SevenMag

I agree with this SS Hunter... many people on the 'net tend to get very self-righteous when it isn't about them or someone they know... I've run into several poachers and game law breakers by nature of hangin out at my uncles gun shop in AL, you say somethin about it and they get all indignant about it like poaching is their "right", well, guess what, they aren't friends and I don't make it a point to associate with them... and as I've mentioned on other threads, these are the same guys that if they find out who turned 'em in have no qualms about saying stuff like "well, i guess I'll just go light a match..."

Carpmaster

Probably not, but it would be a discretionary and situational. If the guy shot a deer for food, definitely not. If he spotlighted and killed a monster buck because it was a monster buck then I would!

tsoc

I voted to turn the people in but to do it without divulging your identity.(I can't spell anonomously.LOL) Most of the known poachers in our area are not particularly stable.A couple have criminal histories,assault,drug convictions.SO the fear of retalliation is well founded with these people.
I have turned in poachers on 4 occaisions,one was for shooting a doe in someones lawn,one was for shooting from the road,two were for baiting.SO I just don't turn a blind eye to it.The unfortunate thing is that it is really difficult to get a conviction on poachers and if they do the fines or punishments are not severe enough.You have to be a complete moron to be convicted in our area.
I know a poacher who has shot a mechanical deer in one instance,had a taxidermist turn him in for shooting a deer with a rifle during archery season and the guy is still poaching big bucks every year and still buy's a license just like you and I do.
So there is an attitude of why bother,they wont be able to get a conviction and if they do the punishment is a joke.Refer back to me having turned people in on four occaisions.I don't condone it.
I do feel it is a matter of degree,am I going to turn someone in for using a spouses tag,friends tag.No I am not.I know people who fill tags for other people and give them the entire deer.illegal yes,common practice,management permits are legally transferrable in NY.
I do believe it is a judgement call,and while I hold the game laws in high regard like all laws there is hypocrisy.Laws are laws and we all break them,speeding,tax laws,infidelity,stealing in various ways,ie the extra cable box and many other examples.
I am not here to judge everyone,not my place for a lot of reasons.If someone is doing something totally horrendous such as nine bucks,they are getting turned in.

SevenMag

i guess you've never heard of someone's pride before huh?? in many respects, I'd be the same way, I'd find another way to feed my family before asking for help... some times friends don't know what's goin on...

hey now, I stick to the game laws, that is my conscious choice... but I'm not a judge and jury and I'm not judging someone elses morals about the situation... all I've maintained throughout this whole thing is that my friends are more important to me than a few deer, plain and simple, if a few deer are more important, well, you're the one that has to live with that and it is my opinion that that is a backwards priority... I'm not a game warden or DNR officer, it is not my job nor is it my responsibility to make these calls, to a friend, I'd mention it to them myself, they'd either get on board and follow the rules or they would be offended that I called 'em on it, they'd either end the friendship or not...

and another thing, i'm not by ANY stretch saying our game laws are optional, nowhere has that even been hinted at... the grey area lies in what each individual person would do about it...

GMMAT

With the results speaking for themselves.......I have to ask....

I posted on here a while back about "hunters" (as a group....and in MY opinion) having its' unfair share (I think I used the word 'exhorbitant') amount of unsavory characters. Given the results of the poll above......what's to change this (if indeed....it's even true....%-age wise)?

Doesn't "silence = assumed consent"? Are we making it too easy?

I don't know the answer. I think an open dialogue is a good thing.

SevenMag

as long as it stays respectful, certainly...

Critr-Gitr

For me, silence does = assumed consent. Call it what you want, but you are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Our whole society is ate up with touchy feely it's all okay syndrome. Whatever happened to people being responsible for their actions? And for making others responsible for theirs? We're going headfirst down the crapper and not enough people are realizing it is because there is no responsibilty for actions in our society anymore.

SevenMag

critr-gitr,

i agree with you nearly 100%... accountability is certainly something people need these days especially... but the inital question was whether or not you'd turn in your friend... a total stranger? absolutely, DNR gets called, a friend though is different to me... confront said friend first, convince him, if he's a friend he'll listen and not be offended (much) and you'll continue to be friends... but with a friend you shouldn't need to contact the authorities to make a difference

GMMAT

Not disagreeing with you....just asking.

Does the degree of the offense have any bearing on whether you hold this line or not?

Are there some offenses that simply "can't" be overlooked?

buttonbuckmaster

Are there some offenses that simply "can't" be overlooked?
[/quote]

Absolutely. I don't think you would have had many no votes if you would have told the whole story at the begining. 9 bucks when the limit is 2....turn him in. But be prepared for the backlash if you tell him you turned him in. Thats what tip lines are for.