Montana is changing it's tagging rules.

[grundy53]

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2015/apr/21/montana-changes-big-game-tagging-law-after-hunter-cited/

[Bob33]

I'm not sure what the issue was. Whether or not I liked the law, "immediately tag" sounds clear to me.

Washington law is the same.

[grundy53]

I like what they are changing it to. It's a transport tags. You shouldn't have to attach it until it's time to transport it. That way you don't get fined for taking a picture or field dressing right away.

[Bob33]

I like what they are changing it to. It's a transport tags. You shouldn't have to attach it until it's time to transport it. That way you don't get fined for taking a picture or field dressing right away.

I agree. I just wonder why those hunters that were cited are so upset.

[Hunterman]

I never could figure what the big deal about the "IMMEDIATLY tagging" the animal as long as the tag is validated. Just another B.S. way for the state to screw people.

Hunterman(Tony)

[bobcat]

I like what they are changing it to. It's a transport tags. You shouldn't have to attach it until it's time to transport it. That way you don't get fined for taking a picture or field dressing right away.

I agree. I just wonder why those hunters that were cited are so upset.

I think it's obvious why they were upset. There was no intent on their part to pack that elk out without tagging it first. So what if they took some pictures before notching the tag. The elk was tagged when the game warden showed up. So, it wasn't tagged for 20 minutes, okay. They didn't tag it "immediately" according to the game warden. Write the hunter a ticket and leave it at that. Why did he confiscate the bull and then drive around with it in the back of his truck, ALL DAY,  and it was un-skinned, AND it was a warm day (in the 70's.) Then for the game warden to say he donated the meat, when everyone knows there's no way that whole elk wasn't spoiled from not being taken care of properly.

You were joking, right Bob?

[idahohuntr]

I like what they are changing it to. It's a transport tags. You shouldn't have to attach it until it's time to transport it. That way you don't get fined for taking a picture or field dressing right away.

I agree. I just wonder why those hunters that were cited are so upset.

  I would be outraged.  Obviously the hunter did nothing wrong as the prosecutor dropped it 3 days after the initial ticket.  This is the kind of bs that infuriates me with some game wardens...way too many of them do not have the common sense of a standard wheelbarrow.  FWP should issue an apology to the hunter.     

[grundy53]

I agree. Sad that elk has to go to waste because the tag wasn't notched immediately.

[andrew_in_idaho]

I can understand forgetting to tag an animal while taking pics. I can even understand forgetting until partway through the field dressing process. But how long can you wait to tag an animal. The intent of the law is so a guy doesn't get his animal home while "forgetting" to tag it and decide since he still has a valid tag he will go back for a second animal. If you are sitting over a carcass for only 20 minutes and still haven't tagged it yet how is the game warden to know you meant to tag it but just forgot. In his eyes maybe you are just trying to pull a fast one on him

[bobcat]

I can understand forgetting to tag an animal while taking pics. I can even understand forgetting until partway through the field dressing process. But how long can you wait to tag an animal. The intent of the law is so a guy doesn't get his animal home while "forgetting" to tag it and decide since he still has a valid tag he will go back for a second animal. If you are sitting over a carcass for only 20 minutes and still haven't tagged it yet how is the game warden to know you meant to tag it but just forgot. In his eyes maybe you are just trying to pull a fast one on him

But it was tagged, when the game warden showed up. He had watched them from a  distance with binoculars and that's how he knew they didn't put the tag on the elk immediately. But, they did tag it. They hadn't moved it yet. What's the difference if they did it in  five minutes or twenty minutes?

[grundy53]

I can understand forgetting to tag an animal while taking pics. I can even understand forgetting until partway through the field dressing process. But how long can you wait to tag an animal. The intent of the law is so a guy doesn't get his animal home while "forgetting" to tag it and decide since he still has a valid tag he will go back for a second animal. If you are sitting over a carcass for only 20 minutes and still haven't tagged it yet how is the game warden to know you meant to tag it but just forgot. In his eyes maybe you are just trying to pull a fast one on him

It's a transport tag. Tag it before you transport it. Problem solved. No need to waste an elk.

[Bob33]

The tag was notched. It wasn't attached. The law said it was to be attached immediately. Good or bad, that was the law and it was violated.

[andrew_in_idaho]

According to the article they notched the tag but didn't attach it to the animal. Either way 5 minutes, 20 minutes or 2 days the law has always read that tagging is the first thing you do upon recovering an animal.

[bobcat]

Mostly what I disagree with is the confiscation of the elk for a very minor violation and then letting the entire elk go to waste. The charge was dropped! Why did the hunter not get his elk back? The state of Montana stole it from him.

[grundy53]

Mostly what I disagree with is the confiscation of the elk for a very minor violation and then letting the entire elk go to waste. The charge was dropped! Why did the hunter not get his elk back? The state of Montana stole it from him.

I agree.