What to do...neighbor admits over possession limit

[NephronRacing]

One of my neighbors stopped over last night while I was cleaning up the yard and starts talking hunting.  Nice small talk about luck hunting, etc.  He tells me he has 12 geese in the freezer.  Seems to me that's twice what he's allowed to have.  This is one of those things that really tics me off.

My plan is to tell him it's wrong and hurts everyone.  If I turn him in, he'll know it was me.  If it happens again, I'll turn him in.  What would you do?

[ray634]

Is he married so his wife or kids could have a limit too?

If not then see if he goes goose hunting again and ask him how many he is allowed.

Or bring up an over limit case, hunting or fishing, you heard about. He may get the message.

[HD]

If it was me, I'd be asking all kindsa questions...like...

Did he hunt during the early goose season? With other hunters?
Did a friend give him some of his bag? And, if so, does he have the proper paper work to show that he can possess those birds?
Does he have others in his family that hunts geese? Does he have the paperwork from those family members?
Did he hunt out of state?

Then, go on to inform him of what is legal to possess....

Did he give you any details on how he aquired those birds?

[NephronRacing]

He told me he bagged them. 

He is married so I guess he could have a license for his wife and his daughter is only 10 years old.

Thanks for the input!  I'll be talking with him next chance I get.

[Steve-o]

Thats a real tough situation.  I would say you have two choices:  turn him in or not turn him in.

Talking to him is a poor options because nothing you say will likely change his behavior.

If you think that you may be compelled to report him in the future, you may not want to have that discussion with him so you can tall TIP anonymously later.  It might get rough living next to a guy who suspects you of turned him in.

[The General]

My first question is Do you like this neighbor?  If you do turning him in is not a good idea.  The guy may be stretching the story a bit too.  Plus we are talking about sky carp here anyway.   

[9MM]

A friend of mine turned in a neighbor's son-in-law after discovering he and another guy bagged a doe and a buck off his land after he had given them permission to hunt it.  Neither had a doe permit.  Long story short, the CO paid them a visit and found there was actually a third person involve who didn't even have a deer hunting license but claimed he was only pheasant hunting.  Anyway, the guys had already started butchering the deer of which neither were tagged.  Two of the guys lost their hunting privileges for two years and had their guns confiscated.  Now they go out of their way to be a thorn in the side of my friend.  Anyway, I think he did the right thing, but you do end up making an enemy.

[deadeye]

Next time you meet him, it shouldn't be hard to work the conversation around to this topic.  Then politlely tell him it makes you uncomfortable to hear about his possible game violations.  This will give him the option to explain why he had over the limit, realize it's wrong, think about it in the future and, he will know that you know he may violate other laws.  Now he will be the uncomfortable one.  If he isn't, there is no changing him.  Sometimes it just takes a little push to get a guy to realize he shouldn't bend the rules like he did. (If, he did).

[beeker]

I kinda see this in a different way.. if he went out on one day and shot all of em being over his bag limit for a single day, then came home and tried to give em all away. then I would have to do something. now if the guy is looking for a way to feed his family during these tough times then I wouldn't waste any more time on it.

[wildlifeminnesota]

I have been reading all the reply to this. to see what you all think on it, Some good reply and some not so good.

I think at this point it maybe to late to do a hole lot Now, I know some of you think it just some birds and who care!! But let said it walleye big one 20" to 30" or may be it a deer over the limit, would you think the same?

beeker If I was out of food and I when out and shot a deer to feed my family and I told you about it. would this keep you form turning me in, Dose this make it OK?  To try to justified over possession limit, No As if this was the case of him feeding this family He as one limit all ready eat it and then go get another limit,

Now I know we are in some tough times, But if 100000, of us did that would you or I have anything left to hunt and feed are family's. No

The point I am trying to make is trying to justified it will not 

Now Here what I would do If he  admits over possession limit. I would call the DNR and let them look in to it, If he was over possession limit they will take care of it, If he was blow smoke he will think before he open this mouth again. bragging

Now if I thou that he said he was  over possession limit but not sure, I would do nothing!!

You can not justified it!! If you do we all will lose!!

[jkcmj]

I would just leave people alone...but that's just me!