Raw or Cooked…It Still Counts Toward Your Limit

Thanks for the article. A friend of mine seemed to think that cooked abalone didn't count towards the bag limit. Now if I get three one day and give them to my girlfriend and get three the next day for myself. And we bring home a combined 6 is that legal?

Quote from Hookinfish

Thanks for the article. A friend of mine seemed to think that cooked abalone didn't count towards the bag limit. Now if I get three one day and give them to my girlfriend and get three the next day for myself. And we bring home a combined 6 is that legal?

As long as your girlfriend is with you it should be fine.

Quote from spearstuff

As long as your girlfriend is with you it should be fine.

She will definitely be with me on this trip. I was going to write her name on the tags to make sure there wouldn't be any confusion.

Make sure you know your laws by the letter it's a little different in Florida so make sure you check your state and federal laws.

This is one aspect of the law that has always frustrated me. I often make bonzai solo runs over to Bragg during ab season. My routine if I'm limited on days off is to head over on a Monday, dive that day, and head home the following morning. I don't even take a limit of abs, because the wife and I have decided we don't like eating previously frozen ab. So, I'll only take one ab, which is all we can eat in one meal. (I'm primarily targeting fish...)
What sucks is that I'd really like to eat fresh ab in camp the one night I'm there, but I can only eat about half an ab by myself. I can't be in possesson of the other half, no matter it's condition, because it's out of it's shell. If I can't find anyone to give it to, I'd have to throw it away so as not to get caught with it. However even that is illegal, not that I'd waste half an ab anyway.
Seems kind of funny that I can head home in possesson of two or three abs, but not 1.5 abs...
Ron.

Abalone laws are so confusing that they, in and of themselves, are an method of limiting take...when honest, law abiding hunters are trying to follow the law and are confused, that is a problem.

Ron, you should write your question to DFG...that is the kind of scenario that must be contemplated

What a crock. The combination of a ban on transporting shucked abalone (cooked or otherwise) and the law against the waste of game and the DFG law would essential dictate that someone (or a group) that can't finish a campfire meal is legally required to continue stuffing themselves until they are finished even if doing so makes them ill.

Ron, if I ever found myself in your situation, I would keep the half ab in my cooler with the shell and if DFG wanted to issue me a citation for it, I would be sure I had plenty of photos to show to the judge because I can't imagine a judge who wouldn't immediately throw the ticket and fine out once you explained the situation. But that's just me.

Quote from Hookinfish

She will definitely be with me on this trip. I was going to write her name on the tags to make sure there wouldn't be any confusion.

I would not alter the tags in anyway.
Here is what I have done. Day one grab three snails. Day two before I go diving write out the following on piece of a paper and keep it with the abalone "I Sockeye, (license number) hereby gift abalones tagged 1 2 and 3 to person x" Then I proceed to collect my three and head on our way.
have fun

i have discussed my specific situration with one of the north coast wardends. He said that while he wouldn't cite me under those circumstances, and most of the other wardens wouldn't either, it is a violation of the letter of the law, and I could be cited. To me it's not worth the risk, as I cherish my hunting and fishing licenses, and don't want to lose them, even for a year. Not to mention the fines and potential loss of gear, etc.
Ron.