MNR RESPONSE TO OOS
I'm going to continue to take pictures of my trophies in season out of season, out of slot size in slot size...I never target fish OOS but it happens. EVERY decnt size fish I catch goes back and they always have, don't even have one on my wall. Take the damn picture, do it quick, put it back, enough said. If a CO tried to charge me for taking a picture I believe the brown stuff would be hitting the fan.
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steve-hamilton
- Gold Participant
- Posts: 1688
- Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:32 am
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QuakerOatz
- Participant
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:12 pm
CO Authority - Camera vs. Video Camera
Despite what any CO says is legal and illegal, they are interpreting regulations that do not state specifically weather you can or cannot take a picture of an OOS fish. It is simply not stated in the regulations.
Most COs are great guys and have a very good understanding of existing regulations. The problem is that they are not skilled in interpreting laws/regulation, which is why we have judges (5+ years of law school, an exemplary career in law, then appointment when youre 50+ yrs old), who are the actual people who will decide, if you are charged, if you broke the law and subseqently sentenced.
Don't make the mistake of asking a CO/police officer:
"Is xxxxxx legal?" You might as well look up the regulations/laws yourself.
Is it legal to take a picture of an OOS fish? Depends on what your judge thinks! When was the last time someone was charged and convicted of this? To my knowledge NEVER.
As far as the camera vs. video camera mention, this brings up another good point. For all of those who beleive taking a photo of an OOS fish is "wrong", what if a video camera was running the entire time? Is it still wrong?
I have built an adjustable camera mount that slides in my front seat support. I often set a video camera up so when I'm fishing with a buddy, so we can both fish and catch all the action on video. If I happen to catch a bass in May, and the video camera (which was already on) happens to capture this event, is this also wrong? How about when I slow the video down, export a frame to JPEG and call it a photo, still wrong:?:
I'm not 100% convinced either way.
Most COs are great guys and have a very good understanding of existing regulations. The problem is that they are not skilled in interpreting laws/regulation, which is why we have judges (5+ years of law school, an exemplary career in law, then appointment when youre 50+ yrs old), who are the actual people who will decide, if you are charged, if you broke the law and subseqently sentenced.
Don't make the mistake of asking a CO/police officer:
"Is xxxxxx legal?" You might as well look up the regulations/laws yourself.
Is it legal to take a picture of an OOS fish? Depends on what your judge thinks! When was the last time someone was charged and convicted of this? To my knowledge NEVER.
As far as the camera vs. video camera mention, this brings up another good point. For all of those who beleive taking a photo of an OOS fish is "wrong", what if a video camera was running the entire time? Is it still wrong?
I have built an adjustable camera mount that slides in my front seat support. I often set a video camera up so when I'm fishing with a buddy, so we can both fish and catch all the action on video. If I happen to catch a bass in May, and the video camera (which was already on) happens to capture this event, is this also wrong? How about when I slow the video down, export a frame to JPEG and call it a photo, still wrong:?:
I'm not 100% convinced either way.
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trapperdirk
- Bronze Participant
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 1:30 pm
Well if its so wrong then some of our premier fishermen in the province would get ticketted including the former president of the OFAH as I have often seen OOS shown on TV . This debate of whether or not to take a pic of an OSS fish is way to anal for me . A quick pic and return to the water is all anybody asks . It often causes big battles on sites even . Heck the posters fish may even only be OSS in some areas and not neccessarily in all . Anybody in northern Ontario could post small mouths year round because they are open year round . I have seen folks from those areas get slammed for posting a pic of a smalley through the ice yet those fish in fact are Open Season there . It is such a grey area and discretionary of a charge that folks shouldn't get so anal about it on the web . . Quick pic and in the hole she goes . 
TD
TD