I thought if you broke the letter of the law you were a poacher ?

Fieldmouse - Its human nature to lie about things. So I'd be a poacher AND a liar, right ? Because we all know we'd make some excuse to escape a hefty fine and violation points, right ?

I think what you are asking more is when is someone labeled a poacher:

Then I guess at what point would I personally label or call someone a poacher:

When someone repeatedly and knowingly commits a smaller poaching act. Smaller acts that I would consider would be staying a few minutes latter then the law states, or the plug in your example.

Or when someone commits a flagrant act of poaching such as spot lighting, shooting from the road or vehicle (if not aloud in your state), taking over the limit, hunting on private land, setting up stands inside of restricted areas around houses and buildings, etc.

The easiest way to settle this whole thing is for you to call your local wildlife department. Ask them for their definition of "poacher", and what it entails.

OK Folks, Here it is:
poach vb 1: to tresspass on
2 a: to take ( game or fish ) by illegal methods
b:to appropriate (something) as one's own
alt,1:to tresspass for the purpose of stealing game; also to take
fish or game illegally.

poacher n 1: one that tresspasses or steals
2: one who kills or takes game or fish illegally

This was taken from Websters 9th new collegiate dictionary.

it's not the game and fish opinion that I was interested in

Here's another example that it's hard to believe you guys have escaped similar circumstances. I went duck hunting a few years back and got a warning ticket. What happened was I bought my license and duck stamp seperately. In AR if you do that, you get a seprate license but it just shows that you purchased a duck stamp. Well I had been checked a few times that year already and apparently somewhere in the taking the license in and out the stamp came unstuck and fell off. The next time I went for my license (I was being checked at the time) my duck stamp was gone. You could see the outline of where the stamp and been stuck and you could plainly see on my license that I had purchased the stamp, but by the letter of the law, I was in violoation. However, that doesn't mean I was poaching or that I am a poacher. IMO it merely means that I am a human that occaisionally makes a mistake and that I was in violation. I will however accept the label of poacher from anyone that will willingly admit they are a criminal. If you have broken the law that's a misdemeanor (and everyone has) and you don't call yourself a criminal, then you have no right to call someone that has broken a game law that's a misdemeanor a poacher.

Spot lighting is legal in my state....Jack lighting is not!

Please do tell me when hunting private land became a flagrant act of poaching! That's the most rediculous thing I've heard all day![:'(]

OK Jason keep your shirt on. You caught me. Maybe I worded it wrong. I meant hunting on private land that you do not have permission to hunt. Sorry for being so rediculous in your book.

And of course if spot lighting is legal in your state, then of course it is not poaching. I kind of thought that would be assumed, but I was wrong. Thanks again for pointing out my carelessness.

If you hunt Texas you better start liking Liver,Hearts and Balls. I havn't heard back about the tongue from anyone but you may be found guilty of a Class A misdmeanor. The good news is I guess your not a Poacher if you fail to eat them.


From Texas.Gov

Waste of Game: A reasonable effort must be made to retrieve all wounded game birds and game animals and they must be killed immediately and become a part of the legal bag limit. It is a violation to fail to keep all edible portions of a game bird, game animal, or fish in an edible condition. For whitetail and mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and desert bighorn sheep, the violation is a Class A misdemeanor.

What an a$$hole thing to say........you started this stupid topic and now you cry when you don't get the response you hoped for.


No.......what you want is someone to say it's OK for you to poach deer after shooting hours are over because in your mind you should still be able to shoot.

If I were guilty of poaching after hours I wouldn't tell you it was wrong.........to be hypocritical you must be guilty of the same yourself first.


Speeding can be done by mistake very easily and people speed knowing full well a cop may be behind the next tree..........you on the other hand break game laws because you know your chance of getting caught is almost zero. You take advantage of the system while others just press their luck and risk the punishment........there is no risk for you, just reward which makes it a selfish act as well.


Well, it obviously concerns you since you are trying your best to justify your actions with the "everyone else does bad stuff too" defense. In your book 2 wrongs make a right I guess.

And you got people's opinions..........don't ask if you are gonna cry about the answer


I stopped reading so I don't know exactly what has been said but IMO you are a poacher if whatever you do is outside the hunting laws and results in you harvesting or wounding a deer (Shooting late, early, illegal equipment or tactics etc). Unsuccessful attempts is still poaching.........so just because you didn't kill one doesn't mean sitting in the dark TRYING to kill one isn't poaching.........it's just unsuccessful poaching.


Your opinion...........fine. So why do have such a problem with other people saying anyone who breaks poaching laws is a poacher??

So?

who is guilty of the same thing as a poacher?? You asked about poaching, not being a crimminal. If you want to say everyone is a crimminal on some level fine but that doesn't mean they are the same as a deliberate poacher. A petty thief is not the same as a murderer........a jaywalker is not equal to a rapist.......and all misdemeanors are not equal. Try getting a job with a speeding violation vs a gun charge or a theft charge and see which one works better for ya.


Nobody said that just following the game laws makes you ethical........but when you are out on what amounts to an honor system in most areas due to limited enforceability and you knowingly choose to disobey the laws because you know you won't get caught..........that says more about your ethics then it does your legal mindset.

Knowing you should not be in your stand and still staying is no different then knowing you can't shoot over 40 yards and letting one fly anyways because he is a nice buck...........either way your ethics and morals were tossed aside in a selfish attempt at personal satisfaction.


Why don't you call your local DEC and ask them if shooting deer past legal hours is poaching??

Then whine to them that they sped to work that morning and rolled through a stop sign so they shouldn't be allowed to enforce poaching laws