Be careful notching those tags.

[croix]

A buddy of mine received a ticket from the game warded the other day. The GW inspected his deer and promptly wrote him a $150 ticket for not properly notching his tag. He had notched the correct month and the correct day, but you could still see a tiny part of the N in NOV and a tiny part of the V.

Sounds pretty chickensh*t to me but the regs state "Immediately and completely remove the tag notches that indicate the month and day the animal was killed." This is actually listed under "Common Violations".

Be careful!

[X-Force]

That is crap. unless your friend wasn't being cooperative i cant see why a warden would be so nit picky...

[Gobble]

That is crap. unless your friend wasn't being cooperative i cant see why a warden would be so nit picky...

I agree.

[Skyvalhunter]

Have him take it to court to get it thrown out

[coyotemadness]

  Gimmie a break

[ThePascoKid]

I would tell him not to waste his time fighting it, a buddy had the same problem, took it to court, it got postponed 3 times and didn't get dropped.  You could end up being out a lot of pay if you don't watch it.  That's how they like it, it forces people to just pay the tickets so they won't miss work.  By the way his ticket was the same infraction and the ticket was $500 on a WT doe on a disabled hunt.  Needless to say the warden was a prick.

[SW Blacktail]

Power trippers

[bucklucky]

Its been like that for a long time. I have guys that bring stuff in the shop all the time that isnt properly notched and have them re notch there tags .

[croix]

My buddy was completely cooperative. Not sure if he plans to take it to court.

The GW actually said "If I was a jerk I could give you another ticket." The temp was nearing 40 so my buddy had skinned the deer and separated the head. The tag remained on the head (lying right next to the body) and it was the only deer in camp, but the GW said he could ticket for that. The regs are a little fuzzier on this.

"You must transport any big game animal with the proper tag attached. The properly validated tag must remain with the meat until it is eaten (including cold storage). If quartered, the tag should remain with the carcass or the largest portion of the carcass. If you need to take the head to a taxidermist and the meat to be processed, you can complete a taxidermy ledger or invoice, providing information outlined under "Possession and Use of Wildlife" for the taxidermist, and keep the tag with the meat at the processor".

I doubt the GW could have made a ticket stick based on the vagueness of this statement.

As a side note - I also learned this year (from a much more tolerant GW) that a loaded rifle leaned against a tire is considered a loaded weapon in the vehicle. Didn't get a ticket though; just enlightenment.

[hornhunter]

I have a friend that this happened to as well, he went to court and got the fine reduced.  Oh did I mention they game warden took his deer also!

[bucklucky]

About 99% of the people I see that kill bucks are Illegal  . I have never kept my tag on the carcass when the meat is hanging, just kept it on the antlers like most everyone else. I guess the bame department is right in the way they think, all hunters ARE outlaws  

[bigdave]

Wow, I'm a teacher......what would they come in and say to me if I held their kid to the same letter of the law BS. They would want my head on a platter. If there is no way the tag could be used it should not be ticketable. If your buddy notched it as much as you say.....I guess the GW's hemmoroids were bothering him.

[Little Fish]

That sucks. Thanks for the heads up.

[pendoreilleadventures]

This is why i am going to move to idaho where the game department wants me to be sucsessfully and does do bull *censored* things like that to the hunters. I hate washington state fish and game they are a joke of a department.

[blacktail stalker]

As a side note - I also learned this year (from a much more tolerant GW) that a loaded rifle leaned against a tire is considered a loaded weapon in the vehicle. Didn't get a ticket though; just enlightenment.

That sounds like a load of BS.........I wouldn't believe everything you hear from a warden or other LEO's on all matters of laws. That might be a personal interpretation or just something they tell you, though not necessarily true. 

[saylean]

I heard the same think Blacktail stalker...there was a gamie up by Elbow Cooley a few years ago zinging people for that, they would come off the hill, lean the gun up (some of them, not all, by the way) and get dinged.

He didnt get anyone in our party though...

