Tags???

Alan413 · May 1, 2017

Hi

I am a hunter from Scotland.

In Scotland we can go out hunting whenever for whatever species we like as long as it is in season.
and as long as you are using a legal cal and bullet weight.

If i wanted to i could go out and shoot 10 Roe bucks today with out having to report or tag an animal

We can go on our own ground or pay to go on someone else ground.

i am wondering as i don't understand the tag system that you guy have. What does it mean.

Can you go out and cull a doe if its in season or do you need a tag.

Could i come to America and shot buck or do i need to apply for a tag or pay someone to take me out who had a tag.

thanks for your help

Alan

Muskeez · May 1, 2017

It would take a novel size book to explain it all, but I will try to give a brief summary. Every state in the US is different. Some Southeastern states I have heard you can shoot several deer a year, here in the Midwest we can shoot 2 total if they are in different seasons, out west you may only get one tag a year in your home state. Within each western state you have different units, some units are open to anyone that buys a tag over the counter at a store or on-line, other units you have to apply for 20 years to finally get the tag. These are "trophy units", but big animals can and are shot in most any unit also. Prices vary a lot also. An Iowa whitetail tag for one doe only and one any sex tag can be over $600, and elk tag in Colorado is over $600, other tags can be $300 or over $1000. That is hunting publicly owned lands. If you want to hunt someone's private land that can cost extra and if you want to hire a guide to take you that knows the area that can be several thousand dollars. Hope that helps a little. I'm no pro at understanding all the different tags either.

NoWiser · May 1, 2017

As a very general rule you'll need a hunting license to hunt and a tag for each species you wish to hunt. The tag will specify what species, sex, and area you can hunt.

Also as a very general rule the tags in the eastern U.S. for whitetails will allow for more flexibility in where and what sex you can shoot. Many are good statewide for either sex. There is also less public land to hunt as you go east.

Your best bet is to decide which species you want to hunt. Then decide which state and start researching because every state has very different regulations.

tarheel · May 1, 2017

The game departments in each state with input from the game biologists basically establish how many animals can be harvested each year, though the harvest rarely matches the allotment, depending on species.

I live in the Southeastern US where the whitetail deer population has exploded over the last 50 years or so and we have an annual limit of 6 deer with a non-resident big game license fee of $80USD which covers deer, bear and wild turkey, though some other SE states have much more generous annual limits. Our most restrictive factors are finding enough public land to hunt and dealing with the high populations of hunters.

Alan413 · May 1, 2017

Thanks guys. Its very complicated.

if you own the ground can you go out and shoot a deer or do you need a tag as well.

I have a few places over here i can go out and shoot roe deer so does not cost me a thing same with sika.

i also pay for red stags which is around £300+tip so $387

this is all part of a cull so i get told what stag to shoot. ie if its a old animal or a dangerous head.

Alan

Muskeez · May 1, 2017

In the US the Government still controls what you can shoot and when even on your own land. Landowners do get special tags in some cases, and even reduced prices in my state.
Don't you have areas that get over harvested and populations suffer? Or maybe you don't have that many hunters like here.

AvidIndoorsman · May 1, 2017

I have looked into hunting in Scotland as a nonresident alien (US citizen) and here are the difference I have found between our countries.

US - System attempts to be egalitarian, meaning that someone with not a lot of money renting their home can go into the woods in their home state and hunt a deer every year on public land. This translates to someone from Scotland being able to come to the United States without a guide, buy a permit/tag for an animal, and going into the woods and harvesting that animal. The number of animals anyone person can kill is limited so everyone can have an opportunity.

Scottish system - designed more around the landowners right to hunt and therefore making it much more difficult for a person without means to enjoy the sport. This translates to it being impossible for a US citizen to participate in your system unless they are a guest or pay a hefty price. The number of animals landowners can kill is not strictly limited because most of your population doesn't get the opportunity to participate.

Any resident of Montana for instance can harvest a doe whitetail for $10 and access a huge amount of land that holds deer for free. A non-resident alien can hunt that same deer for $80 and just needs to pay for the plane ticket.

In Scotland you can trespass (hike) on private land but you can't hunt without paying a fee and a landowner has the ability to exercise some control of the animals on his/her land, in the US you can't trespass without expressed permission but everyone can hunt on public land and a landowner cant manage wildlife on their land. In the US wildlife is viewed as publicly owned and held in trust by the state for the people regardless of whose property it's on.

Above is a gross simplification and their are numerous exceptions... eg the entire State of Texas

Melman · May 1, 2017

I was wondering if in Scotland the hunting seasons were so open and lacks on there animals because they are non native species. like the Sika deer and the Chinese water deer. Are these deer looked at as invasive and therefore is your government wanting to eradicate them by allowing hunting all the time for them? lots of places in the US allow this type of hunting for feral hogs for example

Alan413 · May 1, 2017

Melman said:
I was wondering if in Scotland the hunting seasons were so open and lacks on there animals because they are non native species. like the Sika deer and the Chinese water deer. Are these deer looked at as invasive and therefore is your government wanting to eradicate them by allowing hunting all the time for them? lots of places in the US allow this type of hunting for feral hogs for example

Yes they are mostly invasive. Red and Roe the only really proper native breeds but fallow is also classed as native.

