# Wardens cite hunters for too many Mallards



## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

*Wardens cite hunters for too many Mallards*

By Brad Dokken

Grand Forks Herald Staff Writer

Six hunters face charges for shooting 20 mallards too many in Eddy County near Warwick, N.D.

Charged with exceeding the limit were Benjamin Dietz, 18, of Fargo; Bradley Dietz, 49, of Fargo; Brian Miller, 21, of Kilkenny, Minn.; Marc Peterson, 53, of Montgomery, Minn.; Joe Peterson, 20, of Montgomery; and a juvenile, who couldn't be named. They are scheduled to appear in Eddy County District Court on Oct. 19.

Bruce Burkett, a game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck, said he watched the hunters shoot the ducks over decoys set in a harvested grain field last Sunday morning southwest of Warwick. When he checked the hunters, Burkett said he counted 50 mallards and one pintail.

North Dakota's daily duck limit is six, but hunters can shoot only five mallards and no more than two hens daily. According to Burkett, that put them 20 mallards over the daily limit. The hunters had shot 27 mallard hens and 23 drakes, he said.

None of the hunters charged in the case were guides or outfitters, Burkett said.

Gene Masse, a game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in New Rockford, N.D., assisted Burkett with the case. He confiscated the ducks and donated them to the New Rockford Volunteer Fire Department.

Masse said the incident could cost the hunters more than $2,000 in total fines if they plead guilty to the Class B misdemeanor. The two wardens allowed the hunters to keep their shotguns pending the court's ruling, Masse said. Instead of confiscating the guns, Masse said he might ask that the hunters make a cash donation to the state's Report All Poachers program.

Masse said the number of ducks the hunters had shot couldn't be written off as a mistake.

"I don't think they miscounted," Masse said. "It's just a matter of some fun that got carried away. That takes out a lot of mallards for somebody else."

Dokken covers the outdoors. Contact him at (701) 780-1148, (800) 477-6572 extension 148, or by e-mail at [email protected].


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

:eyeroll:


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Hang them by the jewelry sack!!! dd:


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## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

Should have their licenses pulled for 5 years at least as there is no excuse for this. So much for the promotion of not shooting hens......


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## Goosehunter04 (Nov 12, 2003)

:eyeroll: This is just sad!! uke:


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## Cedar Creek (Sep 15, 2003)

What Does the Bible Say About Hunting?

By Betty Miller

Proverbs 12:27

"The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious."

The book of Proverbs deals with many practical subjects as well as spiritual ones. In this verse we are given advice on hunting. It is not wrong to hunt; however, Proverbs 12:27 says that the man who hunts for game and just kills it, and does not take possession of it for eating is a slothful man. The diligent hunter takes his game for food (roasting) and considers it a precious possession, as he has food for his family's table.


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

sanctions aand penalties are not severe enough for game violations


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

uke: uke: uke: uke: uke: uke: uke: uke: uke:


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I'd like to see a tiered penalty system. First bird over... $50 non criminal violation. This could cover the extra bird that truely is and error or accident. 2 birds over...$100 each & license for 1 year, 3 birds over ...$200 each & license for 2 years, 4 birds or more over...$300 per bird, license for 2 years and 5 year probation period. Any violation during probation.... license for 5 years. Add "conspiracy" charge and $500 to each "party" member when extra birds exceed 1 per member. Toss in some community service and re-take firearms safety while we are at it.

That would make $6000 in over limit fines. $3000 in conspiracy fines, loss of license for 2 years and 5 years probation for these guys.


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Your penalties make much more sense than the current ones.


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

and be mandatory sentences similer to drug usage whereas there is no uke: plea bargaining. Alot of time these wardens do stake outs for months even years and all the offenders get are trivial misdemeanors. Does anybody recall what those outofstate yo-yo's got for shooting a 100+ over their limit last year by Carrington. I don't know if anybody relized in but the birds were surrond at night adn shot at night then picked up the next day


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

:eyeroll: That is sad uke:


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

I would make the community service part Mandatory! and I would require it to be allocated toward habitat restoration, improvement etc.

I posted a while ago about higher penalties for overlimit fishing and a bunch of people jumped all over me. It did not change my mind. A slap on the fingers will not stop this behavior.

Have a good one!


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

sorry to hear that Bob game wardens have their work cut out for them Then just to have nothing happen to their arrests. There was a incident years ago down by Mott whereas a outstater shot 131? roosters over his limit. He recieved somthing like a $1500 fine and could not hunt fo 2 years in ND. He flew in on his private plane and paid the fine and left --------He could still 'hunt' in the other 49 states--- there is something about that hese regulations can only be prosecuted in the same state as caught in and that the penalty cant go outside the state. There has been some legislationt to change this but it never gets through


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## Maverick (Mar 4, 2002)

I am with you Bob. If we put fear in there eyes, they will fear the outcome!!! Stiffer penalties for hunting and fishing!


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

It's a crime...

If we put fear in the eyes of all who decide to steal, abuse, shoot to many ducks, or anything that is breaking the law... Maybe they would think twice.

Question: In the last two years, how often has a hunter taken over it's limit and been charged?


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Couple of guys from N. Dak. couple of guys from Minn. So much for that theory! Generalizations are a low form of persuasion!


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Makes you wonder what their plan was to utilize all those ducks after they shot them. I always wonder what some people do with all the game that they say that they shot. I wonder how much of it goes to waste? Pretty easy to give away fish or pheasant but how many people want a duck or a goose?


