legal or illegal???

[mountain joe]

A person or persons comes around a corner of the trail or bend in a river and unexpextedly interups a bear in the pursuit of taking a big game animal. If said bear runs off and leaves the animal, is it legal for hunter/hunters to harvest the still living big game animal? What if big game animal is already wounded by bear (but still living)?

What if the animal is already dead, does that change the legalities of anything?

I have searched the regs and do not see this mentioned anywhere that I could find

[Bullelkklr]

I say it would be legal.

I'd more worry about whether bear came back to eat me!

[anchskier]

I don't see any reason it would be illegal to harvest a wounded animal. It isn't uncommon to shoot a game animal that had a previous injury from who knows what (bear, other moose/caribou fight, slip on the ice, hit by car, etc...) and there is nothing illegal about that. There could technically be a problem if you were attempting to harvest an animal that was already dead from a bear attack as it would no longer be you killing the animal but rather just salvaging one. Probably treated similar to roadkill situations where it isn't free for the taking without special permission.

[Frostbitten]

Provided the big game animal is in season and meets all other restrictions (gender, horn size, whatever), shouldn't be a problem.

[MacGyver]

If its a legal animal and you have a tag, yes you can keep the animal. It it not legal the animal belong to the state just like a road kill. Here the problem area.

By law, you must transport the game to the nearest office of F&G or Trooper or you will be breaking the law. If you do the right thing and take the animal in you better well know what your doing and the law or you could be charged with having a illegal animal in your possession. Buy the way just because you call it in, does not mean your innocent of poaching.

[Frostbitten]

If its a legal animal and you have a tag, yes you can keep the animal. It it not legal the animal belong to the state just like a road kill. Here the problem area.

By law, you must transport the game to the nearest office of F&G or Trooper or you will be breaking the law. If you do the right thing and take the animal in you better well know what your doing and the law or you could be charged with having a illegal animal in your possession. Buy the way just because you call it in, does not mean your innocent of poaching.

I'm confused. Why would you transport the animal to the troopers/ADFG?

[jkb]

If its a legal animal and you have a tag, yes you can keep the animal. It it not legal the animal belong to the state just like a road kill. Here the problem area.

By law, you must transport the game to the nearest office of F&G or Trooper or you will be breaking the law. If you do the right thing and take the animal in you better well know what your doing and the law or you could be charged with having a illegal animal in your possession. Buy the way just because you call it in, does not mean your innocent of poaching.

There is no law that says you must transport road kill to the troopers or F&G. If fact if the road kill or road wounded animal is off the road the troopers will let "nature" take its course.

[anchskier]

There is no law that says you must transport road kill to the troopers or F&G. If fact if the road kill or road wounded animal is off the road the troopers will let "nature" take its course.

I think I just realized what he was referring to. The law regarding taking it in to ADF&G is for if someone accidentally kills an illegal animal (too small of antlers, wrong configuration of antlers, wrong sex, etc...). If that is the case, then the "hunter' is required to salvage all of the meat and bring it to ADF&G when they report their situation. This has nothing to do with finishing off a legal animal that is wounded by a bear or other similar thing.

[jkb]

I think I just realized what he was referring to. The law regarding taking it in to ADF&G is for if someone accidentally kills an illegal animal (too small of antlers, wrong configuration of antlers, wrong sex, etc...). If that is the case, then the "hunter' is required to salvage all of the meat and bring it to ADF&G when they report their situation. This has nothing to do with finishing off a legal animal that is wounded by a bear or other similar thing.

The troopers won't even let you finish off a wounded animal if your not going to tag it. I was told to let nature take its course.

[anchskier]

The troopers won't even let you finish off a wounded animal if your not going to tag it. I was told to let nature take its course.

Yep. Although most people would be fine, they don't want to make a practice of letting John Doe decide what animals need to be finished off and how to do it safely (especially in the case of animals hit on a road where there might be bystanders or houses nearby). There are some select times when they may allow someone to finish off an animal, but that is really specific to a situation and whether you could convince them over the phone that it is the right thing to do and you are capable of doing it safely.

[littleman81]

Should be perfectly legal unless they might be able to get you on harrassment of wildlife (if you ran the bear off)? Might get grey if it was already dead as that would likely not qualify for "taking of game". Besides, if a bear kills a moose and has any time with it, there's likely to be substantial meat loss due to the bear eating it and dragging it around in the mud.

In any case, you better be real quick at field dressing and have someone with a loaded shotgun keeping a vigilant watch because most bears I've encountered that have gone through the effort of harvesting big game tend to get a little grumpy when someone messes with their trophy.

[MacGyver]

I think I just realized what he was referring to. The law regarding taking it in to ADF&G is for if someone accidentally kills an illegal animal (too small of antlers, wrong configuration of antlers, wrong sex, etc...). If that is the case, then the "hunter' is required to salvage all of the meat and bring it to ADF&G when they report their situation. This has nothing to do with finishing off a legal animal that is wounded by a bear or other similar thing.

That is what I was referring to. Think you.

It also pertained to anybody finding a dead animal not just a hunter.

If you come across a animal that is suffering and there is no doubt it will die. The humane thing to do is put it down. Do not do it.........You can be charge with poaching it cost one guy $1200 for doing the right thing.

[Anythingalaska]

If the "Ask a Trooper Forum" wasn't so lame, we could get real questions for answers like this!

[Spartan Gunner]

This smells like a troll....so I'll bite. Why not SHOOT THE BEAR!?!

[mountain joe]

This smells like a troll....so I'll bite. Why not SHOOT THE BEAR!?!

Nope, not a troll. It was an honest question seeking honest answers. Thanks folks. Well now, if the bear was to run off like the scenario in the OP then it might be a little difficult to bag the bear. If the bear was to stick around then Fish And Game just might perhaps look at that scenario as baiting without a permit. If the bear happened to be a grizzly and you harvested it, then F&G could really throw the book at you if they wanted to.