SD game check

[warmer]

The most disappointing thing to me is 1253 hunters and fisherman were checked. 147 violations! That's over 10%. Never thought there was this much law breaking in SD.

Do the rest of you western guys think the percentage is same in your state?

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/outdoors/hunting/3884128-24-hour-game-stop-nabs-147-violations

 

[Jorgy]

unfortunately, yes I do.

 

[Muskeez]

Some could have been legally taken and just not tagged properly. We went through this check and were in and out in 10-15 minutes tops with no problems and the guys were great to work with. SD has different rules for tagging deer than any other place I have hunted, so if you didn't study the regs you could easily get in trouble. Some of the violations were sickening though. Glad they got nabbed!

 

[BlakeA]

Pathetic. Glad they busted all those people

 

[TimeOnTarget]

From what I see happening around the state, 10% seems pathetically low.

 

[Muskeez]

My biggest disappointment was what I saw from hunters in the amount of meat they took and how they cared for it. We watched one guy pack out a decent sized 3x4 rack and a pack that was full. The next day we saw him again as we were going back for more game bags that we hung in a tree. He said he couldn't get all of his out, too heavy, so he laid the "roasts" on some sage brush for the night. He said if it wasn't there then I guess the coyotes have to eat too. Pathetic! It was there and he carried it out in a garbage bag. All 10-15 pounds of it. By the size of his pack, (what a college student would use to haul books to class) I would bet $100 that he only took half of the meat off that animal, if that.

Another guy shot a buck around noon on Saturday, it was 65 degrees out. He gutted it, and put it in his open pickup box, and threw a frozen milk jug in the chest cavity. The truck was parked out in the sun for the rest of the day and overnight, then he would drive 5 hours home the next day. I'm glad I won't be eating that deer IF the locker is even open on Sunday to process it. Sunday was still mid 60s temps.

 

[shootbrownelk]

I know some SD farmers who have 50+ pheasants in their freezers. Only that many to save room for the poached deer they shoot. This was 15 years ago, and I'll bet anything they still do it. This particular farmer was pretty lazy, he shot the birds & deer right from the cab of his tractor. Poachers are everywhere.

 

[Chad Gus]

Last time I hunted south dakota I was checked 3 times in 2 hours. By the 3rd check they were ready to drink some beer with me. It was the opening day of antelope season and they had issued several citation by noon, happy to say I passed all 3 checks.

 

[maginnis]

Interesting. I think a great follow up would be ;how many peoples violations were dismissed in court. Seems like an awful lot of tickets. Kind of painting a bad picture of hunters. Obviously the highlighted stories of the 9 deer poacher and the rooster tossing catch your attention but I doubt everyone was guilty. Just my two sense. I don't believe everything I read.

 

[Pinecricker]

I'm sure its universal. This is why its important that as hunters we police ourselves. If you see a violation, collect as much info as possible and report it. Law enforcement resources are extremely limited. They need our help.

 

[Flatrock]

That is just ridiculous. It also ticks me off when guys get mad about wardens running game check stops. I'd say we need more of them. Also wish the fines would be much higher.

 

[Flatrock]

My biggest disappointment was what I saw from hunters in the amount of meat they took and how they cared for it. We watched one guy pack out a decent sized 3x4 rack and a pack that was full. The next day we saw him again as we were going back for more game bags that we hung in a tree. He said he couldn't get all of his out, too heavy, so he laid the "roasts" on some sage brush for the night. He said if it wasn't there then I guess the coyotes have to eat too. Pathetic! It was there and he carried it out in a garbage bag. All 10-15 pounds of it. By the size of his pack, (what a college student would use to haul books to class) I would bet $100 that he only took half of the meat off that animal, if that.

Another guy shot a buck around noon on Saturday, it was 65 degrees out. He gutted it, and put it in his open pickup box, and threw a frozen milk jug in the chest cavity. The truck was parked out in the sun for the rest of the day and overnight, then he would drive 5 hours home the next day. I'm glad I won't be eating that deer IF the locker is even open on Sunday to process it. Sunday was still mid 60s temps.

I'd say this is a big issue. Honestly I've had to relearn some of the things I was taught growing up. I have an uncle who won't even take any meat off the front shoulders and he just throws them away. He'll get 15-20 pounds of meat off a big buck. That's absolutely stupid. I've seen and heard other stories as well about lots of meat going to waste. Other guys that waterfowl hunt will shoot a bird they don't like and say "well, time to look for a badger hole." Sometimes I think guys that obey the law and fully utilize all meat are the minority.