Quote Originally Posted by Wind Knot View Post
The way the law is posted sounds like a back door way to discourage high volume guiding. A lot of hunters and fishermen don't realize that party hunting and fishing is illegal. For ducks, each hunter is legally permitted to shoot an aggregate limit of six ducks, whether they're hunting by themselves or in a ten man blind. The minute he shoots his seventh duck, he is breaking the law. Believe it or not, federal game wardens get real strange when birds are piled up amongst a group of hunters. By letter of the law, your personal harvest should be separate from others. Technically, the same goes for fish. Thank the lord federal game wardens aren't in the crappie and bream business...yet.

Going back to the boat rule- this seems to do two things at once- first it encourages party fishing without setting out to do so. Fifty fish per boat is fifty fish per boat regardless of what one angler catches himself, so focus on the boat limit rather than the personal one. Second, it targets guides. I worked as a guide for several years and never had a game warden raise an eyebrow when he saw client A with a limit of fish, then see client B with a limit of fish. That being said, I did not have a dog in the fight as I wasn't keeping anything.
You are absolutely correct on a pile of migratory birds! I always carry extra straps and we normally limit all close to the same time! Why would I waste my shells on shooting ducks for someone else. They will get that last one eventually! But back to the fishing! Sounds like they know different now, but should have known before even putting a hook in the water