I was going to comment on this topic last night but realized that I had a couple to many Shiner Bocks in my system to be giving my opinion on such a touchy subject !
I was the sacrifical lamb last year for my team in the Fatboy Outfitters Tournament so I know what it is like to sit there sweating bullets over a polygraph test. I was not nervous because I was lying or because my team had cheated. I was nervous because I had no prior experience with polygraph tests and I was worried about a MACHINE that was operated by a person that I did'nt know making a mistake and making me look like a liar to everyone and I would be the only person who knew I was'nt lying. I can see with some of the questions that are asked how a person could fail and still believe they are telling the truth. I don't agree with the " did you break any Texas game laws" question. It is to vague and leaves to much room for error. Also a simple mistake like letting my son lead the catchdog back to the wheeler out of sheer habit could get you disqualified in some tournaments. I have a couple dogs that a friend and I are partners in and I worry about hunting those dogs unless he's there because it could possibly cost me on the Poly test and according to my kids I don't even own a dog, they own them all, so it's possible that that could get me . I have places to hunt that are high fenced on one or two sides and barb wire on the other sides and I don't hunt them for a tournament but sometimes you will end up on them with a bad runner that you struck on a property that is close to them and that could possibly get me on the high fence rule. Call me paranoid or a worry wart if you want to but my word and good name are all that I own, the bank and the Government own everything else, and I believe that if a tournament organizer is going to put a hunters integrity and good name on the line with a polygraph test then they owe it to the hunters to be very specific with their questions and to hire the best polygraph firm that money can buy! I will never intentionally cheat to win a hunting tournament, I value my own integrity to much for that. Trespassing to get my dogs or some stupid little mistake like I explained above might get me but not purposefully cheating. If that does happen then I will explain what might have happened to throw up a red flag and pleade my case but if they decide to DQ me and I do'nt sense anything fishy or that their playing favorites for the next team in line then I will regretfully hand over my prizes. And if anyone wants to call me a liar to my face then we can roll around in the rocks for a few minutes but I would never threaten to bring a lawyer in on a hog hunting tournament, that's ridiculous! I don't know wether it is possible to beat a poly graph but I do believe you could fail it and not know why.
I think that everyone should have to play by the same set of rules and those rules should be enforced the same for every team regardless of personal relationships. Don't have a polygraph test if your not going to enforce it and any decisions that have to be made should be made then and there. The worst thing an organizer can do is give the hunters that participate a reason to lose confidence in the validity of their tournament or tournament series.
Disclaimer: I was perfectly sober when I wrote this so if you don't like my opinion then blame it on the lack of my blood alcohol level ! Ask me again after 10:00 p.m. and you might get a more interesting answer !
