http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conservation/c...ug/2225154.html


Party hunting, it's no fun for anyone


Hotly debated, and often practiced illegally, party hunting, in the long run, can ruin opportunities for legitimate outdoorsmen and youth hunters

By Doug Leier
North Dakota Game and Fish Department



Party hunting is illegal in many states; each hunter is required to take his or her own game and fish.

Party hunting is not legal in North Dakota or many other states, and I, for one, am glad.


Legally, each individual hunter may take only his or her own daily limit, or fill his or her own deer tag.

The same concept also applies to fishing. There is no legal distinction between shooting someone else's deer, and catching an extra fish to "help" your buddy fill out. Once a hunter or angler has reached the limit, he or she cannot legally shoot or catch anything that helps a partner reach their daily limit.

This issue, particularly as it relates to deer, still generates periodic interest, but the North Dakota state legislature has voted down every recent opportunity to allow party hunting.

At advisory board meetings and other public forums, Game and Fish officials are routinely asked why North Dakota doesn't allow party hunting.

A couple questions always rise to the surface:



1) With North Dakota's high deer population, wouldn't party hunting help increase overall success so more tags are filled?



2) Many groups have always party-hunted for deer; allowing it would just legalize something that has been going on for years. Why worry about something that is difficult to enforce anyway?

To answer the first question, in states like North Dakota where a limited and specific number of deer licenses are issued by unit, legalized party hunting would in the long run reduce a person's chances for obtaining coveted licenses, such as those for whitetail bucks, mule deer bucks, or even muzzle-loader bucks.

If legal, party hunting could cost a deserving hunter a tag in a management area because a non-hunter received it and gave it to a friend that hunts.

The number of buck licenses in any unit is limited. If party hunting were allowed, then a person could find, say, three other people who are not that interested in buck hunting (the spouse, kids, neighbors), or even deer hunting, but would go along anyway. Then the one real deer hunter could legally shoot four bucks. The result could be that three serious and dedicated hunters would go without a buck license that year.

Such a situation would eventually increase the level of dissatisfaction over not being able to get a buck license on a more frequent basis, which is already a common complaint.

If party hunting were allowed in North Dakota, it would likely increase hunter success rates. Because Game and Fish manages deer on a unit basis, and issues specific licenses, the agency might have to reduce the overall number of licenses, especially buck licenses, to counter increased hunter success. This would mean fewer hunters would get buck licenses.

For example, assuming a 10 percent increase in hunter success, Game and Fish would have to decrease the number of buck licenses by 12.5 percent. This would have meant about 5,900 fewer buck licenses issued in 2005.

To address the second point, not everyone party hunts, or wants to. While the rule may be difficult to enforce, most people are honest and stay within the law. Plus, many hunters understand that "group limits" associated with party hunting are counter-productive to keeping young hunters interested.

One of the worst possible feelings for a young hunter is having to put his or her tag on a deer someone else shot. The party philosophy, whether it's deer, birds or fish, and whether it's legal or not, reduces opportunity for beginning hunters or anglers because they are usually not the most skilled.

Instead, the group should make it a priority to give young hunters and anglers as many chances as possible, and if they don't get a limit … then they don't get a limit.

North Dakota isn't alone its approach to party hunting. Neither South Dakota nor Montana allow party hunting or fishing for any species. While it's likely that debate about legalized party hunting will continue, here's hoping that North Dakota's strong tradition continues just the way it is.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This is where, say, Hunter #1 shoots a , say, deer over his limit, so Hunter #2 claims that deer on his tag, correct? Kinda like that? (I never heard a name put to it before..lol..why I'm asking of the meaning.)

Right off, I don't know if it's illegal here or not, just cause we don't have tags issued or anything. I don't know right off if I can say I've known anyone that did that either personally(I mean, I know people who will shoot deer and give them away), but, I can say that it happens with doves or small game if with a bud a few times. Like say, there are two of you, and one guy gets 7 squirrels but the other gets 9. (8 limit here) and you even out.

