how to prove a stolen animal is yours

[YoterHunter]

i read this in a magazine years ago.if you shoot animal.and have to leave it after you tag and prepair it. take a coin and make a small cut some where on the head.put the coin in the cut.if some one trid to claim your animal while you were gone .dont argue call a sheriff or gammy. when they ask how can you prove it tell them there is a coin in its head .that will pretty much prove you were at the animal befor they were. this happend in montana years ago .two guys went to jail and the lady got here elk back. thought this was a pretty smart idea.

[gonehuntin68]

never had an animal stolen and now i never will

[YoterHunter]

its a great idea if you have kids .and had leave the kid there while you go to get your rigg or what ever.

[gasman]

I herd about cutting the tounge off and keeping it to match teh carcus.

[Bunny Thumper]

How about just cutting a notch out of the tongue instead of packing the whole tongue around.

[rosscrazyelk]

Make small fortune cookie size paper with a saying on it. or your name and hide it in the ear.

[sisu]

    moose tongue, caribou tongue 

[fair-chase]

I carry a small set of leather punch pliers that are similar to a paper hole punch. Works well for a multi use tool. Punches my tags neatly; emergency boot, belt, tent repair; and if I am forced to leave an animal I make a series or pattern of holes in an inconspicuous area of either the hide, ears, tongue, cheeks, etc.

[Gringo31]

Am I the only one that finds this thread depressing?

[DOUBLELUNG]

Am I the only one that finds this thread depressing?

No, but it is reality.  A very good game warden I had the privilege to work with in the 90s carried Mercury dimes in his pocket.  All the local taxis knew to call him if they found a Mercury dime - and did.  (That's the kind of cooperation that cannot be compelled, requires the respect of your local community to work.)  Those dimes made a lot of good cases, on the kind of hardcore a-holes who shoot and leave big critters on the winter ranges.

[DOUBLELUNG]

We also had a unique mark for the critters we dumped, so a coworker would know it was not a poached critter.

[GreatWhiteHunter]

Sad when these types of measures have to be taken. Right up there with theft in the woods. Trail cams, salt licks, supplies, wood, etc. Who would steal something like that? Worthless punks. A friend of mine watched a guy shoot his elk after it was already down at point blank range and claim it was him. Almost turned into a gun fight.

[ORCA_SIX]

What I do is strategically place a grenade underneath (so I can disarm it) my animal if I have to go, with the pin out and leave a note not to touch it. So when they drag it or move it, it goes BOOM.  Then no one has to worry about it or the people who tried to steal it. It is called WINNING!! LOL

But, seriously I have only had to leave an animal twice. Luckily it was several miles back and pretty inaccessible. I worried more about Bears, etc. than humans. It is definitely something to think about though. Some people have no class. I like the idea of the tongue, the penny, and punch pliers. Maybe even take the eyeball out. But maybe you want to keep your mark hidden so they wont notice. At the end of the day though, what are you willing to do to get it back and is it worth it?  Especially if you have a tough time getting a game cop out to your location.

[HntnFsh]

Ive marked my animals a few different ways.

Only had 1 guy threaten to steal an elk from me.And he was notoious for that kind of crap.

He backed off when I told him that if anybody ever tried to steal an animal from me their body would be found laying next to the gutpile!

I know an animal isnt worth that.And i wouldnt do it or recomend it.But he headed the message.

[Fish4Fun]

I herd about cutting the tounge off and keeping it to match the carcus.

Funny you bring up the tounge, years ago when I was 15 or 16 I dumped a bull about 1/2 mile from camp. It was right at the end of the road we were camped on. With plenty of guys around and me needing help, I pulled the tounge out and cut it off then closed the mouth and went for help. My old man was peeved that I left the bull, then I pulled the tounge out of my pocket. He dang near crapped himself, I said let them explain how I have the tounge and they have the animal.     got back to the bull and my Old Man ended up knowing the guys and they helped us get it to the truck and loaded.

