Here is a good question for all of you Pennsylvania hunters and fisherman out there. A friend of mine recently asked me this and I didn't have an answer for him...maybe you could help.

As by Pennsylvania Fish Commission regulations an individual cannot register a trophy fish taken on a waterway that is closed to the public...

...Sooooo, why is it that an individual can register a trophy buck taken on private property?


















Edited by - PABowhntr on 11/13/2002 07:08:13

I don't thinnk there's any real definite answer.

The Alberta Bowzone apparently will count for the next world record archery buck, assuming the Zaft buck is accepted, and could very well produce the next world record after that. You and I can't hunt there, however, so is it really a "world record"? Sure it is, just seems funny is all, especially since the area of Saskatchewan where the Hanson buck came from is not open to nonresidents either. There's you B&C "world record". The areas producing the most record class animals cannot be hunted, even by lottery, by US residents.

As for the Pennsylvania example, perhaps they thought a bass trapped in a private pond is't going anywhere, but a big old buck has undoubtably crossed many, many property lines in his lifetime.
Good question.



"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"

Just to add to this question...

Why, in the states with the insane Blue Laws, can someone fish but not hunt on Sunday...

But to answer your question PA, fish can be contained to their environment---hence, a trophy stocked trout pond. The trout can never leave, and be hand fed.

However, even deer on private property can leave the property, and hence are not "contained".

In closing, I think you can compare trophy privatized fish to trophy fenced in gamelands/ranches.

S&R

BUT...if anyone can answer that Blue Law question---besides the obvious that the naturalists want to walk in peace (and honestly, how many of you guys actually see people out walking in the woods on Sunday, besides us guys out scouting for the following week?!), I'd love to hear about it...



Edited by - Strut&Rut on 11/13/2002 11:10:58

Thank you for the responses. Both of you basically brought up the same point and it was the one I used when my friend first asked me this question but....and here is a response I left on another forum where I had the same question posted....

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> A pond is one thing but a stream, canal, etc... is another. The Fish Commission doesn't just say private pond fish aren't allowed but any fish caught in a waterway that isn't open to the public. Fish in a stream or creek can freely move in and out of the private land section and yet would not be counted in the record book.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Good question PABowhntr. In many states the record bass was caught in a private farm pond.

Strut&rut, In MD it has been illegal to hunt game animals on Sunday since the pilgrims were here. But it is OK to buy liquor and gamble on lottery tickets on Sunday. Wonder what the pilgrims would think about that?

I think containment is the real issue. A deer shot in a high fence enclosure would not be elgible just like a fish raised in a contained body of water wouldnt be

Member of NRA, BASS, Buckmasters and Life member of UBP.........Kill a big doe, Let the little bucks grow

PA,

I would still argue containment or &quot;privatized conditions&quot;. I'm not sure about PA, but in NY and CT landowners own the land under the river, just not the water. Therefore, they can entice and to some extent control the fish's environment, habitat and food resources. I know of a few people who actually downed large trees or built stone dams to create pools on their section of water, which created havens for larger trout and bass. The DEP/DEC doesn't really mind as long as water still flows and the areas downstream (or other landowner's properties) are not ill-affected by flooding, etc..

Deer can only be contained with a fence...but either in a contained lake/pond or river, that fish isn't leaving the water, only traveling up or downstream in a river.

Still a funny little tidbit, though...and these are just my best guesses.

Regarding the Blue Laws, I hate them. I hunt in Maine, so I drive up Friday night for one day of hunting. Silly.

I'm sure it stemmed from days of old when it was a religious matter and now remains in place as an excuse to ease pressure during the hunt. If this is in fact the case, wouldn't it make more sense to simply shorten the season and give both days on each open weekend? Maine would see a lot more tourist hunter's dollars if flying into the big woods up north for the weekend meant two days worth of hunting instead of one.

And, as a Catholic myself, I don't think the state should be telling non-religious people not to hunt because it's Sunday.