# Who would keep a deer skull?



## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

This is a poll that identifies who would and would not take a deer skull, if they found it in the woods. Everyone is very quick to spout laws regarding this, but this is anonymous. What would you do?

Scenario:

You are walking/hunting/fishing/shed hunting and you come across a beautiful rack of a mature buck. The skull is still attached, and this deer either died of natural, or human causes.


FYI, taking a deer skull is technically illegal. Do people actually get in trouble for picking up deer skulls and keeping them without asking the game warden??? I have no idea.


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

Good post Mush! Don't understand why its not legal because shed hunting is legal, ok if I find a skull with antlers on it all I have to do is bust the antlers off and say I found them shed hunting. Am I right or am I wrong???


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

I have 2 of them 1 that I found in Athens when I was mushroom hunting. the other I found in Anderson township. I do understand the law. Its to keep the unlawful people lawful or its suppose to. I do feel that the law enforcement will and does look at it each case at a time. A law enforcement officer has seen mine and didn't say much.


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## jeffmo (Apr 7, 2004)

i see nothing wrong with it at all.i've found a few over the years and kept them.in fact,1 of the guys in our group this last week found a pretty nice 10 pointer but the little guys had chewed the rack up pretty good.
if you find one and are worried just kick the rack off of the skull then you're legal.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

I'd keep it. I have found 4 over the last 20 years.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I would keep it but I would also call the local GW and talk to him.

It doesn't have to be an either or, you can do both, keep it AND talk to the GW


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## Big Chief (Dec 16, 2005)

I keep them. I understand that it does "break" the law though. The few that I have are small and would doubt that anyone would think they were taken illegally. If I were ever to find that monster I would then proceed to the game warden.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

> FYI, taking a deer skull is technically illegal. Do people actually get in trouble for picking up deer skulls and keeping them without asking the game warden??? I have no idea.


Not just technically, it IS illegal. Why is this hard for some of you to understand? It's nothing new. Yes, people absolutely get fined for having untagged antlers. Is a phone call that hard?


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

According to the voting, most people view it as 'that hard'. It's not easy talking one on one with the GW on the phone or in person in my county at least.

I added technically due to the fact that keeping deer parts (sheds) differs from keeping deer parts (skulls). Most see that as a technicality .


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Lundy said:


> I would keep it but I would also call the local GW and talk to him.
> 
> It doesn't have to be an either or, you can do both, keep it AND talk to the GW


I was looking for that one as well. 

I find it a bit ironic that one day we have so many up in arms protecting their deer herd, saying that everyone is shooting up all of their deer, there are no deer in their area, people are poaching, etc. Then when you discuss a law that is clearly set in place to try and help combat much of what everyone opposes then people protest that. Not having this law would really clear the guys who choose to shoot and saw in the fall for their own collection. Once they had the antlers out of the woods what more would they have to worry about? They could make quite a collection because after all there is nothing anyone can do about it right? Just make the call! It is not that hard to do. Yes, the poacher can just make the call and get the tag just the same but I am sure he will not be getting too many from the GW before some real questions get asked.

No it is not going to stop all of the poaching but it is certainly a deterrent worth keeping.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

That statement is pretty sound, BKR. Found animal parts hotline anyone? 1-800-FOUNDASKULL?


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

BKR is right. The law is on the books so they have something to charge the poachers with once they catch them. I believe however that this law is not enforced often on people who just find skulls, etc. GW should take each case on individually and decide from there if they want to fine them and take everything used to get that skull. I have a few skulls that I have found when shed hunting areas near highways and I have never called them in. Was I aware of the law? Yes. Does that make me less of a sportsman? You decide.


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## Angler ss (May 15, 2008)

I would keep it!


