DuckSouth.com

This is a reply from the Greenhead 22 post that has been circulating.

The duck pickers in AR have a license to operate their business. They log the quantity and species of the birds brought in for processing, the wardens routinely check the books. Everything is documented before the ducks are either picked or breasted out. Your duck package is then labeled with the same information, including the date they were killed.

Here's what I want to know:

If I go on a 5 day hunting trip to Bayou Meto, legally shoot the limit each day, legally have my ducks processed at a commercial duck picker. Can I legally transport them all home at the end of my trip? I am sure that the AR board of tourism is not going to promote that out of towners cut short their hunting trip simply because they have had limits on their first two days afield. But it seems that this is a big deal in AR. The way the wardens police the transportation of ducks. It doesn't seem to be as much of a problem here in MS. Perhaps we just don't get the volume of out of towners that AR experiences each year. I am sure that out of town license plates present easy targets for over zealous game wardens.

I don't want to get a ticket, but if I am going to invest the time and money into a trip to AR, I am going to hunt for 3 of 4 days in a row.

Duckwarden, would you please comment on this?

Wildfowler

I'm doing some checking on part of this question before I answer it.

DUCKWARDEN

Wildfowler

Baldpate and Ringbill are correct in their post under "Be careful Greenhead". If you hunt in Arkansas for 5 days and return to Ms. you can only have the possession limit with you.

Sec. 20.33 of 50 cfr defines Possession limit as:

No person shall possess more migratory game birds taken in the United States than the possession limit or the aggregate possession limit, whichever applies.

Sec. 20.39 Termination of possession.

This section tells you what you can do with the birds to "terminate possession"

Subject to all other requirements of this part, the possession of birds taken by any hunter shall be deemed to have ceased when such birds have been delivered by him to another person as a gift; or have been
delivered by him to a post office, a common carrier, or a migratory bird preservation facility and consigned for transport by the Postal Service or a common carrier to some person other than the hunter.


Hope this helps

[ September 14, 2001: Message edited by: DUCKWARDEN ]

Tell me this: what about putting the birds in the freezer to keep..am I not supposed to have more than 12 ducks, freezer and all?

Wingman

Wildfowler, I'm not the Duck warden but I've been following these threads for awhile and I'm pretty sure each person residing at that address may have a possession limit.

That information about Arkansas processors/possession limt is rather enlightening. I myself better be careful. This law needs some modification in my opinion.

Duckwarden:

Thanks for the link to the Federal Guidelines. This information is pretty clear, as clear as mud?

Sorry for not reading down the list before I made my post. It just seems to me that if everything is well documented at the licensed duck pickers shop, then you should be able to leave with everything you shot from an extended stay.

I know why the possesion limit exists and I am not arguing that. Anyway, thank again for your research.

I've never tried, but I imagine that it's pretty difficult to give away ducks in Stuttgart, AR?

Not near as hard as giving away snow geese! Bon apetite'. travis