Delaware Duck "hunter" arrested

D

Dave Hughes

Active member
Does anybody know anything about this story...I am assuming there is no hunting in Delaware on Sundays??? There wasn't much to the article...Thanks Dave

MILFORD, DEL. — A 28-year-old Milford man was arrested for illegally hunting waterfowl, state environment officials said today.


Gary M. Messick Jr. was charged Sunday with three counts of possession of a firearm and/or ammunition by a person prohibited and four counts of possessing and unlawfully taken waterfowl, said Sgt. Gregory Rhodes, spokesman for the state’s Fish and Wildlife Enforcement.

Officers seized three shotguns at the time of his arrest.

Messick was released on $7,500 unsecured bail pending a court hearing.

Rhodes said citizens are encouraged to report fish and wildlife violations to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section at 739-4580.
 
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I did hear something about this. From what I was told it was a mistake. New guy to the area, didn't realize the no hunting on Sunday law. Was set up in plain view, not sneaking around or hiding. I would like to hear more about it if anyone has info on it.

Jim/Fowlfishing
 
the "person prohibited" may be the greater of the violations..If new to an area, and planning to hunt, it is usually a good idea to familiarize onesself with regulations!
Our season for fowl runs until the 29th of January, only because we do not count Sundays, and have three splits.
If he was in plain view, he certainly was not poaching.
 
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we have the same law and rationale in New Jersey. I like the longer season, but I wish they would close hunting on Mondays or Tuesdays and give me Sundays. It is a tuff short season when you work all week and only get to hunt Saturdays without time to scout in between. Hopefully Sunday bow hunting will open a window for others here.
James
 
I wish they would close hunting on Mondays or Tuesdays and give me Sundays. It is a tuff short season when you work all week and only get to hunt Saturdays without time to scout in between.
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Hey James,
I'm sure it's tough being restricted to hunt Saturdays only, but Monday and Tuesdays are great for us shift workers. I like the idea of letting the birds have a day off on Sunday, without any hunting pressure. Especially after you weekend warriors get done skybusting at them all day Saturday. LOL! Hope all is well with you and yours' this holiday season. See you at training sooner or later.
 
Isn't there a separation of church and state issue with Sunday closures? I know it might add to the length of your seasons but it is no small coincident that its Sunday that they chose to close. I grew up in a religion were Saturday hunting was not really a option so this law would have basically made hunting for me impossible. If they are looking to lengthen the season then they should change the day to a weekday or length the splits.

Chris
 
New Hampshire allows hunting on Sundays, none of the surrounding states do. It's a boost for license fees. This from a state that puts liquor super stores on the major freeways to attract outside tax dollars...
 
the Sunday closure law is just silly.

That is akin to having a law that says:
one must say "Simon Says" before pulling the trigger.


Congratulations on your bird, but did you say "Simon Says?"

Dumb
 
I wish they would close hunting on Mondays or Tuesdays and give me Sundays. It is a tuff short season when you work all week and only get to hunt Saturdays without time to scout in between.
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Hey James,
I'm sure it's tough being restricted to hunt Saturdays only, but Monday and Tuesdays are great for us shift workers. I like the idea of letting the birds have a day off on Sunday, without any hunting pressure. Especially after you weekend warriors get done skybusting at them all day Saturday. LOL! Hope all is well with you and yours' this holiday season. See you at training sooner or later.
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Mike, I am pretty sure that people "skybust" during the week also.

I think as hunters we should hope for more hunters, not less, in the field. The more people exposed to hunting the better. Maybe the majority of "weekend warriors" would only hunt Saturday or Sunday and spread out the pressure. Either way, I agree with Todd, the law is arbitrary and silly.
 
We have learned to live with it, but i assume that if you want something changed, you would go to your state f&w2 and propose that change---The feds give us a 60 day season for ducks--fortunately, we have the split option---Consider that the folks with sundays end their season a LOT earlier thn those of us down south.
Years ago, in del, the f&w folks were counting sunday in their days, which screwed us out of around ten days each season---We raised a stink, and voila, that was fixed, so that we are not obligated to count sundays as part of the 60.
Sometimes, it is good to remember that things you wish for often backfire on you, then it takes forever to get back what you lost!
 