[blacktail stalker]

Wow, that is astonishing. I could definitely see them doing it if they watched you get out of the vehicle lean it against a tire or a tree, and then they find it was loaded. All of that would add up to a loaded gun in a vehicle. Otherwise without seeing you take it out of the vehicle, they have a loaded gun leaning against a tire. I'm not sure I have ever seen a law addressing leaning a loaded gun against a tire.

Of course wonders never cease. 

[Curly]

As a side note - I also learned this year (from a much more tolerant GW) that a loaded rifle leaned against a tire is considered a loaded weapon in the vehicle. Didn't get a ticket though; just enlightenment.

That sounds like a load of BS.........I wouldn't believe everything you hear from a warden or other LEO's on all matters of laws. That might be a personal interpretation or just something they tell you, though not necessarily true. 

check out this thread:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,13758.msg154991.html#msg154991

5. Loaded firearms in a vehicle
It is illegal to carry, convey, transport,
possess, or control a loaded shotgun or rifle
in or on any motor vehicle. A rifle or shotgun
containing shells or cartridges in either the
chamber or magazine, or a muzzleloading
firearm that is loaded and capped or primed
is considered loaded.
One more point that most people don't realise is, when you get back to your vehicle and you lay your loaded gun on the hood or tail gate or lean it on the tire, you're braking the law.

The RCW says no loaded firearm in or on a vehicle

[rudedawg1085]

Haha well I got one for you guys, about a month ago I shot a deer in Goldendale. So i tagged it, put it on the game haller, and pushed him back to camp. Well when i get to camp I start to skin it out, and another hunter comes over to take a look at the buck i shot and notices i put the wrong tag on it...Haha ooops i accidently put my cougar tag on his horns!...Good thing it was pointed out by some hunter and not a Game Warden!!...that would of been a pretty hefty fine......

[Buschingc]

They want your MONEY....

[CP]

I suggest that he fights that ticket as hard as he can.  I’d hire an attorney even if his fee was more than the fine.  You do not want to have a violation on record.  At the very least take it to court and request that the officer that wrote the citation be present.  Often the officer fails to show and the court will toss the case if the officer no-shows.

[Curly]

That is a b.s. ticket.  The way the new tags are, it is not exactly easy to cut out the month and day.  The old tags used to be scored so that you could pop out the month and day easily.........you just had to be careful that there weren't any "hanging chads".

[DBake]

The law is the law.

[sdwwaverider]

They want your MONEY....

Like we don't give them enough already. 

[jstamp]

i would say that the GW is taking it a little to the extreme. in archery elk season, i observed a GW checking a guy with a bull. the tag had a block of days cut out, and no month. the skull plate on the bull was also shattered, which he (the hunter) said it was caused from loading the bull in the back of the truck. they also had firearms in their possession. as far as i know the GW let him keep the bull, but wanted to examine the animal after it was skinned and also the head. I'm not too sure what tickets he got for the tag being improperly notched. i'm aware that there is two tickets for it, an infraction and a criminal. in my opinion the GW was extremely nice and gave him the benefit of the doubt and let him keep the elk. just like everything else, there are good ones and bad ones. i have met my share of both.

[fc2038]

The problem with leaving the tag on the carcus is that it is really tough to keep it in one place. it is easier and better to keep it on the antlers or cut the ear and place it there.

[Bigshooter]

This is why i am going to move to idaho where the game department wants me to be sucsessfully and does do bull *censored* things like that to the hunters. I hate washington state fish and game they are a joke of a department.

The biggest @ss hole GW's I have ever met have been from Idaho.  They will find any reason to write you.

[pendoreilleadventures]

I have two friends that are gw in idaho and their dept is a lot more standup department then that of this state.

