The Poacher's Bane?

[CaptnT]

Just read this article in the Commercial Appeal Desoto edition. I hope this is enforcable, I'd like less company in the woods/waters

Reforms on horizon for state's sportsmen

By Conswella Bennett
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Hunting is no longer just about pointing and shooting.

It's now becoming a little more technical, but for what wildlife authorities call a good cause: Managing, conserving and protecting the state's wildlife resources.

Larry Castle, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, told a Columbus civic club recently that sweeping regulatory reforms are on the horizon for the state's sportsmen.

Under the Wildlife Department initiatives, hunters would need to have in their possession a harvest report card attached to their licenses. After a kill, they would need to fill in the time, date and location of the kill on the card before moving their quarry. There will be enforcement penalties for violations, but those have yet to be set or approved by the Legislature.

Currently, there is no such reporting requirement.

Castle said the initiative is one element in a move to cut back on hunters who exceed legal bag limits.

Collecting the numbers also can be used as a tool to determine how many animals are in a given county. That information is invaluable in setting season lengths and bag limits, which are of great interest to hunters, he said.

The wildlife agency also is reforming the way hunting licenses are sold this year, Castle said.

"Now everything is electronic," he said.

The license procedure will be changed to a point-of-sale license system, an automated system that will be used for all hunting and fishing license sales.

Instead of an employee at a license sales outlet filling out the license and assigning a number, the employee will use a computer to enter the hunter's information into a centralized database.

Licenses will be immediately printed on plastic paper that is durable and flexible. The point-of-sale license system will be implemented by about 60 license agents by October.

Before a hunting license will be issued the hunter will undergo a background check to see if they have completed a hunter education course, if they are in arrears on paying child support or if they are convicted felons.

The background check, Castle said, is to prevent felons from obtaining a hunting license and is consistent with nationwide changes.

But most of Castle's presentation dealt with a new program called Tele-Check, which is estimated to cost $125,000, or 18 cents per transaction.

Tele-Check is a way for the department to keep up with population size and the health of deer, turkey and other wildlife species.

Exceeding the limit is a concern for hunters and the Tele-Check method is one way to attempt to control it.

"We searched for methods to control, and there are no methods to control it. But we have a tool, Tele-Check, that's going in that direction," Castle said.

Acknowledging Mississippi is behind other states in gathering harvest information, he said the department reviewed other states and their reporting procedures in devising the Mississippi program.

"It's a starting place, going to Tele-Check, a telephone system," he said.

Tele-Check will be contracted out to a vendor, which develops a telephone harvest survey based on a criteria set up by the department.

Tele-Check is a simple process of answering questions over a push-button phone after a successful hunt.

This year, though, Tele-Check is voluntary and will remain so until the Legislature chooses to make it mandatory.

Castle said the department would like lawmakers to consider requiring hunters at least 12 years of age to obtain a harvest report card, as well as senior citizens and others traditionally exempt from purchasing licenses.

Requiring all hunters to obtain a report card, even those exempt from purchasing a license, will give Mississippi a way to count all hunters, not only those licensed. With a more accurate count of hunters, the state can apply for a greater share of excise tax money from the federal government.

By requiring licensed and nonlicensed hunters to fill out the report cards, wildlife officials also will get a more accurate assessment of game species harvests.

Castle said Tele-Check would affect deer processors and taxidermists by requiring them to record a report card confirmation number of any deer or turkey carcasses they handle. Taxidermists say they are fine with the Tele-Check requirements.

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[GulfCoast]

I wonder if it worth 18 Cents to the state to know that I shot some coots? [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[DUCKAHOLIC]

Its going to be for deer and turkey. It is voluntary this year and will be mandantory next year. As long as your card is marked you wont have to call your kill in until you can get to a phone. Its not going to be as complicated as it may seem and its going to be more of a tool for the biologists to gather data of the deer herd and turkey populations than a tool for the enforcement officers. Its still not going to stop alot of the over limit killers cause if the warden isnt standing right there alot of hunters just wont record the kill.

[booger]

Yep, it's for big game only (deer I guess). I hate to see more complicated regulations for the sportsmen to deal with. All will be burdened by the actions of a few. This year it's voluntary, so I'm told, next year mandatory. They had a survey running on the Department G & F website last year concerning this. My deer camp doesn't have a phone or cell coverage [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]