I agree. I would leave it alone. Tough thing to take but I don't think it will matter because they are tagged.
If my wife hunted, and she shot a deer, and someone called the DNR because they thought we were tag sharing, and all we had to do was show an officer she can pull her bow to show innocence, I would absolutely have her do so. To tell an officer to leave will only raise a red flag. PT makes no sense at times. He is constantly contradicting himself. Moral high horse one second, and defending criminals the next. This man thoroughly confuses me.
Personally I think there is a little flexibility in this. His wife tagged it. Don't see the big deal in filling tags in your own household. Now if your just calling up random people you know that have tags and ask them to tag a deer I find that wrong. I had a boss when I was in high school that each year he would get in situations where he would shoot 2 or 3 in an afternoon (or so he says) pick the biggest body or best rack that he shot and tag it and leave the others lay if no one else in his party tagged it. Being 16, not knowing how things worked, and him being in a position of authority over me I didn't do anything about it. Still kick myself for it.
For some reason this line really bugs me. This isn't a thread about God or religion is it? The guy has an opinion.....live with it.
Other than its illegal in his state? Fines plus loss of hunting privileges for "x" years is no big deal?
Just to make it clear, this isn't the it's "my" deer crap. There are other hunters in the area and some of which would be highly pissed if I told them even the idea of tag sharing is going on nearby, precisely why I'm not going to tell them because at the moment it isn't 100% sure thing. As for PT, it's illegal, enough said, and if I had undeniable proof of it you bet your sweet biffy I'd have already had the GW here. So don't feed me this mind your own business crap and the "your" deer stuff....it isn't my deer, BUT IT DOES BELONG TO ANYONE WHO WILL LEGALLY HARVEST IT. Whitetail deer hunting is a priviledge and one I expect to do for the rest of my life the appropriate and honest way, if I catch wind anyone around me is disrespecting the laws set before them just like everyone else, of course that's going to upset me. I deal with numerous hunters everywhere, but like stated in my other thread, do things legally and I'm 100% fine with you...do things illegally and well...
is this the same as shooting deer for people? cause i have done that in the past... folks who dont hunt but love venison as me to shoot a doe for them, i do then charge them the price of my tag, heck i'll even drop it off at the butcher for ya. two of my uncles didnt talk to each other for something like 10years because one shot another ones buck tag on the last day of the season one year. sticky business i guess is what im trying to say
No, this is different because you are using YOUR tag. In the OP's situation, this would be like me shooting a deer and tagging it with your tag. Its like Dan and I share one mind. We are like soul mates.
In WI that would be illegal because you charged them for the tag I believe. Dan Again if she tagged a deer she didn't shoot that is illegal bottom line.
True, I guess what was questioned could be deemed illegal depending on each state's interpretation of the laws.
People get themselves into all sorts of trouble with this type of mentality. Unless someone in my family has been hurt or I have valuable personal property that has been damaged, I am not talking to the police. Thats the advice of numerous legal professionals including criminal prosecutors and Supreme Court Justices. Quite simply, the U.S. criminal code is so long, vague, confusing, and arbitrary that you have no way of knowing whether you are going to implicate yourself in another crime. For example, under federal law it is actually illegal to harvest a lobster in VA that is over the VA state length minimum but smaller than the Massachussets state length minimum. Another federal law was broad enough to make it illegal to sell or buy deer hunting videos across state lines; that law was recently held unconstitutional for vagueness, but imagine if you were the poor sap who got charged with a crime and had to pay an attorney.
To the topic of the thread, the game warden isn't likely going to do anything even if they agree with you. Their efforts are concentrated mostly on baiting and poaching from roadways. You read stories all the time about people who have tresspassers poaching on their property, and the warden doesn't do anything. Tag sharing is infinitely harder to prove than tresspassing. Once a few hours have gone by, the weapons have been put away and people have or could have changed out of their hunting clothes, there is basically no evidence. The best you are going to be able to do is let the neighbor know people are suspicious, and hopefully that will deter him. If you can manage that in a round-about way that doesn't stir up bad blood, such as a conversation with the wife, that is the best route.
Good Luck getting a warden to go ask a lady if she can draw a bow on this bit of evidence. IMO your going to do nothing well but make an enemy. I like the "congratulation to the wife line, ask her about the hunt" so at least you know who your dealing with and if you want to then plant a bug in the ear of the GW go ahead. But to try and get him on a porch asking is lady X can draw a bow etc.. will win you nothing.
Not saying its not illegal or that the consequences aren't significant. This is my opinion. There are lots of things that are illegal and carry significant consequences that I don't consider the act of a big deal. I drive 5-10 over everywhere I go. Pass cops all the time. Been pulled over once for speeding in 13 years of driving and that was because I just missed a speed zone sign. While I don't personally do it I don't see the big deal in people smoking marijuana. Heck I know some people that can't function without it and they are some of the most hardworking, honest people I know. I am sure everyone has certain rules and laws that they just ignore unless someone is there to catch them. If someone says they don't they're probably lying. Either way this is my opinion and you obviously have yours. Thats fine. I'm hearing what your saying and legally you are correct. I guess I just don't completely agree with the law. But if its his opinion is that this wrong he should either go to the DNR or confront them about it. I'm just saying if it was same household I wouldn't. But I wouldn't throw someone under a bus who did report it because as you said technically its illegal.
If you charge for the tag you can be fined in Illinois. But If a person was to offer to pay for a tag upfront for you to harvest a deer for them then it is to the GW'S at that time. I have heard of guys getting tags for thier wives and kids and never even taking them out to hunt to me that is the real crime. Now if you were out and saw a wounded deer and shot it to put it down during season and did not have a tag but a friend or family member had one then I would have to say that you did what was right even though it is illegal in Illinois. Im Illinois you can not kill a deer that was hit by a car either but my local DNR and police will give me permission to do it if I call them first.
