Gross Misdemeanor

[6x6in6]

Not real sympathetic here either.
Sometimes the simplest things can be difficult for some.  Maybe it's the words on page 73 of the regs that are a bit confusing that state "completely remove."  Dunno! 
Lesson learned......Good luck!

[Ellensburg]

*censored*ty deal man! Do a lot of research before you lawyer up... May be better off to take the fine.

[Bob33]

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/10/16/1211837/how-to-get-pinched-on-opening.html#storylink=mirelated

[ScottyG]

I think they should make it imperative that a person pass a hunter's education course with 100% scores, before issuing a license.  If one question is missed, you shouldn't be allowed in the field.  You should have to take the test annually with the same result or have your hunting priveledges revoked.

You should be required to be able to recite the game regs and reference the page numbers where every rule can be found.

Posting photos of animals that do not clearly show the tag affixed to the carcas should be grounds for investigation by the WDFW.

All mistakes should invoke a penalty.  No warnings should ever be given and circumstances can not be taken into consideration in determining intent/guilt.

Now that I've said that, can I join the club of holier than thou hunters that think that is what is required to stop poaching and make hunting ethical and fair?  Oh, please let me in.

[grundy53]

I think they should make it imperative that a person pass a hunter's education course with 100% scores, before issuing a license.  If one question is missed, you shouldn't be allowed in the field.  You should have to take the test annually with the same result or have your hunting priveledges revoked.

You should be required to be able to recite the game regs and reference the page numbers where every rule can be found.

Posting photos of animals that do not clearly show the tag affixed to the carcas should be grounds for investigation by the WDFW.

All mistakes should invoke a penalty.  No warnings should ever be given and circumstances can not be taken into consideration in determining intent/guilt.

Now that I've said that, can I join the club of holier than thou hunters that think that is what is required to make hunting ethical and fair?  Oh, please let me in.

Lol.  You do sound just like them.

[grundy53]

*censored*ty deal man! Do a lot of research before you lawyer up... May be better off to take the fine.

The fine isn't really the bad part. It's the gross misdemeanor conviction on his record that will cost him.

[bigtex]

*censored*ty deal man! Do a lot of research before you lawyer up... May be better off to take the fine.

The fine isn't really the bad part. It's the gross misdemeanor conviction on his record that will cost him.

How would that cost him? It doesn't prevent him from doing anything.

[Gutpile]

I think they should make it imperative that a person pass a hunter's education course with 100% scores, before issuing a license.  If one question is missed, you shouldn't be allowed in the field.  You should have to take the test annually with the same result or have your hunting priveledges revoked.

You should be required to be able to recite the game regs and reference the page numbers where every rule can be found.

Posting photos of animals that do not clearly show the tag affixed to the carcas should be grounds for investigation by the WDFW.

All mistakes should invoke a penalty.  No warnings should ever be given and circumstances can not be taken into consideration in determining intent/guilt.

Now that I've said that, can I join the club of holier than thou hunters that think that is what is required to stop poaching and make hunting ethical and fair?  Oh, please let me in.

     

Geez I thought you were serious at first. I couldn't believe what I was reading.

When in Wyoming this fall I signed my tag and put it on my lope but forgot to notch it. I got checked as soon as we got it to the road. I about crapped when I realized what I had done and thought I was about to get slammed. I told him what I had done and started to notch it, all he did was give me some pocket scissors to make it easier.    He didn't even address the fact that I had forgot. No fine, no lecture, nothing. He had me by the balls but let it go. We just got so wrapped up in pictures and what not that I just forgot to notch it. Happens to the best of us, just don't let it happen in WA. I hear about this constantly but I'm surprised it's a gross misdemeanor. Seems kind of harsh.

[grundy53]

*censored*ty deal man! Do a lot of research before you lawyer up... May be better off to take the fine.

The fine isn't really the bad part. It's the gross misdemeanor conviction on his record that will cost him.

How would that cost him? It doesn't prevent him from doing anything.

Actually it does. If you would read the whole thread you would know that.

[agchawk]

   I had this same thing happen to me about 19 years ago.

   I had bagged what was at the time my biggest buck to date. I was so excited that I failed to cut the WHOLE month off of the tag (A portion of the month tab was still hanging on the tag).

