PSA... check your licenses!

[megalomaniac]

Found out yesterday I had been poaching deer, turkey, and saltwater fish in MS since October.

I'm a stickler for being properly licensed, so much so that my MS licenses are set to auto renew via credit card every Oct 31st....

Except for my WMA user permit. That one I always buy April 1st, as my local WMAs don't open until April 1st, and it's not set on auto renew.

Well, I got on the website to buy the WMA permit yesterday, and it showed no valid active hunting or fishing licenses. What the hell??? Shows they all expired 10/30/23, while my WMA user permit expired 3/31/24.

Why didn't it auto renew like it has in the past????

Then it dawned on me... we had some questionable fraudulent activity on the credit card and had new ones issued sometime in early 2023. I'm sure MDWFP tried to hit the old card on file in Oct, and it did not go through. Can't for the life of me understand why I didn't get a notice from them... maybe went to spam folder?

Regardless, I bought all my licenses yesterday, put them on auto renew with the current card. But I've been saltwater fishing 6 or 7 times, deer hunted 20x, and turkey hunted on public 12x without a valid license. Even checked in my turkey opening day on the phone app and it didn't tell me licenses were expired. Heck, even got checked by the game warden at the launch back in January for safety gear and boat registration. But he didn't check fishing license I guess.

I'm sure I'll get a call from them for the turkey I killed without a license, and I'll pay my stupid tax. At least they can't confiscate the bird, as he's already been eaten .

But if you have your licenses set on auto renew, may want to check before hitting the woods on Apr 14th.

So thankful for the TN Lifetime license. Don't have to worry about that one!

 

[REN]

One of the reasons I refuse to auto renew in TN not that it would TN fault

 

[deerhunter10]

Found out yesterday I had been poaching deer, turkey, and saltwater fish in MS since October.

I'm a stickler for being properly licensed, so much so that my MS licenses are set to auto renew via credit card every Oct 31st....

Except for my WMA user permit. That one I always buy April 1st, as my local WMAs don't open until April 1st, and it's not set on auto renew.

Well, I got on the website to buy the WMA permit yesterday, and it showed no valid active hunting or fishing licenses. What the hell??? Shows they all expired 10/30/23, while my WMA user permit expired 3/31/24.

Why didn't it auto renew like it has in the past????

Then it dawned on me... we had some questionable fraudulent activity on the credit card and had new ones issued sometime in early 2023. I'm sure MDWFP tried to hit the old card on file in Oct, and it did not go through. Can't for the life of me understand why I didn't get a notice from them... maybe went to spam folder?

Regardless, I bought all my licenses yesterday, put them on auto renew with the current card. But I've been saltwater fishing 6 or 7 times, deer hunted 20x, and turkey hunted on public 12x without a valid license. Even checked in my turkey opening day on the phone app and it didn't tell me licenses were expired. Heck, even got checked by the game warden at the launch back in January for safety gear and boat registration. But he didn't check fishing license I guess.

I'm sure I'll get a call from them for the turkey I killed without a license, and I'll pay my stupid tax. At least they can't confiscate the bird, as he's already been eaten .

But if you have your licenses set on auto renew, may want to check before hitting the woods on Apr 14th.

So thankful for the TN Lifetime license. Don't have to worry about that one!

Good thing you caught it or ducebag may have called you out!

 

[cbhunter]

Good thing you caught it or ducebag may have called you out!

I thought he transitioned to duckbanger

I can't keep up

 

[Antler Daddy]

Classic example of a honest hunter making a mistake….yet some would call you a poacher.

 

[Carlos]

I suggest the admins change Meglo's username to poacher-man for 30 days.

 

[Gravey]

Lifetime license holder and I don't have to worry about it.

 

[nate17]

Classic example of a honest hunter making a mistake….yet some would call you a poacher.

I did this one time and self reported my violation. It was an honest mistake, although I felt I deserved a citation because it was against the law and I view myself as having a pretty high moral compass. I did infact receive and pay my citation which is exactly what I requested of the local agent. What proceeded over the next several years was what felt like an obscene amount of compliance checks. I had more officer contacts in the following 3-4 years after receiving the above referenced citation than I have had over my entire life combined. It certainly didn't feel like a coincidence. All I can figure is that my name is now permanently etched in their system and everytime my plate is run, the system doesn't distinguish the difference between "poacher" and "self reported, honest mistake".

 

[TheLBLman]

I suggest the admins change Meglo's username to poacher-man for 30 days.

The Good Doctor is now The Good Poacher

 

[Lt.Dan]

Found out yesterday I had been poaching deer, turkey, and saltwater fish in MS since October.

I'm a stickler for being properly licensed, so much so that my MS licenses are set to auto renew via credit card every Oct 31st....

Except for my WMA user permit. That one I always buy April 1st, as my local WMAs don't open until April 1st, and it's not set on auto renew.

Well, I got on the website to buy the WMA permit yesterday, and it showed no valid active hunting or fishing licenses. What the hell??? Shows they all expired 10/30/23, while my WMA user permit expired 3/31/24.

Why didn't it auto renew like it has in the past????

Then it dawned on me... we had some questionable fraudulent activity on the credit card and had new ones issued sometime in early 2023. I'm sure MDWFP tried to hit the old card on file in Oct, and it did not go through. Can't for the life of me understand why I didn't get a notice from them... maybe went to spam folder?

Regardless, I bought all my licenses yesterday, put them on auto renew with the current card. But I've been saltwater fishing 6 or 7 times, deer hunted 20x, and turkey hunted on public 12x without a valid license. Even checked in my turkey opening day on the phone app and it didn't tell me licenses were expired. Heck, even got checked by the game warden at the launch back in January for safety gear and boat registration. But he didn't check fishing license I guess.

