MKMGOBL

I probably should let this go but just can't. The statement from mooseshedhunter is the kind mind of set I see more and more being passed down to our future hunters and it's sad so I'm putting in my opinion.


Weather it was mistaken identity or just an ignorant person carrying a shotgun, it's NOT a small infraction that turned very very wrong. It was wrong from the very beginning! Other than a flame about 3' high, hearing someone refer to law breaking as a "small infraction" or saying "only broke the law a little bit" really burns my butt[:@] There are no "little white lies", just lies! The law is the law and here it was broken one to many times. NOT IDENTIFYING YOUR TARGET, ROOST SHOOTING and FAILURE TO REPORT HUNTING ACCIDENTS! The people or person that did it should be slammed hard with fines, never allowed hunt or handle a gun for life and even a year of community service. Keep them out of jail so it doesn't cost the tax payer money to feed them.


Remember this, mistaken identity is the #1 reason of hunting related deaths/accidents! It doesn't matter if it's was human or an animal that gets hurt, it's never a small infraction!

Hunt safe and I hope no one ever has a "small infraction" in your neck of the woods

moosehornhunter

MK...are you a warden?

It is rediculous to say that an infraction is an infraction. Thank God everyone doesn't hold your views on this. Let me ask you something...If a guy is driving 5 miles an hour over the speed limit, should he be treated the same as a guy that drives 50 miles over the speed limit? I mean really....think about it. Of course there are different levels of infractions. Should the guy get in trouble....absolutely! But lets match the punishment with the crime. Stiff fine....sure. Loss of license for a year or two...sure. For life...heck no. If he does it again, that is another story. Let's just keep it in perspective. People can and do make mistakes.....all over the world, every day. I'm sure you do too. We don't have all the facts on this one yet, and we won't have them all until someone is pinched. Why don't we all wait and see whats going on here before we hastily put together a mob and hang the s.o.b. For all we know it could have been a couple 12 year old kids out fooling around. I shot a hawk one time when I was a little kid. was I wrong? YUP! Do I feel bad? YUP!
Should I have been hung? NOPE! Let's wait til we have all the facts.

moosehornhunter

MK....also, just to back up my point, I just looked into it and it is NOT illegal to shoot a turkey off the roost in Penn. Therefore, it is possible that this whole thing was just a mistake on a turkey hunters part. If the bird that was in the tree had turned out to be a turkey when it hit the ground, it would have been a completely legal kill. Thats why I'm saying, lets just wait and see here.....I have a feeling that this was all just a mistake. IMO If my hunch is correct, i hope they never catch the guy, and I hope he learned from his mistake, as well as all of us.

PA_BOW_HUNTER

Moose.... I do think you are correct that there is no law against shooting a bird on roost in PA.

However, here in PA in Spring Gobbler season "Only turkeys with visible beards are legal." - direct quote from PA Hunting Handbook. So, even if the bird was on roost, if the guy can't tell the difference between a turkey and an eagle then he sure as heck didn't see any visible beards.....

And let's just say he did think that he saw a beard or a something in the tree that to him resembled a beard, once he realized his mistake he "shall immediately remove all entrails and deliver the carcass to a Game Commission officer in the county where it was killed" - another quote from Handbook

Any way you look at it, whomever shot this eagle was in the WRONG... mistake or intentionally.... And leaving the bird in the woods for someone else to find shows his ignorance of the bird, of the law and other hunters.

moosehornhunter

PA....You are absolutely right. And please don't misunderstand me. An infraction has occured here, there is no question about it. I am just making the point that a small infraction has turned into a big problem for someone, and that I wish people didn't call on the hangman so quickly.

MKMGOBL

OK, you got on one of the three things I listed! What about the other two? What's nice about life is that we all have the right agree or disagree! We all agree it was wrong! I just wish people would quick trying to make excuses for being irresponsible.


Hope everyone has a great summer and thanks for feed back.

MK-M-GOBL (before you shoot)

PA_BOW_HUNTER

I do agree with you completely, it could have been a mistake and the person got nervous after they seen it was an eagle and ran. Or it could have been, as I suspect, someone out just taking a wild shot at something they seen in a tree. And until the real truth is known, it is open for discussion and IMO either way the person is guilty of irresponsibility.

There has been a lot of this going on here in PA where people are shooting animals and leaving them. I'm sure it happens everywhere but it seems that every few months I hear reports of people shooting some sort of (a lot of times protected) animal illegally and letting it lay. I remember a few years ago 2 men shot a huge bull elk up in the mountains and left it....


Amen!!!!

MKMGOBL

PA_BOW_HUNTER, Heard a story from the in-laws about that happening in Fox Chaple close to their house but with deer. It's happens up here in NH once in a while but not offen thanks GOD!

GO STEELERS

PA GOBBLER

i still dont think your aloud to shoot them in roost... not only do you have to see a beard you also cant stalk turkeys.. so if you hear him gobble you cant go under him and shoot him.. it says you can hunt them by calling to them only..
also like its been pointed out it should have been reported then...
i hope they catch him/her

PA_BOW_HUNTER

MK, I'm about 3 miles from Fox Chapel. I can believe you when you say something like that. There is always a controversy about deer there because there are few hunters allowed in the area and a ton of deer. Every once in a while they do bring sharpshooters to thin the herd.

I guess it's that's all in interpretation. What you state about stalking is correct, but I can't find anything that specifically addresses being able to shoot a bird on roost in a tree.

Guess that would be a question for the wonderful PGC, if you are set up under a roosted bird and you see a beard, are you allowed to shoot? The sticky part definitely comes in how you came to be set up under it. It would be hard to set up without it being called stalking but technically it could be done.