# Daily Bag Limit vs. "in possession" answered



## flyingfrog509 (Dec 28, 2010)

Well this might be old hat to the seasoned duck hunters, however I had someone tell me that "in possession" was the limit of ducks you can have like in your freezer.  

Sounded weird to me so I called up DNR and asked, here is how it was explained to me by a DNR officer.

Lets use ducks as an example, daily limit of 6 / 12 in possession.  The 12 in possession is a convince for multi-day hunts where you don't have a chance to go home.  So DNR allows two days worth of ducks in possession.  HOWEVER he made it clear that the circumstances better support that your on a multi-day hunt if you have more than the daily limit or your in big trouble!

Hope this helps some other duck newbie hunter.


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## CassGA (Dec 28, 2010)

That is how I always understood the law as well. However, a few years ago me and a buddy were met at the truck by the game warden after a morning duck hunt. We had both gotten our limit of wood ducks that morning, which was 2 apiece at the time. I also had one wood duck wrapped up on ice in the cooler from the day before.  It was obvious that it was not from that morning, and he agreed. However, he tried to give me a ticket for being over the limit. I argued the "limit 2/4 in possession" but he told me that did not apply. He explained it as I could take my buddies morning limit home to clean (my 2/4 in possession with his 2), but only if they were packaged seperately and had his information written on the package.  After I continued to plead my case, he insisted that I was wrong, and gave me a written warning.  I still believe what you have posted makes the most sense.


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## across the river (Dec 28, 2010)

Whoever you talked to at DNR has no idea what they are talking about.    It is a federal regulation, so I guess we couldn't actually expect him (or her) to read the regulation for himself.
Here is a couple of links if you want to read it for yourself.   You might want to even pass it along to the DNR employee you spoke to, although it is on the  GA DNR site.   The Texas site explains it a little clearer.  Remember they are federal regulations, so don't say there are different rules in GA.


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## across the river (Dec 28, 2010)

CassGA said:


> That is how I always understood the law as well. However, a few years ago me and a buddy were met at the truck by the game warden after a morning duck hunt. We had both gotten our limit of wood ducks that morning, which was 2 apiece at the time. I also had one wood duck wrapped up on ice in the cooler from the day before.  It was obvious that it was not from that morning, and he agreed. However, he tried to give me a ticket for being over the limit. I argued the "limit 2/4 in possession" but he told me that did not apply. He explained it as I could take my buddies morning limit home to clean (my 2/4 in possession with his 2), but only if they were packaged seperately and had his information written on the package.  After I continued to plead my case, he insisted that I was wrong, and gave me a written warning.  I still believe what you have posted makes the most sense.



The warden you spoke to was correct.   If you have been on multiple day hunts, then you are expected to have cleaned the bird after you got to your house, the hotel, camp, tent, etc...    The rule is set up to allow you to take your hunting partners birds home to clean after the hunt that day.   It isn't set up for people to ride around with birds in the tailgate of the trucks for two or three days until they can get enough birds together for a picture.


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## CassGA (Dec 28, 2010)

across the river said:


> The warden you spoke to was correct.   If you have been on multiple day hunts, then you are expected to have cleaned the bird after you got to your house, the hotel, camp, tent, etc...    The rule is set up to allow you to take your hunting partners birds home to clean after the hunt that day.   It isn't set up for people to ride around with birds in the tailgate of the trucks for two or three days until they can get enough birds together for a picture.



Since then, I have followed his guidelines and made sure to remove and clean the ducks for that day. Wasn't saying I didnt believe what he said, just thought the OP understanding made since. Thanks for the input.


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## flyingfrog509 (Dec 28, 2010)

This just goes to show..."they" DNR, FEDs, etc could make life a lot easier if the published regulations would give the intent of the law.  In this thread I see two appearing so far
1) multi-day hunting trips w/max in possession till you go home
2) multi-hunters w/1 taking another hunters ducks home for whatever reason

I always thought if you had multiple hunters and lets say I limited out with 6 ducks and so did my other two hunting buddies...if they wanted to give me their ducks each of the other hunter's ducks had to be tagged with the hunter's name, license number, and date shot.  Then those ducks aren't counted as being over my limit.   Granted that has never happened to me personally...but it sounds like I better clear that up before it happens.  Citations are expensive these days and I'd hate to be mixing deer regulations with duck regulations and be wrong!

UPDATE: Well I just called again on the situation where 3 hunters bag out and one hunter gets all the ducks given to him.  By the letter of the law if I were to get checked or pulled over with out the other hunters actually with me, then I'm looking at a ticket by the letter of the law and totally dependent on the GW or officer to take the extra time to check out the story w/the other hunters and make a judgement call on his own.  SO!  The only good way of doing that is to have the other hunters with you while the 18 ducks are being transported till the time they are in the freezer technically or the hunter with the gifted ducks is putting the officer and themselves in a lose lose situation.

In short 1 hunter - stick with the bag limit or you might be given a citation according to the letter of the law.


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## across the river (Dec 28, 2010)

CassGA said:


> Since then, I have followed his guidelines and made sure to remove and clean the ducks for that day. Wasn't saying I didnt believe what he said, just thought the OP understanding made since. Thanks for the input.



I was not directing any of that at you, just giving some general input.    I was just amazed that a DNR officer would give false information to someone.   Come to think of it I'm not surprised, the last time I was actually checked on a duck hunt the warden had no idea what kind of ducks I had.   I tried to tell him, but he still had to pull out his Lemaster Guide.


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## gb1075 (Dec 28, 2010)

yeah it has always been better for me to err on the side of caution when it comes to migratory birds.  we got checked by the game warden december 24th and he was most certainly aware of what kind of ducks we had and how many we were supposed to have in possession.   A few years ago a federal man checked some duck hunters that were taking pics of their ducks from the morning and he threatened to write them tickets because they did not have them separated into each hunters limits.  his thought was that if they had 12 green heads in a pile then it was possible that one or some of them were over the limit.  I always hunt 100% legal cause you just don't ever know what the man might have to say.


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## Public Land Prowler (Dec 28, 2010)

across the river said:


> It isn't set up for people to ride around with birds in the tailgate of the trucks for two or three days until they can get enough birds together for a picture.


 Now I am figuring some things out...lol


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## Rem270 (Dec 30, 2010)

gb1075 said:


> yeah it has always been better for me to err on the side of caution when it comes to migratory birds.  we got checked by the game warden december 24th and he was most certainly aware of what kind of ducks we had and how many we were supposed to have in possession.   A few years ago a federal man checked some duck hunters that were taking pics of their ducks from the morning and he threatened to write them tickets because they did not have them separated into each hunters limits.  his thought was that if they had 12 green heads in a pile then it was possible that one or some of them were over the limit.  I always hunt 100% legal cause you just don't ever know what the man might have to say.



Yet another reason for the in possession rule.


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