Possession Limit Question - Geese

[eyepatrol]

I'm a bit foggy on the rules here.

If, during the early goose season you're allowed 10 birds in possession (5 per day), then during the regular waterfowl season, you're allowed 4 birds in possession (2 per day), then, on Sunday of opening waterfowl weekend, can you have 14 birds in the freezer if you hunted the early season, or must you eat the 10 and only have 4 at that time? Hope this makes sense!

[Nova]

you can only have 4 in possesion if you're hunting regular season. You must eat the 10 you had from early season before you can hunt them regular season. Hope that helps.

[hobbydog]

Quote:

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you can only have 4 in possesion if you're hunting regular season. You must eat the 10 you had from early season before you can hunt them regular season. Hope that helps.

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Can you provide a link to that law. That does not sound right. This could force you into a law violation for doing nothing. In other words, if you have 10 geese in the freezer and sit the opener out, at 9AM on the first you would be in violation. At worst I would think that the possesion limit would be 10 max, and only if you have an early season license. In other words, if you reduced your possesion to 6 by the opener, you could still take a limit on Sat. and another one on Sunday, as long as you do not go over 10. So if you have a link to the law or some other supporting documentation let us know.

Another issue will be if you go to the Dakotas where the possesion is 12 ducks. How does that possesion limit translate when you cross back over the border. Then after your ND trip you go to Sask.....how many can you bring back and have in your possesion? Beeter have an accountant to keep track of it all or eat duck for a three meals a day during the month of Oct.

[Tom Wilson]

If you possessed a valid license for the early goose season, and you possess a valid regular season license after the start of the waterfowl season--then you can legally have 14 geese in your possession. There is a law on taking game and a law on possession of game--there is no law on when a person has to eat the game that he kills. If you have questions call the DNR. You'll find the number in the hunting regulations. Asking this type of question on this site inspires too many arguments and leads to nothing but a whole bunch of angry posters and confusion when it's all said and done.

[Nova]

Hobbydog, I don't have a link for you. That is just my interpretation of the law. If you were hunting them and had early season birds I think you'd be in trouble. Might want to check with the dnr, but if I had geese left I wouldn't be hunting them. Eat them up and you don't have to worry.

As far as the limits from other states/countries all you have to do is have a valid license and proof you were there like receipt from hotel, gas station something like that.

[Sartell Angler]

Your early season geese do not need to be eaten before hunting the reg. season.

[eyepatrol]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll call the DNR just to be certain of the regs. Probably best to get this type of info from the horses mouth anyway. Too bad there isn't a DNR person as a member of this site who could answer many of the questions brought up, not only hunting, but fishing ones too.

I'll post what the DNR tells me, that way whomever reads this will know.

Thanks, bc.

[eyepatrol]

WOW!!! WHAT AN INTERESTING CALL THAT WAS TO THE DNR!!!

Here's what I was told from the DNR regarding this subject.

If you hunt the early goose season, and get your 10 geese (or whatever your possession limit is for the area you hunt), then by the start of the regular waterfowl season, you CANNOT have 10 geese in your possession under your license. You CAN have 4 in possession, but NO MORE than 4 in possession for your license. If for example you got 10 geese during the early season and went out and got 4 more during the regular season, you would be over your legal limit by 10 geese. So, by the start of the regular waterfowl season, you must have 2 or less geese in your possession on your license by the end of the first day, and no more than 4 by the end of the second or any other day thereafter.

NOW, HERE'S THE CATCH!!!

If you are married, and got 10 geese during the early season and want the ability to shoot more geese during the regular waterfowl season, you can "GIFT" the 10 geese, yes, "GIFT" them over to your wife/spouse, even if she does not have a valid hunting license. What you do, is you mark the bag/container you have the geese in as a "Gift", and you put your license number on that bag. You can "Gift" all 10 geese to her. Then, you would be legal to possess another 4 during the regular waterfowl season. If you are single and not married, then you cannot "Gift" geese over to someone (from what I was told). I didn't ask if you can "gift" more than 10 geese, but they did say it was okay to "gift" the 10 geese over to her.

I told the DNR that I had NEVER heard of that before and how interesting that rule is. They said yeah, "there are many different ways to skin a cat". So, what that exactly means, I don't know because I didn't ask what other ways the "cat could be skinned".

Anyway, I thought you all might want to know what I was told. That's pretty important information if you ask me. And VERY INTERESTING information at that!!!!

Good luck to all this weekend. And, don't be afraid to give your wife a...."gift"!! I know I'll have to give a "gift" to my wife now! (I've got 5 geese in the freezer right now...maybe I'll just eat one).

[riverrat56]

Not going to argue with you, you went to the work of calling the DNR, and I am sure that is what the rules acctually are......BUT where in the rules does is say I need to eat my kill by a certine time?? This law doesn't affect me this year as I only have one goose left in the freezer, but if I go by how it is written I broke the law last year because I had five geese in the freezer on duck opener. (They were legally taken during early goose) This law throws me for a complete loop and completly baffles me common sence would think you would be allowed to have 10 geese from early goose in your freezer, then saterday 12, and after that 14, but since when has common sence been evident in the law making, and when does goose last that long in someones freezer with out them getting hungry?

[hobbydog]

That is pretty much what I had thought. Who did you talk to at the DNR? The big loophole in the possesion limits is gifting. You can gift to anyone, not just your wife. But if you gift to your neighbor then they need to actually take possesion of the waterfowl. Make sure you have all the paperwork in order on both ends.

[Nova]

Basscatcher, thanks for doing the homework on this one. That was my interpretation of the law, but I did not know about "gifting". I was; however, pretty sure that you could not have more than the regular season possesion limit in your possesion during the regular season. Thanks for helping us all out. Good luck Saturday.

[eyepatrol]

hobbydog

I'm not sure who it was that I talked to at the DNR....it was a gal who answered the phone after about a 2 minute wait. The number I called was 651.296.6157 which I got off of the DNR's HSOforum. I was a little curious about the answer only because she said that she had never been asked that question before, then put me on hold, and about a minute later came back on with her response. I'd assume she talked to a supervisor or someone who is more familiar with hunting law, but I don't know for sure.

I did ask her specifically though, that if I was single (not married), whether the "gifting" law would be applicable. She said no, but she didn't say it with much conviction, so she may have been guessing a bit. I didn't have much time to talk with the DNR, but these are the things I did find out. Other questions I had in my mind after we got off the phone were things such as whether or not you can gift ducks over to your wife, whether or not you can gift your geese during the regular season over to your wife, and although she said if you're single you can't gift birds over, I still wonder if you can gift birds over to a relative or someone.

But anyway, I wanted to relay what I found out to others just in case someone needed to use the "gift" law. I too wonder why this isn't shown in the regs they print out. I've not seen it in there, unless I missed it. I don't know why they wouldn't put it in there in writing, unless they're afraid that everyone will then use that law and big harvests will be taken. I don't know, just speculating here I guess.

Anyway, it's an interesting law and I'm glad I made the call.

If anyone finds out more, please post your findings on here as there seems to be laws that we're not even aware of....or at least I'm not.

Good luck and be safe!!

bc

[hobbydog]

This is the reg in the general hunting section.....it pertains to all wild game.

GIFTS

Lawfully taken wild animals may be transferred as a gift if accompanied

by a receipt containing: name and address of the owner; name and address

of the recipient, date of transfer, description of the gift (for example:

“Three 1-pound venison steaks”) and the license number under which the

animal was taken. The receipt must remain with the gift.