# Hunting violations



## Milkman

We have had a few threads related to this over the years.

I have read posts that lead me to believe there are some amongst us who hold our State Game laws in a higher regard than the 10 Commandments.   Others are less supportive of the DNR rules and regulations.

In some GA counties hunting without a license, hunting at night, taking game out of season, etc.will result in about the same fine as driving 25 MPH over the posted speed limit. The hunting violations endanger our wildlife resources. The traffic violations endanger people.
 Since the fines are about the same does that mean the crimes are about the same level of severity ? 

Is something out of alignment in this scenario?  What is your opinion?


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## dawg2

I think I will bookmark this one...


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## rjcruiser

I think I agree with you....seems like we've put a higher value of life on pets and animals than on human life.


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## dawg2

rjcruiser said:


> I think I agree with you....seems like we've put a higher value of life on pets and animals than on human life.



I have definitely noticed that.


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## Nastytater

I hear ya....I've always thought that the fines were kind of an insult to those who try to follow the rules...But now,I think they are more a slap in the face.....The 25 miles over speed limit should be nothing less than $1000.00 and have your license revoked for not less than a year....That would hopefully slow a few of the folks down....But I doubt it....But then again,how could you put a price on something like a human life?


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## Handgunner

What I don't get on habitual violations of breaking the game laws is the "And hunting privileges revoked for 2 years".

Now let me soak all this in... so and so was spot-lighting deer, baiting deer, shooting from a road, blah blah blah.... and caught 2 or 3 times, and we think he's going to just stop hunting for 2 years because the judge said his privileges are suspended????????  

I doubt it.  The guy will walk out of the court, grab a gun and do it all again.

If we want to stop the lawbreakers, hit them where it hurts.. the wallet and their time with family, for those that have one... 

Put them cleaning up the WMA's, the sides of the roads, or repainting the jailhouses...... with THEIR money.  Not the county or states money..

I think most fines for hunting violations are a joke and to some, it's so much of a joke, they are willing to keep breaking them until caught because it's "cheaper" to just pay it....

Going through the GON Hall of Shame, it's easy to see what counties appreciate the game they have, and what counties don't.  Look at the fines in Dooly Co... or Fulton Co... as opposed to those in say a smaller county... or a county that's not QDM oriented..


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## Milkman

A question .....................Which is the greater crime?




Shooting at a few ducks 10 minutes before/after legal time


OR


Driving 95 mph down I-16


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## Mechanicaldawg

Milkman said:


> We have had a few threads related to this over the years.
> 
> I have read posts that lead me to believe there are some amongst us who hold our State Game laws in a higher regard than the 10 Commandments.   Others are less supportive of the DNR rules and regulations.
> 
> In some GA counties hunting without a license, hunting at night, taking game out of season, etc.will result in about the same fine as driving 25 MPH over the posted speed limit. The hunting violations endanger our wildlife resources. The traffic violations endanger people.
> Since the fines are about the same does that mean the crimes are about the same level of severity ?
> 
> Is something out of alignment in this scenario?  What is your opinion?



I believe you are comparing apples and hay bales.

One has little correlation to the other.

Also, if you do actually harm someone while violating other traffic laws the penalties are far more severe.

Many wildlife violations also put human life at risk. No orange, hunting too close to road, shooting someone because of proper target ID etc.


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## Milkman

Mechanicaldawg said:


> I believe you are comparing apples and hay bales.
> 
> One has little correlation to the other.
> 
> Also, if you do actually harm someone while violating other traffic laws the penalties are far more severe.
> 
> Many wildlife violations also put human life at risk. No orange, hunting too close to road, shooting someone because of proper target ID etc.



Jeff, I wasnt aware you were back using the old handle again. I like it. 

Are you of the opinion hunting violations are a greater or lesser crime?


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## Mechanicaldawg

Milkman said:


> A question .....................Which is the greater crime?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shooting at a few ducks 10 minutes before/after legal time
> 
> 
> OR
> 
> 
> Driving 95 mph down I-16



While reckless conduct displayed in driving 95 is a more serious violation that does not diminish the effect of violating a game law.

