Driving thru CO with a Head

[Indian Summer]

Several years ago, I was returning from an instate guided hunt in Colorado. I had the bull professionally processed, and the rack was in the bed. I was stopped outside the Eisenhower tunnel. There were two CPW chase vehicles. They used lights and siren. Game Warden went through everything meticulously. I'm not one to save receipts, but this time I did, and it saved me. It was every bit of a 15-minute stop. I would imagine the Game Warden's probable cause was seeing my rack in the pickup bed. After that, it was all show your papers...It wasn't really aggressive, it was more of a fishing expedition. Had I not had everything from the processor things would have been different.

Jesus! Those guys probably voted to bring wolves to Colorado. Completely unjustified. Testosterone, overloaded, power trippers. I would not have stood by in silence.

In my opinion, your biggest fear is theft. I recall a story a while, back of a guy stopping halfway home and getting a hotel room and waking up to find out his elk head was gone. The role of thumb when transporting antlers is out of sight out of mind.

One thing I will say is this & I’ve had a Wyoming biologist me he agrees. If you get pulled over the outcome depends greatly on who the guy is that pulled you over. And maybe whether or not he’s having a good or bad day. Just like a traffic stop. But there’s a lot to be said for at least showing that you made an effort. I completely remove the hide and all meat from the exterior of my elk skulls. Eyeballs come out lower jaw and tongue removed. Even the skin on the roof of the mouth. After that, I take a coat hanger and go up into the skull from the orbital joint and get all of the brains out. If you make an L in the coat hanger and then spin it around in there, it will turn the brains to mush. Most of it will come out by digging. After that, grab the skull by the antlers and swing it forward and down between your legs to get the rest to fall out. Bottom line do your best to clean it up. If a law enforcement officer sees that you at least got a A for effort he’ll view that is being respectful of the laws, less likely to do anything. If you had a head sitting in the back of your truck with the hide, and everything still on it, I would give you a citation for not giving a shit.

 

[Idaboy]

Several years ago, I was returning from an instate guided hunt in Colorado. I had the bull professionally processed, and the rack was in the bed. I was stopped outside the Eisenhower tunnel. There were two CPW chase vehicles. They used lights and siren. Game Warden went through everything meticulously. I'm not one to save receipts, but this time I did, and it saved me. It was every bit of a 15-minute stop. I would imagine the Game Warden's probable cause was seeing my rack in the pickup bed. After that, it was all show your papers...It wasn't really aggressive, it was more of a fishing expedition. Had I not had everything from the processor things would of been different.

Sounds like quite the ordeal, but I am not following... Why would you need a receipt? Seems like your tag is all you would need to produce

 

[grossklw]

Jesus! Those guys probably voted to bring wolves to Colorado. Completely unjustified. Testosterone, overloaded, power trippers. I would not have stood by in silence.

In my opinion, your biggest fear is theft. I recall a story a while, back of a guy stopping halfway home and getting a hotel room and waking up to find out his elk head was gone. The role of thumb when transporting antlers is out of sight out of mind.

One thing I will say is this & I’ve had a Wyoming biologist me he agrees. If you get pulled over the outcome depends greatly on who the guy is that pulled you over. And maybe whether or not he’s having a good or bad day. Just like a traffic stop. But there’s a lot to be said for at least showing that you made an effort. I completely remove the hide and all meat from the exterior of my elk skulls. Eyeballs come out lower jaw and tongue removed. Even the skin on the roof of the mouth. After that, I take a coat hanger and go up into the skull from the orbital joint and get all of the brains out. If you make an L in the coat hanger and then spin it around in there, it will turn the brains to mush. Most of it will come out by digging. After that, grab the skull by the antlers and swing it forward and down between your legs to get the rest to fall out. Bottom line do your best to clean it up. If a law enforcement officer sees that you at least got a A for effort he’ll view that is being respectful of the laws, less likely to do anything. If you had a head sitting in the back of your truck with the hide, and everything still on it, I would give you a citation for not giving a shit.

This really is true, we weren't "stopped", but instead ran into a CO in the backcountry (he was hunting as well). Got to BS-ing and told him we had shot a bull, he asked what he did with the head and brain tissue (I think he was politely telling us make sure we get everything out before we get stopped). I told him I did the coat hanger trick and even took my jet boil and boiled a few different times and dumped it into the brain cavity. He said that should be good enough. If you get stopped, he said they're more so looking for a lack of effort than making sure there is no nervous tissue. People that don't care and leave everything in there will get a ticket every time, there's not much for leeway there.

