Waterfowling in a boat question.

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Originally Posted by 3Wheelerdude

For those who still have doubts about this, here it is straight from the MNR website :

Question: What are the regulations around retrieving migratory game birds and subsequent use of harvested birds?

[COLOR=#333333]Answer: The regulations require hunters to have an adequate means of retrieving birds and immediately make every reasonable effort to retrieve a migratory game bird that has been killed or injured, and if it is still alive that they kill it immediately. A power boat may be used to retrieve a crippled, injured or dead migratory game bird. However, you may not shoot at a migratory bird while the boat is in motion. Migratory game birds taken must be then counted toward daily bag and possession limits. Also to be taken into account is that some provinces and territories have laws which require that edible meat of harvested game not be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned.

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Duckslayer...you're up?

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Originally Posted by 3Wheelerdude

Question: What are the regulations around retrieving migratory game birds and subsequent use of harvested birds?

[COLOR=#333333]Answer: The regulations require hunters to have an adequate means of retrieving birds and immediately make every reasonable effort to retrieve a migratory game bird that has been killed or injured, and if it is still alive that they kill it immediately. A power boat may be used to retrieve a crippled, injured or dead migratory game bird. However, you may not shoot at a migratory bird while the boat is in motion. Migratory game birds taken must be then counted toward daily bag and possession limits. Also to be taken into account is that some provinces and territories have laws which require that edible meat of harvested game not be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned.

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Definitely written by someone who has never been diver hunting before. It would be funny to see it done this way though, chase the duck, jam the motor in reverse, shut the motor down and pray the duck doesn't dive (and if it does hope when it resurfaces its still in range).

Best to talk to local CO re their interpretation. At a local mtg our CO focussed on 'make every reasonable effort' as opposed to be be worrying whether your motor was running or you were moving forward. Their only concern was that your gun was unloaded when you motored out.

Shooting from a moving boat in the pursuit of a cripple whether legal or not seems pretty unsafe to me. Boat floor potentially covered in weeds mud and or snow an ice while in potentially rough weather just seems like a really bad idea. Is retrieving a cripple worth potentially shooting your dog or boat or hunting partner, dropping your gun in the drink........................the list of bad things that can happen goes on and on!!

Guess I place I higher value on safety while hunting than some others do :)

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Originally Posted by mtaz

Definitely written by someone who has never been diver hunting before. It would be funny to see it done this way though, chase the duck, jam the motor in reverse, shut the motor down and pray the duck doesn't dive (and if it does hope when it resurfaces its still in range).

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I find the best scenario is when they do dive.
That allows me time to stop the boat, load my gun and take the legal shot when it resurfaces.

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Originally Posted by skeeter1

Shooting from a moving boat in the pursuit of a cripple whether legal or not seems pretty unsafe to me. Boat floor potentially covered in weeds mud and or snow an ice while in potentially rough weather just seems like a really bad idea. Is retrieving a cripple worth potentially shooting your dog or boat or hunting partner, dropping your gun in the drink........................the list of bad things that can happen goes on and on!!

Guess I place I higher value on safety while hunting than some others do :)

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I think you are very wise to place a higher value on safety. My response was not to suggest otherwise; however the CO was simply suggesting that the motor did not have to be off and out of the water. Many would agree that they have shifted into neutral and in all likelihood there is some motion while they safely dispatch a cripple.

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Originally Posted by krakadawn

I think you are very wise to place a higher value on safety. My response was not to suggest otherwise; however the CO was simply suggesting that the motor did not have to be off and out of the water. Many would agree that they have shifted into neutral and in all likelihood there is some motion while they safely dispatch a cripple.

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There is a very large difference between the letter of the law, and what a CO may or may not let you away with.

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Originally Posted by duckslayer

Oh god here we go again................you have to do everything possible to recover that cripple and yes that includes shooting from a moving boat under power. This topic has been beat down so many times on this forum (the cripple aspect). Yes you can have your motor in the water for the hunt just not under power and all forward momentum has stopped UNLESS you are chasing a cripple then you NEED to recover that cripple which include chasing them down and dispatching from a moving boat under power. I don't need to provide regs to prove it, that's up to you to look them up. I've had C O's tell me the rule and have had them watch us do it, it will be the guys that just let that cripple swim off with out attempting to recover it who will be charged...........

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Seriously you call me an internet CO and then go and tell everybody that you can shoot cripples from a boat under power!!! This is absolutely wrong and dangerous! Wow

I guess I've been doing it all wrong for the past 45 years !!!

From the MBCA...note 16(2)....

Retrieving Birds

• [COLOR=black]16 [COLOR=black](1) No person shall hunt a migratory bird unless he has adequate means for retrieving any such bird that he may kill, cripple or injure.
  
• [COLOR=black](1.1) A person who kills, cripples or injures a migratory bird shall
  
  
  • [COLOR=black](a) immediately make every reasonable effort to retrieve the bird; and
    
  • [COLOR=black](b) if he retrieves the bird while it is still alive, immediately kill and include it in his daily bag limit.
  
  
• [COLOR=black](2) Notwithstanding paragraph 15(1)(e), a power boat may be used for the purpose of retrieving a migratory bird.

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Originally Posted by rick_iles

I guess I've been doing it all wrong for the past 45 years !!!

From the MBCA...note 16(2)....

Retrieving Birds

• [COLOR=black]16 [COLOR=black](1) No person shall hunt a migratory bird unless he has adequate means for retrieving any such bird that he may kill, cripple or injure.
• [COLOR=black](1.1) A person who kills, cripples or injures a migratory bird shall
  
  • [COLOR=black](a) immediately make every reasonable effort to retrieve the bird; and
  • [COLOR=black](b) if he retrieves the bird while it is still alive, immediately kill and include it in his daily bag limit.
  
  
• [COLOR=black](2) Notwithstanding paragraph 15(1)(e), a power boat may be used for the purpose of retrieving a migratory bird.

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Nowhere does that say you can fire from a boat under power!!! So yes you have been doing it wrong for 45 years! That simply states that you must make every effort to go out and retrieve your birds, if they are still alive then you must kill them and you can use your power boat to retrieve your birds (you must do all of this without breaking any laws!) If you do need to shoot a crippled bird you must turn your motor off and cease your forward momentum before you can shoot the crippled bird... It that easy, it's posted right in the regs...

Would you shoot a crippled dear from your truck in an effort to retrieve it???