# Possesion Limit?



## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

What exactly does it mean? becuase you can shoot 6 ducks a day but allowed 12 in possesion. does this mean you can have someone elses limit as well(with ducks u need there info to transport there game).


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Duck-Hunter said:


> What exactly does it mean? becuase you can shoot 6 ducks a day but allowed 12 in possesion. does this mean you can have someone elses limit as well(with ducks u need their info to transport there game).


I'm not positive what you are asking but I will give it a try at what I think your question is.

The possession limit for waterfowl as stated is six providing you have no more than a certian number of some speicies which happens to be less than six of course. This means if you limit out two days in a row you may have both limits with you and be legal. It has nothing to do with someone else's limit of waterfowl. If you hunted three days in a row and limited out all three days and had not ate any of the waterfowl you took and had three days limit in possession (than means in your freezer at home, in your cooler at camp, ....anywhere) you would be in violation.

As far as transporting someone else's limit for them, then they must have a tag, self made tag, with the information that is required (as stated in guide) to transport (or ship) the waterfowl for someone else. Someone else's waterfowl has nothing to do with your limit, unless of of course a person has given his waterfowl to you to keep (and eat) then they would be your ducks and part of your possession limit.

Remember, all waterfowl must be able to be identified by having at least one fully feathered wing attached until that bird gets to the final place where it is not likely to be transported anywhere else. Also remember, all waterfowl vioations are duel violations meaning that you can be charged by both the state and the feds for any and all violations.


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## ironmachineus (Dec 22, 2005)

Not to belabor this, but what constitutes transporting game? If I shoot a goose, and breast it out, leaving the carcass at a cottage but taking the breasts to my main home, is this a technical violation because the wing is not attached to the breast? In other words, do I have to keep the carcass (or at least a wing) with the breast meet until my final destination? If this is true, what if I take the frozen breast meat to my inlaws for dinner a month later? Do I need the wing then? This isn't very practical.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Transport means; to move from one place to another.

From the cottage where you went to hunt, yes wing attached, if you got stopped you would likely get arrested in that situation. From your home to the mother-in-laws a month later, technically yes, but I wouldn't bother you and doubt that anyone else would but I won't speak for anyone but myself under those type of circumstances. Remember a fed could stop you too as it is a duel violation. 

Might not be practical but it keeps someone from have a bunch of ducks that they were not suppose to take to begin with. Once you package up/freeze the bird what is the need to remove the wing prior to getting it ready to eat? I'm sure your not just keeping it in the cooler for a month. I've had pheasants from N.D. in my freezer for 6-months with the heads still attached so they could be properly identified, didn't create a problem for me.


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## bullcan (May 18, 2004)

Boehr, if I have ducks in my freezer but have no intention of transporting them anywhere, should I still leave a wing attatched or is there no need?

Also, with the possession question, could I legally keep 48 ducks in my freezer if 4 people are living in my home? In other words keep 12 for myself, gift 12 to my wife, 12 to my son, and 12 to my younger son?


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## Nitro2 (Nov 2, 2005)

More clarifications for Boehr:

Is possession a federal law (two day limit is the same everywhere)? 

Does possession include the sausage and jerky you made from ducks?

If I brought back a legal limit of 12 ducks from North Dakota, can I legally shoot any ducks in Michigan before I eat any of my ND ducks?

I see a lot of misunderstanding on this issue. Besides what has been discussed thus far, what other areas have you seen people get in trouble with possession?


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

_Boehr, if I have ducks in my freezer but have no intention of transporting them anywhere, should I still leave a wing attatched or is there no need?_

You don't have to still have the wing but if they are frozen already are you going to thaw and refreeze just to remove the wing?

_Also, with the possession question, could I legally keep 48 ducks in my freezer if 4 people are living in my home? In other words keep 12 for myself, gift 12 to my wife, 12 to my son, and 12 to my younger son?_

That is fine as long as they are all properly licensed.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

_Is possession a federal law (two day limit is the same everywhere)?_

I believe it is. 

_Does possession include the sausage and jerky you made from ducks?_

Yes

_If I brought back a legal limit of 12 ducks from North Dakota, can I legally shoot any ducks in Michigan before I eat any of my ND ducks?_

As long as you don't stop and hunt with the ND ducks in a cooler. Fine if they are at home, just like fishing.

_I see a lot of misunderstanding on this issue. Besides what has been discussed thus far, what other areas have you seen people get in trouble with possession?_

Mostly having a wing or tagged by another owner. The feds work that harder that the state does and the fines are much higher in federal court. As for misunderstanding, the possession limit is no different with other fish and game, especially fish. What makes it difficult is trying to read something into it that is not there. If you read it in simplest terms, for the most part, it is pretty self explainatory but maybe it's just easier because I been working with it so many years too.


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## twodogsphil (Apr 16, 2002)

If I understand your response to bullcan, your saying I need a license before someone can give me a couple of ducks or geese. Is that correct?


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

I'm confused on that too....Bullcan said "gift 12 to my wife.....etc."

????????


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

By law yes. To possess game or fish you must have a license. See the actual laws below.

324.43505 Definitions; H to N.
Sec. 43505. (1) "Hunt" and "hunting" mean to pursue, capture, shoot, kill, chase, follow, harass, harm, rob, or trap a wild animal, or to attempt to engage in such an activity.
(2) "Identification" means a driver license issued by Michigan, another state, or a Canadian province as accepted by the department, a state of Michigan identification card issued by the secretary of state, or a sportcard issued by the department.
(3) "License" means a document or a tag, stamp, plastic card, or other device that may include a stamp or a tag that authorizes the licensee to hunt, fish, trap, *or possess wild animals or aquatic species* and other identification required by the department.

324.43509 Taking aquatic species; hunting, trapping, or possessing wild animal.
Sec. 43509. (1) A person 17 years of age or older shall not take aquatic species, except aquatic insects, in or upon any waters over which this state has jurisdiction or in or upon any lands within the state, *or possess aquatic species, except aquatic insects, without having in his or her possession a valid license* as provided in this part.
(2) A person shall not hunt, trap, *or possess a wild animal without having in his or her possession a valid license* as provided in this part.

Guess I have a difficult time understanding why one would think that they could have, in this case ducks since that is what we are talking about, without the same licenses that would be required to hunt them. If a person was allowed to possess game or fish without a license why would they be required to have only their limit? As I have stated before, hunting and fishing is a recreational activity and not done as a means of survival for food, those days are long gone.


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

Boehr,
You stated in another thread that it was legal for someone to give a field dressed and tagged deer to another person and for that person to process it and keep it.

You didn't mention in that thread about the second person having to possess a license....???


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

The difference in a deer is the deer is tagged with a license and the license, once used, can't be used again. Much the same reason an LEO can give away road kill deer with a road kill permit.


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

Thanx Boehr, 
Makes perfect sense now.


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## lang49 (Aug 1, 2005)

Those made into sausage/jerky counted in possession limit- YES-- You got to be kidding..


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## Rudi's Dad (May 4, 2004)

I can see where posession of migratory birds is probably 1. misunderstood by hunters, or 2. hunter isnt worried of having their freezer searched so they dont worry about posession laws.
Or in simplistic terms, I've been getting away with that for years, why change?


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