# Whats the ruling?



## bill jenkins (Apr 23, 2006)

Fellas, my father and brothers and I are heading to your great state the first week of November, I'm driving along with my nephew the other crew is flying. We are hunting 5 days, hopefully making it a success. The way I read the rules I can only transport 10 birds a piece home with me back to PA. Is this true? So what are we to do with the other limits> I guess to sum this up, If one person hunts for three days and kills there limit of 5 each day, 15 total birds, they could only bring 10 home. What should I do, I'm not eating all the ducks in one or two sittings. Oh and another thing do I have to leave a wing on all these birds? I'm the farthest thing from an outlaw please don't not think otherwise, I just want to have all my facts straight.


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## fiftyincher (Aug 3, 2004)

You eat them. Give them to someone who wants them. If you can't do one of those two things, you don't shoot anymore after you have your possession limit.

Yes, you need to have a wing or head on each bird and they have to be tagged with your name and address.

Hope that helps some, have a great trip!


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## Timber2005 (Jul 8, 2005)

Bill,
YOu better read up on your regs, you can only have twice your daily bag limit (per person) in your possesion. This means 10 birds period. You also need to leave a wing on for transportation.


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## Dunk221999 (Sep 11, 2002)

Thats why they impliment possession limits......

If you are hunting 5 days, you better put 3 days of those limits in your belly before you go out again, because the FEDs especially will nail you hard.

If you don't plan on eating them, you might want to think about why you are shooting more than your possession limit.

There have been reports of spot checks on hiways for these exact types of violations (which is why a wing needs to be left on) Identification.

Also remember the "Hunters Choice" is in effect. One hen mallard or one pin. So probobly not wise to blast the first few flocks of the morning unless you have superman vision. there are also changes in other ducks as well so check your regs.

Good luck though! Hopefully a push of birds will great your arrival.


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## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

5 a day, 10 in total posssesion. I know it would be nice to take birds home to eat later, but thats the facts. And if you have 10 in the freezer, dont think you can go out the next day for some "eaters"

Try deep fried duck fingers. Slice the breast and bread with shore lunch. You can eat a PILE of ducks this way!

My neighbor stock piles his freezer for a spring game feed. Never goes over a daily limit. BUT, still in hot water if he gets caught!

And- if you have 10 ducks at home in your freezer from your home state, you cant hunt at all in NO DAK, technically. Its a fed limit, not state. You could get away with that with upland birds, but not ducks.


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## bill jenkins (Apr 23, 2006)

I understand the regs, not sure if everyone read my post entirely (timber), I'm sure the wardens will nail you thats why I'm double checking. As for the the freezer analogy, I better cancel my trip.


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## roostbuster (Oct 19, 2005)

or... once you take them into your possesion, you can do WHATEVER you want with them, this includes throwing them away due to any number of reason "being spoiled" one of them. not something that i practice, but legal. Wanton waste is only there to stop people from shooting birds and leaving them in the field untouched.

I'de locate any local food shelf (and this is not to be racist in any form, this is straight from the mouths of people who run food shelves), if the food shelf is anywhere near a population of poor natives, they LOVE getting wild game donations, wether it be ducks, geese, venison, anything, as this allows them to cook a tradition meal that is very appreicated by the natives. I've been told this numerous times dropping off venison that I will not eat.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

SHoot what you want to eat or bring home and leave it at that. There is no need to shoot your limit every day. It really isn't that easy this year anyway. Use the evenings to scout or shoot upland, or just drive around and enjoy ND!!!!!


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## Cedar Creek (Sep 15, 2003)

We asked that very question to a ND Biologist this past week. Our question was, Since one of our three group was flying home eraly, can we take his possesion limit home in our ice chest. The answer is no and he had to get his own ice chest. Get yourself a crock pot and eat them each day you are there. Thats the easiest way.


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## r_b_burg (Dec 24, 2004)

What about if you start to process the meat, by grinding it or cooking it? Can you transport ground waterfowl or cooked waterfowl and not count it toward your posession limit?


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## bill jenkins (Apr 23, 2006)

rbburg, this is a good question, I'm not trying to be a mass killer, but a few average days of hunting is going to put me over the edge, when I hunt I'm more interested in decoying birds, dog work, and being with the boys, I'm not concerned about killing my limit. I guess the answer is a crock pot, a big one, and lots of duck dinners. Even though it is a federal law, I find it a bit weird the state rules and regs on the east coast PA, NY, CT, MD, state very clearly do not eat more than two waterfowl (any species) in a month. Talk about confusing.


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## Cando (Oct 14, 2006)

Bill,

Do you know why they state not to eat more than 2 ducks a month out East. Is it because of polutants like fish?


