I have read a lot of stuff over the last couple months and a lot of people try to come across as perfect in regards to all ethics and game laws.... I am willing to bet every single one of us has broke a game law of some sort.... Whether it be unknowingly crossing a property boundary, not paying attention and hunting a few minutes before or after legal light, not having your bow cased during transportation (certain state laws like IL), screwing a bow holder into a tree on public land etc, cutting shooting lanes on public land, putting down a wounded animal, etc.... This post is for me to find out who really is perfect here.....
Ethics and Laws do not always go hand in hand...Admittedly I've been on the wrong side of both at times in 30+ years of hunting. The lessons of the wrong doings last equally as long as the successes of legal means.
In IL, you are not allowed to fetch your wounded or dead game without the property owners permission. I have, on more than one occasion, recovered an animal a hundred yds or so into someone else's property. If it needs to be tracked, I've always gained permission first. Then again we know just about everyone in around all the property we hunt, and if someone is anti-hunting you just stay away! EDIT: A little tid bit: if the property owner says no, youre out of luck, the game is coyote supper.
I guess what I find interesting is the idea that you have to be perfect in order to turn in somebody else. That's weird to me.
I love hijacking threads over here. Who are you guys talking about? Germ? Rob? I must not be over here enough to know who these "a lot of people" are.
No one in specific. Just lot's of talk from people who act as if they are a saint and never broke (accidently or not) a game law.
Your right I'm not perfect, 10 years ago I broke the law by cutting a branch off a tree, not a big branch, about the size of a broom handle, it was in the middle of a state forest. While hunting that stand the next day, about an hour into my hunt the GW was under my tree explaining the law to me. In the middle of the woods, in the early season, how he found me I'll never know!! I learned my lesson! Never got a ticket that day and have remained good friends with him ever since, he retires this year! My Father always taught me, you never know who's watching, he was right! I make a point of teaching this to my Son!
You are right. No one is perfect. However, I am wondering what the next point is going to be, because (and I know this isn't what you are saying Scott) it could be that someone would say that since you broke the law by picking a wild flower, then it is ok that I poach this deer. I think that in the end we all know right from wrong. We just like to argue
I am very ethical and follow the game laws very closely for the most part. I guess I'm 100% guilty on the state land stuff when It comes to cleaning small shooting lanes and using screw In tree steps. If a game warden Is going to just write me up for that he's got some Issues!! I've talked with my game warden about this where I bear hunt and he has no Issues what so ever with people doing this but he did say there Is a size limit on the tree's one can cut but the tree step Issue he said he'd never write anyone up on unless they did something else terribly bad along with It. His exact words were there's much more Important things for a game warden to be doing. Good game wardens are nice to have around and nice to have on your side. I've been around some pricks for game wardens also that tried to find something wrong with what I was doing but failed In doing so because I wasn't doing anything wrong.
To answer the question, I try everytime I go out to obey the laws, I am sure I have cut a branch or two, I am sure I have hunted past legal hunting hours also in my years of hunting(by a few mins). I have never broken a law to gain a distinct advantage over the game I hunt. I think where the line in the sand is for me is when a law is broke to gain an advantage. A guy staying in a stand few mins to long is not getting much of any(if any) advantage over the game he hunts. A guy using a rifle in a bow only zone does get a bit of advantage. There are those who intentionally break laws and those who don't. We all are smart enough to figure it out IMO
I'm not perfect and I'll admit it. I've broken game laws (nothing very extreme, ex: reaching across a fence to grab a dove) but I've also broke traffic laws......
Words to live by. And if clearing lanes on state land is a crime, they better lock me up and throw away the key. I'm not in there logging or anything, but still
And sometimes there is a lot of help for those looking to break the law. In IL it is ILLEGAL to put out minerals or any type of food for deer. They are afraid it aids the spread of CWD. But you go into Walmart in town and there are 3 shelves full of Deer Cocaine, C'Mere Deer, Deer Corn, Deer Blocks, and Acorn Rage. Do they really think people are coming from out of state to buy this stuff???