Submitted Photo The burden is on a hunter to know the identity before squeezing the trigger. Photo from NDGF.

If you’ve ever shot a hen mallard you thought was a gadwall on the wing or walked up to a downed pheasant only to discover it was a hen, you’re not alone. I’m not advocating these mishaps. It’s just the reality of what happens in the field.

The burden is on a hunter to know the identity before squeezing the trigger. I’d suggest if there’s ever a doubt, the best choice is to pause and make certain or pass on the shot. Once you pull the trigger, there’s no taking it back. If you find yourself in violation the next correct step is to self-report to the local game warden or law enforcement.

As hard as it may be to own your mistake, in the end the honest call is the right choice.

Self-reporting allows the game warden, states attorney and judge to consider the totality of the situation. If another hunter or citizen witnessed the act and reports it, your extenuating circumstances weigh less in consideration of possible charges or penalties.

My first post as a game warden was Bottineau and early on in my career I was given the details on a horse that was mistakenly shot by a legal elk hunter. While I shook my head in disbelief, this wouldn’t be the last time I encountered stories of meadowlarks being mistaken for grouse or moose thought to be deer.

It happens. I’m not advocating or defending it. Just as a matter of reference, it may be more common than you’d like to believe.

Here’s a recent story from Alan Howard, Game and Fish Department district game warden.

It was the end of deer season, and I had just returned home from work after shooting hours had ended. I had taken one bite of a late supper when state radio contacted me again. The call was in an area right between my district and my neighboring warden. An individual had shot a doe in the unit he was assigned, near the end of legal shooting hours.

The individual was new to hunting the area and was happy he had filled his tag.

Until he walked over to the animal.

It was the largest doe he had ever seen, he even had trouble rolling it over by himself.

He called a hunting buddy to help him drag it out of the draws he was hunting in. When his hunting buddy arrived after dark, he was in shock at what he had seen. He told his buddy he had shot an elk.

The shooter had called state radio to report that he had shot the wrong species of animal and wanted a game warden to respond to his location. At that time, I knew we had a lot of moose around, and I don’t believe we ever saw elk in the area. I had called the neighboring warden and told him to put his boots back on as we had to respond to a call. We discussed the call thinking it was probably a cow moose.

He responded to the scene since it was just a couple of miles into his area. He called me back to verify it as a cow elk, probably the only wild elk in that part of the state at that time. The elk was seized and salvaged, the individual was cited for illegally harvesting an elk. The state’s attorney’s office was given the report, and the individual did have to pay a fine.

The hunter was happy the elk meat got salvaged and was embarrassed at what he had done.

When the hunter was seen a couple of months later, he said he got a lot of grief from his coworkers, which was worse than any fine he had to pay. It was a learning experience for both the hunter and us.

As a hunter, always be sure what you are shooting at, and what is beyond your target.

As for a game warden, sometimes, you never know what kind of animal you may see or have reported in your area.