he mentioned if people find a deadhead, they normally cannot keep it but would have to buy it via auction (similar to the recent AZ case). I'll post again after I find out. I was hoping I could provide stuff like my GPS point file and text messages I sent via SPOT but we'll see if that might help. I'm not sure I want to invest a significant amount of time if I'm just going to have to turn it in especially as I'm not optimistic that I will find it.

rraney · Mar 12, 2012

Plan on hunting the Manti this year muzzy myself (hopefully no one jumps ship with higher points) If I draw will keep my eye out for a dead head for you.

COLOelkman · Mar 12, 2012

Me and my buddy drew with 9 pts last year which seemed like a bit of a fluke compared to previous years. Good luck to you.

Bill_in_MI · Mar 14, 2012

rraney- Just curious, how many points are you sitting on?

rraney · Mar 14, 2012

were sitting on 9 each hopefully its enough

sled_guy · Mar 14, 2012

This happened to us last year. Buddy was shed hunting, came across a dead bull, really nice bull. Marked it with the GPS, called the DWR officer of that area.

Officer said he would need to go investigate it. We explained where it was, he said, "Yeah, just bring it by my place on your way home".

Ended up that he gave my buddy a tag for it and he got to keep it.

At the time the DWR officer said it was up to him what happened with it.

So find it, mark it, and call the DWR officer over that area and see what you can work out.

sled_guy

COLOelkman · Mar 14, 2012

Thanks for the advise guys. I haven't heard back from the DWR yet so I'll give him a call back. I realize that I should have contacted them right after but I didn't really envision I'd go back the following year. At any rate, good advise but too late for me now. I'd love to turn it into a shed hunt too but I don't think they winter that high.

COLOelkman · Mar 15, 2012

Well I got a call today from the DWR and they told me that the rules would not allow me to recover the bull. Had I contacted them immediately after the season, I would likely have been OK. I understand the rule and why it's in place but I was hoping I could provide data like my GPS maps, SPOT text messages that might help confirm my story. I still might try to contact the office in SLC and see if there's any exceptions. The guy I talked to was from Price and was a very nice officer. Just not the answer I was hoping for.
He said if I found it, and reported it, they would cut the horns off and they would auction them off in bulk. Bulk means you end up purchasing a pickup load of antlers so they don't auction them 1 at a time thus I don't see it being worth my time and effort. The one caveot was that he said if I found it, and there was no evidence that it was shot, I could likely have it if they felt it died of natural causes. Since I did hit it once for sure and had a decent 2nd shot, I'd not be optimistic about not having a bullet in him.

sled_guy · Mar 16, 2012

Hmmm...

So go find him and mark him with the GPS. If it is like the one we saw last year, there wasn't enough left to do any investigation... the scavengers had torn it all apart and spread it around.

If you find it, you can always just leave it lay and walk away.

sled_guy