Fools. Penalty not near harsh enough. They should lose fishing privledges for life imo. I’ve always felt the catch limit is held down because the DNR knows there is much more of this going on then they can ever hope to prevent.
https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/3-michigan-men-allegedly-caught-with-80-walleye-far-more-than-legal-limit-report
Fools. Penalty not near harsh enough. They should lose fishing privledges for life imo. I’ve always felt the catch limit is held down because the DNR knows there is much more of this going on then they can ever hope to prevent.
I’ve always felt the fines and license loss penalties in MN are much to lenient. 1 fish or 2 fish over could under some circumstances be an accident and lack of attention, but 65 over? That’s a willful flouting of the game laws and who could ever believe that this is the first time they’ve done this? No way.
My opinion has long been that in MN poaching and over the limit violations are rampant. The reason we don’t KNOW this is that there are so few COs out there that only a tiny fraction of the perps get caught. Honestly, I have not been spot checked by a CO while fishing for over 20 years. Even here near the metro. It would also be very easy to avoid being ramp checked if a person was really trying to get away with something.
We need to have about double the number of COs that we actually have to have any chance at catching the violators out there.
Grouse
I’ve always felt the fines and license loss penalties in MN are much to lenient. 1 fish or 2 fish over could under some circumstances be an accident and lack of attention, but 65 over? That’s a willful flouting of the game laws and who could ever believe that this is the first time they’ve done this? No way.
My opinion has long been that in MN poaching and over the limit violations are rampant. The reason we don’t KNOW this is that there are so few COs out there that only a tiny fraction of the perps get caught. Honestly, I have not been spot checked by a CO while fishing for over 20 years. Even here near the metro. It would also be very easy to avoid being ramp checked if a person was really trying to get away with something.
We need to have about double the number of COs that we actually have to have any chance at catching the violators out there.
Grouse
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Exactly.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
That is just plain disgusting. I could see one, maybe, if you’re with a larger group, but that is no accident.
I’ve never understood the loss of license being a big deal to violators, it’s not like the regs matter much anyways. At some point there needs to be real jail time attached to violations like that. The problem I see is that the courts don’t recognize, or maybe understand is a better term, what something like that can do to a resource. If they did maybe they would assign harsher penalties for those that try to fight the fine because here in WI if you go to court they will reduce your fine.
this is my opinion only, but i think since they ruled these random roadside checks illegal is part of the problem. basiclly a CO needs a tip to bust someone.
I’ve never understood the loss of license being a big deal to violators, it’s not like the regs matter much anyways. At some point there needs to be real jail time attached to violations like that.
If you’re doing spot checks, it’s easier to catch so.eone fishing without a license vs. Taking too many fish. But you need real checks and consequences for that to matter much.
I think we all know this happens so much more than we ever hear about. As POTUS would say, SAD!
What’s the penalty in MN if you poach a deer? Should the punishments be similar, once normalized? Whatever that normalization is, let’s say 100% or more over the limit for fish(or whatever number you guys think) vs. shooting a deer without a tag?
That is just plain disgusting. I could see one, maybe, if you’re with a larger group, but that is no accident.
I’ve never understood the loss of license being a big deal to violators, it’s not like the regs matter much anyways. At some point there needs to be real jail time attached to violations like that. The problem I see is that the courts don’t recognize, or maybe understand is a better term, what something like that can do to a resource. If they did maybe they would assign harsher penalties for those that try to fight the fine because here in WI if you go to court they will reduce your fine.
Bingo.
What happens when people lose their driver’s license for unpaid fines, etc.? They drive without.
What happens when people put on probation are told they are no longer allowed in bars? They drink other places or still go to bars.
What happens when people lose their hunting privileges? They hunt without licenses.
Fines and property forfeitures (guns, boats, rods, trucks, cars, atv’s, etc.) need to be the go-to punishment when laws are broken. Suspending a person’s license is pointless in many situations. There’s no stopping criminals in every situation, but physically making it harder for them to break the same law makes far more sense then taking away a privilege that is rarely checked-up on. If any fish/game violation started at $2000 at a bare minimum for first time offenders, I’d bet we may see a change if the number of CO’s was increased. Sure $2000 seems like a lot for incorrectly measuring a walleye or miscounting a few crappies on a pontoon of people, but you wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Boat payments, rods, guns, etc. get a lot harder to afford when you’re staring at thousands of dollars in fines AND your actual gear was impounded.
You are asking people who can’t even clean up their own garbage from the ice not to poach. Pigs are pigs in more than one way.
Public humiliation + big fines. Until it hurts people won’t care.
Public humiliation + big fines. Until it hurts people won’t care.
I’ve said it on here before. We charge people $80-$120 a fish for what might or might not be an honest mistake. Then when someone has a gross over limit in the 100’s we give them a big quantity discount. I’ll never understand that.
Until we increase the fines it will be cheaper for these guys to keep poaching. The odds of getting caught are very low and even if they get caught what’s a $1000 if you’ve taken 100’s of fish over your limit for years. Your cost per pound is penny’s… sure beats going to the store.
$10 a pound for being over? Michigan dosen’t value there fish very high…
sliding scale for fines based on number of fish.
You could do $50 per for up to 3 fish. This would take into consideration measuring wrong or just messing up a count.
$100 per fish from 4 fish to 6 fish.
$200 per fish 6 fish to 8 fish.
$300 per fish 8 fish on up. You are a poacher and thief at this point.