   As I was driving home I ran into a VOLUNTARY check point. Of course, I pulled in because I was damned proud of the buck and was willing to show it to anyone that wanted to look. As I was shooting the breeze with one of the officers, a second one pulled my tag off the antlers and looked at it. He immediately walked over to me and showed me my error. He then charged me with improper tagging and wrote me a ticket for 300 and some odd dollars. needless to say I was floored!

   HOWEVER....by the letter of the law I WAS GUILTY. Although I did NOT do it intentionally and was not trying to hide ANYTHING, I did fail to remove the WHOLE MONTH.

   I did my day in court and my fine was reduced to just over $100. I paid the fine and walked out of there having learned ONE HUGE LESSON! I have NEVER failed to notch my tag properly since.

   I know it sucks...been there, done that. However, it IS the law and I was man enough to take my lumps, intentional or not.

[ScottyG]

AGCHAWK,

I also had something similar happen some years ago.

I notched October when it was actually November 1 kill.  I immediately recognized the issue but the month of October was notched, so I cut out November also.  I was checked and given a firm warning that I had an improperly notched tag.  I explained the situation and no citation was issued.

I didn't have to go to court.  I didn't have to pay a fine.  Though, by the letter of the law, I was certainly guilty.  I'm pretty sure I learned the same lesson that you did.  And, I've made certain to clearly think through the date before I lay blade to tag.  To my knowledge, I've never notched a tag incorrectly since.

I appreciate the difficult job that law enforcement has to do.  But, I appreciate even more those law enforcement officers that take the time to assess the situation and use warnings where appropriate.

I guess one has to ask why a tag is notched in the first place.  I think it is to create a tag that can not be used on another day.  With the short seasons in Washington, in all but a few situations, the significance of the month of kill on the tag is moot once you've notched a day on your tag.  It also seems that this guy turning his partially notched tag into the butcher certainly shows his intent to not reuse the tag.  

I believe this would have been an appropriate situation to issue a warning about the appropriate way to notch a tag.  His actions showed no intent to harvest a second animal.  Its a shame that our courts and good citizens are required to waste time over a situation like this, when a warning clearly could of accomplished the same result.

It's not about "manning" up when you make a mistake.  Most of us are willing to do that and this gentleman seems to be admitting his mistake and willing to do that.  It's about fitting the appropriate level of remediation to a situation.  Let's keep people safe and stop the illegal harvest of animals.  I'd argue that the citation that you got, the ticket that I didn't get, and the citation that this guy got have done litle if anything towards those ends.

[rasbo]

sucks but it is the law....pay the fine and learn from it...Its the bad ones that make everything so difficult,or complicated..boy if I was perfect I would be on your ass.. :chuckle:hang in there and move on,good hunting to ya

[Dan-o]

So, aside from some of the sanctimonious answers about how you should have been perfect....

It is my non-professional opoinion that you made an honest mistake and that honest mistakes dealt with honorably usually end up with a reasonable conclusion.   I'd go in prepared with the facts (and as much proof as possible) and I would not bother to lawyer up.

I too have lived a less-than-perfect life, and on an occasion or two actually messed up unintentionally.   Worst I have to show for it is a slap and some new found knowledge.  And for that matter, I've never heard of anyone actually getting hammered by these laws unless they earned it.   

Disclaimer:   I'm not a lawyer.  I don't even play one on TV.

Best of luck to you.

Dan

[7mag.]

It turns out that there are some real *censored*s on this site. If "we" as a hunting community are going to prosecute our fellow hunters for trying to follow the law, and in doing so, make a small mistake, then we may as well kiss our hunting rights good bye. The guy harvested an animal, notched his tag(not perfectly) and took it to the butcher, where he turned over his animal and tag. He then went home and reported his harvest like he is supposed to. What the hell is everyone's problem? Every single one of us has made much bigger errors than this while hunting, and if you say that you haven't, you are a liar. The game dept. is splitting hairs and it's *censored*. If he was caught in the field with a tag like this, then maybe a different story, but he turned the tag over to the butcher, no opportunity for wrong doing.

[Houndhunter]

well having  the gamie be a women did not help...... they shouldnt be allowed to be gamies

hope it works out for, i just got my first citatiion 8-9 months and i still say its bs but in the end it costs you more to fight it than to just pay the fine