Daily vs Possession

I am not a warden or lawyer and I didn't sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night; but, this is what I know about the questions that have been asked.

Daily = Daily Doesn't matter where you shoot it, you get 1 limit per calendar day not matter how many licenses you have or which states.

Field possession limit = 3x daily bag limit unless otherwise restricted through special regulation (i.e., if you have a swan tag allowing 1 swan/year, you better not get caught with 3 dead swans in the field).

Possession limit currently = 3x daily bag limit. This was changed to match Canada's possession limit. You are allowed to bring a full possession limit of foreign country into the United States as long as it was legally taken, does not exceed the daily bag limit or possession limit in that country, and that you retain a fully feather wing attached to the meat. I have imported cleaned breasts with 1 wing attached to each breast on numerous occasions. I also tag each bird/breast with name of hunter, license number and species name to facilitate filling out the importation forms at the border. Possession terminates upon consuming the birds, gifting them properly, or processing them at your personal abode. This possession limit can extend to your home freezer when they are trying to convince a Federal judge that you are a bad bad person. If they are going through your freezer then they have a search warrant and they are looking for everything you've every done wrong.

A search warrant may or may not be needed in the field. If a warden encounters you in the field and suspects that you've been hunting (probable cause), they can ask for you to produce your license, stamps, authorizations and any harvested game (it doesn't matter if its a Federal or State regulated species, since your hunting license has a standard clause on the bottom that you sign certifying that you agree to produce all licenses, tags, records and your drivers license to designated officers if requested. Its a condition of sale for every license. However, a warden probably would need a search warrant to go through your car, boat, decoy bags or other gear if (a) your license and tags were in order, that your gun was not capable of holding more than 3 shells and your all your visible ammo was non-toxic shot and you didn't have clearly visible harvested game or (b) you refused their verbal request to look in or through your vehicle/boat/gear.
 
Brad if you happen to live in Missouri you can have your freezer searched without a warrant. "Ever" having a hunting license in Missouri is probable cause for a search, no warrent needed.

MO cops use Conservation agents all the time to get into a house without a warrant. It does stand up in court too.
 
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Possession terminates upon consuming the birds, gifting them properly, or processing them at your personal abode.

Brad,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we've had this conversation before, and if I remember, I can "gift" a full possession limit to my wife as well as my kid (who is still at home) and then shoot another three daily limits (assuming spread over at least 9 days) giving me up to 9 daily limits in the freezer before I have to really start eating (not something I have much to worry about in the duck desert of West Michigan). Yes?

Chuck
 
Possession terminates upon consuming the birds, gifting them properly, or processing them at your personal abode.

Brad,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we've had this conversation before, and if I remember, I can "gift" a full possession limit to my wife as well as my kid (who is still at home) and then shoot another three daily limits (assuming spread over at least 9 days) giving me up to 9 daily limits in the freezer before I have to really start eating (not something I have much to worry about in the duck desert of West Michigan). Yes?

Chuck

Daily limits of what? Once I get home all my birds are cleaned and placed in the freezer. How would they know if I exceeded my daily limit, or possession limit of any one individual species? Doesn't possession limit mean 3 times the daily limit and that daily limit is defined by duck species?

Lots of room for improvement in possession limits.

Mark W
 
Possession terminates upon consuming the birds, gifting them properly, or processing them at your personal abode.

Brad,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we've had this conversation before, and if I remember, I can "gift" a full possession limit to my wife as well as my kid (who is still at home) and then shoot another three daily limits (assuming spread over at least 9 days) giving me up to 9 daily limits in the freezer before I have to really start eating (not something I have much to worry about in the duck desert of West Michigan). Yes?

Chuck

Chuck, yes if properly tagged. Make sure the dates and everything line up.
 
All right, one more wrinkle.

After I've skinned or breasted out a bird and consumed or frozen the meat, what is the status of the carcass or skin that's left?

Let's say for example I have my full position limit in the freezer as breasts, but also have kept the frozen carcasses or skins because I intend to use the feathers. Conceivably I could have freezer bags equal to double my limit, if I saved everything. Since I'm guessing nobody is going to do DNA analysis to match the breasts back to carcasses, how might this be handled when the FWS busts me for my role as king pin in a scheme to deal rhinocerous horn, Komodo dragon meat and tiger parts, and they decide to throw the book at me?
 
Concerning any type of processed meat made from waterfowl, and transported - NO. One feathered wing means one feathered wing on each bird during transportation especially from Canada into the USA.

I've been fortunate to have hunted waterfowl in many states, and Canadian Provinces. Bottom line know the laws, obey the laws and be a good guest. In many places if you are successful or not you will get checked, so expect it. There will be road blocks and game checks, expect them also. I have also gotten a wealth of hunting info, direction, and "where to go and who to ask for permission" from the folks that checked me. It's all pretty much what you make of the encounter.

The officers that enforce the law have seen it all, heard it all and can smell a rat and a liar. In some places I have hunted when checked you are guilty till proved innocent. I am very glad and impressed that NY is not one of those places in my personal experience. Sure I may bitch and moan about certain laws, but I obey them and have respect for those that enforce them.

Study the laws every year, for every state and province you hunt. Questions, call or ask those in the know (hopefully) they can help.

DNA testing, is always possible in any case.
 
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