30% of each fine goes to stocking.
30% goes towards billboards listing photo’s, names, addresses, fine paid of the top 10 poachers caught.
60% goes towards more enforcement officers.
As long as you condone the behavior you will have abusers. Make it hurt.
They could start by listing the offenders names in the story. 
-J.
I assume the reason they don’t always post names is because one could claim racism if the officers race didn’t match that of the accused individual?
At the time of the story they may not have been charged.
this is my opinion only, but i think since they ruled these random roadside checks illegal is part of the problem. basiclly a CO needs a tip to bust someone.
just like gun control and private property searches this is a super slippery slope.
Increase fines and awareness sure but road checkpoints. no thanks.
I have “acquainteces” who talk about fishing 4 lines and keeping more fish over the limit. I never fish with them and have told them I don’t want to hear about their illegal activities. They fish Red and LOTW a lot. They know the chances of getting checked are slim to none. I’ve never been checked on any of the big lakes but have been checked on some of the small puddle lakes around here.
I’ve heard rumors that these same guys all agree that they will split the cost of any fines anyone of them gets for over the limit or too many lines whether they are fishing together or alone.
I’ve thought of calling TIP on these people but I don’t know when or where they go. They use the abuse of over netting by the tribes as an excuse for their own behavior.
I never could understand that why not give the people that do surveys the power to check people’s license and catch limits when coming off the lake. I’ve been surveyed on Red and LOTW many times.
I have “acquainteces” who talk about fishing 4 lines and keeping more fish over the limit. I never fish with them and have told them I don’t want to hear about their illegal activities. They fish Red and LOTW a lot. They know the chances of getting checked are slim to none. I’ve never been checked on any of the big lakes but have been checked on some of the small puddle lakes around here.
I’ve heard rumors that these same guys all agree that they will split the cost of any fines anyone of them gets for over the limit or too many lines whether they are fishing together or alone.
I’ve thought of calling TIP on these people but I don’t know when or where they go. They use the abuse of over netting by the tribes as an excuse for their own behavior.
I never could understand that why not give the people that do surveys the power to check people’s license and catch limits when coming off the lake. I’ve been surveyed on Red and LOTW many times.
Probably because they are college kids doing a summer job? They have no power of enforcement. I don’t even answer their questions.
I have heard the lame excuse of the “tribes net”. No more legit then saying because your friend cheats on his wife it becomes OK for you to do it.
I would let your “acquaintances” know you will call TIP on them the next time they rape the resource.
If any fish/game violation started at $2000 at a bare minimum for first time offenders, I’d bet we may see a change if the number of CO’s was increased. Sure $2000 seems like a lot for incorrectly measuring a walleye or miscounting a few crappies on a pontoon of people, but you wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Fines and punishment must fit the crime. Just because you don’t break the law doesn’t make it necessary to raise fines to an unnecessary level.
If fines increased to that level you’ll also see fewer tickets ONLY because the CO would be less willing to give out tickets. Not because people would be afraid to break the law.
As mentioned before, sometimes these crimes are difficult to convict because the legal search and seizure lines for fish and game seem to be much more grey than everything else.
I do not believe a CO has any right to search your boat, fish house, car or home without a warrant or probable cause if they are not directly involved in the activity of hunting or fishing.
I cannot see how check points can be legal in Mn.
If you think that’s bad, stay tuned for a major violation on the Wolf that will be released once LE figures out what to charge.
I think a call to TIP is considered a reason to stop & search. Thats why the DNR has the TIP campaign running all the time.
I think a call to TIP is considered a reason to stop & search. Thats why the DNR has the TIP campaign running all the time.
On the water. Yes, all day. They have that right.
But that’s where it gets sticky. If your on your way home with your boat on a trailer, they still need probable cause or a warrant.
In your home? Not a chance, not without probable cause or a warrant.
This is where the DNR gets in trouble and loses so many cases. Tips and witnesses are not probable cause. If they don’t get a warrant they usually lose in court.
Im sure often times they get neither so they go in anyway because otherwise there will be no form of punishment.
Unless you want to line in nazi America this is the way it is.
I must have my some type of neon sign that says “Check Me” because on every trip for the last 5 years we’ve been stopped and checked. The only time we weren’t was on Winnie this past January.
30% of each fine goes to stocking.
30% goes towards billboards listing photo’s, names, addresses, fine paid of the top 10 poachers caught.
60% goes towards more enforcement officers.
Dutchie you are grossly over paying 120%. 
Yep, my bad.
We need to have about double the number of COs that we actually have to have any chance at catching the violators out there.
Grouse
I don’t think more COs is the answer. There will never be enough. To protect the resource we all need to participate. Have the TIP line programmed into your phone and use it. The number is 800-652-9093.
You can also fill out this form https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/enforcement/tipreportingform.html if the TIP is not time sensitive.
I think a call to TIP is considered a reason to stop & search. Thats why the DNR has the TIP campaign running all the time.
Not true I called tip to report ducks being shot during the early goose season, a pond behind the tree line we saw ducks barreling in and then shotguns blasting not a goose in sight. Dnr asked me if I literally saw them kill the ducks I said no they are behind the tree line. They had at least 4 rallies and we saw the ducks barrel into there pond. And no it wasn’t youth day either. I was very disappointed. Dnr didn’t even stop by to question them
Dnr didn’t even stop by to question them
In this case the DNR has the right to as long as they are hunting. Disappointing that they didn’t.
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