HIP Certification

Are you still required to carry the HIP Certification on your possession while hunting migratory game birds. Reason I ask is that I applied for my HIP the same time I applied for my deer tags. I have a lifetime license. Well, it came attached to the yardstick of deertags. I don't want to carry this yardstick of deertags with me when I'm duck hunting. I'd be sitting lopsided in the blind.
We used to be able to fill out HIP Cert. online and print out of own Certification card. I would decrease the size of it and wrap in clear tape and put in my wallet.
What are you other guys doing? Am I the only one with this problem? Are there any Wardens out there that can answer this question?
Your responses are greatly appreciated.

I too have lifetime hunting license but only duck hunt. I went ahead and bought (ughh!!) online the HIP certification through the normal license-buying system. So for $2.50 (should be free) they sent me what looks like a regular license but it only has the HIP certification on it. It is to this that I affixed my Fed. duck stamp to as if it were a regular hunting license. So now I have to carry the lifetime card in addition to the regular license & stamp I would normally have to keep track of. Is there a better way???

I also have my lifetime license and I went to Wal-mart last week and bought my duck stamp and I wasn't told anything about the HIP Program. The guy in the sporting goods department never even asked to see my license/ hunter safety card or anything. He scanned the stamp took my money and I left.

Strange....

I also carry a lifetime licence and BAUGHT a FREE HIP certification online at the LDWF website; only I have not seen it yet! Hey LSU, how long did it take to get the actual cert in the mail? I did this last season and there was a way to obtain it online but without actually paying for it and you could print it right then and there. To top it off; they ask if you want to fill out a survey about your online licence buying experience. So naturally, I asked why I just paid $2.50 for an otherwise FREE licence. Of course, I didn't get any reply. But now, I am concerned that I may not actually be certified. They did furnish a temp #, so i guess I am legit, but in about 2.5 weeks I have not received the hard copy in the mail.

So to answer the original questio: Yes, you are required to have your HIP cert on your person in the fiels if hunting migratory birds.

I got a $100 ticket on opening weekend a few years ago for not having mine. I have everything but the free HIP certification (an oversight by the salesman at K-mart) when I explained it was the salesman's fault he (game warden) told me it was my responsibility as a hunter to have everything required and because I was young (17) it would benefit me to learn it now. All I learned is that game wardens suck.

I also carry a lifetime licence, everyone who hunts ducks or geese needs the hip certification, its been like that for years. The reason you paid $2.50 for it because you got ordered it online and they charge a $2.50 service fee when ever you order any type of license online or over the phone.

When I ordered my HIP online, it only took a few days to come in, a week at most. I understand that I paid 2.50 for the online "convenience" and I suppose a smidge of that is shipping/mailing cost. I would think you can just go to Academy or walmart or wherever and ask for only the HIP certification and THEN it would be 100% free and you'd get it right then and there.

i been hunting for over about 10 years now since i was little with my dad and not once ever has any game warden asked me for a hip cert lisence i didnt even know that this existed so do you have to have one on you at all times???

Bigbuckkilla999,

I went ahead and detached my HIP from my "booklet" of deer tags. I affixed my duck stamp to it and just carry that with my lifetime license. The deer tag system is voluntary this year so I figured it wouldn't matter. Next year I don't know what the system will be so I'm gonna' go to "The Mart" or somewhere and make them print them up seperately. I too didn't want to have to sit on a mound of paperwork (you know, "the Princess and The Pea" and all that).

Big Steve

I also did my deer tags & hip online. I got my deer & turkey tags but no hip stamp. I tried to get a duplicate but I was going to be charged another $2.50 at the store I bought my duck stamp from. I did print out my confirmation when I sent for it online and hope that will work.

Warren

I too have a lifetime and recently bought my fed duck stamp and was never asked about hip. Do I have to go back to Academy and get that thing and carry it along with my lifetime??? Seems like a sorry system.

Think about it...
You walk into Wallyworld and look around at the people in the blue vests....
Half of them don't know what you need to duck hunt and the rest couldn't care less!!
Some 10th grade kid workin for pocket change hoping he can get rid of you before anyone else lines up so he can go back and hide and talk on his cell phone. Yea, he cares about you getting what you need and feels like doing the extra "work" to make sure you are OK.
It's just like fast food these days, you better know what you want, ask for it exactly and then CHECK TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR!! OTHERWISE YOU END UP WITH CATSUP ON THE BURGER THAT YOU CLEARLY STATED "NO CATSUP!!!" ON!!!AND THEN THEY FORGET THE CHEESE!!!!
Sorry, I think I got off topic a bit but you get the picture don't ya?

Yea you right, that's why it's best to buy from the small local stores who will set you up right. Unfortunately, these small stores can actually lose money by offering you the service of selling hunting and fishing licenses. Each sale that is paid with a credit card costs them money, sad but true system.
It's up to you to make sure you get it all, most of the cashier's at Academy (here in BR area) i've come across didn't know a duck from a kangaroo so I practically had to put in the license info myself.

Yeah, you're certainly right about the WalMart workers (most of them). My going joke is that the person in sporting goods today is probably a person who has been in lingerie for the last 6 months.

Basically it is correct to say that a person should know what license he/she needs to get, but, it is also a responsibility (in my opinion) of the seller to try to make sure that a customer is getting everything needed to hunt the intended game. I have a small business that sells hunting supplies and I can attest to what LSU said about not making any, or even losing a little, money on selling licenses. I have had so many people coming in to buy only the hunting licenses with a credit card (usually after buying all of their hunting clothes and shells at WalMart) that I have had to start charging for the cost of processing a credit card on license sales. Stores sell these licenses to accommodate their customers, and as a way to get customers into their stores, and hopefully, sell them something else besides the license, but many of the small stores are dropping license sales because of the hassle and losses associated with selling them. At this rate, pretty soon you will only be able to buy your licenses from the big, impersonal, stores like Walmart, Academy, etc.

Dowell

Dowell
You are right, looking at it from a business point of view. That is how you keep your customers. You take care of them on a personal level and treat them as you would like to be treated. That is also how you make new friends who may one day return the favor. But for that to happen, the person at the counter has to care about what he is doing, not just "When do I go home?" or "I wonder if I can get off early". As a small business, it is highly important but for a superchain franchise, they won't even notice if you never walk back into the store. They don't care because they don't have to and they don't want to. It dosn't matter to them. MInimum wage jobs are a dime a dozen and not worth any extra effort.
They don't get to know their costumers on a personal level and don't have the integrity to go the extra mile for you.

HIP LICENSE is for all migrantory game birds. Dont forget that means you need it for Doves as well as ducks and geese. Lots of people didnt know this existed or was really needed because the Wally World Morons dont know what it is. But good luck to all and please even though the people said they gave all the licenses you need check over it and make sure you have it all. I have a lifetime license but i know lots of people dont know about the muzzle loader and the bow license that you need. In addition to the basic and big game. Or when duck hunting you need the basic, LA duck license, federal duck stamp and the HIP. Good luck.

Labs-Chevys
I've never heard of a muzzleloader license. I have a lifetime license. Is the muzzleloader license part of the lifetime license??????

Your muzzleloader and bow licenses are included in your lifetime license.

Big Steve

Glad we have this forem. Just got my license in today and checked it ---no HIP-online receipt has it as ordered. Has anyone informed WLF and what is their response to what is happening with this error by the online service company-appears it is happening alot. Anyone have any luck getting one sent to them by the online company-just trying to figure this one out. Thanks.

I got my HIP online, was the only thing I ordered through the service with no other licenses.

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