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## dieseldog (Aug 9, 2004)

no you can't transport half processed birds. How would you be able to identify the sex and species of that bird. Evidence of sex and species must be visible until bird reaches final place of processing. Don't even plan on pitching the birds in the ditch just to shoot more either.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

8. Transportation and Processing
License holders must accompany their game, or parts thereof, during transportation. Except for legally gifted game, it is illegal to possess or transport another's game, or parts thereof, without the license holder accompanying or as otherwise permitted. No resident of the state may ship game, or parts thereof, out of state without a permit from the Department. A nonresident licensee may arrange shipment of or personally transport his/her game from this state. Game may be shipped by common carrier in receipt of proper bill of lading.

No person shall leave or store any game birds at any place other than that persons legal residence unless each piece of game is tagged with the owner's signature and address, date taken, number and species of game, and license number of the person who harvested the game.

Game may be gifted to another, however nothing allows a person to exceed a daily limit. Any gifted game to be transported must be tagged with the above information and display sex and species identification as required. Termination of possession can only be accomplished by: 1) Gifting of legally harvested game. 2) By consuming the game.

No one may possess, store, transport, or ship at any one time, more than a possession limit of migratory game birds. No person shall ship migratory game birds unless the package is marked on the outside with1) the name and address of the person sending the birds, (2) the name and address of the person to whom the birds are being sent, and (3) the number of each species contained in the package. No person shall put or leave any game birds at any place unless the birds are tagged by the hunter with the following information: the hunter's signature and address, date taken, number and species of such birds, and small game or waterfowl license number. The above tag is required if the birds have been left by the hunter for cleaning, storage (including temporary storage), shipment, or taxidermy services. No person shall transport migratory game birds belonging to another person unless such birds are tagged as required (see above). Passengers in a vehicle that is transporting their birds are not required to tag their birds.


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## bill jenkins (Apr 23, 2006)

I would never ditch birds for the ability to shoot more, sounds like some people are guilty of this.


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

bill jenkins said:


> I would never ditch birds for the ability to shoot more, sounds like some people are guilty of this.


No its sounds like "some" people are thinking of doing it.


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## hoosier dhr (Jul 24, 2003)

you can mail them home!


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

> you can mail them home!


You can but it still counts toward your possession limit.

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 50, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 50CFR20.39]

[Page 41]

TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES

CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE 
INTERIOR--(Continued)

PART 20--MIGRATORY BIRD HUNTING--Table of Contents

Subpart D--Possession

Sec. 20.39 Termination of possession.

Subject to all other requirements of this part, the possession of 
birds taken by any hunter shall be deemed to have ceased when such birds 
have been delivered by him to another person as a gift; or have been 
delivered by him to a post office, a common carrier, or a migratory bird 
preservation facility and consigned for transport by the Postal Service 
or a common carrier to some person _*other than the hunter.*_

[41 FR 31537, July 29, 1976]

Bob


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## lantvit3333 (Mar 28, 2003)

We bring a crockpot up every time we come to ND and we eat alot of duck sandwiches while we are there. We never brought home any leftovers because we weren't sure if that counts towards your limit or if its even legal to transport cooked duck? Seems to me by this post that it's a good thing we don't.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

r_b_burg said:


> What about if you start to process the meat, by grinding it or cooking it?  Can you transport ground waterfowl or cooked waterfowl and not count it toward your posession limit?


this was posted by a ND Game Warden on another site......

North Dakota law requires all waterfowl and upland game to have species identification on those birds till it reaches the final place of storage. That final place of storage for most of us means our personal abode. If the birds are to be consumed at a place prior to the personal abode then of course it can be cleaned and eaten. Consuming the bird ends possession. Lawfully gifting of birds terminates possession but does not decrease the daily limit. Making your birds into sausage does not terminate possession. Making sausage prior to the birds getting to the final place of storage makes a transportation problem from a species identification point of view.

Shipping birds to an out of state location by a non resident is authorized---
20.1-03-25. Transportation of game or fish by nonresidents having a hunting, fur-bearer, or fishing license. Any nonresident having a nonresident hunting, fur-bearer, or fishing license, and lawfully in possession of any big game, small game, fur-bearer, or fish may:

2. Ship by common carrier, upon providing identification by displaying the person's nonresident license, such game or fish, if the shipment is carried openly for content inspection and is plainly marked with a suitable tag bearing the person's name, address, and the number of the person's nonresident hunting, fishing, or fur-bearer license, and has attached to it a special shipping tag provided with the nonresident license form. The total number of such game or fish shipped in any one season shall not exceed the number the person may lawfully possess.

While we don't provide special tags any more we do have a free shipping declaration that you can get from the Enforcement Office in Bismarck (phone 701-328-6604) and we will send out as many as you need. You attach it to the shipment.

Non residents may ship only one possession limit during a season.

North Dakota residents need a special permit to send game out of state. This is one area where the non resident has more latitude than a resident.

Most examples of making birds into sausage that we have come across are people that either don't think about species accountability rules or are trying to disguise the number of birds they have taken during the hunt


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Guys,

Just a suggestion...If you provide guidance...why not include the source/reg as Bob and Ken W did? It helps clear up any questions about validity.

Mike


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