unique 1x6

[blacktailer]

Wow, that's a little scary.  Nothing like gray or ambiguous laws that put fear into law abiding sportsmen.  Glad to hear he is not going to be cited and the damn law ought to be simplified.

[ScottyG]

I just knew this thread was going to get interesting.

It doesn't surprise me that Michelle got that call.  Interpreting the regs can be difficult and often left with room for too much subjectivety.

I wish that there was someone with authoritative knowledge from WDFW that would take the time to monitor a thread on this site and answer questions from hunters without the fear of having a visit from the fish and game officers.  It would do a lot of good towards educating people and perhaps provide a useful tool for WDFW to improve rules that leave too much "grey" area.  

As it stands, it seems like we are all left with hearsay, 2nd or 3rd hand accounts of interpretations made by game officers, and our own interpretations of the rules.  This thread was an awesome example of where that can get us.

Now, let's just hope all those people that read the earlier portion of the thread and are now going to shoot a bull like that next year will circle back and read the end of the thread before they run into a game officer that is less busy.

Scott

[Holg3107]

So just to clarify, is it the small (looks like 2-3") point that is coming off the "brow tine" on the "spike"side that makes this bull illegal? Just want to clarify to make sure that I understand correctly. Glad he didnt get a ticket and it shows how the regs can be interpreted and viewed differently depending on who you ask. This may promote some review of the regs thats for sure.

[tlbradford]

I think next year they should print the regs with all pictures with captions underneath that say "legal" or "illegal", and just quit trying to write everything out.

[Gutpile]

Wow.

[carpsniperg2]

man this one got big. i guess i should not have asked. but i am glad i did, because i do not know the spike rules because i don't hunt them. the area i hunt is any elk. unless i draw a bull tag in a spike area, and then anything is legal. because i am a archery hunter and cows and spikes are allowed in the units i put in for. then you add a bull tag and anything is good. If i draw a multi tag i would be hunting in a spike area. so i am glad i did ask and i have learned a lot from this thread.

[Sumpnneedskillin]

To me it appears that there are 3 antlers originating from the pedical (the main beam spike, the one with the branch and the lump).  So are the branched antler and the lump considered eye guards?  Or is it because they all originate from the pedical so the branched one is considered it's own antler?

ScottyG posed the 64,000 dollar question.  One of the boards I was on in So Cal had several DFG employees on it.  If I remember right one was the Elk bio, another worked in the wildlife branch.  They helped answer questions about regs, poc's etc. 

It would be nice if we could get someone from our DFW to explain the reason why or why it isn't a legal bull.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Yes it is the small kicker coming of what I would call the browtine.

ScottyG:

Why does it not suprise you they called me?  I was sure suprised that he called me.  He called me to tell me it was illegal so I would come let the site members on this thread know it was.

I know I have talked to the WDFW Officer several times before, but havn't in about a year I would say.  He said he saw my posts and remembered talking to me and saw my phone number on my signature line. 

I thought it was real nice of him to correct me in how I interpreted that reg.  We chatted for probably 45 minutes about different regs that get confusing at times.

[Holg3107]

thanks for clearing that up Michelle, good thread, definitely cleared up some reg. questions.

[groundhog]

If you shoot a mature bull in a spike only unit you should know that it will be scrutinized by the Game Department and everyone else. You better be damn sure of the regulations. I knew this bull was illegal the first time I saw it posted. The regulation says;

Elk taken in these units must have at least one antler with no branches ORIGINATING MORE THAN FOUR INCHES above where the antler attaches to the skull."

If this bull would have had the browtine without the devil point on it he would be legal. The brow tine branches within four inches of the skull. The problem is that the brow tine has a devil point that clearly branches more than four inches above where the antler attaches to the skull making him illegal. If his browtine would have gone down instead of straight up he could also have been legal even with the devil point.
Here is another way to look at it. Put your left hand up to the picture and block out the big club main beam. What do you see? I see a 2 x 6 . He is very lucky he did not receive a ticket.

[400out]

Well I had an interesting call this morning from a WDFW enforcement officer that I know.  I stand corrected.  That bull in fact is NOT LEGAL in a spike area.  The reason is the kicker coming off the tine.  That kicker originates 4" above the burr.

That bull was checked by a WDFW officer as stated.  The officer was in a hurry and had several other elk to check before moving on to a new location.  He realized his mistake a few days later.  Apparently there will be no tickes issued over this.

WoW that was a close one I bet somebody was sweating just a bit 

[ScottyG]

Michelle,

I am pleasantly surprised that someone from WDFW took the time to call anybody to help get this straight.  You did speak with authority on the subject matter within the thread and your phone number is listed on all your posts, so that's who I would of called if I was with WDFW and wanted to set the record straight on this thread.

Scott

[Jerome]

This is why you have to sit down with a lawyer before hunting season starts to find out what you can or cant shoot or do.  We just have too many grey areas in our regs.

[300UltraMagShooter]

I'd say the first officer made a judgement call...

The one Michelle talked to made a judgement call...

Reading from the regs everyone posted, I doubt anyone could tell the true intent of the law...  or whether or not it is legal/illegal.  

From what I read, the law makes no mention of a point coming off a point below 4" from the hairline....  

I wouldn't have shot this bull myself for two reasons.... 1.  I didn't know the 4" rule in the first place and 2.  Way too subjective and just asking for trouble from the wrong GW.

[boonerboy]

WOW! I'm glad they decided not to ticket. If the wdfw doesn't want these types of animals killed then they need to make the laws CLEAR! Congrats to the hunter.