Man hunting deer bags bull elk instead.

I also believe the guy knew it was not a normal deer when he shot it. He was aware it was very dark and a very strange rack. He just did not know it was an Elk. He may very well have shot the thing then decided he was sticking with the "I thought it was a big dark deer" story when he checked it.

I am starting to think the Ohio hunting environment is totally different from the rest of the US as you guys seemed to be amazed that someone out hunting wouldn't know the difference. I am not surprised at all. He was probably out with family members who knew what they were doing and he had no idea.
 
There are reports of cougar here too that are "not here" in Ohio according to the ODNR.
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A question I have always asked is how the law can enforce the protection of an animal that does not exist. But here in North Carolina to the best of my knowledge the cougar is protected with a possible fine of $5,000 even though biologist say cougar do not exist in NC:rolleyes:.

Apparently incompetent Wildlife biologists are a nationwide problem. NC has a population of cougar and possibly still existing remnants of the thought to be extinct Carolina panther (a dark grey version). But the state biologist will not admit to it. Several are killed every year but go undocumented for fear of getting in trouble. When photos are brought forward the biologist pass them off as large house cats or if they cannot justify that then they just say the photo is not of good enough quality to determine the size.

Some people have had dogs go missing or dogs show up with massive claw and bight wounds in sighted areas that veterinarians even say they look like those caused from a large cat. But yet the biologist will not give in to even the possibility of there being a breeding population here.

In a conversation with a game warden he told of a little known release about 20+ years ago buy the NC Division of Wildlife of cougar in the Sandhills Game Lands of which he witnessed. Other wardens also told of watching the cougars for years after and even seeing cubs. Biologist now deny this and continue to insult the intelligence of those that have seen them.
 
treefarmernc,
I have always wondered the same thing. I have seen them myself many times over the years in Madison county. They weren't the grey ones tho, they were tan. I have seen a Black one only once, here in McDowell. That one has been spotted many times by customers of our store tho. It doesn't exist, but if I kill this non-existent creature its a $5,000. fine like you said. We had one hit by a car on I-40 here bout three or four years ago, I know the trooper that responded to it. He saw it, call NC Wild life, they came loaded it up in a Jeep left. Not a word about it since.
 
I wouldn't throw the ohio elk story in the face of an agent bustin' yer hide for the wolf kill
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Nah, I learned the old "Tommy made me do it" thing didn't work a couple of eons ago.
Beyond that, the wolf has been delisted in Idaho, Montana, and eastern Washington. Was briefly here in Wyo also until they figured out that we don't play nice and "Friends for Furry things" talked a sympathetic judge in Montana into reining in our wolf killing parade. I suspect they will threaten to pull some highway funding from Wyo and get us to play nice at some point and it will become a trophy animal like other states.
The point was made that our mentality out here about hunting ethics is probably different than yours back east as was pointed out in some of the hog hunting methodology that you do back there. Not everyone plays by the same rules, etc. Thats okay, I just don't see the point at shooting something behind a thicket, not sure of the target, etc that was presented here. If there are no rules about it then oh well. I just happen to have a lot of respect for the Wapiti and don't like the idea of someone just being able to blast one. My bad I guess. On the other hand, I don't think much about shooting prairie dogs or coyotes for that matter. Rabbits and squirrels either, but I recognize that they are valued differently elsewhere.
To each his own I guess.
elkman06
 
Considering the hunter had no idea that what he was looking at was anything other than a deer ...

He must have thought "Holy moly! That is one humongous deer! This will top the record by 200 pounds!"

His excitement at the prospect would be priceless. He will have a campfire story for a lifetime. The Day I Shot A Monster in Ohio.
 
rburch said:
Yeah, we've got some back in Virginia again since Kentucky release them.

Our state has them listed as game, but you have to report it special if you bag one.

Not 100% sure on the laws since I don't have the book with me, but basically the season is the same as whitetail, and the rules of the hunt are the same as well.

It also counts as a Whitetail and uses one of your tags (Either Antlered or Non-Antlered depending on the status or your elk)
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The law says you treat them like deer, including bag limits, tags, sex, etc. That started a year or two ago IIRC.

