RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

If I had a family of five and no job I'd pick up cans on the road side to buy my hunting and fishing licenses.

Fill every tag the give me legally. That would be 5 or six deerin my state.If my kids were old enough they would get their licenses too. Cut up myself and waste nothing.

Turkey season comes along I'd fill those tags too. No squirell or rabbit would be safe.

I'd fish for walleye,Catfish,perch etc. every day and pick my own bait to do it.

Plant a garden and freeze or can the vegatables.

Let every cop and DEC know what your situation is and that you'll take any usable deer they pick up off the side of the road.

You do all that and your still hungry Call a state agency for some help and don't tell me your too proud to do it.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Probably because I've never been to proud to take a job.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

At the moment I feel there are to many other resources out there so that my family would not have to go hungry. Therefore I would not result to poaching.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

9th grade education and a pack of kids.


Try not breeding more kids into an already bad situation.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

This is 2005, not the 30's! I know that if you are out of work and down on your luck, it doesn't matter what year it is! You may be going through your own "great depression" right now, but it doesn't make stealing right!
The time and effort spent hunting would be better spent doing odd jobs, or looking for work! I know someone mentioned flipping burgers. Yes, flipping burgers won't get you very far, but it is honest work, and will help get you through until better work comes up!
That is one of the problems with many of us these days, you'd rather steal than work!
Some of you are saying you "will do what it takes to survive!" Well, if one burger job doesn't provide, get two of them, until you can get a better job!
If you are hunting for table meat, plenty of game can be taken during legal seasons, and many good tasting animals are un-regulated, you can legally hunt them year round!
Besides, meat is only one food group! What are you going to do for the other food groups? Shoplift? Armed robbery, maybe? If you are going to justify breaking one law, it will only be a matter of time before you rationalize breaking other laws!
Survival is one thing, stealing is another!
I'd be willing to bet that ALL those posting here in favor of poaching, are not bad enough off financially, as to be able to justify poaching!
If by chance you are, take my earlier advice, drop your internet service, and sell your computer, before you start stealing!

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Although I wouldn't look down on the person that killed a deer out of season to feed his family in the short term during tough times I don't think that where someone lives justifies not going out and finding a job to better their family situation. There are many comments about families living up in the mountains with 8 kids to feed. If they can't support 1 child then why are they having 7 more? Teach some of those kids to hunt and go to the city yourself to get a job. When you have enough money to rent out a place then move your family in. Obviously this is very over simplified but there are people in the U.S. from many poor countries (much worse than anyone here has experienced) who's family saved enough money to send 1 person to America to get a job. They in turn send money back home to improve their situation and eventually send another family member here. These people manage to do it and they live half way across the world! I personally have been fortunate enough to have never been in that situation so I guess I'm not very qualified to respond to this but it is just a few thoughts I had. For those comments that said those that don't understand need to get out of the suburbs I would say maybe you need to get out of the woods and into the suburbs if times are that tough. There is a whole country of opportunity out there if you are that hard up.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

For all of you guys that are totally against someone, shooting a deer to feed their family. How do u feel about farmers shooting dozens of deer for crop damage? Thats another case were someone is shooting a deer to feed their family, when you think about it. If they dont have any crops to sell, there wont be any money to buy food. I know of at least one farm around my house that seriously kills 30-50 deer a year, but its gotta be done or the farms would never survive.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

I don't see a situation when poaching would be ok.

If times are that bad there is wellfare and soup kitchens. A persons pride shouldn't get in the way of feeding his family.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

fatsbucknut,

I think some things can be done with common sense, when it comes to poaching. There are a few farmers here in KS do the same, but they get special permits to do so. Personally I can say I have killed plenty of animals out of season or without seasons to protect my livestock. Even though I think most of that is legal due to the fact I am protecting my livestock, it is still poaching out of season. In my opinion this type of poaching is okay. And I think most game wardens understand this, and try to turn their back about something like this. At least they did here.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Fastbuck, Not even close to the same thing.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Charlie P,

Why isnt that almost the same thing? I dont have a problem with either situation but what i'm saying is that why is it so bad for someone to shoot a deer to feed a family (if they really need it) but a farmer can shoot dozens of deer to basically do the same thing, survive. And no one complains about that or would you guys be upset about that also? No offense against farmers, i would never say or do anything negative against them.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

One is done legally one isn't.

