Pa-Plinker said:
jun1or said:
I was wondering just how hard the tag in the ear law is enforced. I know it clearly states the tag must be affixed to the ear, but I see many deer with the tag on the antlers. I would like to start doing that on deer I'm getting mounted, just to save from cutting the ear.
If the tag says "attach to the ear", then attaching the tag to the antlers would technically be a violation. However, think what the District Judge's reaction would be to a "violation" such as this. Most WCOs/DWCOs aren't interested in this type of "violation".
The law says to attach to the ear, because the legislators and the PGC want the information to stay with the biological HEAD and not the antlers. They use the information from the head and the tag THAT IS
supposed to be ATTACHED to a deer's head, to help manage
your deer herd...
Gosh, it would kinda stink, if your method of tagging was causing antlerless allotment issues for you and all your buddies...LOL
People have been attaching tags to the ears for decades and a GOOD Taxidermist CAN fix the damage. They can do it better now than they could 50 years ago
. They fix bullet holes, skinning cuts, rutting damage, hide tanning damage, stretch damage, coloration issues, etc. It amazes how many excuses people can come up with to be lazy or to just do what they want to do... It'll ruin the mount. Give me a break!
Of course it'll make it easier for them..., but are they going to charge you any less money for the difference of a pierced ear??? Or, charge you any more?
You can use strings, diaper pins, wire zips, zip ties, wire ties, garbage bag ties, little holes, big holes, big knife slits, little knife slits, ice picks holes or even as woody pointed NO HOLES AT ALL (that's my favorite). You could even use duct tape, as long as the tag is exposed and readable... I can see one of you guys wrapping 50 yds of tape around an ear with the tag in the middle. ROTFL. DT it's good for everything!
The DJs do take it seriously. I'm sure the PGC gets convictions every year. But, no, you are correct, most WCOs don't want a violation like this. Most will give you one of their famous "written warnings" and ask you to move the tag to the ear, so that the deer is properly marked.
I saw our local WCO, here in Lebanon, give a guy a warning at a butcher shop. And, then he was nice and gave a guy one of those zip ties.
He even the showed guy to cinch it tight around the ear. It was the way Woodywoodduck described... heck, maybe that was Woody that the WCO was chatting to... hhmmm