Ink Pen Required???

[Multidigits]

It used to be unlawful to be in the field with a gun during any firearms deer season, unless you had a tag in your possesion (I'm not sure if this still stands). It used to be unlawful to have a spotlight and gun in a vehicle (I believe this has been changed).

Now, with the new deer permit system in place, WOULD it be unlawful to be hunting deer without an ink pin in your possesion???

It seems that this could be used by law enforcement to slow down those intending to poach, because they couldn't legally take a deer in a lawful manner without one.

[Xtreme]

My concern is...how many people are going to harvest a deer or turkey and realize they DONT have one or it wont write or is broken?

I am correct in understanding that the tag must be filled out before the animal is moved right?

[DC]

Most hunters carry a fanny pack or at least have a "possibles pocket". Just include a pen and a back up pen. If you forget the pen or it won't write--leave the animal, don't move it and go get a pen to fill out the log.

[mossyhorns]

Hey fellow hunters! I addressed this issue in my newspaper column last week. Maybe this will shed some light.

February 20, 2002


IN THE FIELD
By Kenny Darnell

HUNTERS WILL NEED PEN TO TAKE SPRING TURKEYS
Here's a hot tip for all you budding entrepreneurs out there – camouflaged ball-point pens! That's right, ball-point pens. Every aspiring hunter who takes to the field this year for turkeys or deer will require the services of a good quality, all-weather, indelible writing instrument.

That's because you'll no longer receive a nice paper tag to wrap around your deer or gobbler's leg. Instead, the KDFWR's high tech online license machine will spit out what appears to be a regular hunting license on one side, but flip it over and it becomes a super-duper ledger. The Department prefers to call it a log, but logs are what you sit on while hunting deer and turkey. This thing is a ledger.

According to the hot-off-the-press 2002 Turkey Hunting Guide, all turkey and deer hunters are required to write down their harvest and telecheck confirmation number for each turkey or deer they take. And reading from the guide: "You will need to take a pen with you in the field."

Any good turkey hunter worth his spurs knows that the big birds are adept at color perception – so much so that they can discern a Bic from a Parker Brothers at over a hundred yards. And one click of the clicker or twist of the barrel will be enough sound and motion to stampede a whole herd of deer into the next county. What the sportsmen and women of Kentucky need is a good quality instrument that can be armed quietly with little or no movement and wears a pattern of camouflage to match the hunter's chosen attire.

Since the first intrepid sportsmen required to produce a field journal are turkey hunters, here's the scoop straight from the Turkey Hunting Guide. First, everyone who hunts a turkey will need a hunting license which can be purchased at sporting goods stores everywhere, and a turkey tag. The turkey tag is not for tagging the turkey, however, it's just for, well, twenty bucks.

On the back of the license is the general ledger where the successful hunter will record the details of the harvest – unless you are a landowner who is exempt from a license or if you purchased your license via the telephone. In any case, if you don't actually have a pre-printed paper license, you will need to make your own. There's a handy sample in the hunting guide – you could just cut it out but the paper is so cheap it wouldn't hold up, plus you would mess up important instructions on the flip side about tele-checking your bird – so just get a piece of paper and copy the blasted thing.

So let's say you have made it to the woods on opening morning and set up on a good bird gobbling his fool head off. You let out a yelp or two and sure enough, the bird pitches down and heads straight for you, closing the distance to less than forty yards because he can't see your new Bic in authentic Realtree or Mossyoak pattern. Immediately after the shot (successful, we'll assume), you'll pick up your camo document portfolio and make a beeline to your bird.

When you reach the bird, set up your handy sportsmen's folding table and writing chair, sort through the portfolio for the appropriate documents, retrieve the dandy all-purpose camo pen from your chest pocket, and set about the process of correctly filling out your harvest ledger before you even consider moving the turkey. Sometime during the same day, you are required to call the magic tele-check number and recite the information just entered in your journal. The magic tele-check folks will provide you with a confirmation number which you will then add to the information on the ledger.

All of this is well and good as long as you and the turkey maintain a close personal relationship. If you decide to leave your turkey with the local taxidermist or perhaps give it to your brother-in-law, then you'll have to whip up another Martha Stewart homemade carcass tag to attach to (what else?) the carcass. Whatever you do, don't use your license, whether homemade or store-bought, for a carcass tag because then you would be without your ledger in case you are audited by the local conservation officer.