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

I like the idea of taking away hunyting PRIVILEGES nationally, not from the specific state. :******:


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

maybe 3 years of community services during waterfowl season cleaning restrooms at rest stops and public campgrounds, wearing a shirt saying 'I AM A PIG AND AND I CAN NO COUNT' 8)


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

I am only aware of Three that had any publicity

The Bass Brothers
Last year at Carrington (Sorry can't remember the names)
And the Dietz and company thing.


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

Niles Short said:


> 'I AM A PIG AND AND I CAN NO COUNT' 8)


that would be a sweet shirt even if you could count


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

Remmi_&_I said:


> I like the idea of taking away hunyting PRIVILEGES nationally, not from the specific state. :ticked:


There is currently a large network of states that ND is a part of where if you lose your license in one state it crosses over to all of them. I think the only state not in this in the upper midwest is WI.

What a bunch of ***** killers! 27 friggin' hens!!! That's the part that ****** me off most. You'd think they could at least pass on the suzies...obviously these guys just don't care. :eyeroll:


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

I think that it applies just to the states that join this pac and how many I don't. I don't think that it is very many. Why don't all 50 states get together and implement some sort federal guidlines. somebody with some free min should call GnF and clarify this it would be interesting


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

:sniper:  poacher


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## PASS SHOOTEM (Sep 29, 2004)

Boy... if hunting was so good for those guys, would thionk they'd be happy with a limit of drakes!

Why take so many hens? Nothing better than a limit of greenies, why would you need more? and why the darn hens!

:eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll:


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

DJ
Please do not turn this into a Resident Non-Resident Issue it is not!!

It is a slob hunter, unethical Hunter, don't give a sh!t hunter issue. They exist everywhere.

If any of you see a violation the RAP phone number is 1-800-472-2121, use it! The phone number is also located on your hunting license.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

That was the purpose of my post because I keep hearing about the unethical non resident hunter and I strongly believe you have to look at the individual to find the logic in thier nonsense and not their state of residence.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

DJ
Thanks for the clarification.

No hard feelings?

Have a good one!


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

state of residence has nothing to do with it. it all comes down to the person.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

could have been the uke: reward bands they were after....maybe a good idea....maybe not. 8)


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Ben goes to school with me, I have been ripping on him. He says that he was in a bale blind 40 yards away from the set, and the other guy's were amongst the set, and after he shot 3 birds he ran out of amm. So he says it was the other guys. I say he's full of Shi. The warden watched them do the whole thing, and when he approched them ben had 3 shells in his gun. Amazing, he didn't run out of ammo. Ill keep rippin on him, *This gives all hunters a bad name.*


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## tail chaser (Sep 24, 2004)

Keep rippin!!!!!! :******: :******: :******: 
tc


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

The kid and his Dad and friends did something wrong......they got caught....hopefully they and others will learn from it. Lighten up a little bit...I'm sure he feels very bad about the situation. Give him a little grief but don't keep rippin all the time. I'm sure that most of you have done something wrong in your past hunts that you have regretted even though you didn't get caught. I do feel however that we need to have a lot more stringent penalties to help stop this in the future. Print right on the proclamations what the fine will be for over-harvest of animals for instance.


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Field Hunter said:


> Print right on the proclamations what the fine will be for over-harvest of animals for instance.


This would be a great idea if they would make them stiffer !!


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I guess I respectfully disagree. I don't think the kid should be continually ripped on but if we don't remember the past we are bound to repeat it!!!


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

When I read this forum I get the impression most of you guys are young pups (not that I'm that old). How many of you remember the days of 3 duck and either 3 or 5 goose limits. Those days we were more than happy just to get a limit. Now limits are twicwe that and it seems everybody is crying in their milk if they don't limit out. Many of us are just happy to be out and to get a few birds. On days when the birds are coming in good it's more fun to drop one bird per flock than dump your limit in 10 minutes.

One of the reasons for this kind of activity is because most of the time they get away with it. Wardens are few and far between and chances of getting caught are very slim. That is why WE have to patrol our own ranks and report those activities. If poachers like this realize other sportsmen may be watching them things may change.


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## Live To Hunt (Sep 11, 2004)

This is just absolutely disgusting. These people should have their equipment taken from them, fined much more severely than they are currently facing, and not allowed to hunt ANYWHERE for at least 2 years. 27 HEN MALLARDS!!! The damage that kind of action does goes far beyond just the birds shot, it's the birds lost as well now that these birds cannot reproduce. It makes me sick right in the guts when something like this happens. Gee I wish I could get a chance to meet these guys and give them a piece of my mind (and/or my fist).

:******:


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

You (live to hunt) can have a say in these matters. Maybe it is time for hunters to get together and go tto these hearings of offenders, as such, and express our views to the prosecuters and judges.
PM and let me know when the preliminary trial is in Grand Forks and I will drive up there either by myself, or with anyone else they may want to go. Then if strong enough sentences are not imposed, then letters to the editors across ND to keep this going and let lawmakers know our feelings


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## Drew Willemsen (Sep 29, 2003)

Yeah, I'd go too, you could probably get 1/2 of the site to go looking at the reactions of everyone. I sat in on the Supreme Court today in Grand Forks, it was pretty cool...


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

court is interesting have sat throgh a few myself. I am serious about this have some people follow this stuff and get to these things and put our 2 cents in a orderly fashion. keep me posted.


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