Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I have to make a point that has aggrevated me for a long time. The other day I was hunting and decided to take a passing doe since the weather here is getting cold enough to let one hang. So I took my doe and on the way home I drove 20 miles out of the way so that I could let someone check my deer and put a tag on it. This young lady had no idea if I had shot a buck or a doe. To tell you the truth I don't believe she even knew what I shot it with. Anyway, the point that I am trying to make is that I am tired of wasting my time checking in the animals I take.
When I go to Colorado to hunt there are not check in stations to check in my elk. You simply go hunting and take your game. This makes lugging your prize all around the area looking for someone to put a tag on it and tell you to get on down the road. Early in the spring you will generally get a courtesy call from the Colorado Division of Wildlife asking how many animals you saw and if you made any kills.
I have heard the arguments that without checking stations illegal hunting would go out of sight. This point is rather ridiculous and since I live out in the country and most of my neighbors shoot deer all year round for food, I make the argument that illegal hunters don't care if you have to check in your game or not. They are going to shoot what they want, when they want, and will not care.
I was just wondering what some of you fellow hunters thought of this checking station thing and what states require such a wast of time?

Missouri Trapper

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

No check stations or tags here in Mississippi. Just drop the tailgate and load it up and your off. However, I'm not sure everyone follows our "Honor" system of deer harvest.

Hunt the thickets

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I have hunted Va. for over 35 years and we have checking stations, I have been to some that were like you said, they had no idea if it was a buck or a doe or what weapon it was taken with, all they did was ask, others they would do what they are supposed to do, validate sex and weapon. There has been a few occesions where a game warden was present and he would verify everything. In Va. you tag your deer when you kill it, the checkstation gives you a certificate/tag proving that the deer was checked in. Here it is a way to catch poachers, because if you have a deer hanging and do not have the certificate/tag proving that the deer was checked in, you are in trouble. Another thing is you can not get a deer processed or aged unless you have the certificate/tag proving that the deer was checked in. I agree it is a hassle, but it is also a ways to meet other hunters and shoot the bull or maybe brag a bit to boot.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

We have a very early season... Sept 14th. I've shot deer and not gotten out of the woods before they closed. According to our law you have 24 hours to take it to a check station. Yeh... RIGHT... what kind of condition would the meat be in by morning when it's 85 at 9:00 PM the night before. I know for a fact a lot of deer just get taken home and skinned and put in the fridge. I'm pals with the check station guy so if there's no one around he'll make me out the tag and take my word for what I shot the next day. Beats the heck out of dragging a deer out there the next day. Supposedly you can call a hot line... how much hassle you suppose that is?<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

I agree, an outdated system for sure. Give you the tags attached like NY does. You have to separate and cut out the dates when you kill it. If you're caught without a tag on a deer and properly signed and punched you're in trouble. Once the tag is cut you can't hunt on it. If you're in the woods you better have an unpunched tag. Far better system to me.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

i agree it is a hassel and the pochers are gonna poch regardless. i also live in the country and have to drive a long way to check one in but it is there way of getting info. So i drive the distance required and follow the rules. we cannot and will not be responsible for others and there unethical actions.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

Here in Ohio we have check stations. I think it benefits QDM more than it prevents poaching. If someone has questionable morals, they aren't going to bother making sure they get caught by checking in illegally harvested animals (although that's how a good number of violations are discovered). But the numbers that DNR uses to determine next year's limits are partially dependent upon this year's harvest. So I favor the check stations, at least for those reasons. It is a bit of an inconvenience when you have Sunday hunting and only 1 check station in the whole county is open on Sunday, and it's 20 miles away. That's my only complaint.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

Here in NY we just tag them when we get one then we send in a card that tells what sex, what zone and date taken. Alot easier this way.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I agree, it can be a pain. But it's an excellent way to get an approximate number of deer taken for the state's wildlife depts. management programs and to restrict or allow more liberal regulations.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

Also, with things like CWD, the check stations give the DNR a way to sample and test animals.

JRW

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

No check-in stations in SC either, except for a couple WMA's.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I grew up in Nebraska where there are check in stations and i agree it was a pain. The local fire department ran the check stations and I don't think they got a lot of quality info to the game and fish other than sex of the deer. I think they are a waste of time. I now live in South Dakota and like the system they have in place here. You get a tooth envelope with your tag and remove the first two incisors from your deer and mail them back to the game and fish so they can age the deer, not sure what other info they get from them. They also send out a survey at the end of the season to fill out and send back in as to how many days hunted, county hunted in, number of animals seen. If you do not send the survey back they have the right to deny you a license the following year. This system works good and they get all the information they need. Like has been said before, the illegal deer are not going to visit the check stations so what is the point?