 

[Indian Summer]

Sounds like quite the ordeal, but I am not following... Why would you need a receipt? Seems like your tag is all you would need to produce

Simple. To show he actually paid money to do the right thing and have it professionally cleaned.

 

[Idaboy]

Simple. To show he actually paid money to do the right thing and have it professionally cleaned.

I guess I figure the warden is going to decide if it is clean or not, regardless of who did it.

 

[Woitey]

Brothers in Craig, the processor, took one of the pages of my license. They then did a list of all the cuts of the meat, as Colorado wants at the very minimum both hams, both shoulders and the back strap. Game Warden checked that I had the venison. They also had a bunch of paperwork I really didn't understand or follow, but I gave it all to the GW, and he was good with it. Eventually. It was one of those hunts where the guide kinda cuts his eyes at you on the last day and says, you should shoot any branch antlered bull. I did. It was probably a 240 5x5 raghorn. Had the processor cut the skull plate from it, and just did the antlers as a mount. But I was really surprised as CPW would stage on the eastbound side of the exit of the Eisenhower tunnel, one of the most treacherous bits of highway in Colorado to do their stops.

 

[Indian Summer]

One more thing, This is a good one to remember. After you are all done, cleaning your skull up as best you can take some bleach and pour it in the brain cavity. You could pour some down the nasal cavities too. That accomplishes several things. It keep things from getting nasty and smelly by killing bacteria. I’m no professional, but I would say it would also greatly reduce if not eliminate the presence of any CWD. But more importantly if you do get checked, and a law-enforcement officer picked up the skull, he would immediately smell that bleach and know damn well that you made the effort to clean and sterilize the head. That goes along way. You’re going to bleach the skull eventually right?

 

[Indian Summer]

I guess I figure the warden is going to decide if it is clean or not, regardless of who did it.

When it comes to the law some documentation on paper from a professional is always a good thing. What if he looked at it and said this skull hasn’t been cleaned properly? Would it not be good to say…. well officer I actually did not do it myself. I paid Wyoming business owner to do it properly for me. That little piece of paper would support your honest legitimate story.

If he was having a bad day and said too bad, here’s your citation I think your side of the story, and that little piece of paper would come in handy in court as well.

 

[EdP]

Unless you plan to do a European mount, don't take the entire head, just the skull plate with antlers attached. Then you are good to go for either just an antler mount or a full taxi job with the cape and the skull cleaning is very easy.

Borax on the skull plate or entire head after cleaning will help it dry faster and not stink as bad.

 

[cnelk]

Shoot a cow and don’t worry about it

 

[Beendare]

Wolf head- right?


No Problem....grin

 

[Idaboy]

When it comes to the law some documentation on paper from a professional is always a good thing. What if he looked at it and said this skull hasn’t been cleaned properly? Would it not be good to say…. well officer I actually did not do it myself. I paid Wyoming business owner to do it properly for me. That little piece of paper would support your honest legitimate story.

If he was having a bad day and said too bad, here’s your citation I think your side of the story, and that little piece of paper would come in handy in court as well.

That's one way to look at it

 

[EdP]

I like the idea of having the paperwork from the processor if you had the animal professionally processed. Otherwise it is hard to show from all those packaged meat cuts that you took all of the animal out of the field that is required. No need for that if what is in your cooler is quarters and backstraps, etc. I don't think it should be a question at that point but a CO might think otherwise. If it becomes an issue I would want to have the coordinates of the kill site. Photos of what you left behind and the full game bags you took out would be a good idea too.

 

[Weldor]

Is'nt proof of sex required in Co? Like attached nut sack or utter if it not processed? Did not think just the head is enough. I realize your coming from Idaho but?

 

[fatlander]

Is'nt proof of sex required in Co? Like attached nut sack or utter if it not processed? Did not think just the head is enough. I realize your coming from Idaho but?

Proof of Sex is a tagging requirement.

If the game was legally tagged in another state, CO has no jurisdiction on the way it was tagged. It’s not CO’s elk, so CO can’t tell you how to tag it.

Follow BigAntlerGetters advice and you’ll be fine.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered. Don’t be obnoxious.


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[Weldor]

There's a Rokslide on it. Idaho washington Montana, Colorado.

 

[lak2004]

Pg 16 of the regs. Follow the recommendations pertaining nervous tissue as said.