Just because the penalty for one action is X does not preclude like penalties being applied to other types of misconduct.


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## Mechanicaldawg

Milkman said:


> Jeff, I wasnt aware you were back using the old handle again. I like it.
> 
> Are you of the opinion hunting violations are a greater or lesser crime?



They are a different crime but a crime no less.

The penalties for game violations in Georgia are silly small.


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## Milkman

Mechanicaldawg said:


> The penalties for game violations in Georgia are silly small.



I agree. 
This is set by the local Probate Court offices, some have their schedule of fines listed on the web.


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## Mechanicaldawg

BTW, what is the penalty for doing 95 in a 70?

I haven't had a speeding citation in over 10 years.


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## Arrow3

Milkman said:


> A question .....................Which is the greater crime?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shooting at a few ducks 10 minutes before/after legal time
> 
> 
> OR
> 
> 
> Driving 95 mph down I-16



Driving 95 down I-16


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## Milkman

Mechanicaldawg said:


> BTW, what is the penalty for doing 95 in a 70?
> 
> I haven't had a speeding citation in over 10 years.



Only $240 in the county I looked at.


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## heavymetalhunter

just out of curiosity, how much are the fines in georgia for spotlighting deer?


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## Dead Eye Eddy

Mechanicaldawg said:


> BTW, what is the penalty for doing 95 in a 70?
> 
> I haven't had a speeding citation in over 10 years.



It varies by jurisdiction.  I got a ticket for 18 over in Gwinnett County that cost me $112.  A guy I work with got one in the city of Gainesville for 15 over, and it cost him about $300.


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## Dead Eye Eddy

heavymetalhunter said:


> just out of curiosity, how much are the fines in georgia for spotlighting deer?



It varies by jurisdiction.


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## Mechanicaldawg

heavymetalhunter said:


> just out of curiosity, how much are the fines in georgia for spotlighting deer?



I'm not sure but I do know of one purveyor of BBQ in east Georgia who shot his son after mistaking him for a deer while spotlighting (reportedly).

$250 ain't enough for 95 in a 70. At that rate of speed you're a sneeze away from killing folks.


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## greyghost

If you read the scandal sheets its not just hunting its across the board today I read where a person was DUI and fined $700 then down the paper a person was stalking and the fine was $1000 so how can you get away with on the brink of killing for 700 and stalking for 1000


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## Milkman

heavymetalhunter said:


> just out of curiosity, how much are the fines in georgia for spotlighting deer?



Read the GON article each month, it tells the various fines levied for DNR violations all over the state.


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## 11P&YBOWHUNTER

Milkman said:


> Read the GON article each month, it tells the various fines levied for DNR violations all over the state.



Never got mine...I am beginning to think the mailman's subscription ran out last month...


Fines should be community service, and money, not JUST money.  I think community service should be required and it should be served picking garbage o the side of the road or supervised cleaning of WMA areas like parking lots or their roadsides.


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## Nautical Son

85 in 70 on I-16 in Treutlen County $290 plead guilty dropped it to 14 over and no report on insurance, it's all about the benjamens.

Game laws are a joke from what I have seen posted on the DNR site.


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## Jeffriesw

rjcruiser said:


> I think I agree with you....seems like we've put a higher value of life on pets and animals than on human life.




X's 2


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## Jim Thompson

I dont place game laws above traffic laws and understand that AN INDIVIDUAL traffic violation puts many many many many (can I say that enough) more humans at risk than an individual game law violation.  meaning if you are ticketed for 75 in a 55 (we will call you a speeder) then you have literally just put thousands of other people at risk before you were stopped.

shoot a deer out of season (we will call you a poacher) and AT BEST with a very bad shot you have put one person at risk.

however I do tend to notice that if someone is a speeder and you call them a speeder they dont get all upset and start calling you as bad a names as if someone is a poacher and you call them a poacher.


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## rip18

Good discussion.

While our system of fines & penalties is meant to change behavior, the amounts money levied in a fine for a game violation or a traffic violation and other penalities (such as loss of hunting privileges) are so comparatively small and meaningless that they are both more of a bother than a cause to change behavior.

