I recently was successful hunting elk in a non-motorized area. I validated my tag and placed it on the elk. I then removed a hind quarter and carried it 2 miles to my truck. I am told I was in strict violation of the law. If the tag was in my pocket I would have elk in 2 places with no tag (truck and mountain). If I left the tag on the mountain, the hind quarter is tagless. If I place the tag on the quarter then the mountain portion is tagless. Further, I later placed the elk in a cooler at my home. Then I took the antlers to a taxidermist who had to see the tag. I think I was again in technical violation for removing the tag from the meat. What is the best plan to keep from being ticketed?
Answer:
On pages 101 and 102 of the 2014 Big game regulations you will find detailed information as to how to properly validate and attach your tag to the Big game animal in your possession. In short, your tag should be validated by “complete removal of the triangles denoting the month and day” of kill and then the tag must be attached to the largest portion of the meat, not the antlers. As you pack the animal out of the woods the tag should remain attached to the largest portion of the meat. If you are contacted by an Officer while packing meat off the mountain you are not in violation as long as the validated tag is attached to the largest portion of the meat no matter where that portion might be. As the antlers and hide are taken to a taxidermist you can generally take just your license and tag number with the antlers for the taxidermist to record in his records.
In addition, leave evidence of sex naturally attached.
Answered on:
Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - 1:30 PM MST