Dumb Question: What would happen if you were out on a hunt (unreachable) and an EO...

[MichaelRyanSD]

Basically what would happen if you were out on a hunt and an EO closed it while you were out on the actual hunt and took that animal after the effective date of the EO?

[Frostbitten]

Chances are, nothing would happen, so long as you can make a reasonable argument that you didn't know it closed.

[Antleridge]

That's not a dumb question; I suspect many here have heard or had the same one.

[anchskier]

For the most part, you should be fine as long as the EO came out after you left for the hunt. Might be harder to claim ignorance if you left sometime after the EO was posted. For hunts like the unit 13 Tier I hunt, they tell you to make sure to check the hotline before you go hunting. I think they are fairly reasonable in understanding that not everyone has a means to call in or check online while out on a hunt. Many areas have no signal, so it wouldn't be practical to check every day.

[4merguide]

When they create EOs they take into account for those that are already out in the bush. If you checked in before you left on the hunt then nothing would happen regardless. They can't expect you to know there was an EO issued while you were already out there hunting.....

[twodux]

So ignorance of the law is an excuse?

[4merguide]

So ignorance of the law is an excuse?

I didn't say that. What I did say is that you are supposed to check that there are no EOs just before you go out into the bush. If there aren't then you are free to go and kill an animal. If when you get back, check in your animal, and can show them that you were in the bush when the EO became effective, then there should be no problem.

Like I said, when they make an EO they take into consideration those that are already in the bush hunting....

[sweepint]

So ignorance of the law is an excuse?

I would not call that ignorance of the law. If you were out in the bush and had no way of knowing there was a EO put out how is that Ignorance of the law?
I am all about doing the right thing and staying with in the guide lines of the law but at some point there has to be common since on both sides.

[twodux]

Any hunt that may close shortly (usually a registration hunt that closes when a certain number of animals is taken) by EO, that I have been on, requires you to check in by a certain time or regularly, to check the status of the hunt. I'm not so sure they would be nice about it if you caused them to go over the desired harvest. What if it was a hunt with a quota of 10 animals, say a goat hunt? If 20 guys were "out of touch" and harvested an animal, there could be serious consequences. With cell phones and SAT phones, there is really no reason you couldn't check in.

[Amigo Will]

I can remember on tier II once F&G thought the limit was close they would fly the area blowing a siren to shut down the hunt.

[4merguide]

With cell phones and SAT phones, there is really no reason you couldn't check in.

Bull......they can't require you to have a SAT phone, or a cell that more likely than not wouldn't get reception. I have never red in the regs where a hunter has to "call in" while on the hunt. Hell, much of the time the da*n cells don't even work around town much less a few hundred miles out into the bush.

Once again..........they realize that hunters can't all do that when they create the EOs so take that into consideration.....

[AK Bearcat]

We carry a sat phone all the time and it is not an issue for us to check in with F&G. I know that in the past, hunting Tier I in Unit 13, we have kept up on the quota's just to ensure that we do not get caught with an EO that went in to effect. I know that not everyone is willing to have a sat phone, but that is what we do.

[akiceman25]

Page 15 of regs : Permit hunts
When hunter demand is higher than a game population can sustain, harvest is often restricted by permits. Six kinds of
permit hunts are used: drawing, registration, Tier I, Tier II, targeted, and community subsistence harvest. These hunts may
close early by Emergency Order. It is your responsibility to check with the department for hunt closure information prior to
hunting. Hunt information can be found at http://hunt.alaska.gov.

[Yukon Cornelius]

Any hunt that may close shortly (usually a registration hunt that closes when a certain number of animals is taken) by EO, that I have been on, requires you to check in by a certain time or regularly, to check the status of the hunt. I'm not so sure they would be nice about it if you caused them to go over the desired harvest. What if it was a hunt with a quota of 10 animals, say a goat hunt? If 20 guys were "out of touch" and harvested an animal, there could be serious consequences. With cell phones and SAT phones, there is really no reason you couldn't check in.

Actually there is. Cell phones work great when there is a cell tower or coverage. As far as SAT phones...they work great too, if you can afford them.

[Kmagers]

As much as we all judge the skill of ADFG and the decision making skills they have been doing this management thing more than a day. I think they have an idea on how to handle EOs for certain hunts. For hunts like the 40 mile caribou they close it well before the quota is met because they know reports will trickle in a couple days later. On hunts that have less pressure they update and say this hunt will close soon. i dont think u will be crucified (obviously based on the exact situation) for the question at hand. I dont think we need to get into this leo will and this leo wont write you up for the death penalty but they know there is a leeway zone in there for reporting after a EO comes out.

And twodux i am so greatful for the people like you on here to express your deconstructive .02. without them we would have normal conversations with a whole lot of productive opinions.