No, the two violations aren't similar - an illegal activity endangering an innocent human's live is much worse.  But as you noted, the penalties are both similar in that they are too low to do any good...


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## Branchminnow

Milkman said:


> We have had a few threads related to this over the years.
> 
> I have read posts that lead me to believe there are some amongst us who hold our State Game laws in a higher regard than the 10 Commandments.   Others are less supportive of the DNR rules and regulations.
> 
> In some GA counties hunting without a license, hunting at night, taking game out of season, etc.will result in about the same fine as driving 25 MPH over the posted speed limit. The hunting violations endanger our wildlife resources. The traffic violations endanger people.
> Since the fines are about the same does that mean the crimes are about the same level of severity ?
> 
> Is something out of alignment in this scenario?  What is your opinion?



I think something is out out of kilter here. I respect all game laws first and foremost, admitedly when younger I violated my share. Not proud of it just the way it is, all of it done out of ignorance. 
Being older I thiink that there are those who are of the mindset that violating game laws should have the death penalty attached or to try to put folks in jail over a spotlight or corn or whatever the case may be. Do not get me wrong I think the game law violators do get a huge break here in our home state. I think the minimum penalties should be raised, and enforced strenuously.
That being said, there is no way a poached deer is worth more than a human life or even the endangerment of a human life........


On another note there has not been many times that I have been down I-16 and not seen at least a dozen drivers between Macon and Savannah who driving 100 plus.


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## Milkman

Milkman said:


> A question .....................Which is the greater crime?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shooting at a few ducks 10 minutes before/after legal time
> 
> 
> OR
> 
> 
> Driving 95 mph down I-16



I am finally getting back to this, these last 2-3 days have been hard.

Some of yall see the analogy I am making. In some counties the fine for shooting at some ducks illegally will be the same , or more than for running 25 mph over the speed limit.


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## Milkman

Jim Thompson said:


> however I do tend to notice that if someone is a speeder and you call them a speeder they dont get all upset and start calling you as bad a names as if someone is a poacher and you call them a poacher.



I agree Jim,

We as outdoors people tend to do that dont we. We will drive 90 mph down the hwy to get to the woods/lake on time. But then hold ourselves to obeying the DNR rules to a tee when we get there.


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## basslure

Well Sonnys trying to add an extra 200 dollars to speeding tickets if your go faster than 85 anywhere in the state and over 75 on any two lane road.


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## Milkman

basslure said:


> Well Sonnys trying to add an extra 200 dollars to speeding tickets if your go faster than 85 anywhere in the state and over 75 on any two lane road.



You say Sonny is trying to do this................

Would that fine money go to the state instead of the county?


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## Mechanicaldawg

Milkman said:


> We will drive 90 mph down the hwy to get to the woods/lake on time.



Do "we"?

I can't say that I've noticed a lot of camo clad folks doing this.

I see folks doing it often enough but I don't know that I would characterize hunters as a group as a bunch of speed demons.

I see most of them in the right lane, trying to eat a biscuit with one hand, holding a cup of coffee with the other, while using their elbows to swerve the wheel towards the woods.


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## Milkman

Mechanicaldawg said:


> Do "we"?
> 
> I can't say that I've noticed a lot of camo clad folks doing this.
> 
> I see folks doing it often enough but I don't know that I would characterize hunters as a group as a bunch of speed demons.
> 
> I see most of them in the right lane, trying to eat a biscuit with one hand, holding a cup of coffee with the other, while using their elbows to swerve the wheel towards the woods.




OK, you got me Jeff , but that was a Big Mac is was eating, not a biscuit.
You musta had biscuit smudges on your glasses.
You left out texting on the cell while eating, drinking and driving on the way to camp.

I dont think I meant that to be interpereted as a characterization of hunters as a whole. Just saying that we sometimes have a tendency to place DNR rules above DOT/GSP rules.


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## seaweaver

Mechanicaldawg said:


> $250 ain't enough for 95 in a 70. At that rate of speed you're a sneeze away from killing folks.



No less at 70, 60, 55....

