Hunters give new meaning to "unlimited"

Fargo Forum ^ | 10/20/02 | Terry DeVine

[Dakotabound]

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.

[FreeTally]

I met a guy once who had lived his life in South Dakota who owned land there. It was adjacent to federally owned land. I'm from the south, so I know "local white trash" can be very BAD hunters. The man I met, though, said the problems they had with "poaching" and the like came from the moderately wealthy types from New England area. He said they would shoot anything that moved, most having never seen wild game of that type in their life. The people will pay enormous prices for tags or to lease land for a week, and don't care about management practices at all.

[Terriergal]

lol! You said you wanted to see people hunting each other, so we'd know how it felt.

[Terriergal]

Either that or arm the animals with guns. Shotguns and laser scopes, no doubt.

[Terriergal]

For the record she is mocking Terriergal for a certain illness Terriergal has suffered from.

Something I don't keep a secret btw. And hey, I have found a semi-solution. When I was in the community musical I had to wear fake nails. I found myself unable to do what this disorder would have me do. It has helped a lot to keep acrylic nails on. So here I am, out bowhunting, with my fake nails on. lol! Takes some getting used to!

[Terriergal]

Anyone got that post handy where someone wistfully longed for arming the animals so we would know how it felt to be 'hunted' -- or turning people loose to hunt each other? I remember responding to it, saying something like "it's called *WAR* and it does happen that people hunt each other, every day." Or else it's *murder* and it's against the law for the same reasons that hunting animals *isn't.*

[Terriergal]

Next time you speed in your eco friendly car (or do you ride a bike only, perchance?), make sure you go turn yourself in.

[PoorMuttly]

Can Muttly have 300 frozen ducks and 622 sunfish too ?

Nice man in parking lot said they were suicides.

[Sungirl]

Are you serious? You know what an 'analogy' is? Are you saying that the man who almost got killed by the sniper HAD A GUN? And you're trying to compare that to my game show where hunters are on an island together and hunt eachother? Don't you have other things to do than to *try* to twist my words? Why don't you take your 2 young girls outside and teach them to shoot rabbits ....like you say you like to do...

[Terriergal]

TO me it's just a bunch of macho men picking on a defenseless animal. Some sport. I wish the deer came equiped with their own shotguns.

[Sungirl]

What has that got to do with a sniper killing an innocent bystander? Your horrible accusations were not justified with this. You're really desperate aren't you.

I dont' mind saying this...I would like to see all animals equiped with guns when a hunter comes along to try to kill it. It would almost be fair. You got a problem with that? You don't like eqaul playing fields?

[BlueLancer]

"You don't like eqaul playing fields?"

I don't like equal playing fields even in war.

How far back do you want to go in the banning of hunting equipment? Bows and arrows? Thrown spears? A stone hand-axe? A thrown rock?

So, remember, when you next go out to the wilds to kill an animal to make your clothes, to fill your belly, to get the materials that you need to survive ... you are allowed to use only your hands to make the kill.

[Terriergal]

I suppose you think the deer with shotguns would be able to tell who was just walking their dog in the woods and who was actually hunting them. Boy you really *do* have animals and humans mixed up.

[Terriergal]

You don't like eqaul playing fields?

Nope. I *prefer* to have the advantage. That's why I like to argue with you.

[Terriergal]

See post #52 for reference to SG's true colors.

[Terriergal]

BTW still looking for the post about hunters being hunted. I don't bookmark *all* the threads you hijack.

[Registered]

Personally, I believe deer have better defenses than even a shotgun would afford.

[shaggy eel]

Can Muttly have 300 frozen ducks and 622 sunfish too ? Nice man in parking lot said they were suicides.

,,, you crack me up Muttly - brilliant!