A few years ago the WMAs began requiring hunters to fill out a permit before hunting. At the end of the hunt, the hunter is required to fill out the results of the hunt.
I assume this info is being used to track hunter success as an indication of the condition of the game. I also assume that should a game agent find that a hunter has not filled out the permit before hunting, he would write an expensive ticket for the violation.
I'm good with all that. What I question is what I've experienced at Dewey Wills this year, where some check-in stations do not have any permit forms when a hunter stops to check in. What's a hunter supposed to do? Multiple choice:
1. Shop around the WMA's other permit stations in the hope of finding a permit somewhere.
2. Hunt without a permit in the hope that if caught, the game agent will understand and give him a pass. If wrong about that, the hunter be written an expensive ticket.
3. Just go home and pout.
I've also found some check-in station permit boxes so packed with the after-hunt permit reports that it's impossible to stuff the results into the box. Because of this, I've seen some after-hunt permit reports on top of the box with a stone holding them down, and some fallen on the ground.
Somebody out there isn't taking this permit thing seriously, and it appears it's not the hunters.
I assume this info is being used to track hunter success as an indication of the condition of the game. I also assume that should a game agent find that a hunter has not filled out the permit before hunting, he would write an expensive ticket for the violation.
I'm good with all that. What I question is what I've experienced at Dewey Wills this year, where some check-in stations do not have any permit forms when a hunter stops to check in. What's a hunter supposed to do? Multiple choice:
1. Shop around the WMA's other permit stations in the hope of finding a permit somewhere.
2. Hunt without a permit in the hope that if caught, the game agent will understand and give him a pass. If wrong about that, the hunter be written an expensive ticket.
3. Just go home and pout.
I've also found some check-in station permit boxes so packed with the after-hunt permit reports that it's impossible to stuff the results into the box. Because of this, I've seen some after-hunt permit reports on top of the box with a stone holding them down, and some fallen on the ground.
Somebody out there isn't taking this permit thing seriously, and it appears it's not the hunters.
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