Bird Hunt Dog

I usually don't know the time I go buy how good I can see. If I can't see good enough to make that perfect shoot I won't shoot.
I'm not about to leave my stand with deer stanting around me!!!!

Cougar Mag

My idea of poaching:

Someone using a weapon out of season, hunting after hours, taking game without permits, trespassing knowingly.

Bees

In the eyes of the law both would be considered poached...

And the people that shot them would be considered poachers.

BobCo19-65

Sometimes, I have no choice but to do that, or I may be in the stand all night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

atlasman

When does that person quit hunting then??........maybe he has a light on his sight and can stay until almost pitch black........or longer. The problem with your statement is once you get past legal shooting hours you are poaching........trying to take a deer outside the legal laws set. You may only stay a few minutes but it's no better or worse then the guy who stays another hour because he said he could see fine. That is exactly why we have to have game laws like that.......it can't be left up to individuals to decide when it's time to come in because no one would agree. A universal time is set for everyone to follow and once that time is passed the term hunting no longer applies because if you were to take an animal it would be done illegally......which is poaching.

atlasman

Laws don't change just because there are deer near your stand. If you are dead set on not spooking them with your exit then just get your gear together and lower it to the ground at legal shooting end and stay put until the coast is clear.

logs

I think anyone who knowing takes or attempts to take a game animal in violation of any regulation or law is a poacher.
Ethics are not based on the situation or your interpretation of what you think the law or regulation should be. They are what they are, nothing more or less.

The shooting time thing is a good example of situational ethics.
It is light enough for you to see your target and sight pins so to you it is ok to shoot even though it is 2 minutes past legal shooting time. Where does one draw their "ethical line" for the situation? Is it at two minutes, five minutes or ten minutes. Why is one any different or more illegal that another set number of minutes? Honestly they are all violations.

The degree of appropriate punishment for those poachers that are apprehended may become a judgement call when considering the situation and degree or intent but that is a totally differnt issue.

If you steal $10 from a rich man or $10 from a poor blind begger you are still a thief. If you take the Kings Deer illegally in anyway intentionally, you are a poacher.

atlasman

I would also like to add that anyone that kills a deer strictly for the rack is a poacher in my book. No better then the idiots that kill bears for their claws, rhinos for the horn or cut the fins off sharks and throw them back.

If the only thing taken or used from a deer is the rack then it was poached......I don't give a rat's fat one if you have a license or not, you are a poacher.

[:@][:'(][:@]

wihunter402

IMO shooting deer just to kill it and take the hind quarters and back straps is poaching. Wasting game is a violation of the law and that in my book is poaching. It does not mean you have to get every little 1/4 oz of meat. You just have to use resonable effort to recover game and use it.

As for shooting deer after hours the law states a time to end and if you go past that you are violating. In WI I have talked to wardens and they have stated that they do give a little lee way on the issue but will not say how much. In my descussions with wardens they have stated that many of the laws are on the books because in court the judge will usually throw out several violations.

As an example if you have your open bow case in the back of your truck and it is raining so you just set your bow in the case and then close it that is a violation in WI. You are supposed to bring it out in the rain and enclose it before it goes in the truck. Otherwise it is considered to be an uncased weapon in a vehicle. Now I did this once in front of a warden and he just told me that I shouldn't do this. However if I had shot a deer without a tag, after hours and with a spot light then he would have written me up for the case law as well. Then the judge would come accross as a nice guy and drop that case charge. It's kind of like speeding. If you go to court they will usually drop either the fine or the points but seldom both.

There are many laws on the books and some I agree with and some I don't. I have broken some over the years and wether I agreed with them or not does not make it right. The main one being shooting from a haywagon parked in the middle of a field. I don't see why that is a problem but it is the law in WI and I don't do it anymore. I now set up next to it and do not even use it for a steady rest. I have tried to set a better example for my 2 kids over the last 10 years or so. I now know the rules and wether I like them or not I follow them.

Just my opion.

Cougar Mag

I agree with that too. Funny thing........one of the best eating deer I have shot was an older buck, a Pope and Young class. After letting it hang a couple extra days and tenderizing the meat, it was very good.