poaching

[debbymw2000]

Hey, guys, I understand this subject is probably over by now, but I was just reading about poachers. I read some of the posts you wrote about the "kid" in Houston County. Please, correct me if I'm wrong...When you go to firearms safety class, don't they talk about poaching? TIP? I truely am appalled that anyone would "poach" anything. I believe people make mistakes, but seriously. Unless this kid was born under a rock....HE KNEW BETTER!!! I am married to a hunter, have a son and daughter that hunt, and we all fish. I am telling you, I am [Note from admin: Your post has been edited. Please read forum policy before posting again. Thank you.]

proud of us that we NEVER take more than our limit,we buy proper licenses and we follow the guidelines set before us by the DNR. There is a reason for rules. This "kid" (by the way is 19 or 20) should NEVER get a chance to hunt or fish in Minnesota, should surrender ALL hunting and fishing gear and get fines to the max. I am sorry, this is my feelings. BTW, if this was one of my family members, I would turn their butts in myself.

[Getanet]

The guy had to cut through a fence to get at the deer so it obviously wasn't a mistake on his part.

As for his punishment, I leave it to the judge to decide. But I don't know why he should never be able to fish again.

And while I commend you and your family for taking pride in obeying the rules, as hopefully we all do, I would just caution the type of thinking that you or your kids will never break a game law. I know plenty of people who I consider extremely ethical sportsmen who have been fined or given a warning for some violation.

With all that said, there's definitely a difference between unknowingly breaking a law - or a minor infraction - compared to cutting through a fence to shoot a penned up buck.

[Musky Buck]

I hear ya Debby, we're all tired of criminals or law breakers or whatever getting off so easy compared to what we feel the punishment should be and how upstanding citizens in a way bait deer or take too many fish or whatever the case may be and in our information age society we all know it minutes to hours after it happens. Times are so different now, it came on so fast, we're not as nice to thy neighbor as we once were. My dad tells me of a group of guys he knows that have been poaching deer since the 60's, that's 50 plus years, the CO is aware but it is extremely difficult to nail these dudes unless you could run 24/7 surveillance somehow on their farm which is a 1/2 mile off the gravel road, they have few if any neighbors and run their own surveillance on the road they live on, the CO is aware and has been but to catch these cats red-handed has proven to be very tough. All we can do is do things right ourselves and everyone we come in contact with do things the right way, teach it to our kids, their friends, etc.

[debbymw2000]

If we break any of the laws, I do hope we get caught and punished. As far as my "type of thinking" we do read the laws. When we go fishing, we make sure we know the laws for that lake.

[debbymw2000]

Musky Buck, Thank you for your response. I agree, our children and others around us are taught by our actions. All we can do is hope they follow our example. As far as the poachers you spoke of, I hope someday they get what they deserve. I am very tired of law breakers that get a slap on the hand and told not to do it again. I believe if the punishments were more stiff, maybe these people would think twice about their actions.

[EJ_Mac]

The problem with revoking someone's license for life is that if you do so, they often figure they have nothing left to lose continue to hunt/fish, anyway. That's what happens in WI (even though they don't really ban anyone for that long). And after that, there's only so much you can do to them. In a few states, repeated offenses will rise to the level of a criminal conviction and nring on jail time, so there IS a deterrent. But unfortunately, many legislators don't take wildlife violations all that seriously.