[headshot5]

Just carry a camera.  I'm pretty sure if you have pictures of your animal with your weapon of choice, or with yourself in the picture that would work pretty good.  Might want to take pictures of animals characteristics (antlers specifically). 

I figure a pocketful of dimes would make an awful lot of noise but makes it easier to hear the warden coming  

Overall there is no guarantee that the animal/animals head will be where you left it special mark on it or not.  I am  going to laugh when the person, who takes an animal from you puts their own slit/special mark in it, and fills its head with coins.  Then it comes down to "their word against your's" sort of a deal.   

Overall the best bet would be to bug the animal with a gps tracking device but that really isn't feasible.  Best trick for now is have a hunting partner watch it for you.  Or the grenade trick.

[spikehunter]

with my knife i carve my initials in one of the hooves. 

[Hangfire]

From some older hunters I have known, apparently during the late 40's, 50"s and 60'6 elk theft was quite common in the Blues. There seemed to be some groups of people that when they heard shooting, or saw a elk go down, it was a foot race to the elk. I knew people that had elk stolen from the kill site and from their camp. Some of these people would put their elk tag in the troat and then if stolen wait at the check station. I had one long gone game protector, tell me, elk were recovered after finding the tag in the throat. I worked one summer fighting forest fires. One fire warden I worked with was about 5'5". Fred was about 60 but all man. Freds pardner shot a cow and a group of 4 guys ran to the elk and said it was there's. Fred chambered a round and said you will die here then, and he ment it.  They got the elk back.

[sakoshooter]

I herd about cutting the tounge off and keeping it to match teh carcus.

Been doin it for many years. First thing. Put it in a zip-loc bag in my pack. Never had a problem but it's insurance. Learned it from my dad and grandpa. The sometimes put a penny or dime between the deer's teeth and closed their mouth. Rigormortis kept it the mouth closed.

[quadrafire]

I am going to start carrying a microchip kit

[sisu]

I herd about cutting the tongue off and keeping it to match the carcass.

Funny you bring up the tongue, years ago when I was 15 or 16 I dumped a bull about 1/2 mile from camp. It was right at the end of the road we were camped on. With plenty of guys around and me needing help, I pulled the tounge out and cut it off then closed the mouth and went for help. My old man was peeved that I left the bull, then I pulled the tounge out of my pocket. He dang near crapped himself, I said let them explain how I have the tounge and they have the animal.     got back to the bull and my Old Man ended up knowing the guys and they helped us get it to the truck and loaded.

I had a female science teacher that put a moose eyeball in my coat pocket just before I was going thru the scanner at Anchorage airport. I was busy cleaning my pockets out when I pulled this eyeball out! Needless to say I palmed it and walked thru, showed the wife and kids what Leslie did to me. Funny but just think what TSA would of done...bend over fella

[quadrafire]

 

[huntnnw]

I knew a guy who had a elk stolen..some guys were packing it out..he called game dept..they showed up and said I can prove this is my elk..check in its mouth..my elk call is in there..it was 

[Kowsrule30]

It was modern elk season 2000 or so.... Spike hunting... Saw these two guys across the canyon I wanted to run about a mile away.... I posted up figure I'd bird dog em... Watching with my binos and spotted this elk alone.... I couldn't make out spikes and figured they'd see it anyway.... A shot rang out down canyon... And another... Elk goes running up the hill toward the two hunters.... They finally see it.... Don't think it was anywhere near 400yds of them.... They unload... Elk still running right toward me.... By the time it's 200yds from me I can tell it's a spike quartering away....... At a dead run and they unload again.... These have to be 800-1000 yard shots..... I lead for an opening in the timber before his nose got there I squeezed the 243.... It was a 158yds slightly quartered away.... I follow the massive blood trail and find the bull 150yds into the black timber. I gut him which I had to tie him off on the steep hillside... One bullet took out the top of his heart and both lungs.... Mine, the little 243 100 gr Hornady was in the opposite shoulder.... I book the 2 1/2 miles back to camp to get my Dad and pack frames... Booked backed leaving the rifle.... Dad and I interupted 3 guy's just starting to quarter up my elk.... We were out numbered and out gunned... So they thought... We argured for about 15 minutes until I finally pulled out the Glock and let one fly.. All the shooting and noise drew some attention... 4 guys and one lady came up behind us and they thought they were with us... Thank the elk god for that... Then I showed everbody my tag zip tied to the bottom of it's tongue... That's when I switched to ml...

