interestingviews

Poaching, Why did you do it?

I recently had a discussion with two separate parties, both in which had been charged with numerous wildlife violations. Only one party would answer some questions. The party will remain nameless out of respect to their wishes nad letting me ask some questions. I do not condone the illegal harvest of wildlife, but I did have an interest into why they committed their crimes.
I am not an author nor am I a writer but, to better understand the poachers, I decided to take notes, and put a story together on paper.
Poacher A was charged with four accounts of illegally harvesting an antlered animal, using a rifle to harvest animals, shooting from a roadway and not legally possessing a tag for the animals harvested. Poacher A could have been charged with several other violations, but with cooperation and honesty and being his first offense he was given some slack.


Question 1: Why did you shoot these deer?

Poacher A: A co-worker was in need of meat, he wanted racks to hang on his wall, his daughter had just got out of the hospital, he couldn’t afford to buy meat at the store.


Question 2: Why kill four? Why kill bucks?

Poacher A: After the initial buck, he said he would go back and retrieve the deer, next week he said he had ate it and wanted another, it went on like that for about a month. I really don’t have an explanation for killing bucks, he wanted racks for the wall, and meat.


Question 3: You killed four bucks for “racks for his wall”?

Poacher A: He wanted the racks, but I use to have about 450 acres of private land to hunt between different landowners, and then hunting became less of a sport and more like gambling, the more you can pay the more you can play. Non-residents were leasing all available land for three times market value, or they purchased land for twice the value, it is no longer a hobby, now hunting is a business. I figured as long as he was taking the deer, I would reduce the population by four, that a non-resident wasn’t going to kill.


Question 4: Why not purchase your own land, or join a hunting club?

Poacher A: Why should I have to join a hunting club, that is just another organization that is making hunting a business instead of a hobby or sport. I don’t make enough money to purchase land with the prices that, non-residents have drove the land value too. Public land is just a good way to get yourself shot around here, there are to many hunters that have no options and not enough public land.


Question 5: How did you get caught, was it through T.I.P, a witness, etc….?

Poacher A: I was on my way to work and noticed a conservation agent had the company vehicle stopped. According to the C.A. he seen my co-worker aiming a gun, and pulled in, he approached the vehicle, he asked a convincing line of questioning, my co-worker, then took him to the animals.


Question 6: He took him to his house and showed him the deer?

Poacher A: No, he took them to the fields, in which they were shot, he hadn’t done anything but go back after the horns, I have no right to judge anyone, on the poaching issue, but it pissed me off when I found out all he took was the racks.


Question 7: Would you of shot the deer if you would of known, he wasn’t going to take the whole animal?

Poacher A: I don’t know, probably not, but it’s hard to say the non-resident thing burns me. If I had shot them for myself, I would have taken the meat.


Question 8: What was the penalty for these citations?

Poacher A: A years salary worth of fines, community service, confiscated equipment, loss of hunting privileges, a bad reputation, I don’t like any of my punishment, but I done wrong and now I will pay the price, but what is going to absolute kill me is the loss of my hunting privileges.


Question 9: What have you learned and taken from this?

Poacher A: I look at deer poaching like this, in area’s there are too many of them, they are a nuisance, if you need the meat take one, I believe that with the role the business aspect is taking on hunting, hunter number’s will decrease and herd number’s will increase causing disease, and eventually the diseased animal will cause diseases in livestock.
You know if you hit a deer with your vehicle, the state does not claim that deer, but go shoot one without a tag, they will claim it. The whole aspect of deer hunting is out of control. I was raised with values, I do not consider myself a game thief, I was raised that, every action has a reaction, I know what I did for my co-worker was wrong. I also realize I’m paying for what I did and there is a lot of worse people out there.


Question 10: Please clarify on “a lot worse out there”.

