Hunters give new meaning to "unlimited"

Hunting season is upon us once again in North Dakota and everyone I talk to tells me the shooting is about as good as they’ve ever seen.

There are geese galore, ducks everywhere, and they claim the pheasant hunting is as good – or better – than that found in South Dakota, which has always touted itself as the best in the nation when it comes to populations of the most popular of upland game birds.

Just because the hunting is great doesn’t mean the law can be overlooked, however. Last week three hunters gave new meaning to the term “ducks unlimited.”

You should be hearing about these unnamed out-of-state hunters very soon when they’re arraigned in federal court.

They were nabbed in Carrington, in central North Dakota, after law enforcement officials received a tip on their activity.

Carrington Police Officer Charles Zink estimated the three hunters may have had as many as 300 frozen duck carcasses in their possession. The daily limit is six ducks, with a maximum of 12 in possession per hunter.

You’re probably asking yourself why anyone would want 300 ducks. Good question. I certainly don’t have the answer. They must have lots of friends back home.

Rich Grosz, a special agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says the hunters could be charged with violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If found guilty under state law, they could lose their vehicles and guns. They should.

Unfortunately, this happens more than we know. North Dakota has only 30 game wardens, says North Dakota game warden supervisor Bruce Burkett, so catching the violators is often a matter of pure luck or being in the right place at the right time.

And it isn’t just hunters who break the law. Eleven members of a fishing party from Iowa – six adults and five juveniles – were recently nabbed after getting greedy while fishing on Little Floyd Lake in Minnesota’s Becker County.

The group had 622 sunfish in its possession. That exceeded the sunfish possession limit by 292 fish.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Chris Vinton received a tip via the “Turn in Poachers” line about the overfishing.

They paid a fine and bond totaling $2,200 before returning to Iowa. And Vinton says they were pikers compared to a group arrested earlier this month. That group had 1,500 sunfish in its possession, which they were planning to use for a fish fry at a bar.

If found guilty under state law, they could lose their vehicles and guns. They should.

They should? Why?

They shouldn't. They should lose their hunting licenses and a stiff fine...that's all.

There is a vast difference between an honest hunter and an out and out A-Hole...Obviously, these guys are the latter.

I don't hunt much anymore, but when I did, I followed the rules...Hunting is about a lot more than just getting your quota...It's an honorable tradition and a way to to do one of our assignments on G-DS earth.

Those type of people give hunting a bad name, and I will report any A-Hole out there that behaves like that.

JMveryHO.

FMCDH

Just because the hunting is great doesn't mean the law can be overlooked, however. Last week three hunters gave new meaning to the term "ducks unlimited."

You should be hearing about these unnamed out-of-state hunters very soon when they're arraigned in federal court.

These 3 people with guns are not hunters.

I'm a hunter, and its an insult to call these 3 people with guns, hunters.

What these 3 idiots with guns are, are P-O-A-C-H-E-R-S.

Hunters and poachers do not get along. Hunters will turn in poachers the first chance they get, and poachers will say that they are just hunters.

Hunters and poachers might look the same, smell the same, etc, but they do not act the same. One follows the game regulations, because if we do not, next season, there will be less and less game to hunt. Hunters want to keep on hunting, season after season, year after year, generation after generation. Poachers only want to catch game, as many as they can, game population be damned.

DAMN POACHERS!!!!!

,,, here's a lil sweetie that came thru on eMAIL over the weekend for me. You may have seen it, maybe you haven't. Whatever, this seems like a good thread to nail it on.

A message from the Midwestern states -

Because of misunderstandings that frequently develop when Easterners and Californians cross states such as Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin or Nebraska, those states' Tourism Councils have adopted a new policy. In an effort to help outsiders understand the rural Midwesterner's mindset, the following list will be handed to each person as they enter the state.

1. That slope-shouldered farm boy did more work before breakfast than you do all week at the gym.

2. It's called a 'gravel road.' No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Navigator. I have a four wheel drive because I need it. Drive it or get it out of the way.

3. We all started hunting and fishing when we were seven years old. Yeah, we saw Bambi. ~ ~ ~ We got over it.

4. Any references to "corn fed" when talking about our women will get you whipped ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ by our women.

5. Go ahead and bring your $600 Orvis Fly Rod. Don't cry to us if a flathead breaks it off at the handle. We have a name for those little 13-inch trout you fish for..bait.

6. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.

7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of mallards are making their final approach, we will shoot it. You might hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.

8. That's right. Whiskey is only two bucks. We can buy a fifth for what you paid in the airport for one drink.

9. No, there's no "Vegetarian Special" on the menu. Order steak. Order it rare. Or, you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the two pounds of ham and turkey. Yeah, we have sweet tea. It comes in a glass with two packets of sugar and a long spoon.

10.You bring Coke into my house, it better be brown, wet, and served over ice cubes.

11.So you have a sixty-thousand dollar car. We're real impressed. We have quarter of a million dollar combines that we use two weeks a year.

12.Let's get this straight. We have one stoplight in town. We stop when it's red. We may even stop when it's yellow.

13.Our women hunt, fish, and drive trucks--because they want to. So, you're a feminist. Isn't that cute.

14.Yeah, we eat catfish, carp too--and turtle. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the bait shop.

15.They are pigs. That's what they smell like. Get over it. Don't like it? US 2, highway 141 and 41 run thru the area, pick one and use it accordingly.

16.The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday. You can get breakfast at the church.

17.So every person in every pickup waves. It's called being friendly. Understand the concept?

18.Yeah, we have golf courses. Don't hit in the water hazards. It spooks the fish.

19.That Highway Patrol Officer that just pulled you over for driving like an idiot... his name is "Sir"...no matter how old he is.

20. And pull your pants up. You still look like an idiot.

Now, enjoy your visit.

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