My street is the only clear shot to the south end of my island and folks routinely are 40mph in this 25 zone. The county says stop sign are not speed limiting devices....right.

Should I happen to shoot a seagull while taking a shot at a marsh hen...
or should I happen to a rifle in the back seat while in the woods hunting a shogun only area...w/ a shot gun...
getting a ticket for having not having orange on by an officer w/ no orange on himself..

Some things relate in penalty, some do not.

A seagull will not measure up to the life of my child learning to ride her bike in a 25 zone

cw


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## Milkman

basslure said:


> Well Sonnys trying to add an extra 200 dollars to speeding tickets if your go faster than 85 anywhere in the state and over 75 on any two lane road.





Milkman said:


> You say Sonny is trying to do this................
> 
> Would that fine money go to the state instead of the county?



How about this???

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=295543


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## MudDucker

rjcruiser said:


> I think I agree with you....seems like we've put a higher value of life on pets and animals than on human life.



Exactly!


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## DannyW

Posted to no one in particular...just something to think about.

Unless you are planning to commit a hunting violation, why do you care how much it costs?


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## Mechanicaldawg

DannyW said:


> Posted to no one in particular...just something to think about.
> 
> Unless you are planning to commit a hunting violation, why do you care how much it costs?



Because some of us think that penalties for game violations, traffic violations etc. should actually be punitive.


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## DannyW

Mechanicaldawg said:


> Because some of us think that penalties for game violations, traffic violations etc. should actually be punitive.


 
I think we are in agreement...if you read the entire thread some people seem to think the fines were too high relative to some fines like speeding tickets, which would only seem to be an issue if you actually planned to commit the game violation.

I am all for higher game violation fines...I play by the rules and therefore the amount of the fine is meaningless to me...make spotlighting a gazillion dollars for all I care.


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## bnew17

I think the fines for speeding, wreckless driving, dui especially, etc should far surpass the amount for a hunting violation. I've never gotton a hunting violation, but ive gotton a few speeding tickets but thats about it. Its funny how the older you get the slower you drive  Basically when you dont obey game laws you may be putting somebody or a few peoples lives in danger, but when you are driving wreckless as in speeding or under the influence you are putting MANY peoples lives at danger.


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## Big Eights

Here's a story for yall . About 5 years ago i was hunting on a friends property. i had shot a yote about 8:00 am. a few minutes had went by and  a neighbor heard the shot and called the game and fish. He told them he had seen me shoot from the road, and it was a deer. He said he had seen me from his front porch. Well they called me on the phone and wanted to meet with me. I said that was fine. I showed them the yote and my written permission to hunt the farm.I also told them i didnot shoot from the road and showed them where i was sitting. They didnot belive me and wrote me two tickets. I had to hire a lawyer and it cost me $500.00. We had a jury trial and the man finally said he lied about the whole thing, and my case was dismissed. It still cost me $500.00 for nothing. Then last year a lady driving drunk hit me and my wife head on at a high rate of speed. She was took to the e/r and before they could give her a blood test she left the hospital. the olny thing they could fine her for was driving to fast for con., and open container. her fines were $185.00. if i had just paid my fines from the game and fish they would have been about $ 1000.00. so i say our system is not rite.sorry for being so long.


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## georgiashooter

Big Eights said:


> Here's a story for yall . About 5 years ago i was hunting on a friends property. i had shot a yote about 8:00 am. a few minutes had went by and  a neighbor heard the shot and called the game and fish. He told them he had seen me shoot from the road, and it was a deer. He said he had seen me from his front porch. Well they called me on the phone and wanted to meet with me. I said that was fine. I showed them the yote and my written permission to hunt the farm.I also told them i didnot shoot from the road and showed them where i was sitting. They didnot belive me and wrote me two tickets. I had to hire a lawyer and it cost me $500.00. We had a jury trial and the man finally said he lied about the whole thing, and my case was dismissed. It still cost me $500.00 for nothing. Then last year a lady driving drunk hit me and my wife head on at a high rate of speed. She was took to the e/r and before they could give her a blood test she left the hospital. the olny thing they could fine her for was driving to fast for con., and open container. her fines were $185.00. if i had just paid my fines from the game and fish they would have been about $ 1000.00. so i say our system is not rite.sorry for being so long.



