azman Report post Posted August 9, 2012 I just heard on the news that one of our G&F commissioners was cited for shooting a prairie dog out of season. What do you suppose will happen to him? Will he loose is license or just get a slap on thw wrist? It is a shame that one of the commissioners takes game out of season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted August 9, 2012 To be honest, I had no idea there was a season on fricken prairie dogs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
654321 Report post Posted August 9, 2012 go to GF web page it has the 9 page report all about it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
123456 Report post Posted August 9, 2012 This is crazy, guy says 13 year old shot a prairie dog out of season and now he is going thru this heck. No one caught him doing it, he turned himself in when he saw that they were out of season. This is why people do not help Game and fish. They want you to report everything, then they drop the hammer on you if you turn yourself in. It's not like he did anything intentional or used rash judgement. A simple mistake, and now he is being charged with a class 2 misdemeanor. Funny thing is, he admitted it happend and now he has to plead not guilty to get the charge dropped. Trust me, many people make mistakes. Police officers who enforce the law, break the law as well. It is human nature. You can not speed, 90% of police probably speed. (not sure if that last sentence is true, but I bet it is.) I have heard whore stories of people reporting their own honest mistakes and Game and Fish being total #%!#s about it. What happened to the days where honesty was the best policy. Seems he should have just swept it under the rug and this wouldn't be happening to him. Shame on Game and Fish for their actions. It's a praire dogg. Why have seasons on such a destructive critter. I am sure ranchers do not want seasons on those things. No season on jackrabbits, but a season on praire dogs. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trophyhnter Report post Posted August 9, 2012 Tough situation! We should all know the seasons and what would you do if you found yourself in that situation? I havent hunted paire dogs in the past but I don't think I would give it a second thought. I'm sure that they are following their procedures so that the public does not perceive the commissioners as above the law! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sundevil99 Report post Posted August 9, 2012 http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/08/09/20120809game-fish-commissioner-cited-hunting-violation.html I was reading through the reports from the commission meetings about the prosecution procedings and they usually don't give much forgiveness to the other hunters who have self reported. I wonder if it will change now that he thinks "it's a little heavy-handed," he said. "Rather than being rewarded (for self-reporting), I was disciplined. I'm looking forward to my day in court." Who knows.... Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/08/09/20120809game-fish-commissioner-cited-hunting-violation.html#ixzz2318c20Wv Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SirRoyal Report post Posted August 9, 2012 Way over reaction by Game and Fish! They are using Jack as an example because of who he is! Shame on them ! If they will do this to one of thier own. The rest of the hunting public will think they are the KGB and shutup about any infractions they know about. When does common sense prevail (its A Prairie Dog) for goodness sakes 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WhtMtnHunter Report post Posted August 9, 2012 Can anyone name the states with a prairie dog season? I'll bet AZ is the only one. I understand they want to feed their pet black footed ferrets, but the prairie dog protection should only extend to the ferrets home range(ie, unit 10, or the Seligman area). The closed season is during praire dog breeding season. If Mr. Husted was hunting this nuisance in eastern AZ then he should not have been cited. I see prairie dogs all over snowflake, taylor, vernon, and the round valley area. There arent any black footed ferrets around there. It is merely a problem with the hunting regulations that should be corrected. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
runningbird Report post Posted August 9, 2012 It's a tough deal for both sides. If G&F let this go and it became public knowledge then 1/2 the people would be on here stating that G&F does not punish their own. It was a no win situation. The commissioner did the right thing by reporting his mistake. Most people would have said no harm no foul. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted August 9, 2012 Husted is not the only AZGF commissioner to inadvertently break a game law and report the violation himself. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, a commissioner killed two whitetails (a second buck jumped up after the first one dropped) and reported it to the local wildlife manager, and then appeared before a judge and paid a fine. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
couesdiehard Report post Posted August 9, 2012 I have no problem with making a mistake and I admire anyone who owns up to that mistake as Husted did. I have a serious problem with his comments in the AZCentral article about being heavy handed or being rewarded. Very disappointing. G&F employees and especially commissioners who sit in judgement of violators of these very laws should hold THEMSELVES to a higher standard than the average citizen. My 2 cents. Lee 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThomC Report post Posted August 9, 2012 Way over reaction by Game and Fish! They are using Jack as an example because of who he is! Shame on them ! If they will do this to one of thier own. The rest of the hunting public will think they are the KGB and shutup about any infractions they know about. When does common sense prevail (its A Prairie Dog) for goodness sakes My take on this after reading the report that Mr Husted pushed this issue on the G&F. He insisted that they do something, and wasted G&F time and money. I agree "when does common sense prevail." And I wonder if the coyote that ate the prairie dog knew he was eating a $250 meal. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rugerman Report post Posted August 9, 2012 I admire him self-reporting, although I did not see his comments regarding the Dept. being "heavy-handed". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted August 9, 2012 Wow - I'm glad I haven't gone prarie dog hunting this summer. I had no idea there was a season on them. Bet there won't be next year I'm not surprised that he was cited, but I would sure like to be in the courtroom to hear to proceedings. On the one hand, it sounds like he didn't even shoot the p-dog. So is he now an "accessorie" to taking wildlife out of season? Is the kid being cited? This could get interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZLance Report post Posted August 10, 2012 "Conspiracy to take wildlife out of season" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
