Branch Antlered Bull Shot Accidentally off of 1401 Rd

[Arteman]

Before I would pass judgement on the hunter being sure of what he was shooting at I would need to see the animal.  At a distance, a lot of 2x2's look like 1x2's.

Several years ago, a friend and myself watched a 2x2 for about 5 minutes at about 200 yards.  We could tell that the left side was clearly a 2pt. After watching the elk for at least 5 minutes with binoculars and rifle scopes, we both decided that it was in fact a legal elk and were just about to shoot.  About that time, another hunter crossed over a ridge from another direction and shot it.  As we approached him, we could see him trying to break the antler with a rock.  Once we got there, the guy was panicked and trying to hide the rock he was using to break the small antler point. The second point on the right side was about 1 1/4" long and pointed straight out to the side of the antler.  Gamies were called and showed up on the scene. I'm not sure of the outcome other than the elk was loaded up into the gamies truck... He likely got a ticket and maybe more troubles as I'm sure they would have been more lenient with the guy had he not tried to bust the antler point off.

My point is, until we were there, we could not see the second point on the right side and were confident it was a 1x2.  Fortunately for us, the other guy shot it before we did.  So, I can see how someone can accidentally shoot a branched bull... depending on the particular bull in question.

  let me get this right, you was just about shoot when somebody beat you to it, and upon reaching the elk you realized it wasn't legal so you turned him in?

[Arteman]

They all broke the law, the game's too. The meat could have gone to a jail or mission. But let someone else tag it and then wright the one who shot it a ticket.
It is unlawful to aid or assist anyone in the commission of a game law violation.

8. Failure to tag properly:
It is illegal to use another hunter’s tag for an
animal you have killed. It is illegal for another
hunter to use your tag on an animal they have
killed (except under WAC 232-12-828).

  I agree, and they probably gave the tag holder 10 points for tagging it.  Also curious if the poachers got points for turning in a poaching. 

[Willis McGee]

  let me get this right, you was just about shoot when somebody beat you to it, and upon reaching the elk you realized it wasn't legal so you turned him in?
[/quote]

GOOD ONE

[xxlx7]

That is the problem with the 10 points that you can get for turning in a poacher.... Now I doubt they got their 10 points because the guy would have probibally gotten a hunting big game in a closed unit violation or something like that, so they probibally just screwed the guy over for him making a mistake.. I have to say, mistakes do happen, if they dont happen to you, I'm going to call bs... Yes shooting a branched antlered bull when your in a spike unit only is something that is not that simple of a mistake, however a 1X2 with an inch and a quarter kicker would be something I'm sure alot of you preachers would end up accidentally shooting, you get bull fever, and can't see that kicker, its in the dirt. I agree with turning in POACHERS, however what happened to looking out for others? If you can see that a hunter was not intentionally shooting an illegal animal, and came up on him doing the right thing by not walking away, but cleaning it and had marked his tag, I would personally just walk away. No reason to screw the person over, if he gets caught, it will be his own fault, and through his stress of getting the animal out, he will learn a lesson more valuable then some dude begging to get 10 points....  Would it be nice to draw a moose tag or a nooksack elk tag, yes, personally for something like that I would feel guilty as crap for ruining some dudes hunting opportunities..

[BOWHUNTER45]

I find this hard to believe... I never ever hear of a warden doing any such thing .. Someone poached a huge bull not 5 min. from my house a couple years ago ... A man was sitting in his living room eating breakfast when all the sudden this huge bull walks out in his yard ....yells for his wife to see and as it gets to there driveway IT FLIPS UPSIDE DOWN DEAD ..WTF They run out to see and it had an arrow sticking out of it ...they call the wardens they ask if they could have the meat and the horns and they said NO IT WILL BE GOING TO THE TRIBES...Now I would believe something like this 

[TheSkyBuster]

Sounds like being buddies with a game warden has its benifits.

[adamR]

That is the problem with the 10 points that you can get for turning in a poacher.... Now I doubt they got their 10 points because the guy would have probibally gotten a hunting big game in a closed unit violation or something like that, so they probibally just screwed the guy over for him making a mistake.. I have to say, mistakes do happen, if they dont happen to you, I'm going to call bs... Yes shooting a branched antlered bull when your in a spike unit only is something that is not that simple of a mistake, however a 1X2 with an inch and a quarter kicker would be something I'm sure alot of you preachers would end up accidentally shooting, you get bull fever, and can't see that kicker, its in the dirt. I agree with turning in POACHERS, however what happened to looking out for others? If you can see that a hunter was not intentionally shooting an illegal animal, and came up on him doing the right thing by not walking away, but cleaning it and had marked his tag, I would personally just walk away. No reason to screw the person over, if he gets caught, it will be his own fault, and through his stress of getting the animal out, he will learn a lesson more valuable then some dude begging to get 10 points....  Would it be nice to draw a moose tag or a nooksack elk tag, yes, personally for something like that I would feel guilty as crap for ruining some dudes hunting opportunities..

so when this person who wasn't turned in for shooting an illegal animal makes it all the way home without getting in trouble and sees how easy it was to do the wrong thing, whats to stop him from doing it next year as well?  But you wanted to be nice to someone you didn't know so now you are just as guilty as the hunter that didn't confirm his target... if you witness a buddy murder someone and don't do anything about it doesn't that make you an accompliss

[xxlx7]

so when this person who wasn't turned in for shooting an illegal animal makes it all the way home without getting in trouble and sees how easy it was to do the wrong thing, whats to stop him from doing it next year as well?  But you wanted to be nice to someone you didn't know so now you are just as guilty as the hunter that didn't confirm his target... if you witness a buddy murder someone and don't do anything about it doesn't that make you an accompliss
[/quote]

goin from animals to humans, jumpin to extremes, but yes, I guess you would say i would make myself an "accompliss" because if any of my buddies murder someone, its going to be for a justifiable reason

[Greg30-06]

I know this was posted in another thread but it reiterates my point.


READSBORO — Vermont State Police say a hunter was fatally shot and his distraught companion took his own life in Readsboro..

Detective Sgt. Albert Abdelnour says the deaths occurred Saturday shortly past noon in woods off of the Howe Pond Road. When troopers arrived they found 39-year-old Benjamin Birch and 49-year-old Timothy Bolognani, both of Readsboro, dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

Police say Birch, Bolognani and a third man were hunting Saturday morning when Birch shot a deer. While the men were tracking it, Bolognani fired and heard Birch shout out. Bolognani found Birch shot and lying on the ground. Birch later died.

Police say distraught Bolognani used his rifle to take his own life.

There's no evidence of foul play.

[patton1]

I know this was posted in another thread but it reiterates my point.


READSBORO — Vermont State Police say a hunter was fatally shot and his distraught companion took his own life in Readsboro..

Detective Sgt. Albert Abdelnour says the deaths occurred Saturday shortly past noon in woods off of the Howe Pond Road. When troopers arrived they found 39-year-old Benjamin Birch and 49-year-old Timothy Bolognani, both of Readsboro, dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

Police say Birch, Bolognani and a third man were hunting Saturday morning when Birch shot a deer. While the men were tracking it, Bolognani fired and heard Birch shout out. Bolognani found Birch shot and lying on the ground. Birch later died.

Police say distraught Bolognani used his rifle to take his own life.

There's no evidence of foul play.

Sounds exactly like what happened with the elk story.  Good example.