[Kowsrule30]

O and while skinning we found one guy did hit it just in front of the rear legs in that little flap while the elk was at full tilt.... Clean pass threw not a drop of blood....

[h20hunter]

"We argured for about 15 minutes until I finally pulled out the Glock and let one fly"


Sorry, not worth it.

[Kowsrule30]

"We argured for about 15 minutes until I finally pulled out the Glock and let one fly"


Sorry, not worth it.

Don't be sorry... It was very worth it..... Cut the story short... The typing screen kept cutting me off.... When a guy goes for his gun my hand thinks fast.....

[h20hunter]

Understood.

[turkeyfeather]

I guess I will never get it. Why would you steal someone else's animal? Are you that gutless, a terrible hunter, what? To me the best part of hunting is the chase and the story you get to share with your buddies. 

[huntnnw]

I too have never understood this mentality or met or had any friends who stoop to this level...whats funny is I bet there are plenty of so called hunters on this site that some of these stories were wrote about or have done themselves

[greenhead_killer]

i used to hunt with people like this. didnt matter what it took to get a kill. i quit after i realized they were like this. they never did it around me, but when hed hunt with his other buddies, he told a few stories. i enjoy  everything about hunting and would not be willing to give it up for one kill like that. shame on all them people. they make me sick. another reason why i quit mf. its scary out there, dont know how you guys that do do it, stick with it. be safe tho

[sakoshooter]

I guess I will never get it. Why would you steal someone else's animal? Are you that gutless, a terrible hunter, what? To me the best part of hunting is the chase and the story you get to share with your buddies. 

I agree.

[Kowsrule30]

And what makes me really upset.... Which I'll never forget.... Along with anything else I guess.... I was with a father/son first time hunters.... Kid was 14... I got them below a good ridge to sit on.... Elk were everywhere in the am..... Finally a spike but too far for the kids ability and angles with his 243....  Shots rang out from two different guns way up canyon.... The spike runs down hill and our little buddy dropped him at 75yds... maybe a little more.... Taking pics and all that jazz when this guy shows up cuts the head off like a genie and says that's my son's elk you son's of bitches!! It's his first hes only 9... Blah Blah Blah.... I tried to get him to inspect shots and hole's angles but he didn't want to stick around for that..... He told us he'll call tha warden..... Flashed a side arm.... So we all took the elk back to a camp on his trip back up with the head and his tag.... We lost 2 hunters after that.... They haven't bought tags since... The kid wants to... Dad says it too dangerous... I'm trying to get them to switch to bow or ml.... It's been 3 years since..... The 17 year old still don't have his spike head....

[Kowsrule30]

Didn't  try to kill the thread everybody.... It was a very bad day for the hunting world imo.. A few people cried that night.....

[GreatWhiteHunter]

Didn't  try to kill the thread everybody.... It was a very bad day for the hunting world imo.. A few people cried that night.....

I liked what you had to say. Its true! People are turned off by MF season because of the total lack of respect and sportsmanship displayed by some of the folks out there. Ive heard tons of horror stories, and it makes me sick!

[dewandgin]

All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing.

Had a elk stolen from me one year during modern but it was a elk and I called Gamie and it was taken care of. Until you are in that situation you can't say what you would do. I was alone and nobody else I knew was around. I picked my battles and backed away from a bad situation but I would not let the theft go unpunished

BTW doesn't matter if I am leaving a animal or not I always mark them.