Okay, I know I've posted about other situations but this is a fresh one sadly. I've become aware of quite a few people I know or at minimum am aquantances with that have been purchasing a buck tag for themselves and their wife and harvesting two bucks are year in Indiana pretty much ever since we switched to the one buck rule...enter the quandry? I've spoken with a DNR guy and honestly he said unless foolproof evidence or an admittance is given it would simply turn into a he said she said case, and one which never end well. He said when caught though these are the types of guys that they love making examples of, almost as much as a trespasser. His advice was to keep an eye on the people and a close ear, and honestly confront them about it if I want. So after much thought I've kinda figured I'm stuck with these options: #1- Do nothing, the decision that will wreak havoc on my gut but this option is appealing for the simple fact I won't ruffle any feathers or cost myself or my father any friends. #2- Confront them point blank, but in a manner where they'll know I'm serious but haven't and don't plan on turning them in unless they continue to. #3- Write anonymous letters to each, including a copy of the IN regulations highlighted. This honestly is the most appealing to me. Won't cost any friends, does atleast something and may even scare them enough to not do it anymore. However, like some are probably thinking this one may be viewed as a cowardly approach. Honestly my heart and gut ain't gonna let #1 win out, I feel that is why hunting has the bad light it has within our ranks. Those that bend, break or fully disregard the rules are never stopped or warned by those in the hunting world. By doing nothing I am encouraging it....but I figured I'd atleast bring it before some un-connected brethren here on the board.
its a bad Economy ........people need the Protein . Its part of...."govt can Do whatever they want" ........but adhereence to laws is not always accepted. Placing rules on paper does nto always mean the public will follow them.. Like Alcohol or drugs. I am more concerned about the Multily Effects of Drug and alcohol use than one bh taking 2 for his family . Sorry.....priorities, and harvesting 2 deer will not end the USA.....drugs and our Debt Will, and all their related effetcs. What is better.. having a hunter lose two to cripples or. having cars hit them at night ..... or dogs killling them or coyotes gettign the fawns or harvesting 2 and Utilizing all the meat for the family .. ?
Ty, dont feel like its only happening to you. I know of a few guys that do the same thing around my parts. I don't let it bother me too much, but then again they are not taking multiple bucks off property that I hunt around. If that was the case I would probably be more intent to do something. Plus by the time I catch wind off it, it has been a week or two and the deer is already tagged and legal. Like the DNR official said though, it is extremely hard to show proof. You literally have to see them shoot the buck, or have it in their possession before they get it to the actual tag holder. The guys I know that do it have a doe tag in there pocket so they are legal to be in the stand, after they shoot the buck they just back out immediately and go get the tag holder. Once the tag holder is at the property and the buck is recovered they are legal. That leaves little time for law enforcement to do anything. I know that you hunt small acerage though and have some neighbors. This should help in being able to catch the guys. I hope you do get that chance. The rules are the rules and they should be enforced by all possible means. Just don't feel alone though, it happens everywhere in the state. For me I just follow your #1, it stinks, but at the end of the day I just focus on all the positives of my season and the good times I have in the stand. This gets me through with all smiles I'm not gonna let someone else interfere with the happiness I recieve from hunting.
In Illinois, just possessing a tag in someone else's name is a violation. Not sure how they would get around that reg, unless they don't tag the deer right away, which is also a violation.
I wouldn't have a care in the world about it if it was for family reasons...shoot I'd do the same thing! These are guys who are buck hunting twice and done. Only one of the 5 guys I know of took a doe this season...ridiculous.
I appreciate your honesty...and trust me it'll never take my joy away from hunting, but seriously all they're doing is putting a stain on hunters in general. I'm a man of faith and I guess just pray about it. Either way I'll be up the stand and enjoying every season I'm blessed to hunt and hunt them right. Just erks me that all the "true" hunters I talk to love the one buck rule, I mean shoot I WANT TO SHOOT TWO AS WELL, but I couldn't sleep at night if I did.
They hunt with a legal doe tag, shoot it, get wife if still in daylight, and then they take it into a check station. A couple of them don't even get the wife, they just claim she had to get to work quick or couldn't come....honestly the check-in station should wise up to be honest!
They don't recover the deer until the person with the tag is actually on the property to do it. Once that person is there they can simply say, "yup, I shot this deer", if any law enforcement were to show up. Its a hard rule to enforce, simple as that.
Thats horrible. In Indiana the person who harvested the deer is suppose to be the one checking it in. You are not allowed to check in a deer for someone else, even if they have a legal tag. That check station is to blame on that one.
I am just making a couple suggestions here. As a believer, first realize some of the things you see as clearly right and wrong may not be quites as obvious to others. I think back how many times I have been on a dove hunt and all of us shot birds until our barrels nearly melted down, then toward the end of the day we piled all our counted birds together, divided them by the number of hunters and then shot the number remaining to make sure everyone went home with a limit. Or how many times have I caught a limit and a half of fish and combined them with someone else's half limit. I've done it and most outdoors people have probably done something similar. I am just being honest and perhaps we should all be more self aware about some of the rules we break. If I shoot a deer at dusk, I am going to follow the blood trail in the dark, even though legal hunting hours ended thirty minutes after sunset. The point I am trying to make is that we all have our "pet" lines that we won't cross but others may not cross some of the ones we cross. I think we should all be careful about that. Secondly, it sounds as if enforcement is more the issue here than interpretation and I am quite sure the DNR in your State knows that it is happening. Maybe instead of challenging your friend's interpretations of the law, the better course may be to write the DNR director and encourage him/her to either re-write the regulation to allow family sharing or create a check system that would make it much more difficult to share such as writing license numbers on the tags, color coding the tags for female and male hunters etc... Finally, don't allow the fact that others are enjoying the season too much to detract from your enjoyment of the season. Otherwise you can drive yourself nuts over something you have no control of...
Hey ty, I know exactly what you are talking about. Here in Pa we have a huge problem with poaching. Its all done by the same family. No matter how many times we report it. And there are quite of few legal hunters that do report it. Nothing is done. As sportsman it is our job to be stewards of the land. And hunting legally, ethically and morally is our part. I do believe it is our job to hold others to that same standard. There is a differance when you are trying to feed your family or just being selfish about it. Here in Pa we are only allowed one buck too. But we don't have check stations. I would love for us to go to check stations. And eliminate spotlighting all together. Good luck with your issue and concern. Eric
its my opinion that they will get theirs on way or another i know people that do the same thing and i choose not to hunt with them and just let them go on their marry way. the right person will find out soon enough just wait but i would steer clear of their company while im hunting u dont need to go down with that ship
