I'm curious to know how it is that the term "poacher"has cometo apply to somebody that breaks any game law. I had always thought poaching meant to take an animal on land you have no business huntingon, especially land posted "no hunting". Anyway I looked it up and here is the dictionary definition.

Poach:
To trespass on another's property in order to take fish or game.

Poacher:
One who hunts or fishes illegally on the property of another.

So clearly, poaching means some sort of tresspassing has occurred. Just becasue somebody takes an animal in an illegal manner doesn't mean they are a poacher, at least not according to the dictionary definition of the term. So why is it nearly everyone uses it that way? Anybody know? It seems to water down the term to me. According to the way many use it a poacher might simply be somebody who committed some minor violation.

Growing up, I always thought poaching meant a hunter/group of hunters trespassing and killing a protected animal to have a trophy or furs.

I was right but later learned that it doesn't have to be protected or in some far away land. It had more of a broader definition than what I had previously thought.

Your'e right, the term is overly used.

You can be on public land and be a poacher if you take game out of season.

i think the dictionary may need to be updated, because one does not have to be tresspassing to poach a critter, you can be on public land, like earlyin said or you can be driving down the side of the road.to me, it's any animal that is killed out of season and/or without a property owners permission.

I guess that's the point isn't it? You do indeed have to be tresspassing to be poaching. That's what it means.Itseems to me that the majority of non hunters use or understand the term correctly. It's hunters that seem to have gotten it wrong over the years. I don't think the dictionary is going to get changed just becauseprimarily hunters (and not all hunters for sure) use the term incorrectly. Anyway, my original question was how is it that it got perverted to mean any game violation?

The term poacher correctly has a pretty severe conotation to the non hunting public. When we hunters use it frivolously to include all kinds of even minor violations it, imo, gives the impression that we are all a bunch of criminals. I really think we should go back to using the term correctly. Calling someone who forgot his back tag and shoots a deer without it in his possession for example is not a poacher yet some would incorrecty argue that he is. I think it's silly at least and potentially harmfull to the image of hunters.

that's a good pt sylvan.

Why ask the question, Sylvan? Looking for an argument?

You've already made it plain that anyone who disagrees that "poacher" only means someone hunting on private property when they don't have permission, is wrong.

I use the term poacher to describe someone who breaks any game law. If you hunt without a tag, you're poaching. If you're tresspassing and kill an animal on that property, you're poaching. If you're baiting in a state where it is illegal and you kill an animal over that bait, you're poaching.

But obviously you're right and I'm wrong. I'm obviously using the term incorrectly.

Just like our equipment and techniques change over time, so do the defenitions and usages or words. A definition isn't set in stone, you know.

But again, I'm obviously wrong because you (and the dictionary)say so.

If you break a game law, and have an animal in your posession because of that broken law, you're a poacher in my book.

if your doing something against the law and think your all slick because you think your going to get away with it, your poaching. if you use a gun in bowseason, your poaching ect.

If I owned 1400 acres and hunted deer out of season and shot them at night with a spot light, shooting several each night, would I not be considered a poacher?

Sylvan, I stand corrected. I AM WRONG, it won't be the last time either but I still agree with Washington. You take something out of season, your a poacher in my book as well! So there!