Waterfowl Tags

[olyguy79]

Was wondering if anyone had ever had an issue with this in WA. Federal law requires you to tag your migratory waterfowl when not in your actual possession (physically in control of them.) I know WA is not a super heavy waterfowl hunted state like some others but has anyone ever ran into an issue with this here? Reason I am asking is I just read some articles over the past few months with state & federal officers in California and the Dakotas writing a ton of tickets for it. Such as leaving bird straps at camp or at the duck club without a tag on it.

[Bob33]

Title 50, 20.36

https://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/50_CFR_20.pdf

§ 20.36 Tagging requirement.

No person shall put or leave any migratory game birds at any place (other than at his personal abode), or in the custody of another person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping, transportation, or storage (including temporary storage), or for the purpose of having taxidermy services performed, unless such birds have a tag attached, signed by the hunter, stating his address, the total number and species of birds, and the date such birds were killed. Migratory game birds being transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage of the possessor shall not beconsidered as being in storage or temporary storage.

[bigtex]

 

Little known law in WA, go to places like the Sacramento Valley in CA and it's very well known.

[Special T]

Is this the same rule for transporting some one else's game? Or just a variation on it?

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[full choke]

Title 50, 20.36

https://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/50_CFR_20.pdf

§ 20.36 Tagging requirement.

No person shall put or leave any migratory game birds at any place (other than at his personal abode), or in the custody of another person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping, transportation, or storage (including temporary storage), or for the purpose of having taxidermy services performed, unless such birds have a tag attached, signed by the hunter, stating his address, the total number and species of birds, and the date such birds were killed. Migratory game birds being transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage of the possessor shall not beconsidered as being in storage or temporary storage.

That all sounds good, but it also includes birds piled up in the blind. How many people tag each duck/goose with name, wild id, date, address etc before dropping them in the blind? I have read about numerous cases where LE wrote tickets for exactly that. Four guys hunting Canada geese in a pit blind, LE comes out to the blind, see's six geese in a pile, and tickets the individual closest to the birds. Since none of the fowl were tagged, that one person, by virtue of location, was cited for over possession. Sounds unbelievable- but it has happened.

[Special T]

Title 50, 20.36

https://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/50_CFR_20.pdf

§ 20.36 Tagging requirement.

No person shall put or leave any migratory game birds at any place (other than at his personal abode), or in the custody of another person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping, transportation, or storage (including temporary storage), or for the purpose of having taxidermy services performed, unless such birds have a tag attached, signed by the hunter, stating his address, the total number and species of birds, and the date such birds were killed. Migratory game birds being transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage of the possessor shall not beconsidered as being in storage or temporary storage.

That all sounds good, but it also includes birds piled up in the blind. How many people tag each duck/goose with name, wild id, date, address etc before dropping them in the blind? I have read about numerous cases where LE wrote tickets for exactly that. Four guys hunting Canada geese in a pit blind, LE comes out to the blind, see's six geese in a pile, and tickets the individual closest to the birds. Since none of the fowl were tagged, that one person, by virtue of location, was cited for over possession. Sounds unbelievable- but it has happened.

Wow! So if we are out on the bay, saddled up to a log and throwing birds in the boat we are required to have seperate piles and stuff? Messed up!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[bigtex]

Title 50, 20.36

https://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/50_CFR_20.pdf

§ 20.36 Tagging requirement.

No person shall put or leave any migratory game birds at any place (other than at his personal abode), or in the custody of another person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping, transportation, or storage (including temporary storage), or for the purpose of having taxidermy services performed, unless such birds have a tag attached, signed by the hunter, stating his address, the total number and species of birds, and the date such birds were killed. Migratory game birds being transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage of the possessor shall not beconsidered as being in storage or temporary storage.

That all sounds good, but it also includes birds piled up in the blind. How many people tag each duck/goose with name, wild id, date, address etc before dropping them in the blind? I have read about numerous cases where LE wrote tickets for exactly that. Four guys hunting Canada geese in a pit blind, LE comes out to the blind, see's six geese in a pile, and tickets the individual closest to the birds. Since none of the fowl were tagged, that one person, by virtue of location, was cited for over possession. Sounds unbelievable- but it has happened.

Wow! So if we are out on the bay, saddled up to a log and throwing birds in the boat we are required to have seperate piles and stuff? Messed up!

Technically yes. It's rarely enforced that way though. Another example is one guy is pushing a cart with a pile of everyone's birds on it.

