Warning! Antler hunting downside

[Lowbatts]

No, not down tine, as we'd all like to find, but downside. Yesterday was warm enough so a few of us took to walking the FP fields out this way, swinging the coils along the way of course. One of us was confronted by a CCFPD guy in his Bronco who was apparently apoplectic at the mere sight of someone with a metal detector in "his" territory. He drove across the field, and yelled out the window that he had called the police and they were on the way, and our friend with the detector must stay put until the police arrive.

Moments earlier, same guy had drove out after a guy walking his dog, accused him of shed hunting and told him it was illegal and he had called the police, again admonishing him to stay put until police arrive.

We all walked to the parking lot, the dog walker exchanging how-do's and small talk and telling us he knew of several CCFPD personnel who rolled through the woods and fields out this way collecting sheds. I've heard of this before as well. Perhaps the guy thought we were all encroaching on his territory. The friends involved did not get a look inside the vehicle as the apoplectic one shrieked. But shame on all of us for not waiting for the police and to add to the shame here's a picture from last year for that guy, should he learn how to use computers....

BTW, no animals were harmed in the making of this post or any pictures attached. Well okay, maybe one. The guy in the picture got a few barbs from the tree this buck got his rack stuck into. Let's be careful out there!

 

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[p2c]

Sounds like if this forest preserve worker can manage his anger issues, he has a good future becoming a Chicago politician...

 

[rob.s]

Nice buck and it sucks to find them like that...My buddy had the same thing happen like this a few years ago.

 

[Lowbatts]

Sounds like if this forest preserve worker can manage his anger issues, he has a good future becoming a Chicago politician...

He's most likely related to someone on the board already Jon. C'mon!

Is it illegal to look for antlers? And is that how that deer died? Got his head stuck in a tree?

You know I've hunted out there in the same place and nearby places with the LEO's present, canine units, regular patrols, etc. and never had a problem. Meanwhile I've heard of others who have been hassled and threatened with tickets. One case a couple years ago saw a couple MD'ers get tickets that were subsequently thrown out in court because no MD specific law exists. All hunters should be aware now however that your "case" will no longer go to court, it's an administrative issue now and you're simply told to go to the FP HQ and pay up, because the county board wanted to cut funding for the FP's. Since the FP commission was the only county agency in the black financially, they decided to skip the courts on most of their ticket writing starting last year.

Be aware, if you run into an administrative "revenuer" type you may get a ticket and while you might be able to choose to pursue it through the courts, the cost will be the issue. For the most part it shouldn't affect us, not a lot of those freakish admin guys on the force there. But it is like all other hunting, a city cop could technically write you up for hunting in a park if he sees you digging holes.

Shed hunting is like mushroom hunting and leaf gathering and stepping on grass off the designated path. It's all in the where, when and how as well as how you present yourself if confronted.

And yeah, it appeared he got his head tangled up in the tree I found him in Peachy. BTW, I put him back in a tree when I left, a long walk out and I already had a lot of rusty iron objects in the pouch. My sense of propriety is just a little off center...

Nice buck and it sucks to find them like that...My buddy had the same thing happen like this a few years ago.

I'm sure there's more than a few out there right now trying to tear themselves off. The FP's allow the undergrowth in most of the woods to get so thick that the low growth thick brush easily entangles them and they just kind of hang around until the coyotes come along.

 

[MR Senior L4S]

So far BEST POST this year