Change in MT Evidence of sex requirement

[Nunyacreek]

This may be old news, but a friend pointed out that the MT Regs now list evidence of sex as:

Evidence of Sex (MCA 87-6-406)
A person who kills a game animal in this state shall retain evidence of sex of the animal with the carcass until it is processed. The provisions of this section do not apply to a game animal harvested using a license with which either sex of the animal may be taken. Evidence of sex does not need to be naturally attached. A person who kills a game animal in a hunting district where the harvest is limited by the animal’s antler point or horn size shall retain the antlers or horns until the carcass is processed

I see this was amended in 2019, and doesn’t say anything about naturally attached. I can’t easily find the previous version of the statute, but I seem to remember the naturally attached part, and that accompanying antlers or head were not evidence of sex.

The way I read this the head or antlers should be evidence of sex if accompanying the quarters.. how closely accompanying I don’t know. Anybody had any discussions with FWP law enforcement about this? If I am interpreting it correctly this is a welcome change from the annoying and repetitive task of trying to keep a testicle on a quarter while simultaneously keeping things clean …. I also may be mixing this up with Alaska, where horns are evidence of sex for sheep but anything else needs a testicle or mammary gland naturally attached.. any insight?

 

[sneakypete]

I always carry a ziplock bag and while skinning the buck I place the penis and ball sack in the bag and leave it partially attached. I do the same with a teat when taking a cow elk.

 

[Nunyacreek]

Looks like I missed this thread- https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/montana-evidence-of-sex-law.289133/

But it doesn’t really answer my question - are antlers evidence of sex?

 

[Bambistew]

I always carry a ziplock bag and while skinning the buck I place the penis and ball sack in the bag and leave it partially attached. I do the same with a teat when taking a cow elk.

Just leave a small part of the pens attached to a hind quarter. Pretty easy no mess and no hair.

As to the OP, I remember naturally attached as well.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I don’t know any warden who won’t accept antlers as evidence of sex.

That being said, if you were to drop off the head at a taxidermist or something and then continue traveling to another destination with the quarters and were stopped by a warden or at a check station, you’d better have other evidence with you.

 

[8andcounting]

If you have an either sex tag there does not have to be evidence of sex . If you have a gender specific tag then there has to be evidence of sex but it does NOT have to be naturally attached . Example last year i shot a muley doe , I took evidence of sex and put in a zip lock bag and threw it in cooler on top of the meat . That’s perfectly acceptable according to the regs