We had a similar situation a few years ago in SW Va, guy shot an elk thinking it was a deer and was surprised when he got to it and found out it wasn't a deer. Same result as well. The Wardens let him keep the meat and there were no charges since, at that time, nobody knew there were elk in Va.

Chris
 
You guys in VA and KY, are these newly appearing elk planted by the game department, escaped/let loose by priveate owners, or actually occurring naturally? That is really something to find elk that far east. Maybe we'll start seeing alligators in Oregon!
 
I think the ones in KY are released by the game and wildlife folks there. The ones in Va have migrated from Ky.

At least that's what I've read...

Chris
 
The Elk were planted in Kentucky to re-establish the herd in that state. There is no established herd in Virginia, so as MtnBiker said - they are treated as simply deer.

They put up a new page on Elk this last August - which was the first time they actually addressed it.

* Elk of either sex, antlered or antlerless, may be taken during any open deer season using the weapons legal for deer during that season.
* The taking of an elk counts towards the hunter's daily and license year bag limit for deer.
* Licenses, tag validation, and checking requirements for elk are the same for deer except that elk must be checked at a check station.
* It is unlawful to destroy the identity (sex) of any harvested elk until checked. Elk may be dismembered to pack it out from the place of kill. The identity of the sex and all parts of the carcass must be present when the elk is checked.

Successful elk hunters are asked to contact the Wildlife Division of the Department's Marion Regional Office at (276)-783-4860 as soon as possible after killing an elk so that arrangements can be made to collect Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) samples. CWD testing is voluntary
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My understanding is that its the CWD concern that triggered the regulatory treatment.
 
You blast an elk in Pennsylvania and you are in a WORLD of hurt.
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Apparently they have a lottery for Elk tags in PA.

The Elk there are pretty tame. Went on a Grouse hunt in and around St. Mary's, PA in early November, and they had viewing ares for the wild elk, who were all pretty docile and used to being seen and aren't concerned with humans at all.
 
From a distance, this guy probably did think it was a huge deer. This was not a big elk, body or rack wise. We`ve got some 300lb.+ deer running around. Thats not the norm but they`re here.

ODNR spokeswoman said there have been deer taken here in Ohio that they believe where crossbred with elk due to the skeletal and rack makeup.

As far as cougars being in Ohio, IMO, its very possble if not probable.

I can remember as a kid, it was legal to spotlight deer at night with no weapon in the vehicle. Was down around Marrietta spotlighting and came across a blackbear sow with two cubs. ODNR refused to accept that two adults and three kids watched these bears in a cornfield planted by ODNR for wildlife:rolleyes:. Couldn`t get them to come out and look at the tracks all over. They knew but didn`t want them poached.
 
eastern count or was it a 9x9?
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guessing it was a 4x5...

ODNR spokeswoman said there have been deer taken here in Ohio that they believe where crossbred with elk due to the skeletal and rack makeup
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Not to be a kill-joy, but don't you think someone would have noticed this in any of the western states that have resident populations of both elk and whitetails. I call bunk.

Do whitetails crossbreed with any of the other deer subspecies; i.e. blacktails or mulies? I know that mulies and blacktails will interbreed on the Cascade divide.

OK, I don't actually know that, I have just always been told that.
 
eastern count or was it a 9x9
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From the looks of the pics it a 9 pt. total. Eastern count. Also not much mass.

Wished I knew the website to post as there`s a pic. of this bull elk in the pickup truck bed with the hunter.
 
Had a lady here a few years ago shoot a moose with bow for a deer. She turned herself in explained she made a bad mistake, and was real sorry. They fined her ever which way but loose.
 
I don't know bout the rest of yall...but that is awesome. Not the part about the guy not knowing what he was looking at. Or the part about sure about his target thing. But he just got to bag a bull Elk for free.

I would be tickled plum pink if that were me. I'm trying to scrimp and save enough for a good elk hunt. But this guy got to kill one and didn't have to pay anything.
 
UGH

I hunt southern ohio. there are 0 NONE not any elk here preiod. so if i saw one i would shoot it as there are no laws regarding them as they arent here. so if you see one its a pen raised one. so why shouldnt he be able to keep it regardless of what he thought it was. i will however conceed if he didnt REALLY know what it was he is a retard:p
 
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