I'm sure I'll get a call from them for the turkey I killed without a license, and I'll pay my stupid tax. At least they can't confiscate the bird, as he's already been eaten .

But if you have your licenses set on auto renew, may want to check before hitting the woods on Apr 14th.

So thankful for the TN Lifetime license. Don't have to worry about that one!

My TN license did not auto renew for the same reason. But I did get notified of it and was able to correct it before I too became a poacher.

 

[MickThompson]

What a duck bag move. Where's my tar and feathers ?

 

[Iglow]

Found out yesterday I had been poaching deer, turkey, and saltwater fish in MS since October.

I'm a stickler for being properly licensed, so much so that my MS licenses are set to auto renew via credit card every Oct 31st....

Except for my WMA user permit. That one I always buy April 1st, as my local WMAs don't open until April 1st, and it's not set on auto renew.

Well, I got on the website to buy the WMA permit yesterday, and it showed no valid active hunting or fishing licenses. What the hell??? Shows they all expired 10/30/23, while my WMA user permit expired 3/31/24.

Why didn't it auto renew like it has in the past????

Then it dawned on me... we had some questionable fraudulent activity on the credit card and had new ones issued sometime in early 2023. I'm sure MDWFP tried to hit the old card on file in Oct, and it did not go through. Can't for the life of me understand why I didn't get a notice from them... maybe went to spam folder?

Regardless, I bought all my licenses yesterday, put them on auto renew with the current card. But I've been saltwater fishing 6 or 7 times, deer hunted 20x, and turkey hunted on public 12x without a valid license. Even checked in my turkey opening day on the phone app and it didn't tell me licenses were expired. Heck, even got checked by the game warden at the launch back in January for safety gear and boat registration. But he didn't check fishing license I guess.

I'm sure I'll get a call from them for the turkey I killed without a license, and I'll pay my stupid tax. At least they can't confiscate the bird, as he's already been eaten .

But if you have your licenses set on auto renew, may want to check before hitting the woods on Apr 14th.

So thankful for the TN Lifetime license. Don't have to worry about that one!

Poacher.... I knew it! The whole shotgun wad in the road, the feathers....all just a ruse, a diversion! "Hey, look over here"!!! diverting attention as you go about your nefarious ways!!

 

[knightrider]

Found out yesterday I had been poaching deer, turkey, and saltwater fish in MS since October.

I'm a stickler for being properly licensed, so much so that my MS licenses are set to auto renew via credit card every Oct 31st....

Except for my WMA user permit. That one I always buy April 1st, as my local WMAs don't open until April 1st, and it's not set on auto renew.

Well, I got on the website to buy the WMA permit yesterday, and it showed no valid active hunting or fishing licenses. What the hell??? Shows they all expired 10/30/23, while my WMA user permit expired 3/31/24.

Why didn't it auto renew like it has in the past????

Then it dawned on me... we had some questionable fraudulent activity on the credit card and had new ones issued sometime in early 2023. I'm sure MDWFP tried to hit the old card on file in Oct, and it did not go through. Can't for the life of me understand why I didn't get a notice from them... maybe went to spam folder?

Regardless, I bought all my licenses yesterday, put them on auto renew with the current card. But I've been saltwater fishing 6 or 7 times, deer hunted 20x, and turkey hunted on public 12x without a valid license. Even checked in my turkey opening day on the phone app and it didn't tell me licenses were expired. Heck, even got checked by the game warden at the launch back in January for safety gear and boat registration. But he didn't check fishing license I guess.

I'm sure I'll get a call from them for the turkey I killed without a license, and I'll pay my stupid tax. At least they can't confiscate the bird, as he's already been eaten .

But if you have your licenses set on auto renew, may want to check before hitting the woods on Apr 14th.

So thankful for the TN Lifetime license. Don't have to worry about that one!

You criminal!!!

 

[megalomaniac]

My TN license did not auto renew for the same reason. But I did get notified of it and was able to correct it before I too became a poacher.

This is exactly why I'm telling this story... I could see how it could happen to just about anyone IF they didn't get a notice the CC charge didn't go through (and I didn't). I think the state agencies should also send a gentle hint when you check in a game animal... like, 'hey, maybe you should actually pay to renew your hunting license BEFORE you complete your online game check'

 

[Spurhunter]

I pulled up the ramp at Arkabutla a couple years ago and the GW was checking licenses and fish. He looked in my cooler briefly as I was digging out my license. I couldn't find my MS fishing license. I pulled out my MS all game hunting license, spring turkey license, and deer permit, but no fishing license. I told him let me pull it up on my phone. He told me not to worry about it, I was good. I guess he figured if I spent that much money to hunt in MS I wasn't going to break the law to fish. I got home and looked at the app and my fishing license had expired a month ago.

 

[timberjack86]

I did this one time and self reported my violation. It was an honest mistake, although I felt I deserved a citation because it was against the law and I view myself as having a pretty high moral compass. I did infact receive and pay my citation which is exactly what I requested of the local agent. What proceeded over the next several years was what felt like an obscene amount of compliance checks. I had more officer contacts in the following 3-4 years after receiving the above referenced citation than I have had over my entire life combined. It certainly didn't feel like a coincidence. All I can figure is that my name is now permanently etched in their system and everytime my plate is run, the system doesn't distinguish the difference between "poacher" and "self reported, honest mistake".

That sucks, And sadly now your still paying for your honest mistake. Kudos for doing the right thing but man it'd be hard to say honesty always pays.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I'll be surprised if anything really comes of it. Most people only check in stuff they kill when they have their licenses in order. I doubt their system flags irregularities like that if it went unnoticed when you checked it in. But nobody can claim you were trying to hide anything