Poaching comes in many questionable situations. One may be "by the book" another may tag a game animal with anothers tag.

Here is one that a lot of us, I know I am, have been guilty of in the past.

You are sitting on stand for days on end and seeing nothing but squirrels, a rabbit here and there. Frustration sets in and you let an arrow fly at one of these small game animals. Hit or miss, if you don't have a small game license that is poaching or attempted poaching.

Here is a true story about a family member. They hadn't been seeing any deer in the national forest we hunted years ago. Finally, my family member gets a shot at a doe and takes her down. In his tracking he shoots another deer but, has only one tag. He figures, and this is what got him caught, he will load them both in the truck and tag the second with his sons tag back at deer camp. In driving the DNR stops him. Checks the deer and sees only one is tagged. Trying to explain himself the officer decides to let this slide and follows him to camp. They waited for his son to get back in with a tag for the second deer but, somehow he managed to leave them at home. The officer was then forced to do his job, took both deer and gave a ticket. This one little example of what some see as questionable poaching cost $3500 and no license for 5 years.

I have grown up in myyears and follow game laws to the book now. I don't shoot everything I see anymore unless it is with a camera. I have taken some great pictures and they make me feel good about myself and I can share what I see with everyone.

So here is my answer to the ?.

I believe everyone makes mistakes, poaching is not a mistake. It is a decision when the opportunity presents itself. It is a crime. Maximum sentence on all counts.