Evidence of sex

SAR

Member
Jun 6, 2012
64
0
Weed, CA
Does anyone know of any good videos or web sites that illustrate how to preserve evidence of sex for both bulls and cows?
 

Chippy Hacky

Member
Jul 21, 2012
83
0
Just start skinning out his junk or the nipple first and work your way around it. If you do this you will be fine. With a bull you have two chances to get it right!
 

wolftalonID

Very Active Member
Mar 10, 2011
679
0
Idaho
I have never figured out how leaving a bulls junk behind and having this huge head and rack is not evidence of sex. I know I havent seen everything in life, but something tells me that you probably wont see a cow elk with antlers.

I do understand why its important if your on a cow tag to show proof of a cow harvest.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
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Dolores, Colorado
I understand that, but a nipple is not proof of sex on a cow.
I've been checked in Colorado, Wyoming and California and nipples are good as long as they are attached to an edible piece of meat. It is very easy to tell the difference between nipples on does and bucks. Size mostly and also even tho they may not have a fawn, most are not totally dry and will have traces of milky fluid. I usually leave enought skin attached (almost as far back as the anus) along with the nipples, that anyone can see it doesn't have any male organs. You don't need any evidence of sex on an either sex tag.
 

ivorytip

Veteran member
Mar 24, 2012
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SE Idaho
ive never understood this. how many of us have just butchered the elk on the mountain and packed it out? i would never shoot a cow in a place id have to pack it out like that but a bull... several times. ive been checked before and the horns seem to do the trick. guess i need to be more carefull of this, id hate to get a dumb ticket.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
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Dolores, Colorado
A lot also depends om how the tagging is done. My experience is that when the tag is called a Carcass Tag, then evidence of sex is needed. Years ago we used to just attach the tag to the horns, even when detached from the carcass. Can't do that on a carcass tag.
 

Chippy Hacky

Member
Jul 21, 2012
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0
Last year on a hunt in Idaho I had my buck hanging in camp, cut in half. We were checked and he specifically asked what we were going to do, take it home as is or bone it out for the ride home. I told him that we were thinking of boning it out. He looked to see if we left "enough" evidence of sex and we didn't on this one. He wrote us a ticket that basically gave us a piece of paper to show any other warden (his info, when he checked us, etc.). It wasn't a fine, it was just a piece of paper we could show to another warden that said we had a deer that had been checked so they wouldn't write us up for lack of evidence, just in case we wanted to bone it out in camp. He also said that it is one of the things he writes the most. We normally leave it because we normally bone out but in this case we took it out in half. So, its not just getting them off the mountain, it is getting them back home too.

ive never understood this. how many of us have just butchered the elk on the mountain and packed it out? i would never shoot a cow in a place id have to pack it out like that but a bull... several times. ive been checked before and the horns seem to do the trick. guess i need to be more carefull of this, id hate to get a dumb ticket.
 

Chippy Hacky

Member
Jul 21, 2012
83
0
I should say too that I spoke with a warden in Washington about this and he said that you should leave evidence of sex but it was up to the warden's discretion and usually they are just looking for a "single animal worth of meat". We called to settle a bet at the fire station, the question came up as to what would happen if your knife slipped or you messed up skinning the animal out.
 

Old Hunter

Banned
Dec 28, 2011
1,104
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Buena Vista, Co.
I've been checked in Colorado, Wyoming and California and nipples are good as long as they are attached to an edible piece of meat. It is very easy to tell the difference between nipples on does and bucks. Size mostly and also even tho they may not have a fawn, most are not totally dry and will have traces of milky fluid. I usually leave enought skin attached (almost as far back as the anus) along with the nipples, that anyone can see it doesn't have any male organs. You don't need any evidence of sex on an either sex tag.
That's not what they told me. You still need to show what you shot with an either sex tag.
 

SAR

Member
Jun 6, 2012
64
0
Weed, CA
My upcoming hunt is an either sex hunt in OR and was told I must still show evidence of sex, doesn’t make any sense but that’s the way it is I guess. It’s a good discussion to have because we all have cut the head of game and skinned them out nice and clean thinking you’re doing the right thing, if checked by the wrong warden this could really make for a bad experience after being successful on your hunt.
 

Colorado Cowboy

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Jun 8, 2011
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Just got back from Wyoming from an antelope hunt and was checked by a warden. We had 2 ES tags and 4 Doe/fawn tags. Warden told us he didnot really care about the sex evidence on the ES tags, only the DF tags. He only checked for the tags being filled out and dates cut into tags. Guess it depends on the individual warden.
 

SAR

Member
Jun 6, 2012
64
0
Weed, CA
Just got back from Wyoming from an antelope hunt and was checked by a warden. We had 2 ES tags and 4 Doe/fawn tags. Warden told us he didnot really care about the sex evidence on the ES tags, only the DF tags. He only checked for the tags being filled out and dates cut into tags. Guess it depends on the individual warden.
It seems like wardens in some states are much more forgiving then others. I feel like I have a beacon on my forehead so if the regs state it I’m doing it!
 

AKaviator

Veteran member
Jul 26, 2012
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SAR, I hate to break it too you...If your'e from a town called Weed, you really may have a beacon on your forehead! Only Joking!