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

Everyone has made some really good points. It sounds like South Dakota has a good system for checking deer. I am going to write some letters to the Missouri Department of Conservation and see about making some changes to the current system. I feel that it would be cheaper to send out surveys instead of paying businesses so much per animal for check-in stations. Thanks for all the replies, just wanted to see how everyone else felt about this.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

We have to check them in Tennesse and I'm guessing about 1/2 or 2/3 of the deer killed actually get checked. I took a kid to a safety course last year and asked the game warden instructor why we have check ins and he said it was all bs. The game warden said it was started in the early 1950's when tennessee's deer herd was very small and being restocked. He said it gave them some idea of how the herd was growing. But, the herd is so large now that those numbers don't mean anything. He said is wasteless bureacratic bs.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

Killed my first dear this year. A doe at last light. by the time I got out of the tree, tracked her, cleaned her, and dragged her out of the woods the only checkin station I knew of was closed. I called the police dept and they told me of another that was likely open. They also said that if absolutely neccassary, I could check it at the Police Dept. Don't know if that is the way at all Virginia Police or Sheriff, but it is here in Chesterfield.

David

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

They sound ridicuous! I agree that the carcass tags where you punch out the date of kill are far better than getting a tag from a station. You tag your deer before you move it, if you have a deer you haven't tagged it's a fine. Plain, simple, and the poachers have no alibi of &quot;on the way to get it checked&quot;. I also agree that the postcard surveys should be effective enough for data collection.

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RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I too live in missouri and beleive that checking deer can be a pain.
I was at my local bow shop about two months ago and a conservation agent was there asking what people thought about the state wide any deer permits for firearms season( which I think is wrong in the area I live in) and she said that they were thinking about doing away with check in stations because is cost them $1.00 for every deer checked and going to a phone/internet type system. I don't know how this works but if you called in and they asign your animal a number and just like they do when you check one in at a station then that would be great IMO. Because the people who kill deer and do ckeck them all they get is a tag with a number on it and the phone in system would do the samething as most check in station do, I have never had my deer checked for the type of weapon used so what would be different? And it would serve the same perphs as the check station as far as giving the conservation agents a record of what is taken and by who, with cell phones useing the internet the agent could see if your animal has been checked and the check in number if he happens to visit you. And this system would make no difference to poachers because they don't check in deer most of the time anyway. I have seen the conservation agent come into the check station many times and see that someone took a deer on opening day or took two with a few days or weeks of each other and ask people working there or anyone in the store for that matter if they know this person and do they think they are in some many words a poacher, so who really gets more attention the person who checks there animals in or the one who doesn't????????

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I don't know how it is in your state but in OK the season differs from year to year. Lets say the doe count is low in one county they will increase it the next year and the only way they know is by the deer that is being checked in. I'm sure there is a better way but today it's the only way.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I know they get infor from the check stations. The thing is they can get the same info from a mail in card or a call in system.

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RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

i with you on this,i get tired of going to a check station to have some kid come out and stick a peice of plastic through it. half the time they just give you the plastic at the counter and ask you to do it yourself they don't want to get grossed out.all for what? some imformation of what unit it was killed in and if was a buck or doe.i can see maybe during gun season for teeth samples and maybe cwd test,but they could get the same thing at a locker plant.to me it does nothing to stop poaching anmore i know a lot of people who kill it legal, tag it legal and just take it home and cut it up.they count on their tags they are just tired of the hassle of finding a check station that is open and getting to it on time.for what, why not just mail it in like they did this few years ago and i believe they said alot of people didn't send it in.well i bet there is alot more not checked in now a days.just tired of the hassle in missouri.

RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

I think they would get more valuable info from a phone in system because more people would put up with the inconvenience of making a phone call than driving all over the place. I'm sure compliance would be higher if they reduced the hassle and let people relax and have a beer and take pictures instead of driving the deer out to somewhere they wouldn't have to go otherwise.
Here in Ontario we don't have to check in our deer, we simply tag it on the spot, if you're caught with a deer thats not tagged you're a poacher. We do have to check in wild turkeys because they are still being re-introduced, but I hope they do away with that soon because when I got my 1st this spring the last thing I wanted to do was drive cross country to have my bird compared to all the other birds, I just wanted to get the guts out of it, have a beer with my friends and tell the story.


&quot;guns aren't for killing people, guns are for killing dangerous and delicious animals&quot;
- Homer Simpson

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RE: Why do we have check-in stations?
 

well we still have some here &quot;Fl&quot; the ones for deer are at the inter\exit road. in the wma that have them. which is not that many.
but you only have to check game on the wma that have the station on site.


when bear hunting was still leagle you had to check them. there was an onsite boligest to get the info at the &quot;bear check ins&quot; or if it was after houres &quot;for the bol.&quot; you left the guts for the boligest. the store owner toke down the other required info &quot;the station for where we hunted was the only store within 50 miles 8-5 the iolgest was there in bear seasion. the store stayed open 24hr a day during bear seasion&quot;
L. O. D. Charter member and L.O.S.