Record harvest?

[bobby]

I worked the check-in station for pike county illinois and we had a constant steady line of vehicles between 100 - 200. I think its a good idea to have the check-in station for several reasons: 1) good experience for college kids. 2) less illeagal activity 3) You get to meet with people(hunters) that you would prob. never meet & you hear some good stories. 4)Keeps more people honest.... etc. I also earned some cash and college credit. It was a good experience for me. And it also goes the same for turkey, now that we don't have the check-in station for turkey, i guarentee there is a lot more harvested than reported.

 

[Fishbonker]

The only check stations I have been involved with were in Wisconsin. I don't remember seeing any college students, just the guy, from behind the bar, came out to look the deer over. It took about 10 seconds. He had to get back into his bar as the patrons were getting thirsty. I didn't see him fill out any paper work, I can't remeber if the hunter (my cousin) got another tag to put on the deer or not. I guess what I'm trying to say is we could have stayed at his place, fired up the computer, enterd the data from the tag he was issued and had another cold one instead of risking a DUI or being hit by a DUI. The guy from behind the bar could have given a chit less about accuracy as far as I could tell.

Does Illinois have state run check stations where the state pays the college students to check the deer? Who pays for that? Another hunter tax? I just think in the age of high tech, why not just let the computer do the work for us?

Last thing I wanna do is watch a bunch of folks doing Jager Bombs at a check station and get back in their trucks and drive.

There are better ways than check stations. So many "checks and balances" are possible without dragging a deer to a check station. How about a requrement to either call an 800 number or fill out a computer survey, even if you didn't fill a tag, or next year, through the ELSI(the electronic licensing thingy) you will be denined a license? A bit draconian, but it would get everybodies attention. The 800 number and computer stuff has been kicked around on here in years past, so its nuthin new.

FWIW, and it ain't worth much.

The 'Bonker

 

[bjkpharmd]

"Draconian"
Man- don't sweat it. If the DNR could convince the NSA that terrorists were poaching deer, we'd have an exact number.

 

[sims8ball]

Illinois had a tag that we had to attach between the leg and the ligament on one of the hind legs at the stations, the locker isn't supposed to process any deer without one of these, I reliaze this is an inconvience but it must work to some extent.

The only problem I see with the 800 number or .com registering system is that most of these poachers don't care if they get a tag next year, they are still going to go shoot deer, a check station isn't going to do much about poaching.

Iowa counties aren't that big and you wouldn't have to travel very far to check your deer. Did we complain about the 1 dollar HUSH fee? Yes, most of us did, but we still paid it. Would people complain about check stations? Yes, but they would still go to them. If we as hunters do what the IDNR asks of us, maybe they will be able to better regulate the rules and regulations which in turn could turn into even better quality hunting for us. Thats the bottom line of what we are all looking forward to, the future of Iowa, not only deer but all, hunting.

Sorry about being verbos, but thats the great thing about this country and site, we can all voice our opinions.

 

[JNRBRONC]

As to check stations, I do most of my hunting on my property or property within a mile or two. Loading the deer into the truck at the end of the day and driving possibly 20 miles to get to a check station is the last thing I want to do. Check stations effect on poaching? I'd say ZILCH. Poachers obviously don't care about nor follow the laws. With the added hassle of a check station, I would probably be less likely to shoot does.

I have gone to two check stations, one in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. In Minnesota, it was a bar, Wisconsin a gas station. Neither time did the person leave the establishment to look in the back of my truck.

 

[bowmaker]

I will cast my vote against the check stations as well. My experience has been much the same with the two bears I took in Minnesota. Both times the station was the same place, a convience store that was 18 miles away. We had to wait arround until there wern't any customers and then fill out a form with license number and where the bear was shot. The clerk never left the counter to check the bears in any way. My son worked check stations in Illinois for 2 years during college. From what he told me they did gather info on sex and age with some tooth samples but had to split the corner of the mouth and cheek to do it. During the shotgun seasons there was usually a crowd about dark with quite a bit of drinking in the parking lot and usually had people until 10:00 or 11:00 especially on weekends. Never once did they have any vilotations, but one guy did bring in a steer that he thought was a deer. Poachers won't use check stations so there would be little if any effect on them at all. I would agree with some kind of call in and or on line system to get some kind of numbers rather than the semi accurate surveys currently used. Still on the good and honest hunters would us it but it would have to help the DNR in many ways to regulate harvest in specific areas.