Your definition of poachers must be a little more narrow than mine. Sure, someone who never buys a tag and harvests animals is a poacher and this new system won’t be advantageous to him. But consider the guy who buys a turkey licence and prints off a few copies (which he couldn’t do under the old plastic tag system)...he takes one with him in the field and leaves the rest tucked away at home...goes out opening day and shoots a bird, pulls out his printed tag and notches it at the kill site, drives home and dresses the bird. The next morning he grabs another tag from his stack at home and repeats the process. This guy is also a poacher in my books and this new system is obviously advantageous to him, wouldn’t you agree?
They're both poachers. You become a poacher the second you print a second tag. MNR makes it pretty clear that it's illegal to be in possession of multiple copies. Also, as I mentioned earlier. "If you just call and say you lost your tag they'll send you a new one." Wasn't exactly a closely guarded secret,
You are glad to not have to affix a tag, until you start hearing stories of multiple harvests whispered about at diners and bars and then see the tags get cut even further, until you are not hunting moose at all.
Now you are just being obtuse. Calling in and telling a live person at the ministry that you lost your tag and providing your name, outdoors card number, etc. vs. Select number of copies to print: 12. There is clearly more potential for abuse with this new system.
You know what's even easier? Not buying a tag at all. Sorry, but this argument that "it's so easy to print extra tags" just doesn't hold water.
Wow... just, wow...
I respect you as a poster more than almost anyone else on this site but it greatly concerns me to see you among the many digging in behind the idea that a piece of yellow plastic is what keeps people from turning into poachers.
That is not it... picture it this way...
How comfortable do you suppose a person would be transporting a game animal without a valid licence or tag?
Now how comfortable are they transporting a game animal with licence and notched tag on their person? They arrive home without being checked, store away the animal and head back out into the field and do it again with a photocopy...
Many people who would not risk transporting without the proper paperwork, would do it if they had verifiable documentation.
The argument here is not whether this system will turn an honest upright outdoorsman into a poacher, but whether or not someone who has teetered on the edge of the rules now feels comfortable to cross the line... I believe this system will be abused by a far greater number than the old "single issue tag affixed at the site of the kill."
To be specific, there are people I know well that I refuse to hunt with because they are fast and loose with the rules, and I have heard discussions already that are disturbing... and while I challenge the attitude and thinking, I am not going to be in the field with them... and they are just the tip of the iceberg.
Ultimately, the game tag system was before, and is still, an honour system. Those with no honour will figure out a way to game the system.
Ultimately, the game tag system was before, and is still, an honour system. Those with no honour will figure out a way to game the system.
Ultimately, the game tag system was before, and is still, an honour system. Those with no honour will figure out a way to game the system.
Now how comfortable are they transporting a game animal with licence and notched tag on their person? They arrive home without being checked, store away the animal and head back out into the field and do it again with a photocopy...
So I take it this hypothetical individual is also ignoring the mandatory reporting of their harvested turkey?
I agree with this 100% but I also agree with Hoyt that there are a big number of honest hunters that walk a fine line and remained honest simply because they didnt want to get caught with an animal without a tag.
Im still trying to figure out how to securely attach my paper license to a dead wet animal. The mnr call in line said its ok to tie it with string as long as it remains legible.
At least with the plastic gluey tag it stayed on and was almost water proof. So if i stop on my way home for food at the local diner i must affix my tag. In the back of an open bed truck doing 120kmh down the hiway




























