azcoyotehunter
New member
For those of you that may have already heard, I got a mountain lion yesterday. Unfortunatly I did it unlawfully. I used a shotgun with #4 buckshot. I did not know that you could only use a slug in a shotgun, else I wouldn't have shot the lion. I had both a rifle and shotgun in the truck that day, on that particular stand, it was the shotgun's turn.
I pride myself on being an ethical hunter, and those of you that have read my posts and hunted with me over the years; I hope you would agree.
After I shot the lion, I called fish and game to find out how to report (mandatory call in) that I had gotten a lion (I had a valid tag, and in season).
Once I posted my pictures online with the write up, I recieved several PM's (thanks to those people BTW) telling me that I couldn't shoot a mountain lion with a shotgun unless using a slug. I checked the regulations and upon finding out that I unlawfully killed the lion. I immediately called Arizona Fish and Game to report myself.
The person on the phone had an officer call me that night and I arranged to bring the lion in the next day.
I was not cited or fined by the officer, as I called in the incident myself, but I was not allowed to keep the lion. I offered to have the lion mounted so it doesn't go to waste (and still not keep it) but I was told that it would go up for auction.
A few important lessons to be learnt:
1) If you have time to buy the tag, take the time to read the regulations
2) If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and own up to your mistake. AZ F&G took this into account and I believe it was the reason I was wasn't issued a citation.
Yesterday was a great day and bad day all at the same time. To give you an idea of how elated I was after getting the lion, the first person I called was my dad to tell him about it. Later that night I had to call him back and tell him that it was taken unlawfully. Nothing in this world compares to the disappointment in a parents voice.
I post this information in the hopes that others will learn from it, people can forgive me, and so that I can move on with predator hunting.
I pride myself on being an ethical hunter, and those of you that have read my posts and hunted with me over the years; I hope you would agree.
After I shot the lion, I called fish and game to find out how to report (mandatory call in) that I had gotten a lion (I had a valid tag, and in season).
Once I posted my pictures online with the write up, I recieved several PM's (thanks to those people BTW) telling me that I couldn't shoot a mountain lion with a shotgun unless using a slug. I checked the regulations and upon finding out that I unlawfully killed the lion. I immediately called Arizona Fish and Game to report myself.
The person on the phone had an officer call me that night and I arranged to bring the lion in the next day.
I was not cited or fined by the officer, as I called in the incident myself, but I was not allowed to keep the lion. I offered to have the lion mounted so it doesn't go to waste (and still not keep it) but I was told that it would go up for auction.
A few important lessons to be learnt:
1) If you have time to buy the tag, take the time to read the regulations
2) If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and own up to your mistake. AZ F&G took this into account and I believe it was the reason I was wasn't issued a citation.
Yesterday was a great day and bad day all at the same time. To give you an idea of how elated I was after getting the lion, the first person I called was my dad to tell him about it. Later that night I had to call him back and tell him that it was taken unlawfully. Nothing in this world compares to the disappointment in a parents voice.
I post this information in the hopes that others will learn from it, people can forgive me, and so that I can move on with predator hunting.
