Chasing down cripples, the law now is crap.

[Ray Esboldt]

Tom's right, you will lose this one. Guaranteed the CO shows in court.

Guys, just gut it and take it like a man. I'm guessing you're younger men. These are just part of growing up. You pay a fine and you learn to be a little more disciplined.

And, be happy it wasn't a federal agent. He would have came up with quite a bit more than $300 in fines.

[TV BOY]

Tom, even if you don't have a motor, can a CO cite you for shooting in open water? vs being partially concealed by natural vegitation.

[IceHawk]

I don't know if I always agree with some of the laws involved with waterfowl but I will admit like others said a Law is a Law and they must be followed. It seems like every time I read a hunting or fishing paper I see where someone has taken over limits, poached deer etc. How are we ever going to prove to the non hunters that hunters are true sportsman unless we think about our actions before we act on them. Hunting is a privelage, and we owe it ourselves and to all sportsmen to act appropiatly in the field and follow the laws that are set. I will agree cripples happen to everyone but I have found that by patterning your shotgun and knowing its capabilitys and by takeing only close decoying shots the amount of cripples had will become far less. I am also a believer in a good trained dog. Our labs have and will give a honest effort to chase down all cripples. Not saying I haven't lost a duck or two but I will admit if a bird is lost it is included in my limit for the day.

[Sartell Angler]

tv boy- that law would not apply if you are only shooting at your crippled bird.

SA

[Ely Lake Expert]

FT,

It just sucks that you got caught. I don't agree with the rules either. I am just lucky I have never been bothered for chasing down a cripple the same way.(minus the lead of course) I am just lucky I do my hunting either over private water or way out in the boonies where you have to go mudding to get there. Rules are rules, but that sucks.

Ryan

[psegriz]

Some one correct me if I'm wrong but if your in a boat with a sail , the sail must be down. I know it probly don't apply in most cases but I hunted one yr. with a guy that had a sail on his jon boat. I think in order for us to shoot we had to have the sail down.

[Guest]

P,

Yea, in a sailboat, the sail must be down. Another goofy part of the law.

[BarTender]

Help me understan this...... first you call yourself ethical hunters, yet you got busted with a gun loaded with leadshot, in a boat with the moter running in open water.

I may be wrong here, but what is ethical about this?

I suppose the shot was a close shot too

[Dean Schellinger]

People on this site need to grow a pair. I.E. Tommy

O -FT

[Gissert]

FlowageTamer-

Geeze, that was kinda harsh.

I see nothing wrong with what Bartender posted.

The tickets that were given are for behavior clearly prohibited in the printed regulations.

I agree that cripples should have every effort expended to get them in the game bag. If you go outside the regulations and get caught, take your lumps or fight it in court.

[Guest]

Anyone who hunts divers in open water can

understand how frustrating it is trying to chase down cripples.

Most guys I hunt with don't discuss how they chase down cripples. Ethical or not I HATE losing birds.

I wonder what the game warden would of done if you didn't have any lead on you?

I wonder if that was the straw that broke the camels back.

[Swamprat72]

FT, I have to agree with the majority, the law is there for everyone to see. It does not take long to get the gun out of the case and put in one shell. Maybe the answer is to let the dog go after it. I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I think there are more ethical hunters than unethical than you seem to think there is. If I saw this in "Cuffs & Collars" in the Outdoor News, I would have shaken my head and said those are the morons giving hunters a bad name.

[Guest]

Ok FT....

I've let this go for about as long as I'm going to.

Let's all pretend we diddnt read YOUR post you made in response. It was totally uncalled for.

Bottom line is you broke the law.

Let me guess, you guys are still in High School? Come back and talk to us after you have a few more years under your belt. Grow up and learn that rules are rules no matter how much you dissagree with them.

Any further negativity and this thread will be shut down and further action will be taken. Grow up, learn your lessons and quit questioning something that you are totally in the wrong on.

