Duke I apologize. I really do.

Like I told PT in a PM....I'm just a little amazed at how we (as a hunting community) seemingly give a "pass" to poaching much of the time.

Like I told him, also.....I need to just accept this and move on.

I won't mention it again.

I think its kinda funny that there can be 8+ pages on the effectiveness of the snort wheeze too.... yes the season is deffinatley dying down...

I leave for an hour and BAM! 6 pages.

This isa tough time of year to be a bowhunter. Back in early November, guys were too busy or tired to hash out some of these topics.

No. Add to that I live in a rural community and I know of several very poor people both in town and who live in the country. They all receive food stamps and have medical cards. You may or may not believe what sort of items some buy using their food stamps, beyond basic food their family needs. Sorry if I sound cold hearted, but in this day and age with what is available to families and taking into account the time, effort, expense, and cost of killing game.......poaching is unnecessary. I know there may be exceptions perhaps under extroadinary circumstances but I have never heard of one instance in my immediate area where poaching was absolutely a necessity.

perfectly said

It's not just the hunting community, it's people in general. I don't think it's right but sadly I don't care what Joe Schmoe the rag man is doing or how many bucks he killed. I am not going to police every hunter in the woods.It's not my job and I don't get paid to risk mywell beingconfronting people or turning in someone (which really doesn't do anything without evidence). If someone is blatantly breaking seriousgame laws or more importantly (IMO) endangering other peoples livesand I think there is a good chance a warden can catch them I'll probablygive a call, other than that what should we do?

Take the situation you mentioned about the guy killing 9 bucks, say you call and say "I know this guy who I think has killed more bucks than he has tags for." Do you think they will swoop down from helicopters and raid his home? Not likely, more likely is they will try to send someone to investigate or patrol the "suspects" area or something along those lines if they doanything. Most DNR's are like every other law enforcement agency, undermanned.

I guess I just don't see anything surprising about not being the "Guardian Angels" of the deer woods because why would the woods be more important than anywhere else. It's Friday night go ride around the closest bar areain your city between 11:00 p.m and 2:00 a.m. therewill bepeople DUI all over the place (among other things), why not follow them around, call it in? Know anybodythat smokes some weed? Do you callit in? I rarelyworry about enforcing any other laws, why are game laws different?

I get tired of hearing the "poaching to feed their family" bull, been waiting for someone to throw the flag on that one, but I guess it isn't politically correct. For every poacher you can hit with that stick, I can show you a hundred that make more money than I do, or have ego's bigger than their brain capacities. From what I have seen, the very worst ones are the doctors/lawyers who think they are above the law. What is worse than that is the fact that often, they are. One of my best friends is a game warden, and the stories he can tell you would blow your mind.

Don't get me wrong, I help people out with legally shot and legally transferred game quite often. But the folks that I know that REALLY need the help don't blow $80 in gas to go try and shoot a buck. Maybe different traditions for different parts of the country, but that is the reality of my world.

I'll answer that by saying most will not worry about others breaking game laws unless it personally affects them. For example if someone is taking more bucks than they have buck tags for in your hunting area, then it is personally affecting your buck/doe ratio. Another example.........someone is poaching big bucks where you hunt. By the way, not directed at you but at the statement in general.

I dont know seems like now a days you can kill someone and not get in as much of trouble as if you shoot an animal illigally!