RELIC From DEC/Region 3 Past.

[blackbeltbill]

     I just came across an old picture I took of the DEC/Check Station at Stewart State Forest.

  Sadly it is no longer there. Razed to the ground. And in the picture below- all that remains is the Grass.

    On busy weekend days from October  on there was often 2 DEC employees  working both windows.  On the way out years back Hunters had to stop and report what game was taken and not just Deer mind you. 

  You had better stay with your Limit of 2 Pheasants because you are going to be checked. 

 Fall Turkey Take was checked. No excuse not to have your Tag on a Turkey Leg. Pheasants of course.  Any Woodcock would need to be shown when stopped at that Red Cone. And of course Deer also.

   You want a map of the area? Just ask and you got one.

   That Check Station has been gone a good 5 years now. Razed to the ground. Too bad too- but Money talks and corners have to be cut everywhere today. I guarantee Some Hunters are taking beyond their 2 Pheasant  Limit. 

  And you just hope that on October 1st and thereafter when a good Pheasant Dog kicks up a completely  unwary Flock of Turkeys that the Pheasant Hunters will hold their fire. Yeah...

   I used to have great talks with the men manning that Check Station after my Pheasant or Fall Turkey Hunt.

   I miss this Relic of the past. Check out the pic below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Farflung]

Too bad that you did not get some pictures of  the DEC personnell doing the  checking. We used to have a mobile deer check station on Route  12, north of Barneveld.  They would age your deer from the teeth and do the weight and beam diameters. Check for tags being made out properly and for venison hidden in the  vehicles. 

One thing that set off a lot of people was a guy brought in a  nice sized bear, but he had shot it several miles west of the area that was open for bear at that time. They ticketed him and took the bear for what was a honest, if somewhat dumb mistake. DEC (at that time the Conservation Department) lost a lot of credibility with the folks in the area.