I hate poachers..

[MossRoad]

Wow. It seems like we've gone to extremes with this thread. I suspect most here would be very sympathetic to a destitute, starving person harvesting an animal illegally to feed their family. But the reality is most poachers aren't destitute and aren't starving. It is either wanton selfishness or gross stupidity on those occasions. And even in the case of a starving person, any poaching affects the population as a whole. I understand it wasn't too many years ago that wild turkeys were rare and it took effective wildlife management to bring them back. And any poaching done on private land (which I suspect is the majority of it) involves trespassing. In my case, I maintain a feeder and a water source. I develop food plots. I'm aware of what areas are bedding areas and tread very lightly in those areas. Anybody poaching on my ground is stealing from me. I'm going to be hard-pressed to be sympathetic. And any poaching at night involving a firearm means clear target identification is extremely difficult, if even possible, and knowing what is around or beyond the target is even harder.

(What really got me in the OP was the shot towards an occupied structure. A couple of years ago, I was having a conversation with an attorney for the KS Dpt of Fish and Wildlife. That attorney made it very clear that any such shot would be taken very seriously and if it should actually hit the structure, then they would be looking to push felony charges.)

So, yes at one extreme of a starving destitute person, I could probably be sympathetic but the most likely reality is of a selfish, uncaring slob who just wants to kill something and I will do whatever I can to see him prosecuted.

On a side note, I have the local game warden's cell phone number and the sheriff's office general number in my cell phone contacts. I won't have to waste time trying to find the numbers should I ever need them.

In Indiana, Turkeys were gone by the 1900's, so not much to do with poaching at all. They have reintroduced them in most of the state, and have been so successful that they are even a nuisance in some places, if they decide to roost on your house or in a tree over your car.

 

[FTG-05]

You should have seen the last thread. The discussion turned to people taking the law into thier own hands against poachers by disabling 4 wheelers, piling dirt around vehicles, and even an interesting one about a paint bomb. Well immediately somebody got upset suggested that disabling a 4 wheeler or vehicle could cause someone to be stranded and possibly die. It went downhill from there.

I love hearing about poaching stores. Old game wardens are a wealth of information. It is amazing what people will do over a deer/elk/etc..

I believe you're talking about this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/371791-nothing-warms-my-heart-more.html?highlight=

And here's the (currently) still open follow-up thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ssing-slob-hunters-part-ii-4.html#post4649715

 

[roadhunter]

I believe you're talking about this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/371791-nothing-warms-my-heart-more.html?highlight=

And here's the (currently) still open follow-up thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ssing-slob-hunters-part-ii-4.html#post4649715

That's them. The one about the paint bomb was my favorite. "Protected by sherwin williams" signs and all that has to be one of the most interesting poaching stories I've ever read about. I can't imagine having someone show up on my property every season to hunt without permission to be there.

 

[95XL883]

Wish they were that successful here but KS lets me only take one per season. They are mighty tasty and the wife makes great broth from it. YUMMMM!! Turkey and noodles. YUMMMM !!

 

[roadhunter]

Wish they were that successful here but KS lets me only take one per season. They are mighty tasty and the wife makes great broth from it. YUMMMM!! Turkey and noodles. YUMMMM !!

Kansas is quite stingy with game, but I guess that is why they have such great hunting. Nebraska is the opposite, 7 turkeys per year compared to 1 and 2 bucks per season compared to 1. That being said I look forward to hunting in Kansas. Hoping to make it down to Cedar Bluff State Park this year.

 

[95XL883]

I can't imagine having someone show up on my property every season to hunt without permission to be there.

Thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten about that thread. That trespasser/poacher is like sericea lespideza, almost impossible to get rid of. Hmmm? Wonder if a weed torch would work on him? :laughing: (To all uber-sensitive political correct types, I'm just kidding. Obviously a land owner can't inflict bodily harm unless his life or health is under imminent and grave threat.)

 

[riptides]

Kansas is quite stingy with game, but I guess that is why they have such great hunting. Nebraska is the opposite, 7 turkeys per year compared to 1 and 2 bucks per season compared to 1. That being said I look forward to hunting in Kansas. Hoping to make it down to Cedar Bluff State Park this year.

I have pics somewhere of over 40 Turkeys sitting in my horse field. They are quite numerous in my parts.

Big ones too!

 

[coobie]

I believe you're talking about this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/371791-nothing-warms-my-heart-more.html?highlight=

And here's the (currently) still open follow-up thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ssing-slob-hunters-part-ii-4.html#post4649715

The two conversations IMHO are different slob hunters/trespassers verses poachers shooting at a occupied dwelling.

 

[OldMcDonald]

Looks nice!

When I was a kid, my dad's folks had a cottage on the island at Diamond Lake down in Cassopolis. There were about 60 cottages on the island. There was a 4-car ferry that was basically two sections of army surplus floating bridge welded side-by side. There was a cable anchored on shore and on the island end. The cable ran through the middle of the barges. The engine house was what looked like a metal floating yard barn on a pivot pin on the side of the barge. It could steer somewhat, but basically, it pushed one-way, then pivoted 180 degrees around and pushed the other on the return trip. Fond memories of that little cottage. They sold it when I turned 15!

You can barely see it in this photo on the right side of the island. Straight line is the cable laying on the bottom. It was known that if the ferry was coming, and you were in a boat, you didn't cut across the path until the ferry was at one end or the other. Otherwise your motor would hit the cable. Sure enough, one time we were on it on the 4th of July, heading to the island, and as we neared the island and the cable was rising off the bottom, an orange speedboat with a tall white outboard (seems like yesterday) tried to beat the ferry and I remember my dad yelling "He's gonna hit the cable!" and the engine went flying off the back of the boat, the cable snapped and went rolling out from between the barge sections and we S-L-O-W-L-Y began to move left, not forward, as the engine house was on the right side of the boat and could only push forward and left or backwards and right. Try as he might, the operator couldn't get us anywhere near shore. Eventually, several boats came up and towed us back to the mainland. We were in a VW bus, and had a cooler full of food and ice cream, so my dad just opened the sliding doors and we sat there and had a picnic for the hour or so it took them to get us back to shore. Didn't get to see the grandparents that day, but it was still fun!

View attachment 495632

I follow TBN for this sort of story. I have also had some good advice of course, but I do like the stories some of you blokes write. None of this "there was a gentle breeze, the sky was azure blue and the few small clouds drifted listlessly towards the tall green pines in the distance...." Yuck.

 

[turnkey4099]

I used to LOVE poachers. They made me laugh many ,many time as they grovelled, snotted, and bawled as I was hooking them up to take to the District Justice at 2am. The DJ on call was not amused with them though , being called out of a warm bed in the wee hours. It really got funny when the defendants had to call someone to come pick them up ( usually out of state) at the courtroom at 3am to take them home or back to their vehicle ( if we didn't seize it for evidence). Excuse # 27 was " I just need to feed my family" ,on my list of excuses in the note book, while they were driving a new 4wd P/U with a $600 rifle and case of beer on the back seat.
This thread brings back a lot of memories of a 28 year career doing wildlife law enforcement. I could write a book. Thanx for the memories fellas. :thumbsup:

IIANM in Idaho the game warden can confiscated the gun, the vehicle and ban a hunting license for life.