How many is enough?

[laduck]

This little article came out of the La. Sportsman

Fargo, N.D. Three South Carolina men were scheduled to appear in federal court in mid June to face charges that they possessed more than five times the legal limit of ducks while hunting in North Dakota last Oct.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Hayden said the three had 195 ducks and 30 Canada geese when they were stopped by a game warden.
The possession limit are 6 geese per person and 12 ducks per person, Hayden said.
Charles Bass Sr., Charles Bass Jr., and Thomas Bracy, all of Georgetown, S.C.. each face three misdemeanor counts of violating federal laws on migratory birds.
Hayden said each count carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $15,000 fine. The three also could lose their hunting privileges in North America while on probation, he said.


My question is---why would anyone want to kill 195 ducks? This may have been over several days, but that doesn't matter. I might have tried to do something like that when I was a kid, but I think way too much of the birds now. Jack

[MemphisStockBroker]

dang, i would hate to have to CLEAN that many ducks....

195 ducks + 30 geese.... (if they shoot as bad as I do...)
x 3 or 4 shots each... = a whole buncha shells

[Sasha and Abby]

They are due for sentencing in mid-August. We here hope they get the MAXIMUM penalty for raping OUR resources. I hope you all agree.
After they got caught in ND. last year, they went to La. and hunted there - don't know about their behavior down there. We are embarassed beyond belief that they have given our sportsmen such a black eye.

[Jeff]

I don't know the story at all, but am just thinking about this a little. Before I start lemme say it sounds like these guys are big time outlaws but.... Jack say for instance you come down and hunt with me and my hunting buddy this duck season in Venice for 11 days. The three of us kill our limit of six ducks every day during your eleven day trip down river. We then get lucky and your trip is during the one week Canada goose season. We go out and kill our limit of six canadas a day for five of your eleven days down river. You just so happen to end up with 197 ducks and 30 geese and technically have never broken a limit while hunting. Now however you leave to go back home and you are over the limit on what would be a great week and a half of hunting, you get stopped and whamo you are stuck. Think about how easy it would be to have three freinds that always hunt together kill their limit eleven times out in a row. Just trying to point out it would be very easy to do. Just say we went to Canada, hunted dumb birds that haven't been hunted before at all and are slaying them everyday, then you hit your magical possesion liimit and have to stop? I realize most people get around this by gifting birds to locals, but if you didn't you really would have never broken the law other than a crazy posession limit. As if I ever went to Canada, I would go for a week or two and sure wouldn't plan on stopping shooting due to a posession limit. Hopefully this comes out in the right way, I am not supporting game violations, just saying that it is possible to hunt ethically and still get caught like this due to a possesion limit that makes not much sense.

[Bullie]

Jeff,
I have never been lucky or rich enough to hunt 11 days in a row. But, I was thinking along those same lines myself. And, I have posed the same basic question to wardens in the past. Though, it was concerning a 3 day hunt with the possession limit being 2 daily limits. In 3 days I have taken 3 limits, and would not have considered what I did breaking any law. This said, I would have over the possession limit if I were checked.

I think you got your point across very well.

I doubt this is the case with the people mentioned in the original thread. I don't know the details and suspect it was pure game "hoggery". Still, it brings up a very good question.

Mark

[Double R 2]

Good point, Jeff, it happens like you describe all the time. If, in fact, those fellas were transporting legal possession limits shot by several more hunters - or transporting their own legal limits for that matter - the birds should have been TAGGED. It's a pain in the booty, folks, but there are those among us that have learned that lesson the hard way and for that reason I always tag my birds (and yours too if they've been gifted to me). One step further - afield we always segregate our birds in respective piles so that when/if the Man asks what you shot you can point to your pile and say "those".

[MSDuckmen]

How many people on this site can honestly say that they have never traveled the roads while being over on the possession limit.

I go to camp for weeks at a time and process the meat as soon as possible. However you have to get it from camp to the processor some way. It's just a damn same that the law is so lame. However I do understand that there are those that would use any change in the law to hide illegal activities.

lose - lose situation

[TMG]

guys, maybe a lose-lose situation, but the laws were written in the early 1900's this is the 2000's. What about ducks hard frozen in bags with wings attached(according to the letter of the law) for a guy that has hunted for 3-4 days therefore having his legal? limit of 18-24 birds carrying home to the family to be consumed. Shouldn't there be some consideration for this situation?

[Sasha and Abby]

The law says that there is a posession limit. This also applies to what you have in your freezer - believe it or not. If you shoot a limit two days in a row and have a duck in your freezer from last year, you are in violation. The law is pretty clear. As for enforcement, most GW's would not test that.

[Jeff]

As far as my understanding of posession limits wich is very basic a game warden can come check your freezer for a posession limit and my assumption is that most of us would be over the limit on possesion if they went through our freezers. However I have also understood that a GW must have a good reason to just come nock on your door and search your freezer. Another tip with possesion is that I believe you can gift a possesion limit to each member of your family, so therefore you can have say a possesion limit for say a family of four even if the rest of your family has no hunting license. I have never found this in print, but have had sevreal sources that I feel are legit quote it to me. To me the whole posession limit thing is BS, if you can kill a limit every day that should be what you can have in your freezer. I realize this would be difficult to enforce, but it's the way I feel.

[Hammer]

The freezer aspect of this line I dont know about but I can give you the real deal on the in field and in vehicle part...

The law is that not only must the ducks be in separate bundles for each hunter, but that each bundle must be in the direct possession of the hunter...For example, my birds must be on my stringer hanging from my tree in the woods or from my corner of the blind in the fields...My bundle must be at my feet in the boat and my bundle must be on my 4 wheeler... It is illegal to pile all the ducks up or put them on the same stringer...

If your buddy gives you ducks, you are required to have a written statement from him identifying the sex/species of duck, the date of harvest, the hunters name, address and license number...Until final processing (ie putting in the skillet), each bird is to retain a wing for identification...

That is the law...My experience is that enforcement of the law generally depends on other factors...If the GW heard you shoot two boxes of shells per hunter, he probably wont believe that you killed a mere limit of birds and he might write you up on a technicality...Or if you shot early or late, etc...The best policy is to put your business card on your stringer of birds- starting in the field during your hunt- and keep that card on your stringer until you get home...That way there is no doubt which ducks are in your possession...

[RIP EM]

I dont understand why the limit is 12 per day up there anyway!

Heck Fire, the "legal" bag limit is rediculous enough!

Am I the only one here, that is pissed about this?

Why is this, and who is setting the "STATE" limits?