07-02-2006, 11:33 PM
Catchandrelease,
The F&G hide in the bushes with binoculars and spotting scopes all of the time. Guys that choose to break the rules will eventually be caught. When they get caught they will get much more than just a slap on the wrist.
There is nothing in the regulations against catching too many fish. A F&G officer can’t cite you for catching too many fish. If your friend got a ticket for catching too many fish I hope he went to court and fought the ticket. If your friend got a ticket for keeping too many fish, I have no sympathy for him.
I do know what it is like to be treated like a criminal when I haven’t deserved it.
I had a Yellowstone park ranger open and search our packs in a backcountry campsite. When we caught him in the act he said he was checking to see if we had any food in our packs??? Of course we had all of our food up on the bear pole as the law required. Another park ranger in Yellowstone was a total jerk to my brother and I when we were catching (and releasing) a fish almost every cast. He rudely pounded us with questions and checked us up down for several minutes until he finally realized he couldn’t give us a ticket for anything. I think some Yellowstone Park rangers tend to be rude to fishermen because they believe it is immoral to fish. I’m glade I haven’t met any Idaho F&G officers like that yet. If there is a F&G officer around Preston that treats law abiding sportsmen like dirt then he won’t last long.
It sounds like your hunting buddy made an honest mistake but I don't think there is any excuse for hunting in the wrong state (or unit). I have a hard time believing someone that owns land doesn't know what state it is in. It seems like the land owner would know which state he had to pay property tax in??? The F&G officer did his job by arresting everyone and making a big deal about it. If your buddy and the guys he was hunting with didn't get more than $1000 in fines and lost fishing/hunting privileges for a couple years, they got off too easy IMO. I’m sure your buddy got off easier than the owner of Berry Game calls did last year.
The only time I’ve seen an Idaho F&G officers act like jerks is when someone is breaking the rules, doesn’t cooperate with them and/or is a jerk to them.
The guys that break the rules are stealing from all of us that choose to follow the rules. The fishing in Idaho wouldn’t be as good as it is if the F&G and judges weren’t so tough of the law breakers. Might be one of the reasons so many guys come to Idaho to fish instead of fishing in their own state. If you only got a slap on the wrist every time you were caught breaking the rules, it would be cheaper and easier to not follow the rules.
If you get caught bending one of the small rules expect a ticket instead of a warning. I'm not perfect myself. When I was a teenager I picked up a couple $25 dollar tickets. If you fish and hunt in a wide variety of places it is hard to keep track of all of the rules and regulations. However, if I get caught inadvertently breaking a rule I won’t blame anyone but myself.
I wasn’t trying to step on anyone’s toes with this. I hope I didn’t come across that way. I just get upset when people blatantly break the rules.
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