[Eric Wettschreck]

FT, no you should not use whatever means necessary to get a wounded bird. You should use whatever means possible within the legal limits. As unfortunate as it is to see a cripple get away you still have to follow the law. I'm not perfect, I've lost birds, I'm not proud of it. Having said that I still consider myself an extremely ethical hunter.

Thank you Tom for the voice of reason.

[Roosterslayer05]

Im not stupid, i know you can shoot cripples from a boat, i was implying people would shoot ducks from a motorized boat while the motor was running. That situation could easily happen if the law was changed.

[bigbucks]

First thing I learned from this. If your hunting partner gives you a shell to shoot from the boat, make sure it ejects into the water...

I guess I don't have a problem with the law as long as it only applies to motorized boats. Motor up to it, shut the motor off, uncase & load the gun, than paddle after it, if it gets farther away. I understand you may lose some divers, they're impossible sometimes.

I got checked twice by CO's deer hunting in the past week, in two different zones. Never was checked hunting before in my life. They were both decent guys. In fact the first time I'd been off chasing someone elses wounded deer (which I did recover by the way) & had left my license in my backpack half a mile away. He could have fined me for that, but instead went with me to get it, so I could show it to him. I feel that he handled it the way it should be handled.

[BarTender]

I guess I missed it. must have been some lame attempt to make you feel better about breaking the law. It's ok you will pay your dues and come out of it a reformed law breaker, but a law breaker non the less.

It is truly amasing how touchy people are on the internet, ask a simple qestion and it turns to personal attacks, only wish I could have read the reply.

[duckbuster]

Next time get in your boat all prim and proper like, run out to the duck, let him dive, chase him around a little bit like you are trying to get him then go back to the blind and leave him. The CO can't do a darn thing to you now. Anybody who hunts on big water knows that this law is B@#$#@#$&!! Tom I respect alot of what you say but you can't honestly tell me that you are that successful with your technigue on LOW or Winnie. NO CHANCE!!

[Mark Christianson]

This horse is beaten.

Most of us agree that the law is questionable in some respects, but its the law, and if birds are lost as a result of the law.... Well, its the way it is.

If you dont like the law, start lobbying to change it. Chances are pretty good, its here to stay.

[Farley]

You said the writing was worn off but yet the C.O. found the used shell and gave you a ticket? How did he know it was lead if you already shot it and the writing was worn off? Even if he checked your buddy and he had lead, there is no proof (except for you already told him you got it from your buddy) that what you shot was lead.

The law is there for a reason but this C.O. should've cut you some slack if he saw you guys drop the bird and then try to retrieve it. Maybee he saw your buddy puffin down that joint and figured you guys were a bunch of stoners.

[Dean Schellinger]

I guess he just made the assumption it was lead. Because it look the same. It was a red shell like my buddies other lead ones and all my other shells were black. He never did find the pot. I sorta wish he had, cause my friend deserved it.

[Guest]

Smoking dope while hunting.......

Just shaking my head......

[BarTender]

RIDDLE ME THIS BATMAN....

So the self proclaimed ethical hunter allows his borther to chaise down a crippled bird with a gun loaded with lead shot while allowing the third person to smoke pot... Now that sounds pritty darn ethical to me....

[BarTender]

I find it rather amusing that when someone is put to the ropes and shown the light the first thing they do is try and belittle the other party, and the the first things they try to pick on are their own weaknesses. And college boy, when you get aroung to taking classes like psychology, you'll learn this stuff.

And ethically speaking, as ethical of hunter you claim to be, you should have A. thrown a extra shot into the bird on the way down, B. dirven the boat with your brother in front, and killed te moter when near the bird. C. you should have befor the hunt reminded everyone to check their shells.

As for the pot smoking kid, they way you stated it, you knew he had it on him.

What is clear about this whole topic, is that your party broke the law...AND GOT COUGHT.

[Mark Christianson]

I say strike the whole topic now. This is ridiculous.