Having gone through too many years of arguments during the regulations setting process, the Sunday closures are hold overs from the old Blue Laws in a few Atlantic Flyway states. In many states those Blue Laws have been lifted for everything but hunting. In these states the state Fish and Wildlife agencies made a decision that they didn't have the horsepower to get the law changed. In several other states the State Constitution is often cited as the source of the prohibition on hunting on Sundays. The Federal Government for years said hey that is a states right issue and stayed out of it. A few years back the states finally convinced the FWS to compensate days during the regular duck or goose seasons that were closed on Sunday by state law. So those states have extended their seasons to make up for those lost Sundays.
 
I hated no Sunday hunting when I lived in PA.
But, like noted be careful what you ask for. When this issue was raised in one of the NE states, many of the cooperative landowners said they would pull their lands if they opened up Sunday hunting. That killed the idea right there.
 
the Sunday closure law is just silly.

That is akin to having a law that says:
one must say "Simon Says" before pulling the trigger.


Congratulations on your bird, but did you say "Simon Says?"

Dumb They had a law in Missouri that required you to put a sticker on your gun for turkey shooting. I was stopped by a warden and he checked everything and then asked me where my "Be Safe" sticker was. I asked him what he was talking about and he told me that they (Walmart) should have given me one when I bought the license. He didn't give me a ticket and after I hunted, I went to Walmart where they gave me 4 yellow stickers about the size of a dime that said "Be Safe". You were instructed to apply one on the top of your stock where the wood meets the receiver. This way you would see the sticker when you went to shoulder the gun. After handling the gun for 10 minutes with any kind of moisture you can't read the sticker and the glue is all over the wood. Brilliant idea! Sometimes the rules get a little bit silly. dc
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It is a tuff short season when you work all week and only get to hunt Saturdays without time to scout in between. Hopefully Sunday bow hunting will open a window for others here.
James
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I agree with James...

I took up bowhunting last year for the sole reason that they opened it up on Sundays, and since I can't go duck hunting, I might as well get some fresh air in the tree stand. Not as much of an adrenaline rush, and I have had limited success to date, but it still gets me out of the house. One downside is that this has taken away time for off-season shooting practice (now for bow practice) and scouting time for duck hunting :(

Regarding the guy that was caught hunting on Sunday in Delaware, I feel sorry for him, but, as they always say, not knowing the law isn't an excuse. I made sure when I moved to NJ that I read the hunting laws forwards and backwards and knew all the details and laws. When I wasn't sure, I err on the side of caution until I hear and see otherwise. There are still some things that I don't understand, like opening day of the coastal zone coinciding with small game season (can we shoot before 9 am or not?), boat launches that have signs saying they're "closed" and/or tresspassing signs on tidal rivers, but they're ok to use during hunting season... ya gotta love NJ.

Anthony
 
Back to the real subject;Gary Messick Jr.,a 28 year-oldMilford mans truck was found overturned on slaughter Beach Rd.about 2- a.m. sunday morn.by state police apon investigating they saw 4 dead ducks 2- blacks and a drake and a hen mallard along with some hunting equipment,the policed called the game wardens in .the fish and wildlife officers found Mr. Messick to have a criminal record and learned that he was covicted of a felony in 2005, which prohibits him from owning a firearm ,after getting permission from his father[who he lived wth]the police found weapons leaning against the wall in his room and confiscated them .Mr messick claims that some one else shot the 4-ducks and gave them to him.Under federal law waterfowl killed and given to another person must be tagged with cotact info by the person who killed them. messick was arrested and 3- shotguns confiscated He was released on $7,500.00 unsecured bail .THIS INFO from the Delaware News Journal you can go on to www.delawareonline.com this artical was in the paper on thursday,dec 30, 2010 page B4.
 
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untagged--he is otl on blacks! one now begins to wonder how the truck got overturned. Might have been a mite dicey last weekend, eh?
If someone else brought the ducks into bag, and gave them to you, , and you are transporting, you BETTER have them tagged with shooter's name, address, and lic #. Methinks the lad is going to have some problems for the new year.
Happy new year, Cas.
 
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