Quote Originally Posted by jmm99 View Post
only if the game warden catches me with the illegal goose (or two).

And that, after consideration of why we have game limit laws. But, when you have three guys pounding away at an incoming gaggle, you can get more than the 3-person limit. My daddy taught me that leaving game in the field to rot was (and is) a sin.

Thus, the McCarthy exception to the DNR regulations. Sorry, 120mm & Slap, to admit that I break the law - and don't step up to accept punishment. Course, I didn't give the date and place - so, the confession is quite useless (at least in Michigan). Beyond that I plead the Fifth (after taking a shot).
Do you know that in German hunting, (which is much, much more regulated and expensive than the American brand) they hold an Honor Court, for exactly these purposes? Sometimes, the individual loses their license for life, which is a big deal. Other times, when it is a clear mistake, they turn it into a good-humored "roast" of the individual making a mistake.

I once participated in an Honor Court for an elderly gentleman who shot a Roe jumping in the snow, thinking it was a Hare. As Roe deer are approximately the same size, and an unantlered one looks close to a Hare, when it's trying to move in deep snow they move the same.

The individual in question sat before the board, and they "punished" him by making him drink beer, and receive instructions on the difference in a Hare and a Roe Deer, complete with other hunters wearing costumes and demonstrating the difference in movement.

The point behind this charming story is to show an instance where an Honor Code is superior to "The Law". The elderly gentleman didn't need to pay a real fine, or to lose his license, honor was served, and everyone had a great time.