Transporting Waterfowl, "legally".

[jdmidwest]

And here it is on the MDC site.

http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/regulations/waterfowl-regulations/federal-waterfowl-regulations-summary/waterfowl-p

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENT: No person shall transport within the United States any migratory game birds, except doves and band-tailed pigeons, unless the head or one fully feathered wing remains attached to each such bird at all times while being transported from the place where taken until they have arrived at the personal abode of the possessor or a migratory bird preservation facility.

[Feathers and Fins]

How could that be construed as illegal? For that matter you could eat them that night in a campground too. You could cook them in the duck blind for lunch, as long as you did not exceed a daily bag limit of birds, just keep remains of the carcass, ie wings, head, remains of feathers as proof. Going on what I was told, once cooked they did not count as possession.

They could write it under the technical part of The head or one fully feathered wing must remain attached to the birds while you transport them to your home or to a facility that processes waterfowl. A motel is not your home or a processing facility and yes I did see a citation written for it on several occassion as the people put the remains in a dumpster with other birds, also because the warden had no way to determine the species. I knew one of the officer who wrote it well and asked him why he wrote it, his reply was He was unable to possitively identify the birds and because they threw them all in the same dumpster it was impossible to seperate out whos bird was whos. He said had they kept the carcass then they would have been fine. the warden involved was well known for giving people the benifit of the doubt and always willing to help or give spots and the guys who got the ticket gave him no grief. I knew him well and watched him many times suggest to people that while he went to the bathroom they get birds in proper piles by the hunter who shot them and be sure the species was correct in each pile and many other shall we say helpfulness to people.

So yes keep the carcass and never go over the daily or possession limit but also to be safe dont try and find the grey area of the law because the officer can find an even greyer area if he wants, AND NEVER have lead of any kind on Federal Property that one gets written every time!

Oh and the Dove regs vary from state to state especially in ones with Eurasian collards.

Why is everything underlined?

[jdmidwest]

You must have clicked something to make it underline.

I was not looking for any gray area, just did not want to get caught in one. I tend to try to stay legal at all times. Since I have many friends on the law enforcement side, I would hate for them to think less of me.

For many years of my life, I never breasted a duck. I always plucked and picked. Many times I plucked and picked in the blind to pass the time and to keep feathers out of my house and shed. Any more I just breast them out unless I have a nice mallard or woody with a good layer of fat and not shotup in the breast. I have always thought that breasting was skirting the "wanton waste" rule, but it seems to be common practice.

[Feathers and Fins]

I fillet my breast out, its alot faster and less messy, Knives of Alaska's fillet knife is perfect for getting almost all the meat out. Most the birds take only about 3 minutes, and very few feathers come off, take the knife after the breast is out in the trashbag they go. Teal and Buffies I breast out for speed then fillet them out.

I havent looked in a while and MDC requirements on Meat to be used but AGFC is only the breast which follows suit with many states,

The only exception is late season I do alot of plucking for making pillows or if i want to tie some flies.

The one reg I am concerned most with is BAITED! I had one officer tell me I was duck hunting to close to a baited field, when I asked him what he was talking about he pointed ot a farm about 1/2 mile away and told me the farmer had been putting out grain for his cows and had two deer feeders with corn in them and that made it baited and i was to close and he could site me. I didnt say a word to him but called for the SGT and had him come meet me after the other warden left and he said I was fine, He called back the first officer and after a long discussion and a call to the feds we were even more confused, apparently if you are on a property or on one birds pass over ot get to bait you could be in violation under Baiting is the direct or indirect placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering of salt, grain, or other feed that could lure or attract waterfowl to, on, or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take them. It was the OVER part, The officers agreed though as I was NOT on that property I was not in violation and the field was cleared. But they did say they were going to go tell the landowner ( who had duck blinds on his pond ) he had a baited field and could not hunt waterfowl on it for ten days.

I shake my head at that law all the time because I have never thought of flooding corn to its ears for the pure purpose of luring in waterfowl other than BAITING yet its legal. But try hunting near a railroad track and see what happens.