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## big_mike (Aug 2, 2006)

For all of your information, I am the guy that started this whole thing. Here is why. I found a carcass last year, it was a small buck that had the perfect size antlers for rattling (not so big that I couldn't carry around in the woods). I saw the GW of our county ticketing another gentlman for tresspassing as I was driving by. I stopped and asked the GW about the buck laying down over at the end of the woods. It had been there for a couple of weeks and the coyotes were already eating the thing up. We drove over to the carcass together and I showed him the carcass. He looked it over carfully, then said no problem, I wish more people would do what you did, it would save us GW a lot of time. This year when I saw him he asked if I had seen any more carcasses. I let him know that I hadn't, he explianed that they have had a rash of poachers shooting deer and taking the heads off. So, in your own opinion, if you were in his shoes and you saw someone with a complete skull (not sheds, you can tell a shed from a sawed off antler) how could he not assume that the deer was NOT poached for the antlers? Can you prove that you didn't shoot this animal before and are just now claiming you found a carcass? Get real guys, you are always guiltly untio proven innocent. How many deer skulls do you pick up with out antlers? This law is in effect for one reason, and that is to deter anyone from poaching deer. Plus, it is in place for Taxidermists to see that the deer was LEGALLY taken and that the Butcher can see that the Deer was LEGALLY taken. I want to see some of you tough guys walk up to your game warden with a deer skull and say, hey I just found this over there. See what his reaction is. There are also for your information federal laws that are similar to this for Owls and Eagle parts, including feathers. Use common sense and a 2 minute phone conversation with the GW may save you some major fines, not to mention, maybe that carcass could be a part of a poaching ring that is going on and you just messed up some evidence.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Thanks everyone for letting people know why this law is in place. I don't know if that's the question anymore. It's a matter of embracing the law, or ignoring it, knowing you are not the person the law was designed to punish.

New idea:

Deer Skull Amnesty.

You call the GW, have him check out the skulls you have collected over the years, and he grants you 'DSA'. This would be an option when calling 1-800-FOUNDASKULL...


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Whoa! Hold on here a second. Some have posted mis-information. You can not just knock off the antlers of a skull and call it a shed. It doesnt work that way!

A shed will have the pedicles still attached. A knocked off, sawed off, broke off antler will not. Thus, you are in a world of a trouble if the game warden comes a knockin. Just a little FYI for some of you guys.


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

Remember this guy, it was found in a creek by his dog. I told him he needed to call the GW and explain. After about 1/2 hour on the phone the GW believed his story and mailed him a registration tag. He said he should of contacted him before he removed it so it could be properly tagged. He also wanted it scored so it had to be tagged. 157 gross & 136 net. If the skull & rack is entact like said before they need tagged, possible poaching theory.


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

There has been 381 people that have been Enlightened about the laws. So the point of this thread has been made. That is 1 of the reasons I get one the sight and sights like this one. That is INFORMATION. I was unaware of the law ( even though I should of been) until after I found my second one. By then it was to late. With my back ground I should of known and probably did and forgot. I do not do things Illegal so I never think of stuff like that being illegal. I guess in my younger years I was kind of oblivious to stuff like that as I have gotten older the eyes have opened up a lot more. 

This was good thread I will open one up that may do the same.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I have had way to much trouble with the local GW so I would not dare take the rack until I get a receipt. But you can call the local sheriff and he will give you the same receipt for the rack and you will not have to deal with the GW and his line of BS. A state patrol can also give you the receipt. The cops show up and think it is a deer/car accident but when you tell them it is just for the head they are all smiles as they do not need to fill out an accident report, works for me.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Weekender#1 said:


> I have had way to much trouble with the local GW so I would not dare take the rack until I get a receipt. But you can call the local sheriff and he will give you the same receipt for the rack and you will not have to deal with the GW and his line of BS. A state patrol can also give you the receipt. The cops show up and think it is a deer/car accident but when you tell them it is just for the head they are all smiles as they do not need to fill out an accident report, works for me.


And how are you going about calling them to come? Just telling them you want a deer skull....or lying and saying you hit a deer?


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