Question????

[SlipRock]

I was out this last weekend and found a skeleton of a elk with head and antlers still attached, It appears to have been dead for quite some time( all bleached white), I took the skull and antlers off and had them back at camp, I left camp for a day and when I returned the skull and antlers had been confiscated by game and fish and a business card was put on the door of my trailer from the officer, Has anyone else experienced this in the past, I have made 2 calls to the officer and left a voice mail but no answer yet. I am curious to know if it is illegal to pick up antlers with skull attached, I have read the regs and it doesn't say any where in there about it, just curious what to expect.

 

[AndymanSavage]

State??

 

[SlipRock]

Sorry, Arizona

 

[nfh]

its probaly the game and fish trying to look busy. all they do is drive around and the forest service. im not saying they all do but most around here. dont let them get to you.

 

[muleybull]

Expect a lot of trouble and money out of your pocket compliments of the good ol' Arizona Game and Fish Department. A good friend of mine did the same thing you did over a year ago. He picked up a dead head (elk) and took it home. Now he is facing three felony charges from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The three felony charges are as follows:

Stealing from the State of Arizona
Destruction of state evidence
-he broke the skull plate while packing it out
Tampering with state evidence
-he took it into a taxidermist to try and fix it

Ask the game and fish officer that cited him and he will tell you this guy is not suspected of shooting the elk, just taking the head.

I called all the regional offices to get info on this law, and got a different answer from each one. Then again ask any Game and Fish employee a question about any Arizona wild game or fish and see if they can answer anything for you.

Hopefully for your sake things dont turn out like they have for my friend, it has been going of for over a year, and still hasnt ended, so you can imagine lawyer costs to this point.

But it all depends on which officer you are dealing with. Hopefully it isnt the officer out of Flagstaff, formerly of Williams.

Good luck

P.S. there is no law on picking up dead heads in Arizona unless it just came out within the last month or two. Try telling this to Arizona Game and Fish.

 

[muleybull]

On the same note, its only a misdemeanor to actually poach a animal. Dont get caught picking up a head from a animal you didnt kill, thats a felony.

 

[SlipRock]

Muleybull,
After not receiving a call back from the officer after 2 calls, Friday morning I called the region office and they told me yes it was illegal and carried a class 2 misdemeaner,30 days jail and 1700.00 fine for illegal possesion of state property, But then said that the officer probly just needed to ask some questions and investigate my story, but I most likely was not in trouble, Then about an hour later the officer called me back and asked me a few questions and said that he would meet me in my camp on saturday morning, Well he met me in camp yesterday and said he had checked out my story and gave me the skull and antlers back and wrote out a tag and put it on the antlers so I had a form of legal possesion, He did say that they just had started enforcing this policy or law or whatever it is, But I have to tell ya it damn sure had me wondering for a couple days. I am a native of Arizona and had never heard of this and was completely unaware of it being illegal.Live and learn I guess

 

[BBB]

The red flag would have been up if the officer confiscated the head for good. It is great that there is some enforcement out there and they are trying to do their job. The officer wanted to investigate the situation, once he realized SlipRock was legit, he returned the legal head with legal documentation. This is how poachers are caught so we should support this type of action.

 

[muleybull]

Hard to support some of these idiots when your facing 3 felony's and told your not suspected of poaching, just picking up the head. So I guess in my friends case they arent catching a poacher.

Got questions, call this guys attorny Tom Kelly, out of Prescott, AZ. (928)445-5484.

So if your gonna pick up a dead head, you may as well be the one that shot it. Poaching = misdemeanor; picking up a dead head that you found by luck = FELONY.

Makes sense to me.

Sliprock, I'm glad things worked out okay for you, but I wouldnt do it again. You wouldnt want to find out the hard way that what you did is a felony.

Call some of the other regional offices and ask them about the law. I'll bet you get several different answeres.

 

[muleybull]

Timing is everything. BBB commented that its nice to see some law enforcement officers out there trying to do their job...................

You sure?

Went to lunch today with the friend I have been talking about, while waiting for our food he got a call. The case has been dismissed, only after going on for a year and a half, and 12 thousand dollars later.

"Why", do you ask "was the case dismissed?" Because there IS NO LAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good thing these guys are just doing their job. Or at least making it up as they go. Heads up now for the civil suit (with good reason).

 

[BBB]

Yeah Muleybull.....I'm pretty sure.

Keep yourself within the law and the truth will set you free. I'm pretty sure I would have fought tooth and nail before spending a dime if I was keeping the law......Don't you agree? Game officials aren't perfect (some are far from it), you Always need to protect yourself and YOUR rights.....sometimes protecting your rights means reminding wildlife officials what the laws/ordinances state.

 

[muleybull]

Basically the law in this case states that shooting the animal illegaly is only a misdameanor, but picking up the head of an animal that has dies for whatever reason is a felony.

Sad my buddy had to give up 12 grand and several career opportunities to remind the law officials what the law is. In case you were wondering, there are several thing you cant do until your name is cleared from felony charges.

BBB you wouldnt happen to be a game warden would you.

 

[BBB]

Nah....Just a sportsman/shed hunter that cares and understands the game enforcement issues have many flaws, however, kudos to those officers (who aren't paid much) that are willing to take action when they are presented with a possible wildlife crime. Muleybull, sorry about your buddy..that is too bad. I'll make sure not to call his attorney if I ever get tangled in such a situation...12,000 bucks?!?!?!?! Career Opportunities!?!?!?!?
Interesting.