Be careful if you take your wife, girlfriend , son, or any

[furbuy46]

If you take anybody out to trap an otter and you have already tagged your 2 otter. A friend on mine took his Girlfriend out to catch a couple otter. his Girlfriend traps with him each season and she buys a trapping license once she gets time to go with him. The problem for my friend came because she bought her License the day after he tagged out.; The CO said that the only reason She bought her license is so he could catch 2 more otter. This was not true. She has wanted to catch an otter for a few years. This Girl loved being with my friend and participating in his trapping season when she had the time to be in the woods. She has caught all kinds of fur bearing animals in the times that she was able to go out with him. this lady has a adult Daughter that I think is a bit off in the head. This causes problems in when she can go trapping.
Any way the CO tagged her Otter and my friends otter. Then he got to looking at the time my friends Girlfriend bought her License and told my friend that his girlfriend was just along so he could catch two more otter. well after the CO having my friend in his truck for at least 30 minutes and telling him all that he did wrong, he then talked to my friends Girlfriend for at least that long. He asked the woman if she had physically set the trap. She told him that she could not pull the springs of the trap down to thingy the trap, but from what I was told, she actually did set the trap for the otter. The CO told her that he could not help her in any manner when setting the Otter trap. He the started questioning her about the exact spot she set the trap. The Woman told him she could not explain just where she was at but she could take the CO to the spot and show him where the trap was set. This spot was all gated property and she t old the CO that she could not tell him exactly how to get to this place because just like most Women, she wasn't all that smart about where she was as for as the Topography but she knew once she was behind the gates she would have no trouble showing him the exact spot the Otters was caught.
,Anyway when all was said and done, The Co confiscated the 2 Otter and wrote both of them warning tickets. One of the tickets was for over bag on the Otters. I don't know what the other ticket was for.
Now this Woman has told her boyfriend that she will never go trapping again just because she never wants that kind of abuse by a Conservation Officer again. The sad part of this whole situation is, This Woman does not get a chance to be away from her Daughter and be out with her boyfriend doing something she really enjoyed doing. Like I said her Daughter is I think around 30 years old and can be abusive to her mother. She kicked her and Broke her mothers arm and from what I understand her Mother is having a real problem getting her arm healed up.
Any way, the reason I wrote this thread is to let people know that if you have a child or a friend that can't completely set a trap and physically put the trap in the exact spot and then be able to explain to a CO just exactly where the trap was set, the you best get ready to be treated like a common Criminal.

[DaveM]

Thanks for filling us in Don. It's a shame that some of them have to be that way.

[mjkluesener]

Mean while the real criminals go about their business. What county was this in?

[furbuy46]

It was a Warrick county officer. I think he said the Otter was caught in Warrick county. The reason I know so much about the incident is because I had another Otter to get tagged to limit out.I also had a shipment of Ginseng to get certified. I had them bring their Otter to my shop, so the CO could certify every thing while he was here.
The sad part of the situation is, the CO had already left my house and called me back on the Phone about 45 minutes later and asked me if I caught all my Otter. He told me that he figured I did not have enough time to trap my Otter because of the amt. of Ginseng I bought. Need less to say, I said a few choice words to the man and asked him if had already beat this dead horse enough.

[yoteskinner]

Law says you can go call in a turkey for someone else even if you have already tagged out yourself. Calling is physically aiding someone else to get a turkey. I fail to see a difference in that and helping someone trap an otter. Fathers help set traps for kids all the time. I would say call the district commander, file a complaint and demand the otter back. If she had a license, was present setting the traps and present during all checks she is legally trapping.

[furbuy46]

The Co said that otter trapping is different. He was all bent that she could not possibly have legally caught the otters. He said that because she got a license after he tagged out, he was the one that wanted the Otter and that he was responsible for the otters being caught, even though she had a valid trapping license and told the officer that he helped her by pulling the springs shut on the trap, she said that she actually did the trap placement. I think the CO had a burr under his saddle.
Why else would he have called me 45 minutes later and asked me did I catch my 2 Otter. In my mind he was telling me that my friend also caught my 2 otter. That is about as true as me be Chinese. He told me he didn't see how I could have bought all the Ginseng I bought and still was able to catch my 2 Otter. What I did not tell him was I also had time to catch 27 coon, 7 coyote, 30 rats 6 beaver, 20 opossum and a mink. What I also did not tell him is I had bought several pieces of fur and bought the Ginseng by appointment after 2 o'clock in the after noon.

[mjkluesener]

Years ago had problems with a CO at Brookville Lake. He accused me of the “opportunity” to break the law. 4 shells in gun while waterfowl hunting. Never did and told him if he caught me to throw the book at me. He stated me be watching us etc. I called his supervisor who directed me to the head of enforcement in Indy. He called me back later and said he was familiar with the brand of gun and I wouldn’t have any more problems from that CO. Earlier he had sent out a notice to all districts and that CO d**n well knows better. Even sent me a letter to carry stating the official policy. Short time later the CO was transferred. So if your right it pays to complain.

[tired of scraping coyotes]

DNR ALSO STILL SAYS THERE IS A SEASON ON COYOTES. HASN`T BEEN FOR 30 YEARS SINCE THE BILL PASSED THE HOUSE, THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED IT. THEY WILL LIE TO YOU. SAME AS ON THE LIVE COYOTE STUFF. STILL TOTALLY LEGAL.

[RK's Predator Plus]

The BF shoulda gave the Gf the "mafia talk" before ever taking her out the first time to even fish for bluegill with a canepole....you don't say NOTHING !! I've got a young man that's tagging around with me... all 100% legal... but I've told him over and again, you don't say anything to anyone anytime anywhere for any reason about anything ! Esp. to a cop of any form. We've nothing to hide, but I have just enough experience behind the badge to know how things are turned around and pried out of you.



The BeastMaster

Professor Emeritus-
North American Trapper University