Good to hear comments counter to what I've proposed. A common statement is that the law would be unenforceable.
Since wardens tell us they think they catch less than 5% of poaching crimes, using that same "it's unenforceable" rationale, it seems we should get rid of season dates, bag limits, restrictions on party hunting, shooting from highways, wanton waste, and most of our other rules, as 95% of people who violate those laws are not getting caught. There's not a lot on our books, whether hunting related or otherwise, that has a high apprehension rate.
Laws build the social norms, expectations, and help form the behavior of 98% of the citizens who follow our laws. Laws change as society and behavior changes. Maybe I live in a different world, but in my adult life, the trend toward long-bombing with any hunting tool, bow/muzzy/shotgun/rifle, has increased dramatically and our laws that represent the social norms for hunting have not kept up with this new trend that seems to make it cool to brag about how long of a shot someone made (even if we don't hear about how many wounded animals it took to finally recover one). Maybe I'm an old school putz, but I'm sick of the shit I hear and see and the impact that is having on the resource. And there is no doubt the folks who produce media content around long shots at living targets have a lot of responsibility for this change in hunting behavior and the ever-evolving norms and expectations of hunting.
If we are going to deem laws unnecessary due to something less than 100% apprehension, what laws would be deemed worthy? Only 6% of rapists ever spend a day in jail and I doubt anyone wants to lessen the laws related to that crime.
The idea of such a proposal is not that it will keep 100% of the people from shooting a second, third, or fourth elk or deer. But, it will probably keep 80% of people from killing that second, third, or fourth elk or deer if something goes bad. It will also give people reason to learn more about tracking a hit animal. We all hear of folks who say, "I looked all over hell after the shot" yet when you piece together their timeline for the rest of their story/day, they looked for about a half hour. Given the increase in total wounding loss as more and more folks overestimate their talents, this idea, even with 50% compliance, would results in a lot more animals still standing and making it through hunting season. That's a help to the resource.
As far as reducing the technology of our hunting tools, that's not going to change the tendency for people to push the limits of whatever technology they have in their hands, which is mostly a case of them pushing the limits of what their individual talent is with the item in their hands, whether a bow, rifle, or muzzleloader. If we made it all traditional self-made bows using cedar arrows or only single shot rifles, with slow cartridges, and buckhorn sights, folks will take shots beyond what their talent level is with that type of tool. And many current hunters would not go look for the wounded one, so long as they can just move along and find another victim.
The point of this is setting the expectation that you need to know your talents and stay well within that talent under whatever conditions you encounter. And, if something does go wrong, as it eventually will, the rest of your hunt is a recovery exercise, not a search for the next animal.
I look forward to more discussion on the idea. I could be convinced otherwise with a compelling argument as to why it will not help the resource that is currently being pressured at an intense level. To this point, I'm still going to meet with some legislators in December about the idea.
I'd be interested in how this idea would be viewed by
@Eric Albus and
@Big Shooter.