You know though, I don't have a steady opinion on this because, growing up in a place like I did....meat can be hard to come by sometimes, and I could understand an "agreement among friends", especially if they rely on the meat. And you know, there's the other side that yes, I agree laws are laws. I know all kinds of hunters: I know some that just like to kill, and I know some that hunt just because they like to spend time outdoors, and I know ones who hunt because they rely on the meat because times are hard.
Just knowing where they come from...(the latter), that alone is why I have no real opinion on this subject or article. I don't know that "Hunter #2" isn't hurting for food, but, I do know what hungry kids look like, and that kinda keeps the hard on about "lawbreakers" to a minimal. (But, then again...lol..I don't know that "Hunter #1" isn't a hunter who just likes to kill, and could be depriving other hunters from tags, like in the example in the article.)

So, I have no real opinion about this.

I don't know how to ask your opinions without causing a stink..lol. So, I'll try by asking, "What say you?"

And, not coming from a place where there are limited tags, I cannot fathom how this would affect me. I am quite sure I would be glad for the laws in place, because I know it must feel rotten to miss out on a draw, or miss out on being issued a tag. I'm sure my whole opinion would change if I was from such an area.

Anyhow, is part hunting illegal in your state?

I don't really "party hunt". But at the end of the day, if I only have a couple of Squirrels or 1 or 2 Doves (highly likely ) , then I'll give em to another Hunter (if I'm hunting with someone else) or drop em off at the old guy that I drop off some of my Groundhogs to.

Hell he eats Groundhogs, so folks know that nuthing you give him ever goes to waste. I'm not the only one that drops off 1 of these or 2 of that to this old fellow, so I suspect sometimes he has quite a mess of game at the end of the day !!


99er

Well, "party hunting" is not legal here(I don't think)... But, I have to admit that I, and most everyone I know, are or have been at least somewhat guilty of doing this with fish, small game and birds...and I know people that are or have been guilty with deer and furbearers... But I have never heard of anyone being ticketed or arrested because of it... I recall when I was a kid and old Pig Petit was the local game ranger... Pig was the world's worst about doing this with small game, birds, fish, and ducks.

I'm assuming they're calling party hunting "deer drives" which is legal in PA.This isn't my cup of tea because I've seen too many drivers shoot away and throw tags on deer they didn't kill which is illegal in PA.Nothing bothers me more then trying to hunt and hearing drives coming at you will yelling and shooting at anything that moves.This was the final straw and one of the reasons I posted my land.A few years back two truckloads of hunters got on my land and were driving shooting anything that moves.We have antler restrictions so a buck has to have at least three points on one side.JR hunters are exempt from this and these guys had two JR hunters to tag a spike or young buck in case somebody killed one.
So if you drive deer in PA they're going to be running.How are you going to count points in this case?It should be illegal I think.

Now, see, if I had to put up with it like that, I'd feel the exact same.
Deer drives, I'm mixed on. I don't mind deer drives. But..lol..I DO mind being affected by them. I guess all the B.S. is why I try and stay off of public land. I don't do deer drives, because I know of so many people and friends and kids who have died on them. I had one family friend on one once, and he came out in an opening from the woods a good piece from the highway...and at that same time, a road hunter thought he was shooting at a deer and shot my friend and killed him. Isn't that something. I avoid it like the plague.

And yeah, I understand the youth hunter thing. We have a "special" youth hunt right here in turkey season and the woods FILL with hunters and kids. Only the kids are supposed to be hunting for a bird...LOL...but, you go and congratulate some of them (like, the bitty youngins) after, and they're .."Dad shott.....OH! Thanks Ma'am!" ROFL

So , things like that go on, yes.

Party hunting is ilegal here and I dont know anyone that party huts for deer but its pretty common for some of the elk camps. Theres 4 of us that have been hunting elk together now for a few years and we dont party hunt but when I was younger I hunted with a larger group of guys and we party hunted. My old hunting party had a few older guys in it and they couldnt get around very well but they still went elk hunting with us becus they wanted the meat and didnt care if they shot the elk that thier tag was on or not. In Wa if you want to apply for a special deer or elk permit you must first buy a tag for the year so If a guy was to buy tags for others and then put thier name in the drawings it could be pretty expensive. I'm against party hunting for elk, the bigest reason being that if a guy or two get into a herd and shoot one or two bulls the herd is ok but if a couple of guys get into a herd and shoot all the bulls(knowing thier hunting pards can tag them) then the breeding can get slowed down.

Jamie

Yep, I can see that.

Bubbles has a different definition of party hunting.