There is no government cull on these animals. Just what ever the land owner whats.

Forestry guys want as little deer as possible on the ground. so hunters on this ground can apply for out of season and night licenses.
but you need to have a good reason and a Deer management certificate level one and two.

Alan

beginnerhunter · May 1, 2017

Alan413 said:
Yes they are mostly invasive. Red and Roe the only really proper native breeds but fallow is also classed as native.

There is no government cull on these animals. Just what ever the land owner whats.

When you say "whatever the landowner wants" are you referring to native, non-native, or both?

In the US, there was a time before tags, limits, etc. for our native species. After a while several species and sub-species went extinct or near-extinct. That is why we have the system we have today. Collectively, the principles outlined by previous posters make up what is known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Because management policy is generally based on science, the laws will play out differently in every state/region (The US is large with several vastly different ecosystems that cannot be managed in the same manner).

Good luck!

Alan413 · May 1, 2017

beginnerhunter said:
When you say "whatever the landowner wants" are you referring to native, non-native, or both?

In the US, there was a time before tags, limits, etc. for our native species. After a while several species and sub-species went extinct or near-extinct. That is why we have the system we have today. Collectively, the principles outlined by previous posters make up what is known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Because management policy is generally based on science, the laws will play out differently in every state/region (The US is large with several vastly different ecosystems that cannot be managed in the same manner).

Good luck!

yeah any species. i have a couple of bits with sika and roe in young trees. so the guy want deer to be shot to stop damaging the tree.

i could take you out and shoot as many or as little on any bit of land i have permission on

Alan

AvidIndoorsman · May 1, 2017

Alan where about in Scotland are you? I was running around the island of Skye with my wife a couple of weeks ago and it got me excited to someday do a hunt in the highlands. It has been a dream of mine to do a backpack DIY style hunt with my my dad someday in Scotland, but all my research into it has proven fruitless (not so much into having someone carry my rifle, spot my deer, set up my shot, gut my animal, pack it back to the truck, and wipe my... if I want to just pull a trigger and kill something I could get a job at a slaughter house).

esracerx · May 1, 2017

We Americans blasted everything to hell in the 19th and early 20th century, driving things to near extinction. Today almost any game is highly regulated because of that...and well its revenue for the state. Typically any invasive species like boar or coyote or small game are the only things you don't need a tag for. But still need a valid hunting license. Any big game like deer, bear, elk, mountain lion, sheep, antelope, moose, etc. you need a tag for.

In addition to tags we also need a hunting license as well as habitat stamps. A lot of big game tags in some states are lottery only. Here in Illinois to hunt whitetail you get an antlerless tag and an either sex tag, stamps plus license. Tags are over the counter...and I thought you could buy 1 additional set of tags (with no need to buy another hunting license/tags) but I could be wrong. A hunting license in Illinois only matters in Illinois, so if I want to hunt 20 miles north of me in Wisconsin I'd need everything up there as well.

LCH · May 1, 2017

There's no way really to explain all the different tag/license systems adequately; each state has a unique system in place. The way I approach it is figure out where and what I would like to hunt, then go to the pertinent state's website to figure out what hoops I need to jump through.

I'm sure if you have a specific state and/or species you would like to hunt, the folks here could help you with any questions on getting your tags..

Alan413 · May 1, 2017

wllm1313 said:
Alan where about in Scotland are you? I was running around the island of Skye with my wife a couple of weeks ago and it got me excited to someday do a hunt in the highlands. It has been a dream of mine to do a backpack DIY style hunt with my my dad someday in Scotland, but all my research into it has proven fruitless (not so much into having someone carry my rifle, spot my deer, set up my shot, gut my animal, pack it back to the truck, and wipe my... if I want to just pull a trigger and kill something I could get a job at a slaughter house).

I live in Biggar. not far from Edinburgh.
lots of sika and roe shooting.

the best way to get a diy stag would be to get to know the land owner or be in a stalking group.

last year I was on a mates ground who had just sold the estate. so we went in 8 beast for the 3 days we were there.
and saw a lot more.
if you want your money''s worth go for hinds. it's about £150 per day and shoot as many cull animals as you want .
good fun and need to be quick.
if anyone needs info on stalking in scotland pm me and I can sort the hunting side out for you.

also have contacts for pheasant and partridge shooting. some high tricky birds

Alan

Goatshoes · May 1, 2017

I gotta move to Scottland

Alan413 · May 1, 2017

Goatshoes said:
I gotta move to Scottland

it is stunning over here.
I need to come to America.
sounds like some great hunting

AvidIndoorsman · May 1, 2017

No kidding I lived in biggar for a summer in 2005, you don't know Allison Stevens and her husband by chance?

Alan413 · May 2, 2017

Sorry i don't think i do.

Its a nice wee town.

devon deer · May 2, 2017

If it's Montana you want to hunt get in touch, anywhere else, the guys on here are the real experts.
Of course i am in now way an expert on Montana, but living in England, from buying a tag to getting a plan formulated i do have a fair idea of what is involved, and the one to be very careful of is in relation to the video that Randy has just made https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFpxyIa9okQ i have had some first hand painful experience of this.
Cheers
Richard

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