Behind the Badge - Duck or Goose?
Duck or Goose?
District Game Warden Clayton Edstrom
When working as a game warden, you often need to look beyond what is right in front of you and what people tell you.
On 10/24/2024, at a little after 6 p.m., I received a call from an individual regarding a group of hunters shooting geese.
In North Dakota, shooting hours for goose hunting is 30 minutes before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day through end of season.
There are extended shooting hours for 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset on Saturdays and Wednesdays from September 24 through November 26.
October 24 was on a Thursday this year so hunters could not hunt geese after 2 p.m. that day.
While speaking with the reporting party on the phone, they stated that they owned the land next to the field the hunters were on and that they had seen them shoot geese and were currently watching them hunt.
The individual then sent me an OnX pin of where they were hunting.
On my way to the hunters location, the reporting individual sent me a text message saying, "They just shot another goose."
A little while later, I arrived at the location of the hunters.
As I was arriving, two hunters were walking back to their vehicles.
I approached the individuals and told them that I would meet them by their decoys and the rest of the individuals they were hunting with.
When I approached the rest of the hunters, I was able to observe nine individuals with a line of ducks laying in front of their A-Frame blind that was in some tall grass.
After doing a hunting compliance check on all the individuals and checking their ducks, I asked if they had shot any geese.
The group stated that they did not.
I then explained to the group that they were called in by an observer stating that they saw the group shoot geese.
The group stated that they had seen a lot of geese and some geese had come into their decoys, but they did not shoot any.
When I asked the group where they were lodging, they said that they were staying in Drake.
The hunters then packed the birds they had shot for the day and left.
They left their decoy spread out in the field for the following morning.
Once the group was gone, I proceeded to look around the area where they were set up.
Approximately 230 yards north of where their A-Frame was set up, I found two white-fronted geese in the tall grass.
I was able to determine that they were relatively fresh due to the fact that they were still warm to the touch underneath their feathers.
I then loaded the two white-fronted geese into my patrol vehicle and headed toward Drake.
Once I arrived in Drake, a McHenry County Deputy offered his assistance and we began to try and locate the vehicles of the hunters.
At approximately 9 p.m., we arrived at the house where the hunters were staying.
When I approached the house, a few of the individuals were standing outside.
I asked them why they thought I was there.
They stated that they didn't know.
Eventually, one of the individuals said that they may have shot a goose.
I then explained to them that they shot more than one and they went inside the house to notify the rest of the hunting party.
When all nine individuals were outside, they said they had shot two white-fronted geese.
They also stated that they felt bad for not telling the truth about it.
I asked who had shot the geese and they said that they didn't know.
I then explained that someone would be taking responsibility for the two geese that were shot.
One of the individuals said that he would take responsibility for one of them.
Then eventually, another individual said that he would take responsibility for the other one.
When I asked one of the individuals when they had shot the geese, he said it was approximately 3 p.m.
Both individuals were issued a citation for Hunting After Legal Hours in Excess of 30 Minutes.
If you make contact with a game warden, you’re better off being honest.
We understand that people aren’t perfect, and we are able to work through issues when they are presented.