Bringing legally killed animals into Calif.

[highwallbo]

I would like to share a hunting story with the good folks of this forum.
This is a happy and sad story.
My good friend from Maryland and I went hunting in Idaho,beautiful,opening morning I shot a very nice 4x3. two hours later my buddy,sitting on his quad waiting for me, he shoots a very nice 5x4 that pops up were he's sitting.First time either he or I shot our deer on opening morning.This is the happy part.
Few days later we at my house,I have my deer hanging in my garage and getting it cut up. My friend had his deer processed in Idaho.Calif. Fish and Game drive by house! see the deer and stop by to do their F/G thing. the deer has a validated Idaho tag wired to the rack.I had just cut the horns from the head and all the long bones and vetebral column were in a plastic bag ready for the can. The nice Fish and Game man tells me I brought this deer in to Calif. illegally and writes me a citation. It appears that you have to stop at the Ag. check station and fill out some paper work and there is some specific requirements on how the carcass must be prepared. I was not aware of this and when I came into Calif. the Ag. station was closed.I did not see either one of the Ag. stations I-80,U.S. 50 open during the entire hunting season!
Apparently Calif. Fish and Game is so gravely concerned over the spread of chronic wasting disease that any big game animal brought in to the state must have all brain and vetebral column removed before being brought in.
I am so glad to be now informed of this, I just received a notice from the Co. D.A's office and I am being charged with a crime from the Penal Code and have to be booked by the County jail before I go see the judge.
I am pretty sure that I am not the only Calif resident that went out of state and harvested animals and did the same thing they have since they quit hunting in Calif.
I would like to know if anybody else out there has heard of this.

[Brant Selb]

highwallbo,

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, hope it works out in your favor. Don't feel like your situation is a "Calif. thing". I was checking out the legalities of bringing moose and caribou meat back from Newfoundland, Canada; the situation is the same, you cannot bring into the US any big game animal carcase containing the brain or vertebral matter. I was not aware that this had become an issue with Interstate transportation of wild game. Thanks for the heads-up, and again, best of luck with your case.

Brant

[Long Knife]

Too bad you did not put a Florida Orange in its mouth. Then you certainly would have been a "real criminal" to the Agg Dept.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune but I guess you had better take care of leaving your illegal guns and animals out where "the man" can see them.

I guess people also need to know that a lot of states require a "transfer" tag when transporting your game across state lines and also if you are transfereing game animals of your hunting buddies if they are not driving "in your vehicle". I had to do this in WY. to transport 6 antelope into Colorado and no one else was with me. Lots of "Technicalities" just waiting for you to become a criminal

"You are a criminal, you just don't know it yet"

Long Knife

[Lee Stone]

Hmmm. Then I guess that makes all the deer, bear, antelope, coons, possums, snakes, birds (especially birds), etc criminals when they wander across state lines without the proper paperwork. Dang, life shore is getting complicated by all those government folk who want to take care of us.

[Long Knife]

Quickest way to end "undesireable behavior" for which your slave masters do not want you to participate is to "regulate, harass, and criminalize by technicalities".

Just like the smokers whom are demonized, critisized, marginalized, and "ordinanaced out of existance". My local cigar shop buddies now have to smoke "outside" of the shop becuase of a little known "technicality" where, even though they are grandfathered in by law, the local attached stores filed a "nusance" complaint. "Nusance" ordanances allow the local slave masters to "regulate any behaior deemed as a nusance". So now smoke (BP, smokless, barbeques ect) is there with the Hookers, dope pushers, homeless ect.

Long Knife

[Jeff F]

must have all brain and vetebral column removed before being brought in.

Maybe we need to donate these to all the politcians because they apparently lack both these days,

[Old Doe Shooter]

High Wall,

You might want to contact an Attorney who hunts real soon... you have a lot of loose ends here you have not even dreamed about.... none are good.
Crossing the State Line makes it Federal as well as CA. They talk to each other when there are fines and such available for easy pickings. Didn't your outfitter tell you anything about meat processing?
Sad sad doings over a 4 X 3.... Between the animal rights whackos, anti-gun crowd and 20 zillion rules and regulations hunters are on the endangered list for sure. Makes me so sad..... good luck!

ODS

[highwallbo]

I hired a guy once in Nevada around Mary's River area he was not responsable for not one of three deer killed. We curry combed,grained and saddled horses,except his before he showed up every morning.Was a $3000.00 pony ride indeed!

[ironramrod]

Highwallbo,

I may be wrong, but the only way I know of where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be involved is if your deer was illegally taken and then transported across state lines, and that certainly doesn't sound like that's true in your situation. Transporting illegally taken game of any kind across state lines is a violation of the Lacey Act, and is often used in prosecuting unscrupulous guides/outfitters/market hunters, etc. The Lacey Act has been in effect since 1900. A lot of states now have "no bones/central nervous system tissue across state lines" laws/rules in place in response to chronic wasting disease, but that is strictly a state thing; not the Feds as far as I know.

Regards

[Trigger Dr]

Hiwallbo
Before I retired, I worked a couple of Lacy Act cases with the US f&W. The Lacy Act only comes into effect if the game is taken illegally and then transported across state lines. Usually if the taking of the game was a minor violation the feds will defer the prosecution IF the violator settles up with the state where the animal was taken.
Jim

[Kelley O. Roos]

How does the Ca. fish and game just happen to be driving by And why would you process a deer with your garage door open so the whole neighborhood can watch

Kelley O.

[highwallbo]

He lives in the neighborhood and I have nothing to hide. It's attitudes like yours that prevail in this once great state.Try not to offend the tofu eating ,latte sipping, can't make a decision moderate whatever's.

P.S. This was a legally harvested animal, this whole situation is no more than liberals running with junk science, can you spell global warming.

[Long Knife]

highwalbo,

I think the point is that we all hate to see good folks get put into the system for small fry infractions and becuase they got cocky with the "nothing to hide" attitude. For myself, I am willing to "hide the obvious" so as not to throw sand in the eyes of the communist/socialist/ect. If I am going to run afoul of the "system" then I am going to make damn certain I am a "felon" over something worth fighting for or that has a major impact.

It is crazy what you might become a felon over and thus loose your Gubmit gun rights for an animal in your garage. Felonies are a dime a dozen.

Just a short first hand example, a 20 year old kid that worked next to us got drunk one weekend, fell asleep on the neighbors lawn, was picked up and charged with "Felony Trespass". He did not realize that falling asleep on property was a Felony!!!! Two months latter he ask me about a good shotgun to buy and proceeds to try to buy it. He tells me the next day he was turned down. I ask about his record and he says he has nothing to deny him the purchase. Two days latter, the BATFE come a knocking for him in his alchol class. I guess I was not aware, nor was he, that he was now a dangerous FELON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long Knife

[Kelley O. Roos]

highwallbo,,

I just asked a simple question The attitude problem is yours not mine.


So, mighty hunter highwallbo, why don't you you try practicing random acts of intelligence and senseless acts of self control.

Kelley O.

P.S., I am not a bunny, tree hugger or liberal. I have a vaild hunting licence and so on.

[RMulhern]

" all brain and vetebral column removed before being brought in."

HELLS BELLS! That sounds a lot like the California/Louisiana Legislatures!!