So see, that wasn't too hard, now was it? All you have to remember is that your license isn't just a license, but also a ledger. And that your turkey tag isn't a tag at all but just a receipt for your twenty dollars. And all of this is so much neater than those messy preprinted peel-um-and-stick-um tags of yesteryear – unless you use a fountain pen, but that's another story.

Just keep me in mind if you want to start up a company to make those special camouflaged ball-point pens. I might be willing to kick in a few bucks – especially if I get a free pen!

Next week: Developing the proper theme for your harvest log.
#####



Edited by - mossyhorns on 02/25/2002 9:33:35 PM

[INKYHUNTER]

Hot Damn! I'm ready because I have a camo pen and pencil set I got at the Armor Book Store years ago.<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Walker]

DC,how many hunters are going to leave a big buck they just shot to go get a pen?where their are other hunters around you dont know.not me,the deer would be gone 5 min. after you went to get your pen.I will pay the fine if i have to.so i will put a pen in every pocket in case i lose 1 or 2,which i most likely will.

[ceohunter]

Great article Mossyhorns! I enjoyed that!

[mossyhorns]

Thanks, CEO! I just hope we all need a pen this spring!

[DC]

My point is don't leave the pen at home nor the buck alone. Unless a person is one of those unbelievably lucky fellows that just stumbles into a big'un, he is probably a good deer hunter that pays attention to details--that's what got him the big buck. This type of hunter won't leave home without one...a pen.

However, if you have to leave the buck. Call your buddy to help with the pen, mark the buck so you cal i.d. it later if you need to..I'd bet that most of us (I have) have left deer (even big'uns) in the field to go fetch help, the truck, etc.

I'd tell you my favorite trick (an old Hoosier told me how) about marking the deer but I hate to give it away--some of you probably know it--involves a dime.

Take care.

By the way, today your legislature will hear a bill that would place a bounty on beavers. This is a tired old idea that has been disproven many times over the past decades. It doesn't help the problem it only wastes your license dollars (maybe at least $100,000/year--that's 4,000 of your deer permits down the toilet). There were only 48 and 51 beaver complaints in the entire state of KY each of the last two years. If KY gets a bounty, you can bet KDFWR will paying bounties on Hoosier, Show-Me, Volunteer,& Buckeye beavers.

[INKYHUNTER]

I think placing a bounty on beaver would be a great mistake. These animals would be wiped out in short order. I am sure their are laws in place to take care of problem animals. I suspect land owners take care of the problem if they have one. A bounty would just invite the mass destruction of the animal by people who are not affected by problem animals. I have beaver on my property and if they get out of hand I am sure I can solve the problem. However until then they are a joy to watch.

[DC]

Good news on the beaver front. It appears efforts that began on Jan. 31st to help alleviate trouble with beavers are moving forward. A plan is being put together as has been used in other southeastern states. Hopefully, the bounty idea will be moved aside for something that will really work.

[Valley Station]

DC ,

You made a comment about an effort started on Jan.31 to alleviate beaver problems. What is that and would you please expand on the subject.Appreciate it.

[Multidigits]

DC--Can you explain why this has just now become an issue. Most of us were not aware of a problem until your ost yesterday, the same ay this was discussed in the legislature. To coin a phrase from Jon Gassett, it looks like somebody "dropped the ball" on this one. IF there is a problem, why wait till it reaches that level before acting?

Why not start a B.E.P. (Beaver Eradication Program) in problem areas (call them zone 1's). Take away the beavers fur bearer status and replace it with that of a varmint. Make them year round sport targets, such as coyotes. It's drastic, but better than a bounty system.

[grassblade]

I like the old way, when you had a tag you fill out and then it was sticky and you just stuck it to your deer. It was not going to get lost or fall off the deer. The only way you could get it off would be to cut it off.

[Xtreme]

Unfortunately, until we educate the public that managed fur harvests are GOOD instead of BAD, we will have Beaver, Muskrat, Coons, Coyotes, rabies, distemper and a whole list of ailments and nuisances.

All the bounty's in the world do not replace a healthy and prosperous fur market.

The utilization of natural fur does not release cancerous and ozone depleting by-products into our enviroment like synthetic insulating and "earth friendly" products do.

On a different note, I remember when there were no beaver in Ky. I also remember when I caught my first one in 1980 by accident. I thought it was the biggest damn Muskrat I had ever seen in my life til I saw it's tail. Now they want bounties on em......Damn I feel old!!!!!!.......