Are wildlife regulation websites purposefully made to be as confusing as possible?

[blacktail]

Our absolute insanity is based on fishing regulations.
I fish everyday and I can't keep track.
Salmon regs vary from river to river and day to day. For example, in river X, you can keep only hatchery coho, but you can keep a wild one on Friday's. They are considered jack salmon under 22", so the limit on Jacks can be 5 or none. Chinook can be wild or hatchery. Barbless hooks once you cross a certain geographic landmark. A river 3 miles away will have opposite regs.
Halibut is just as confusing. Certain days a week are open to all depths. Other days are only open inside 40 fathoms. If it's an all depth day, you can't keep a halibut if you have any other species on board. Near shore days you can keep anything.

 

[riverrat47]

I suppose it depends on your state. The last time I had to dive into the statutes it was over a site specific regulation regarding the number of walleyes one could possess on a particular body of water. The statute was very clear in its wording that you could keep 4 walleyes between 14-18" and it also allowed only one of those 4 fish to be over 24. So all 4 can be between 14-18 or 3 fish 14-18 and one fish over 24. The way the digest worded it made it seen like it was a 3 fish limit but allowed a 4th only if it was over 24. The next publication of the digest changed the wording to make it much less confusing to people. At the end of the day the digest is only a summary of the laws, it isnt the law.

John, for many years, enough of the IL. hunting and fishing regs were available on a card that would fit in your wallet. I usually carried the hunting one in the breast pocket of my hunting coat and the fishing one in my tacklebox. Of course, the print was somewhat small. Today, even the comic book size books have me grabbing for reading glasses. If they still had those little cards, I'd have to carry a magnifying glass just to read it!

 

[Jordan Vizinat]

For those who don’t know, Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge is in coastal LA. On the weekends they’ll be hundreds of visitors to fish, crab, birdwatch, etc. On July 4th weekend, they’ll be even more, as families often go crab off the road.

Eleven days before, they issue this statement requiring a self clearing permit (which I have no problem with), but the timing of it was 100% done on purpose.

 

[oleww]

I grab a beer (or 6pack) on a rainy day and read the regs. Can blaze thru stuff not applicable to me. I got to be straight if I’m taking guests.

And example I didn’t know that I stumbled across. I didn’t know you could not shoot a raccoon from a boat. I’ve whacked a few whilst nutra killing.

 

[De Shootinest Gent'man]

Regline Outdoors is launching in August. It is an app that will definitely solve these issues we face.... Yall go check it out. I plan on using it to help better understand all the difficult regulations...https://www.reglineoutdoors.com/

 

[Ruination]

Hah, you should try Marylands Blind laws and Sea duck regulations on for size.

 

[ReaPeR105]

Laws are written by legislators and their staff. Some are clear. Then they hit the negotiation phase of Congress and get changed and confused to heck. Mostly written by lawyers for lawyers to work out. If they would listen the the state game departments all the way thru the process maybe some of that contradictory stuff wouldn’t be there.

 

[salthunter]

I have often said that along with passing hunter's safety, that a law degree should be required to hunt in California.

1988 i went to trap as a non resident in southern California. I wanted a bobcat and swift fox.
Completed all the requirements in Sacramento, and paid the crazy at that time non resident fee$480.
Two months later I received a $480 check. As a Minnesota resident I couldn't trap CA.
Those testing me in CA, Trappers ed, didn't know As a Minnesotan I didn't qualify

 

[Wareagle1011]

Many years ago…. I got a certified letter in the mail…… stating I was illegal.
I called the GW on the letter, had a discussion.
told him I was going to be back there the next week to hunt.
He agreed to meet me Then.
when I showed up, I had the printed email from the Dept. of Conservation, from where I contacted them, asking very specific questions.
Their reply in the email, kept me out of trouble.
Without it, it would been on me to prove my innocence, and would of still resulted in court costs, regardless of my innocence.

If you dont mind me asking why did they say you were illegal?

 

[num70]

Always keep in mind that state organizations hire the most inept contractors because they are the low bidder for the job. (Nevermind the cost overruns and inefficiencies will make the job 3x as expensive.)
When you hire the low cost provider to do a website, things like User Experience and Data Visualization (and thoroughness, in general) go straight out the window. This is often because the "local" company that wins the cheap bid often offshores to (at best) Eastern Europe or (at worst) India. So the guys working on the sites don't even know that the stuff they're linking doesn't have any logical connection and the information that the user is coming for simply isn't there.
In short...state websites all suck.
DMV. Wildlife. Tax Collection. All of them. Trash.