Poacher A: I could have been growing dope and selling it to your children, I could be out drinking and driving and hit another vehicle. I’m not nor, do I do that but, it happens and it’s a heck of a lot worse than shooting deer. So “many ethical hunters” say they never do anything wrong. Most have and just are to coward to admit to it or they haven’t been caught. It’s all about perception from the outdoor community, my perception is you screwed up, everybody does, fix it and go on, I‘m not going to label you. I believe I’ve learned my lesson, I have a family that I’ll lose if I screw up again, they are far more important. I didn’t think I would get caught but I did, I thought I was helping someone, I wasn’t. Let them help themselves and stay straight.
I thought it was interesting to give some insight on why a poacher done what he done. I do agree with some of his views “I could have been doing worse”, “hunting has became a business”, but I do NOT agree with what he has done. I did not mean to offend anyone, if this did I’m sorry. To all others that may also find this story interesting, Poacher A is currently still repaying fines and restitution, community service has been served, he cannot hunt for three more years, and confiscated items where auctioned to support the fish and game.
R.C.

JagMagMan

Now thats a POACHER! Those are the ones we need to get out of the woods! And in no way, should these types be considered "hunters!"

DoctorDeath

Question 10: Please clarify on “a lot worse out there”.

Poacher A: So “many ethical hunters” say they never do anything wrong. Most have and just are to coward to admit to it or they haven’t been caught.

AMEN .... thats the damned truth !!

dd

MassBowhunter

Ok this confuses me.

Question 5: How did you get caught, was it through T.I.P, a witness, etc….?

Poacher A: I was on my way to work and noticed a conservation agent had the company vehicle stopped. According to the C.A. he seen my co-worker aiming a gun, and pulled in, he approached the vehicle, he asked a convincing line of questioning, my co-worker, then took him to the animals.

If his co-worker was able to aim a gun why did "Poacher A" have to shoot deer for him? And why wasthe co-workeraiming a gun at animals that were already dead?

Also, if his co-worker was caught by the C.A. how did it end up involving "Poacher A"?

There is probably more information that may fill in the gaps, but I just don't quite get it.

To me it sounds like "Poacher A" shot the deer. The co-worker took the antlers and left the deer in the field. Then when the co-worker was caught by the C.A. he turned in "Poacher A" for shooting them....for him.

I'm not condoning "Poacher A's" actions and am glad he got what he got, but why did the co-worker rat him out after giving him a sob story toconvince him toshoot them?

Alsatian

This is a story of two criminals. They committed multiple crimes. As is often the case with criminals, the thinking behind the crimes -- if it can be called "thinking" at all -- is muzzy at best. The talk about non-resident owners and the resentment of the non-resident owners, the change of hunting to a business, all this is noise and window dressing. These are criminal actions committed by criminals. That's all the commentary their experience merits.

early in

It all sounds very made up for whatever reason. To moniter reactions?

BTBowhunter

How could poacher a not know the guy didnt take the meat unless he merely shot the deer and left them lay? If it was over four weeks, how did the warden find them all (it sounds like he found all four at the same time) The whole thing smells fishy here. A story that doesnt add up posted as a first thread by a new user. HMMM

DoctorDeath

Early your most likely right ...the poster is a "Fawn" ...most likely just a trouble maker .... hemmmmmmm I wonder whoooo..there are a couple on here that like to label others "Poacher" pretty easily ..

dd

MassBowhunter

Do you guys see the anti holding the fishing rod to get a front page story for their next newsletter?

NY Bowhunter

Quote:

So “many ethical hunters” say they never do anything wrong. Most have and just are to coward to admit to it or they haven’t been caught.

I always get a kick out of this one. There are those out there that seem to actually get upset if someone else is very ethical in his/her hunting and follows all the hunting laws. Just because you're a poacher doesn't mean the rest of us are scum too. Believe it or not there are hunters that DONT break laws.There's no conspiracy theory here.Us "ethical hunters" don't go sneaking around breaking the laws to see if we can get away with them and then proclaim to have never broken one. It's really quite simple...............DONT BREAK THEM! You should try it sometime. It's actually not that difficult. Perfect? Holier than thou? call it what you want.......... I just call it hunting.