But the most "proper" way of enforcing it is at duck clubs, camps, etc. Perfect example: 5 guys go out in the morning, one of them gets their limit, they all go back to camp for lunch and bring all the birds. The remaining 4 go out in the afternoon to finish their limit and a wildlife officer shows up at camp to see the one guy with his limit and the ducks for everyone else's morning shoot. If the other ducks aren't tagged then not only is the one guy at camp in violation, but everyone who left their birds is also in violation.

[h2ofowlr]

Was wondering if anyone had ever had an issue with this in WA. Federal law requires you to tag your migratory waterfowl when not in your actual possession (physically in control of them.) I know WA is not a super heavy waterfowl hunted state like some others but has anyone ever ran into an issue with this here? Reason I am asking is I just read some articles over the past few months with state & federal officers in California and the Dakotas writing a ton of tickets for it. Such as leaving bird straps at camp or at the duck club without a tag on it.

Yes, had friends ticketed for this last season.  They went brant hunting.  All the brant were laid out in the bottom of the boat.  Everyone was meeting back at his house which was about a half mile from the ramp.  The game warden pulled in and the group had headed to the house and two guys were in the rig pulling the boat.  They were ticked for over possession and not having them properly divided up and tagged.

[full choke]

Title 50, 20.36

https://www.fws.gov/le/pdf/50_CFR_20.pdf

§ 20.36 Tagging requirement.

No person shall put or leave any migratory game birds at any place (other than at his personal abode), or in the custody of another person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping, transportation, or storage (including temporary storage), or for the purpose of having taxidermy services performed, unless such birds have a tag attached, signed by the hunter, stating his address, the total number and species of birds, and the date such birds were killed. Migratory game birds being transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage of the possessor shall not beconsidered as being in storage or temporary storage.

That all sounds good, but it also includes birds piled up in the blind. How many people tag each duck/goose with name, wild id, date, address etc before dropping them in the blind? I have read about numerous cases where LE wrote tickets for exactly that. Four guys hunting Canada geese in a pit blind, LE comes out to the blind, see's six geese in a pile, and tickets the individual closest to the birds. Since none of the fowl were tagged, that one person, by virtue of location, was cited for over possession. Sounds unbelievable- but it has happened.

Wow! So if we are out on the bay, saddled up to a log and throwing birds in the boat we are required to have seperate piles and stuff? Messed up!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Technically, I guess yes. I do not think that was the intent of the law- but sometimes that happens in the legaleze. I also do not think many LE would interpret the law as such, but maybe that one guy would? Hell, half the LE's I have encountered in the field don't even really know what species most of the ducks are. I remember commenting to a federal guy looking over our birds that the canvasback was an unexpected surprise for the day- and he turned the hen mallard over and said it looked like a good one.

[WSU]

I had not heard of this until this thread.  Apparently I better be more careful.  Maybe I'll make some laminated tags so I can reuse them?

[bigtex]

Is this the same rule for transporting some one else's game? Or just a variation on it?

Just a variation.

[bigtex]

There is no official tag like a WDFW deer tag. But the fed law just requires minimum info. Some companies sell them. Here's an example:

[lokidog]

"Migratory game birds being transported in any vehicle as the personal baggage of the possessor shall not beconsidered as being in storage or temporary storage."

This would make writing a ticket for a pile of birds not individually labeled in a truck or boat invalid.  Any gamie that did this is an a-hole IMO, unless the people were being real jerks to him/her.  It would still not be valid....

Many years ago in So Cal, a couple friends and I had been pheasant hunting and had a warden harass us several times on opening day.  We were actually doing nothing illegal.  Two of our friends headed home with their limits and my buddy and I went out to try to get our other two birds.  We talked to a border patrol agent earlier telling him we had six birds for the day (2/day limit) and that we were heading out for the afternoon hunt. Anyways, after getting our last two birds, we headed for my truck to head to town for dinner.  As we drove away, I saw the lady warden following us, running things through my head, I realized all four birds were in my friend's vehicle.  Luckily, as we got into town, we made a light and a right turn that she did not. I pulled over, quickly ran back to my buddy's truck, grabbed my two birds , ran them to mine, and sauntered back to his truck as the wardens came around the corner, whew.... 

[Stein]

Good info.  I usually get around the issue by not shooting anywhere near a limit.

Sounds like it could be as easy as having different color zip ties on the bird's legs so you could tell the warden which ones were yours.