MLD is like a seperate hunting state with it's own rules and regs.say if the ratio is out of wack and they want to get it on track but the bag limit that's set state wide won't allow for such accomplishments then they can raise the limit to the the ratio back on track or they can request an extended season.

however if your not hunting on MLD property (wich i'm sure you know if you are or not) or you do not have a MLD permit , this whole paragraph does not pertain to anything regarding your hunting needs, you can aswell skip it.

here in SC we have several game zones , there are multiple county's in a gamezone but yet , rules differ from county to county , so i always have to be carefull to read the rules to where ever i may go hunting that trip , some places you can't just shoot anything , some places you can only hunt certain days, some have rack size limits... it's a mess for sure ...but i always make sure i know the regs before i enter the property on wich i'm planning to take a game animal.

There is no "holier than thou" in the understanding
that it is the responsibility of the hunter to know
and follow all laws. This is shaping up more and more
like someone who just did'nt take the time to learn
the regulations for the county hunted and is now
upset that he got caught. I hunt a county with the
same regulations and have never had trouble with them.
If it is hard for you to understand you need to get someone
to explain it to you. If you want to set a good example for
your son pay your fine and start paying more attention to
the laws. I hope the JP will be lenient, but with the
attitude coming across your posts, I doubt it.

Good luck,
PK

edited- this is not directed at SyPTo as "reply" suggests. PK

Last year in Wi, in the area that I hunt it was 'earn a buck', which for those not familiar with it simply means that for every doe you shoot, you get a buck tag. Now a 'doe' in WI is ANY antlerless deer, or ANY deer with antlers 3 inches or LESS.

Ok, now the story....

A friend of mine was hunting with a slug gun, open sights, with no binocs. Saw a doe (standing broadside, with ears perked, so he saw no antlers) about 100 - 110 yards away, in open field, drew his shotgun, and dropped the doe in her tracks. Went to retrieve the deer, and saw that it was a spike buck, that had antlers measuring 3 1/4 inches. He did the right thing, called the local game warden, and explained what happened. Game warden told him to stay there, and he would come out with a tag for the buck (my buddy had not yet earned a buck tag). Game warden got there, tagged the deer, handed my buddy a ticket for almost $1200.00 for POACHING, and said that since he was honest, would not have his hunting rights revoked. Then took the animal from him on top of it. I understand, law is law, but come on, he could have just thrown that buck in his truck, and ANY registration station would have turned a cheek on 1/4 of an inch. Sometimes doing the right thing, is not doing the right thing. It sure tought me that doing 56 in a 55 mph zone is still breaking the law, but you shouldnt turn yourself in everytime you do it.

This was a young child and parents that were completly oblivious to the rules and regs, not sportsman they did not even have fishing equipment for themselves. Also they were not trying to hide or poach just trying to find out if there child could keep his first fish.

I think your friend should invest in a pair of binoculars or a scope. This could have possibly been avoided had he had a pair, and used good judgement upon seeing ANY spikes, bumps, nubs, whatever.

I would make damn sure that it is a doe before pulling the trigger, and if there where any question whether or not it was a doe, let it walk.

There is a difference between 3" and 3 1/4", and that's where the hunters own commen sence and good judgement come into play. Unfortuantly, many a hunters seem to lack that, and they get in trouble for it.

Sucks he got a big fine, but hopefully it made him a little smarter.

plead no contest and pay the fine

You should never have went to the woods without knowing the law. They are not
that hard to understand. Your local game warden could have answered your questions
before hand. In a county that requires permits, the tags on your liscense are of no
use. I am not trying to be rude or anything, but don't shoot and then ask questions.
Pay the fine and move on. Just my perspective.

Don't know about all the other guys. Figured they'd come down harder than heck on you, but if it was them in the situation you're in, they'd have a whole different attitude towards it.

Arkansas just added and switched up so many dadgum regulations that I'm sure I could find myself in your situation. You can read over the regs a zillion times and some things are in there so little, and worded so badly, that there's no way you can get from it what they intend for you to.

Good luck is all I can say. Sounds like a string of bad luck and a good honest mistake. Usually, the courts could care less what the situation is. Whether it's honest or not. They're gonna look at you as a bad guy (the way most cops also view most citizens.) It's their mentality. Like I said earlier...good luck.

I will admit, you've got to read these rules carefully. The rules differ from county to county, and since the county that I hunt in has a doe season for the first four weeks of November, I had to read your county's regs twice to understand it! But it IS our responsibility to know the laws!
Sometimes we make an "honest" mistake, but it still IS a mistake, a broken law! Plead No Contest, pay the fine, and learn from it!

Lastly, I am ashamed at the advice that "if he processed his own deer, he would nothave beeen caught!" Getting caught, or not, it IS breaking the law, and you guys are openly advising another hunter to willingly break the law next time!
That isNOT good for this site, or for the sport of hunting either!

If you don't understand the law, then yes you need to get in touch with somebody who does. It is nobodies fault but your own for not knowing the law. Doesn't matter how confusing it is. It is still the law, and must be obeyed. Or you will pay the price when caught. And, you made a comment because you were upset that it was the same fine as poaching. Guess what Sherlock, you did poach that deer. Poaching is taking a deer out of season, or with no permit. You didn't have a permit for the deer you shot. You poached it. Whether you knew or not means absolutely nothing. You need to except blame for this, for not taking the time to learn the rules, and regs. Good luck