So its a slow day at work which means of course I'm on here and getting paid for it, but I was reading as well on our DNR's website that Ohio starting in 2009 will be implementing a WOCRMS(Wild Ohio Customer Relationship Management System) big fancy name for an electronic DNR where you can buy tags and licenses and starting next year check your animals in via Internet, Phone, or Old-Fashioned Check Stations. The reason I post this is because I read that many mid-western states already have a system in place like this and was wondering how well it worked? Does it improve the overall ease of hunting and checking in animals? What are the pit-falls of the system? What is your input?

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Default.aspx?tabid=20384

Illinois has had the phone and internet checking systems since 2005. I have used both the phone and the internet and never had a problem with either one. However, I believe that there are several pitfalls associated with both. First, you are leaving it up to hunter's and tape measure to report to the state the age of the deer being harvested. The second problem and biggest IMO is the fact that the phone and internet checking systems make it very easy to violate Illinois' two buck per season rule. It would be very easy (and I know people who have done it) to kill a smaller buck (one that would not be going to the taxi) and call and report it as a doe. Once you have the confirmation number on the tag, you are able to cape the deer out and take it to a processor or whatever else you are wanting to do with it. These are just a few problems I see with not have actual check-in stations.

But could the same hunters not just kill a buck and not check it at all if they still had check stations? Poachers will be poachers, regardless. I view telecheck systems as HELPING the actual honest hunters. Plus, if they do it like KY, it can really help keep people honest in some ways. They update the database where anyone can get on, and search to see who has killed what, when, and where...or better yet, who has killed something you KNOW of, without calling it in. Helps ALL hunters turn into a game warden of their own. Someone shoot a deer and it not showing up in the system? Call up the game warden and let him know of it. Tickets being issued is the only way for people to "fear" getting caught and possibly start hunting legit.

I just think they are good programs because they are setup with the honest legal hunters in mind, not poachers. They make it more convenient for people like you and me to call in a deer on an afternoon hunt without having to worry about physically taking your deer in to have someone check it off.

You'll need a confirmation number to take it in for processing. If you butcher your own.......

NC you can check them in via 1800-I-GOT-ONE. Well it's very convenient and all, but at the same time....I think that with the combination of no hard tags let's a lot of deer go unnoticed. I know of several people that let one slip by here and there. Sure poachers are poachers, but since going from a 'hard tag' to punching paper and writing a number down, Ive known several people to just fail to check them in at all. It's easy to notch your tag, especially the "Hunter's Choice" tag, and say you haven't called it in yet....as they give us 24 hours to call it in....get past the warden, and never check it in and count on not getting stopped again, or warden not remembering them. How do I know? I used to hang out at the processor's place and opening day of muzzleloading and gun seasons, they would put a road block up on the 'main entrance' road coming into his place. Sad thing is, with a 6 deer limit, most of the people that fail to tag STILL dont kill their 6 deer.

Sure, if those hunters were planning to/or capable of processing their own game. However, if they are going to take it to a processor or a taxi, then no they can kill a buck and not just check it, but they can still kill a buck and check it electronically as a doe and take it to a processor. However bad it is, the fact is there are hunters in states with buck restrictions such as Illinois who will and do kill smaller bucks as meat deer and check them in as does. This throws off the numbers for the states' DNR research for determining how many bucks/does should be taken in each county, plus it throws off any quality management programs the states are trying to establish.

You are right, poachers will always be poachers, but we do not have to make it easier for these people to poach. In fact, I would argue that these programs make poachers in states like Illinois and Indiana where the number of bucks allowed to taken are limited.

I wish we would go to some of these metal tags I see you guys with that are wrapped around the antler or through the legs. Then there would be no excuse as to why there is no tag. I think it is in the works for next year though.

Not here

I guess I can see both sides. Ohio does little to identify what age/weight the deer are so its more about numbers of deer for Ohio I guess. Actually I wish Ohio did more in the age/weight but thats another subject.


Anyway, I have a check in station about 10 minutes round trip from my hunting spot to my house. So I don't see a real need for being able to check in any other way. Most hunters use the one most convienent to them and I've never heard anyone complain. Not to say it won't be easier to do it that way. but I wonder how many stories I'll hear of people cheating the system. Maybe it will help stop people from poaching.

I tend to think this is in reality only a way for DNR to get thier information faster while reducing costs. At the local check in it is all done by hand. Then entered into their database later. The man hours are probably huge. So if you make it availible for the average joe with internet capability to do it man hours are no longer costing the DNR. The advantageor disadvantages of the system are probably a wash. The cost savings however ....I bet is substantial.

I have the same feelings towards poachers, nothing is going to stop them from doing what they do best, like kickin_buck said, it just seems this will make it easier for them.