Ethical Deer head dilemma? Need help

Joined
Feb 20, 2015
Messages
668
Hey guys, I have an interesting situation I would like to get your thoughts on. This is the perfect group to talk to because it is about me taking ownership of another guys hard earned trophies as far as I know. Now that I have your attention I'll tell you the story. So from 2007-2010 I had a sporting goods store that specialized in archery gear. I sold all kinds of hunting stuff. Unfortunately with the crash and such a specialized seasonal area of interest I had to close my business. While my business was open I began to buy ads from a guy that had a local newspaper. He was a nice and even did a story about me on the cover of the paper one time. I did several ads with him and he would be a few things from my store every now and then. At some point he told me he had some of his deer heads in storage and wondered if I'd be interested in hanging them up in my store. I said sure and he brought them over. He brought three deer heads and they were all really nice bucks. The mounts weren't that great but they were pretty big deer for Alabama. So at some point he ending up doing a new paper that was different than his first one he was doing. One day he came by and was telling me about it and I gave him $250 for ads in his paper. This was the last time I ever saw the guy while I was in business and I never saw the paper. He disappeared. I'm pretty sure he made his rounds and took a lot of peoples money and dropped off the radar. So here it is 2018 and I've had this guys deer heads since then. I did see they guy in a grocery store one time several years later and it was awkward. He asked if I still had the deer heads and I said yes and he said he still had my number like he would call me or something. I should have just confronted him there in the store and offered for him to by his mounts back but I didn't. I haven't seen him since. As far as I'm concerned, and by law (i think), the mounts are mine. But I don't really want them. There on the wall in my moms basement and she's ready to get rid of so many mounts down there. I'm sure I could sell the mounts and get my money and make some money to but I don't know what the rules are for selling animal mounts. The main thing is I just feel so bad about doing that. I mean I'm not even sure he really killed those deer but he did tell me stories about the deer. I'm just having a hard time getting rid of his trophies. I guess if he really cared he could have tracked me down. I've searched for him but can't find him on Facebook or anywhere. I'm guessing this is because I'm not the only one he did this to. I'm open to whatever feedback ya'll have. Let it rip.
 

jspradley

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
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League City, TX
I'd put 'em up on Craigslist for $250 for the lot to get your cash back and be done with it, if that's legal where you are.

You've given him plenty of chances to get his heads back.
 

dano626

FNG
Joined
Nov 17, 2016
Messages
56
Location
the hated state
Check the laws. If they are legal to sell, do it! Youve tried to find him with no luck. I say youve done your part and are not a storage facility.
 

CorbLand

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Mar 16, 2016
Messages
6,563
If you have truely done you due diligence, and if legal, I think you could sell them.

Personally, I dont know if I could bring myself to do it. Regardless of him stealing money from you, to me its not worth having to deal with the "regret" the rest of your life. One of those could have been a grandfathers, or his dads or a brothers, you never know. Just not worth it to me, especially for $250.
 

Chesapeake

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
Messages
211
You probably should turn them into the police as lost. You may need to run an add before claiming them.

I’m not sure what to think about your post seeming to imply you feel some ownership due to some unrelated add transaction.

If you feel wronged on the $250 you should consider small claims.
 
Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
3,711
in Ca they would illegal to sell, unless you are a taxidermist, and then the taxidermist could only sell them at cost. The legality of selling them should be in your states F&W regulations. I like the idea of turning them into the police department as unclaimed property, and just wash your hands of them.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2017
Messages
319
Location
WY
There should be a legal way to take possession of abandoned or unclaimed property in your state. You may have to place a notice in the newspaper of record in your area listing the items as abandoned or unclaimed property. Usually have to run the notice for 2-4 weeks.

Not sure you want to go through this process as it may involve contacting an attorney, etc.

ClearCreek
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
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2,398
I'd make one last effort to find the guy (and document my efforts) and then put them on the curb for trash.
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
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8,161
Location
Central Oregon
Double check your state on selling mounts. I'm sure its legal here.
But I'd think if he wanted them he would of contacted you buy now and man up and give u ur $250 back.
If u feel that bad, look him up on fb or the phone book.
If nothing sell them.
I wouldn't feel bad at all you nor a person close to u didn't harvest them, u have been holding them for yrs, and he sounds less then stellar anyway.
 
OP
aclawrence
Joined
Feb 20, 2015
Messages
668
I see some comments about my claiming ownership. I'm saying this because their is some law and honestly I can't rememberer exactly but it states something to the effect of if you have something in your possession for "90" days or however long the law states it becomes your property. I'm sure I'm butchering that up but you get the point. I've have them for close to 9-10 years now. I've kept them for a long time now because I didn't feel right about selling them but it's come to the point where I really need to get rid of them. I'm not worried about the $250 at this point but if I'm getting rid of them I might as well get my money back. Heck I'd probably just give them back to the guy if he refused to pay but he is m.i.a.

- - - Updated - - -

Also I'm sure that not his grandfathers or anything like that. They were all done by a local taxidermist around the same time frame from the looks of things. I guess I could try to track the taxi down and talk to him about it. Haven't thought about that. Not sure if the guy is still in business or not.
 

HookUp

WKR
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
Messages
957
Sell them. If he asks any questions later on say you lost them in a fire. It was a fire sell, details, details. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Before taking off with everyone's money he should have picked up his heads.
 

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
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14,994
Location
SE Idaho
He doesn’t care about those mounts.

If he never ran the paid for ad, recoup your money on principle, if legal to sell of course.

The grocery store meeting only reinforces your case IMO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

hodgeman

WKR
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
1,547
Location
Delta Junction, AK
In my location, it is generally illegal to sell mounts with a couple of caveats- taxidermists with an unpaid bill and estate sales after a death are the only two I know of.

I'd likely as not just give them away or dump 'em. The $250 is water under the bridge and isn't really tied to the mounts, he just hung them in your store to get them out of his house anyway.
 
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