Settle a quick debate..

[HarryToolips]

Depending on how it ran off, I may or may not leave it until the morning... as soon as I've confirmed that I did indeed hit the animal with the shot, I then cancel my tag: call it good karma towards retrieving the animal, and thus far, it's worked for me every time....but then again, I guess a CO could have an issue with one explaining a cut tag based solely off morel reasoning..

[igojuone]

There's not debate, you cut tag when you've removed your game.

[180grainer]

CO stops you. Can I see your licenses please? So you shot a buck today? It’s four point only, can I inspect your buck? Oh you lost it?

i can’t see that going well with the wrong CO. Cut your tag when you have your deer.

Keep driving and look for another one?

[Norwestalta]

maybe when you’re talking about rifle, but almost every bow hunter I know will leave the animal and not push it after an evening shot..

so the question is valid..

I expected people to say, after they found the downed animal.. but this can quickly be complicated..

last day of the season, you don’t find the animal that night but you find it the next morning, you clearly aren’t going to cut your tag for a day outside the legal season…

that’s where the debate started.

legally by the regulations, you are told NOT to cut your tag unless you’ve retrieved your game…
so if you follow the law in this situation, it makes you break another law.

interesting conundrum, I’m sure it’s not common but I’m positive it’s happened.

Call your co, explain your situation and go from there. Make sure you get his/her/its name. Usually get a quick response when you call the Rapp line.

[HarryToolips]

last light last day is a conundrum

If I walked in on a dead one, obviously it was killed the day before in the legal season, would cut the tag as such.

wounded, I don't think there is a legal obligation to retrieve a wounded animal
so that short period when looking/hunting before finding could be dicey, just be looking for something in-season at the time, no loose lips

and finding the wounded but alive, would have to let it walk, by the law

It does state in the regs that every effort should be made to retrieve the animal...

[landphil]

Quick debate my arse!

[Norwestalta]

It does state in the regs that every effort should be made to retrieve the animal...

Yes but you also can't shoot after dark. Don't know if a stick and string is different?

[Ponderosa Pine]

Good conversation that has me wondering then:
Is the best way to contact the CO for the area you are hunting in via the RAPP line?...1-877-952-7277
And then consider a lot of areas don't have cell coverage.
I have been told that if you are not within cell service that a detailed note(in pen) on the back of the Tag in question is best practice...of course until you call when in coverage area

[KodiakHntr]

Depending on how it ran off, I may or may not leave it until the morning... as soon as I've confirmed that I did indeed hit the animal with the shot, I then cancel my tag: call it good karma towards retrieving the animal, and thus far, it's worked for me every time....but then again, I guess a CO could have an issue with one explaining a cut tag based solely off morel reasoning..

It’s not an issue for the CO, for him it’s easy. Cut the tag before you retrieve your animal it’s a fine.
The bigger issue is that you’ve now given a CO a reason to investigate you, because the more plausible explanation (since it’s clearly spelled out in the synopsis- retrieve your animal, THEN cut your tag- is that you shot something thinking it was legal, cut your tag, then got cold feet and walked away from it.

[KodiakHntr]

Yes but you also can't shoot after dark. Don't know if a stick and string is different?

You can absolutely shoot after dark in BC. You can shoot 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can’t hunt more than an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise though.

I asked many CO’s that exact question over the years. Invariably the answer is “well you aren’t really hunting anymore. It isn’t a question of fair chase, because you’ve already hunted the animal and wounded it, now it is about recovery.”