Poor, Pitiful Goob.  You just can't catch a break can you?  Big, bad government always trying to keep you down.


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## Twenty five ought six

Big Eights said:


> Here's a story for yall . About 5 years ago i was hunting on a friends property. i had shot a yote about 8:00 am. a few minutes had went by and  a neighbor heard the shot and called the game and fish. He told them he had seen me shoot from the road, and it was a deer. He said he had seen me from his front porch. Well they called me on the phone and wanted to meet with me. I said that was fine. I showed them the yote and my written permission to hunt the farm.I also told them i didnot shoot from the road and showed them where i was sitting. They didnot belive me and wrote me two tickets. I had to hire a lawyer and it cost me $500.00. We had a jury trial and the man finally said he lied about the whole thing, and my case was dismissed. It still cost me $500.00 for nothing. Then last year a lady driving drunk hit me and my wife head on at a high rate of speed. She was took to the e/r and before they could give her a blood test she left the hospital. the olny thing they could fine her for was driving to fast for con., and open container. her fines were $185.00. if i had just paid my fines from the game and fish they would have been about $ 1000.00. so i say our system is not rite.sorry for being so long.



Darn cheap lawyer.   You need to shake that man's hand for helping a brother out.


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## Gentleman4561

rjcruiser said:


> I think I agree with you....seems like we've put a higher value of life on pets and animals than on human life.



this is the truth look at what Michael Vick was punished with for killing some dogs when there are hundreds of babies killed every day through abortion.  I think that the game laws should be less severe.  Their animals!


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## willsm89

heavymetalhunter said:


> just out of curiosity, how much are the fines in georgia for spotlighting deer?



In Harris County the fine for spotlighting *was *$1800.. PER DEER.  Plus hunting at night fine, and hunting from a road fine, and discharging a firearm after legal hours.... to name a few. Came out to nearly $3000...


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## Milkman

ttt


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## transfixer

willsm89 said:


> In Harris County the fine for spotlighting *was *$1800.. PER DEER.  Plus hunting at night fine, and hunting from a road fine, and discharging a firearm after legal hours.... to name a few. Came out to nearly $3000...



  Those fines seem appropriate to me,  if they would standardize them across the board in every jurisdiction then maybe it would be a deterrent ?   I read about people getting caught for illegal hunting of etc,etc,   and it usually says they lost their hunting license for 2yrs ,,,  so what ?   people like that don't care,  they will likely continue to hunt one way or another,  without a license, stuff like losing your license/hunting priveledges for a period of time is no deterrent.  Hit them hard in their pocketbook, and as someone else suggested,  maybe make them do community service on some of the wma's ?  There is always maintenance or improvements of some sort that need doing on most wma's .


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## one hogman

I agree with Milkman ,NO way is a game violation in the same catagory as endangering some one's life, so many get all ramped up with animals, being charged with a felony for animal cruelty is wrong IMO , it is an animal!! not human, we have got things way out of porportion . We  kill and eat  thousand of animals every day ,so what makes one of their lives so much more important than another!! The animal rights idiots have helped push this on their way to stopping all hunting .  Just check the regs, for killing a Turkey over bait can get you up to a $5000.00 fine and a year in Jail!! That is just crazy!!


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## Mexican Squealer

can't really put the two in the same category.  I see the need to enforce both on their own merit though.


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## one hogman

Gentleman4561 said:


> this is the truth look at what Michael Vick was punished with for killing some dogs when there are hundreds of babies killed every day through abortion.  I think that the game laws should be less severe.  Their animals!



EXACTLY, you can thank Animal rights terrorist and idiot extremist for this!! It is just grand to suck the brains out of a third trimester human but you better not leave a dog in a hot car!!


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## Mexican Squealer

say what


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## jakebuddy

Agree somewhat, but shooting from a vehicle and roadway at night is dangerous there are many homes shot every year. Remember the fines are set by the counties not the state, the charges are law but fines are different for every county.


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