The long season?

[naturegirl]

Old timers, those who don't feel the rules apply to them, and I'm learning it does also happen because people flat need food (illegal as it is).

[6ANut]

I understand the food aspect of poaching but they should still have to buy/pay for a tag like we all do. heck in Alaska you can't keep the head but can keep all the meat for the people that are just killing for the food part. In my book poaching is poaching regardless of the situation.

[murfys69law]

I guess my thinking is, In this day and age, and we all know the economy is terrible, is it necessary for these people to shoot a buck, elk, cat, bear, buffalo, or is it just the way they were brought up and don't feel the need to conform to 2015. I guess it's just a way of life for some but even a small amount of animals shot for what they say is feeding their family will add to the others that poach and will still have an effect on the numbers of game we can Legally hunt. I will say that if my family is starving I would do whatever it takes to feed them. I don't know if this is the case except for maybe a rare few. Just a little reading if you want. This is just 8 of the biggest cases and not even touching the many millions of others.

http://www.petersenshunting.com/poaching/biggest-poaching-cases-ever/

[photofool]

Ok who is the worst scumbag the guy who poaches to feed his family or the trophy hunter who buys a tag then kills a bull, takes the head and leaves

the rest to rot. The forest is littered with such carcasses.

[mattys281]

Ok who is the worst scumbag the guy who poaches to feed his family or the trophy hunter who buys a tag then kills a bull, takes the head and leaves

the rest to rot. The forest is littered with such carcasses.

 

Both are criminals.

[TRKHNTR]

Back on the farm in Minnesota, my Grandpa used to carry his lever action rifle in the tractor. When he saw a deer eating in his field he would shoot it, and leave it to rot, or at least that's what I was told. He must have passed those bad traits on to my uncle. I went on vacation up to northern Minnesota to visit my cousins. One night they said we were going "Spotlighting". I didn't know what the heck it meant, and they said you could see deer at night. Sure enough we spotlight a deer, and dipstick uncle pulls out a rifle, and let's loose. They never found that deer. Fish and Game show up to the farm the next day, and searched it, because my Uncle was well known to them, as someone made a call reporting gunfire that previous night. Scared the crap out of me. I'm glad I am not like them.

 

 

I'm from the north woods of Minnesota myself never heard the word "spotlighting" until I got out west we always called it "jacklighting".

[muledeerarea33?]

Hypothetical...... A guy is down on his luck, works a full time job, makes a middle class income, is used to two incomes but his wife gets sick. They have dogs and cats and kids. The man works as much as he can in his current job but just can't pay for it all. Gas, medical bills growing, land payment, utilities, etc. one day the dogs run out of food, the garden is picked clean and the family has no edible meat (because the rabbits are in their worm season) the man takes his last few buck to the store to buy enough carbs, veggies, and oil to keep his family afloat for the next month til he's paid again. On his way home he stops and takes a deer. Not a trophy but likely the first deer he sees most likely without antlers. Skins every bit of meat and cartilage off of it that he can with an old buck knife and feeds his wife, kids, and dogs protein. Is that wrong? I'm sure some will come up with better ideas but a struggling person does what he knows.

[mattys281]

I truly feel sad for any person who honestly puts in 100% and still cant manage to feed their little ones. The trouble is that most claim to put in all theyve got, but really they dont. I fire people for it. You talk to them and theyre the hardest working smartest sobs around they just have bad luck and can never catch a break. You talk to me and I'll tell you that they late to work x anount of times per month, theyve been in trouble over and over again for messing with their cell phones instead of aying attention to work and the only thing they can really be counted on for is missing at least two mondays per month.

 

Thats the trouble with hypothetical rationalization of lawlessness: you can justify it for robin hood, but most people arent robin hood. Most people are just chit bags who dont know the difference between doing the bare minimum and actually busting heir tail.

 

Its not the g&f dept.s job to sort out who's who, its just their job to prosecute people who commit crimes.

 

And dont forget, virtually every drug dealer whos ever worn silver bracelets cried a real sad song about feeding his kids and not having a job. Are we to excuse them as well?

 

Theres welfare, churches, foodbanks, families and friends to help good people. Plenty of stops between down on your luck and being a criminal.

[muledeerarea33?]

Mattys281, I understand what your sayin. Most that say they give their all still have a lot to give, and a lot that struggle, struggle because of their own demise. There is still a few good people that truly do what they can and it's not enough. Like stated previously, would you rather then get on the welfare dime or take a creature it two a year out of season? I know I know! Folks will say, "if they take one or two, what's to stop them from taking 20???" Or,"if they take 2 a year that means every one will and we'll have no game left!!" The man who takes game to feed his family isn't picky, isn't shooting trophy's, and isn't advertising. To compare him to a drug dealer is wrong. A drug dealer makes money by hurting others. You can say a man who feeds his family with game is hurting others chances of hunting but is he really compared to a drug dealer?

[mattys281]

I agree, it's not the same level. I'm just saying that people always have some rationale for doing wrong, regardless of how wrong it is.

 

As for the people described, I have a hard time begrudging anyone who sincerely does what they feel is necessary to feed their kids. However, if they think they are on hard times now, wait to see how the world looks if they get busted and are now facing charges, fines, legal fees and possibly even incarceration. those kids will get real hungry then. Seems like a lot of risk to expose ones family to.

 

This working guy/gal in trouble, needs some temporary help to get back on their feet situation is exactly what the welfare system and a million charities are designed to help. I don't see how a guy could be too proud to ask for help, but be ok with breaking game laws. Especially if they've been paying into the system for years. If you paid in and need help, you deserve to get it. No shame in that.

 

It's the lazy leaches that milk the system and have no intention of getting off of it that should be ashamed of themselves. Once again, however, the problem is sorting out who is who.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

In this day fuel and ammo are way more expensive than a weeks supply of rice/beans/pasta...

[capoeirajosh]

Yikes! Sucks that there are still people like that out there.

[murfys69law]

spot on matty. I'm with ya'

 

 

a big high five!!!

[6ANut]

I'd give half my fridge of game meat to anyone who was "really" in need. I couldn't have said it any better matty.

[naturegirl]

My only knowledge of poachers were both younger teen males. One lived with a single mom in a tent trailer in the winter in Illinois. They had no money (I mean none). The teen male would kill to feed his mother and 4 siblings. I'm not saying it's right but he didn't starve either. He took on the role of provider the way he knew how without money. I agree his mom could've worked but she never did. I never was in this situation and always had food on the table growing up.

 

I'm not counting all the idiots who tell me they shoot 4 animals during a season. These people are hopeless and see nothing wrong with what they do.