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So I was driving up the North Ogden Divide today and decided to stop and glass the opposite side for some deer. As soon as I got out of the truck I could smell something dead. I looked around and didn't see anything. As I crested the egde of the road I looked down the hill, I saw a nice size muley rack. The rack was attached to somewhat of a body with no back end. There were also 4 front quarters all skinned out scattered around the hill. The deer had been skinned half way and the skin was up around the head and the back straps had been removed.
Before moving or touching the carcass or anything I had a big decision to make. Do I take the head and antlers and leave, or do I notify the DWR and let them take the antlers and forget about the whole thing. I have heard many stories about the DWR not even thinking twice about giving some guy the antlers to a poached kill or even a road kill. Most likely they end up in some officers garden or in the DWRs antler Auction.
After trying to figure out what could have happened. I decided that something was pretty wierd about the whole thing and I called the DWR. There was an officer there within 20 minutes which was nice and I got to watch him investigate the whole thing. We pulled the deer out of the Divide and onto the pull out off of the road. We found several bullet holes (Centerfire), and found that it was infact a "Poach and Dump" job. But who takes the back straps and not the antlers of nice buck? There were three deer total dumped, or what was left of them anyway.
So after an hour of trying to figure the whole thing out and trying to locate bullet fragments, the officer called it quits. He cut the head off and said there was nothing else for him to do. I asked him if I could take the antlers and he told me that he would have to talk to his boss and he would let me know.
I'm going to do everything I can to get the antlers, but I'm not sure that I will get them. So what do you guys think will happen with this?
Here's the pics.
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I would bet $$$$ you will never see them again. I wish you would, you deserve them.
Several years ago, I was hunting the Meadowville unit. We came into a thick grove of bushes with zero visibilty.
I practically stepped on a HUGE elk rack that had the full
skull and rack in place.
The bull was 340ish. I took the GPS coord's and called the DWR. I asked him if I could have the rack. He said "well you might be ok by going and getting them". I other words, he wasn't promising anything.... I guess he meant that if another officer caught me with them, his hands were tied????
You made the right decision. I would never, ever pick up a rack that was attached to a skull plate. Its not worth the fine or possible loss of hunting priveleges.
BTW, the officer had next to zero interest the GPS coords. I am sure the rack is still there.
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I sure hope the morons get caught! What a bunch of idiots.
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I was doing my dedicated hunting hours at the dwr. in springville when I stumbled upon a big flat bed trailer with the smell of death coming from it. My curiosity got to me so I went to investigate. It was chuck full of deer and elk heads at least fifty or so. I asked the officer I was working with what all that was. He replied " Thats all the poached deer and elk from this central office." I was blown away that they just let them rot on a trailer in some field. I think your best bet is to hound the officer and the higher up what would it hurt. Also be thankful that an officer showed up so quickly. A friend of mine that works with me at Cabelas made three different trips up immigaration canyon to show officers a poached elk they stood him up every time. Now explain that? Maybe more important things YA RIGHT>>>>>>
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The DWR office in south ogden has a pile of deer, elk and moose antlers in their fenced in area behind the office there. I walk by there every day and they have been there for years. They must be the ones that aren't sold at auction[:/].
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You deserve them for sure. I would hound them non-stop until they give you an answer. Don't let them sit on it forever until they say, "Oh, we auctioned them. Didn't know you wanted them."
Unfortunately, this is one of several deer we have come accross in this same area. Last year they did not have heads though. [:/]
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Hey Matt, how far were you from the cow carcass' we saw on the extended archery last year? Makes me wonder if they were shot there or just dumped. I hope you are given the antlers, you deserve them.
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Chad,
They were for sure dumped. Do you remember where we parked last year and glassed the other side? The buck was right there down the hill a little bit.
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Well, the DWR finally got back to me and told me that according to "policy", they don't give out antlers. So I wont get these antlers. Instead, he told me they will go to auction (and probably be sold for $50).
So basically I reported a poached deer, helped haul it out of the canyon with a rope, helped dig through the maggot infested rotting carcass looking for bullet frags, and spent two hours with a guy I didn't know trying to figure out what happen to this deer. I did this all for nothing. He kicked the carcass back down the canyon to rott and took the antlers so he could get $50 in DWR revenue. It seems that $50 is more important to them than someone who volunteers time out of thier schedule to report and help with all this stuff.
They just lost a great informant. I will never again report a dead animal. If I do I will send them the GPS coords in an email instead of calling. I'm sick of wasting my time on this crap.
So the answer to this post is "NO, I won't get the antlers"
-HookJaw-
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On the subject of poaching. I was up hunting grouse this weekend in one of my archery elk spots. I found a two year old rack of a three point bull in an alder thicket. Someone had shot it during a spike only hunt and actually cut all the points off to make it look like a spike. You could really see the saw blade marks. They must have decided it wasn't convincing enough because they just threw the horns into the thicket. What morons.
Fishjon
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I would have considered it "service" if the poaching led to a conviction, or if there was something that could have been done with the carcass to find the poacher.
What I did was simply a "Donation" of my time and antlers. The deer was examined, and when nothing was found the carcass was kicked down the hill to rott and the antlers were tossed in the truck for more DWR revenue.
Tell me why the antlers can't rott with the body? Why is it necessary for the DWR to take the antlers and not dispose of the rotting, stinky, carcass??? I will tell you why. The antlers are worth money, and the DWR wants all the money they can get. So instead of making someones day and rewarding them with a $50 pair of antlers, they throw them in the bone pile so they can get a big bonus at the auction.
That's a "Donation", not a "service".
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