Hunting from Bike/Butchering Deer in the Woods on Public Land?

[rem87062597]

Hey all, I hunt on public Chesapeake Forest Lands sort of near Salisbury. Two questions. First of all, I have a pretty far walk to get to my spot. I'd like to bike there. I'd have my unloaded gun and a tree stand on a deer cart attached to my bike like a trailer. I can't find anything prohibiting me from doing this, but I figured I should check with you guys.

Secondly, I live in an apartment. I don't want to pay for butchering a deer, especially since I'm pretty good at doing it myself. My apartment, however, probably wouldn't appreciate me skinning a deer in our common area. Is there anything preventing me from quartering a deer in the woods on public land and then transporting it back in an ice chest? What about if I shoot a deer Saturday night, fill it with ice, then come back early Sunday morning to quarter it? Thanks.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

as for the bike thing ,i say ur good to go. other hunters may have a problem. just be the first one in the woods. as for you quartering the deer in the woods, just tell dnr you thought it had cwd. but i say as long as you called it in and have a tag you should be ok.and for letting it sit over night,you might take the chance of critters eating the butt out of it. yummy.

 

[davsco]

sort of a funny related story, though not at the time.

i arrowed my first and only buck on my property at last light on a saturday. by the time i found and dressed it, it was the wee hours of sunday. since i had already not taken it to a game check station by end of saturday, i was worn out and didn't bother doing it sunday 1am since nothing would be open then anyways.

i worked several counties away and liked the local butcher there, so i took it there sunday mid-morning, stopping at a game check station in that area.

so between checking the deer on a sunday and taking it several counties away, i got a game warden's strong attention. it was a very nice farm-fed 8 pointer, so that added to his attention. warden came on my property basically accused me of actually shooting it (with a rifle) and/or killing it on Sunday. spent an hour or so looking for blood, arrow, etc to prove his case. as i legally took it, he could of course not prove otherwise and finally left me alone.

 

[jmiller320]

Sounds like you just confessed to the crime.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

sort of a funny related story, though not at the time.

i arrowed my first and only buck on my property at last light on a saturday. by the time i found and dressed it, it was the wee hours of sunday. since i had already not taken it to a game check station by end of saturday, i was worn out and didn't bother doing it sunday 1am since nothing would be open then anyways.

i worked several counties away and liked the local butcher there, so i took it there sunday mid-morning, stopping at a game check station in that area.

so between checking the deer on a sunday and taking it several counties away, i got a game warden's strong attention. it was a very nice farm-fed 8 pointer, so that added to his attention. warden came on my property basically accused me of actually shooting it (with a rifle) and/or killing it on Sunday. spent an hour or so looking for blood, arrow, etc to prove his case. as i legally took it, he could of course not prove otherwise and finally left me alone.

the funny thing is in most counties you can on sundays. also send in the pics of the deer.

 

[jr88]

sort of a funny related story, though not at the time.

i arrowed my first and only buck on my property at last light on a saturday. by the time i found and dressed it, it was the wee hours of sunday. since i had already not taken it to a game check station by end of saturday, i was worn out and didn't bother doing it sunday 1am since nothing would be open then anyways.

i worked several counties away and liked the local butcher there, so i took it there sunday mid-morning, stopping at a game check station in that area.

so between checking the deer on a sunday and taking it several counties away, i got a game warden's strong attention. it was a very nice farm-fed 8 pointer, so that added to his attention. warden came on my property basically accused me of actually shooting it (with a rifle) and/or killing it on Sunday. spent an hour or so looking for blood, arrow, etc to prove his case. as i legally took it, he could of course not prove otherwise and finally left me alone.

You don't have to go to a "Check-in Station" anymore. You can do the check-in from a cell phone in the woods, or a land line phone. Once you get the confirmation number you can move it or butcher it yourself. To the OP, if you want to quarter a deer (which with CWD, is not a bad choice) just keep evidence of sex, in case you get checked. You should also "call it in" and fill out the tag before you butcher it.

 

[oupa]

A bike is considered "a vehicle" although most areas have different rules for "motorized" and "non-motorized vehicles." You might want to check site specific rules on off-road vehicles where you hunt.

I find most of DNR's website(s) pretty difficult to navigate, at least where anything hunting is concerned. You really have to know where to look. They do have a huge amount of on-line info about the CFL's though if you can locate your specific tract. I think all the public use tracts have the same rules though. Used to be you could not cut-up a deer carcass to move it but I know someone tried to change that a few years ago. Sorry, I don't know how it turned out but I am pretty sure that once you "check your kill" (via cell phone these days) you can butcher it. jr88's advise to keep some proof of gender intact is rock solid though, if only to avoid suspicion. Antlers prove the obvious but leaving the udder attached to a doe or the pecker on an antlerless buck can't hurt. Leave it attached to the hide, but it can otherwise be severed from it's other attachment points.

 

[bigjohn]

call the deer in and have a confirmation number before you start quartering it. other than that, i'd say you are good. i see bikes on cherrywalk public all the time

 

[itsslow98]

Might not even be a bad choice to fill out the tag and write the confiormation number on it, then throw the tag on the private area of the deer and snap a picture. Just to show further proof of what exactly you killed in case anything were to come into question.

 

[rem87062597]

Might not even be a bad choice to fill out the tag and write the confiormation number on it, then throw the tag on the private area of the deer and snap a picture. Just to show further proof of what exactly you killed in case anything were to come into question.

I like that idea, I can timestamp it as well and that way I don't have to physically have proof of gender.

Looks like I'm good to go with everything, now I just have to find a way to attach a deer cart to my bike and verify that my plan works as well in real life as it does in theory.

 

[BlackBart]

I'm only a couple of miles away from 60 foot Rd, if you want you can clean it out here should I be home.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I'm assuming that was in the past since Checking Stations were mentioned. You had a time period to do so , BUT had to be in the same County as the kill.

Nowdays this is all moot , with the phone checkin.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

I'm only a couple of miles away from 60 foot Rd, if you want you can clean it out here should I be home.

i see you live in the land of the GIANTS. i hunt off of powell school rd.

 

[BlackBart]

i see you live in the land of the GIANTS. i hunt off of powell school rd.

Typically I hunt off Powell or 60 foot road, this year I'll be sitting it out.

 

[mark71211]

i see you live in the land of the GIANTS. i hunt off of powell school rd.

I hunt off of laws road. Where abouts do you hunt down there. I know there are a couple clubs down that way.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

I hunt off of laws road. Where abouts do you hunt down there. I know there are a couple clubs down that way.

twin oaks.

 

[mark71211]

twin oaks.

I'm on whitetail timberlandsl right next door to you. Our lands butts up to each other

 

[rem87062597]

I'm on whitetail timberlandsl right next door to you. Our lands butts up to each other

I hunt on the public land off of Beach Island Rd., so right next to you guys. It's a great area.

 

[mark71211]

I hunt on the public land off of Beach Island Rd., so right next to you guys. It's a great area.

Well hello there neighbor! I love it down there cause there are plenty of deer and really nice size bucks but I hate the drive.