[GEARHEAD]

I AGREE IT'S BS, I BELIEVE THEY DO THIS TO SIMPLY INCREASE THEIR STATS SO THAT THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE X AMOUNT OF GAME VIOLATIONS ANNUALLY. HERE, SOUTH OF SPOKANE, THE GAMMIE, DOESN'T CRUISE FOR LAZY,TRESPASSING, ROAD SHOOTING WHITETRASH AND YUPPIES, HE SPENDS IT, AT THE BUTCHER SHOPS, INSPECTING TAGS ANS ISSUEING CITATIONS FOR JUST THIS EXACT THING. RATHER THAN PATROLING, HE IS ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE AND CONTACTING THE OWNERS OF THE TAGS.
MY TAG THIS YEAR, HAD THAT DAMN HANGING CHAD RIGHT ON THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, SO WHEN I CUT OUT OCTOBER, NOVEMBER WAS ALSO CUT OUT. I WOULDA GOT A TICKET I BET, EVEN THOUGH THE STATES APPROVED PRINTER, ACTUALLY CAUSED THE ERROR. I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR ONCE TO SEE ONE OF THESE FINE GENTS OR GALS, ACTUALLY IN THE FIELD PATROLING, SETTING UP DECOYS OR WHATEVER, THEY ARE TO BE IN THE FIELD, NOT CRUISING THE DAMN BUTCHER SHOPS. JUST MY 2PENNIES. WHOOPS ON THE LARGE CASE, CAUGHT IT TOO LATE

[edmondshunter]

Me and a buddy got a scolding from the warden about hunter orange. She said our "Camel Packs" covered to much of our orange from the rear . We also had orange hats.

Got lucky I guess, not ticket. Learned a lesson that day

[Triplebrow]

They should just make it so you have to actually write the date down rather than F around with cutting out "perfect" notches.

[DeerHarvester]

 
Not all   LEO are on a power trip, in fact most are very respectfull.  I agree the ticket is a bit chipish, but lets not jump on the band wagon and start bashing all LEO.  They have a job that most can't and wouldn't do.  Some of you need to pull your heads out of your   and show a little respect to the work they do.  You will find a few bad apples in any profession, LEO's are just in the public eye 24/7.    Are you perfect??? don't think so.   Every one has a story about being wronged by the law, but no one seems to remember the good things that are done.  I say thank your local LEO for the work they do.  

[ICEMAN]

Deerharvester, agree mostly with your comments.

On the other hand....Gamies writing tickets to succesful hunters who are following the intent of the law by tagging and notching thier tags, need to get a life. An adrenaline loaded hunter who is shaking and tired and probably covered with blood, who is trying to notch a flimsy piece of crap tag, with a razor sharp knife, and doesnt exactly trim the piece out neatly does not deserve a ticket.

Ask to inspect the game wardens ticket book and you will probably find crappy writing, poor spelling, grammar errors and writing outside of the lines, all when the gamie has no adrenaline pumping thru his/her veins.

I get one chicken *censored* ticket like that and I would make a federal case out of it, I would go public, pictures, public disclure requests of all the officers handwriting, everything. Get in front of the game commission. Take no prisoners!!!!!

[GEARHEAD]

Amen...

[Pigmy]

I'm with you Iceman

[DeerHarvester]

ICEMAN,
I completly agree with you, the ticket sounded like craps, but what I don't like is guys read about this and jump on the band wangon.
I think it is great this story was posted, as it better informs all of us to be carefull, but lets not turn this into a bitch fest.  Thats all I'm saying.  Okay I have vented and I feel better.   

[ICEMAN]

Deerharvester, not really a bitch fest i dont feel. I would be bitching if I didnt want to get checked by a gamie. I am a stand up guy, with a clean record. I work in a related field. I have placed the silver bracelets on more than a few guys in my past. My point is; when you cite someone for something that is so incidental an unimportant as not following the exact geometric shape of a proper notch in a tag, the gamie, and the whole system loses credibility. The officer ends up looking like the *censored*' bag, not the "offender". The hunter ends up looking the like the stand up guy who is trying his best to follow the rules, and the gamie is the assclown who is ruining the memory of the successful hunt, tainting the memory for life. The deer becomes the stupid Fing ticket deer. The gamie the ass.   Instead, imagine the difference of a gamie congratulating the hunter on a job well done, shaking his hand, helping to take a picture of the whole gang, and simply reminding the hunter to cleanly trim his tag out every time. In this scenario, all leave happy. Good public relations goes a long way, bad public relations goes farther.

Listen up wildlife...