ORIGINAL: Rob/PA Bowyer
Sylvan, it's the same offense, it's illegally taking a whitetail. What if the jacklighter tagged the buck with his tag, does that make him more legal than the guy who put his wifes tag on a deer. Seems similar, illegal is illegal. What makes either one better than those who hunt within the laws. Both are illegally taking whitetails, poaching. Should their punishments differ, No.
I heard this exact scenerio on the radio the other day. I was listening to the normal chatter on Saturday when I hear a guy name Darren radio his buddy Barry that he shot a button buck. Barry asked him if he was going to tag it and Darren said, yeah we should. Barry then said he'd be down to put his tag on it. So Darren illegally shot a deer and Barry covered it up with his tag. Had I known their location I would have turned them in. Why are they better than the rest of us. I could have taken numerous bucks and had them tagged, it's poaching the same as jacklighting a deer.
Lumping everything into "it's illegally taking a whitetail" is pretty simplistic when it comes to what should the pushimentbe and of course punishment proportional to the act is the entire point. So please tell us what the punishment should be for "illegally taking a whitetail" as in your mind the specifics of how the whitetail was illegally taken just doesn't matter. "illegal is illegal" right? Now remember, the guy who'sillegal only because he shoots a deer 30 seconds after legal shooting hours is going to get the same punishment as the guy who with no license at 3 a.m. with a spot light shoots a deer with a rifle (where rifles are prohibited)on posted property and takes only the head. When you tell us what the punishment is please include how you have decided that your kind of justice makes sense. Personally I think this sort of reasoning is ridiculous! Do we fine people the same amount for going 10 miles over the speed limit as we do those going 20 miles over? Speeding is speeding right? Come on!