# what happens to confiscated fish and game?



## YPSIFLY (Feb 13, 2001)

Boehr,

I read the "On Patrol" section in MOOD every month and was wondering what happens to fish and game that are confiscated. Do they go to a foodbank or are they kept as evidence?


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

All depends on the particular case and the needs to keep fish and game for evidence. We do have a large chest freezer that we keep fish and game for evidence when needed but most of the time it is given away to other hunters and fishermen. I use to have a list every year starting the falling hunting season for people who requested illegal deer. A lot of CO's and I too in the past, have turned deer over to Sportsmen Against Hunger. Fish, especially salmon, during the salmon runs, are normally given to other anglers within a very short period of time after seizure of the fish. Anything to get rid of those things so they are not sliding all over in the back of the truck. The biggest haul of illegal fish I ever took from one individual was about two thousand pounds of illegal fish (whitefish). The next biggest haul falls way down to about 400 pounds and then works down from there. If we are talking about an undersize walleye or bass, those are normally keep in the evidence freezer.


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## YPSIFLY (Feb 13, 2001)

Thanks for the quick reply.

Two thousand pounds of whitefish? Sounds like you caught the ultimate poacher!


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Illegal commercial fishing activity. Illegal gill nets in Garden in the U.P. back in 1985. Guy enroute to Chicago to sell the fish at the fish markets. Seized all the fish and he never seen his pick up truck again, plus the normal fines etc., associated with that crime.


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## Ruler (Nov 30, 2001)

How does one go about requesting such confiscated fish? (Heh, I suck at salmon fishing so this might be the only way I get one other than from Farmer Jack or Krogers!)


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Contact the local officer and ask him/her. Be advised, they will not be cleaned and it could be a phone call at any hour of the day or night. We don't put them on ice for ya.


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## Ruler (Nov 30, 2001)

WHAT?!?!!! You mean that those ungrateful COs don't even clean, skin, fillet, and cook the fish they give to me???  I'm SHOCKED!    

Thanks for the info Ray.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Got to teach fishermen how to clean fish someway.


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