So my buddy shot a really nice buck last night in northern IL and let it go overnight; when we found him this AM the 'yotes had stripped it like a bunch of piranhas (as posted in LFTS.) No meat was salvageable. My buddy did the right thing and tried contacting 3 different DNR COs listed on the IL website to ask about a salvage tag. None called him back today. He cut off the head and ended up reporting the kill as per normal, but went the extra mile and emailed the COs to ask about a replacement/salvage tag and also sent a bunch of pics to prove it was destroyed by yotes. anyone famiiar with IL salvage tag rules? Only thing I can find on the website is vehicle kills. remember that BHOD episode Troy Spollum (think it was him) killed that buck that got devoured by 'yotes overnight? Weren't they able to get a salvage/replacement tag?
The way I feel about is also you shoot it, you use your tag. It sucks losing the meat. But let's face it, most hunters shoot it for the rack. If he truly was after meat, you shoot the first deer you see on every hunt. I'm not say this is what he was doing. I once shot a buck in the shoulder. He finally died from his injury 2 months later. I felt so bad for that buck. I did find him and I used my tag on him. Remember this is just my opinion and no one else's. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Never heard of a salvage tag. You can claim a roadkill if you contact the wildlife office and get an authorization to keep it. Without going into detail in the TN laws- you shoot it, you tag it, you keep it. That's it...you count that one toward your limit for your area.
I’ve done it several times, however each time it was for a dead head. I got cAlls back very quickly every time. If I were him I’d just use my tag though, we get two of them here in IL.
