Read the regs folks. Duck hunting is closed today & tomorrow!

[Prime Time]

I have no problem and agree with how the OP handled the situation since he believed it was an honest mistake. It's your "4 lousy duck" attitude towards the situation that caused me to respond. If that makes me a "pathetic internet cop" so be it I guess.

[Shoffy]

I totally agree that people make mistakes..but people also need to be held accountable for their mistakes. I'm not saying people need to be run through the ringer if they slip up..but too many people these days just expect to be let off for their mistakes. The examples you gave about animals not being recovered and getting hit by cars have absolutely nothing to do with poaching so I'm not sure what point you're trying to prove. Just the attitude of..its only 4 lousy ducks or one illegal buck..or spike bull here on the west side will add up a lot quicker than you think. But hey..what do I know?

Ethically speaking I don't think shooting 4 ducks "out of season" during a 2 day technicality that few people even know about is in the same ball park as shooting a illegal buck.. It's not even in the same ball park as poaching.... poaching is someone willingly going out of their way to illegally take game or fish.... I read the regs front to back to be I didn't even notice it was closed 2 random days in the week only during the opening week... that's a stupid rule... why not just close it 2 days early?? Or open it 2 days late??

[92xj]

Because they want the hunter to have a opener on a Saturday so you can enjoy it without week day obligations, as well as the season ending on a weekend.  This isnt a new rule.  It happen likes that almost every duck season.  Why are hunters only getting it now?

[jackmaster]

i like the way the op handled it, way to go man  ya dont always gotta call the law in, hell a friend called ina poached 2pt that a kid shot after hours in the dark, gamie didnt do sqaut, saif there wasnt enough proof, i asure you there was... the op handled the best way and the guy was probably very thankful, sounded like an honest mistake

[Curly]

When I used to duck hunt regularly, we didn't have a break in the season.  Then shortly before I pretty much quit duck hunting, they went with a 2 week break.  Personally, if I had a say in it and if I were to get back into duck hunting, I'd rather have a 2 week break in late October, then extend the season into February. That is why I forgot about the 2 day break. 

[hdshot]

That's a WAY easy one to miss.... good thing you didn't call the guy in... If it was an honest mistake, like it sounds like it was, the guy doesn't need to be raked over the coals

I don't know about today but it was not that big of a deal many years ago.  Back when I was well under 18 I went duck hunting with some other new hunters themselves and they knew the season was opened by word of mouth but didn't hear about the 2 week closesure while not knowing what a reg book was because hunters ed said nothing it to them or even in mine.  Anyways we hunted the 1st Saturday and had an awesome hunt and on Sunday just about limited out and the warden shows up.  The warden takes the birds and all our info and tells us season is closed.  Then gives the 18 year old a $100 ticket.  Warden asked us if we were the ones here Saturday and we said yes and that was it, no other fines.  Didn't even get our shell checked for lead and was told ok to continue hunting only for geese. 

Few years later I remember the guy who got the ticket joking about how people pay more than a $100 plus tip for just one day of club hunting while he got 2 days with no tips. But he would of not been hunting if he knew about the closure.

[ducksdogsdownriggers]

Ever realize you forgot your license after you've bagged birds?  That's poaching.  It is impossible to legally prove to the Feds you had a duck stamp at the time of hunting as there is no electronic tracking.  I assume most on here would expect or at least hope for leniency.

[hdshot]

Ever realize you forgot your license after you've bagged birds?  That's poaching.  It is impossible to legally prove to the Feds you had a duck stamp at the time of hunting as there is no electronic tracking.  I assume most on here would expect or at least hope for leniency.

If you kept the receipt to prove purchase to the judge would be the only thing.  Then you would hope he would take your word that you had it signed.  But would not be the end of the world as if a lead shell got mixed into your steel load bag.  WA has a mandatory $1000 fine and loss of small game hunting for 2 years.  To stiff on the loss of 2 years SG hunting because that means you can't hunt upland birds either when lead shot is legal.  Might as well write a law on J walking, $1000 fine and loss of cross walk privilege for two years.