Look at how much food you can put in the freezer legally, especially if your a fisherman too.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

catch me if you can! [8D]














just kidding. lol some of you guys are too serius. smile some time before you have a heartattack.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

In Minnesota there is no need for poaching. Our welfare system will take care of you, if your down on your luck ,or you just don't want to work. you can live pretty darn good. the state will pay your rent for you and you get all kinds of food vouchers. Me and the wife work for a liveing, and pay our own bills, but the neighbors across the steet don't feel they need to work so they just stay at home and make babies. the wife and I go out to eat maybe once every couple weeks. the neighbors they order food in at least five night a week. ( due to the fact the take out place takes them food vouchers ) Heck, the town I live in felt so sorry for the neighbors kids, that they bought them all new bicycles for christmas. of course, here in Minnesota theres to much snow for the bicycles, so There Daddy lets them drive his new 2005 Yamaha snowmobile around the yard.

Come to Minnesota (the state of liberals) " We'll Take Care Of YA "

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Well its obvious we arent gonna change any minds here. Id be willin to bet that most of those that dont believe in poaching to feed your starving family are under 50 years old and just cant fathom the situation. No one here on this board is so poor that they have to poach its the ones that have nothing. Its the ones that society and some here on this board have turned their backs on they are a victim of their own enviroment and yes some are self induced but that still doesnt help the hungry children. Laws are laws and should not be broken but If I see a man poaching to feed his family I will turn my back and say nothing. Jimmy

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

I'd take the middle ground on this if that's even possible but here goes. I've seen truely starving and truely hungry people. Trust me your mindset is not even the same. I don't know if it's chemical or pshycological but you don't think the same way and your body goes into survival mode. I think if you were that hungry (the hunger I've seen in other countries) I don't think it's a matter of poaching or breaking the law, you start thinking HOW ARE WE GOING TO SURVIVE? Your instincts take over and your rational thought is now taking a distant second.

With that being said I could never say "poaching is ok under certain circumstances." A line has been drawn and even if you feel for someones situation you still must know where that line is. It's agains the law period. If I was that hungry I'd poach, but if I got caught I'd expect to face the consequences in their fullest extent.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Been there and done that, and I don't give a ****, what you call it! Lost my good job, unemployment ran out, got 2 part time jobs for minimum wage, and tried to go to school at night to better my education. Don't tell me about all the **** assistance that you can get, tried that, they said I made too much **** money to get any help. Barely made enough to pay my bills, with nothing left for groceries!The way I seen it at that time, the government didn't give a **** whether my family starved or not, so I didnt give a about killing some of their animals so we could eat! Hunted just what we needed to live on and let the rest walk. Anyone who has never been there, doesn't know what they would do.I was raised that God and the welfare of your family comes first. I guarantee that you would starve to death before you received any government assistance, if you were lucky enough to receive any at all, and had to wait on their 2 month or more waiting list! Government assistance isn't handed out to the working man trying to make a living that has fell on hard times. It is given to the lazy S.O.B. that is 21 years old and doesn't feel like getting a job! Just had to vent!![:'(]

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

My sophomore year of high school my father was medically retired from the army. It took him 18 months to find a new job that paid enough money to pay all our bills. In that time both my grandparents had illnesses that required them to be hospitalized long term. We sold everything we could, my mom’s car, personal items and almost all our stock. My mother and I kept the farm running and my dad worked a day job bagging groceries, worked as a substitute teacher and worked a night job counting stock for an inventory service. My little sister and I went to school early so that we could have free lunch and breakfast. My dad swallowed his pride and accepted government assistance and help from our church. We also had the small amount of my dad’s government pension. Between my grandparent’s bills and the note on our farm, we barely made ends meet. For that year and a half my mother bought only the minimal amount of necessities to feed us, everything else we ate came from our garden or hunting. We took several deer out of season. Eventually my dad found better work, my grandfather passed away and our bills evened out, but in that time we did anything and everything to keep our home and feed ourselves. For you to sit there at your computer, puff out your chest and pass judgment on me and my family is asinine. If you’ve never been that poor you will never, ever understand what it is like. Once you’ve been poor like that a part of your heart is always poor. I hope you and your family never go through something like that, but if you do I hope you look back on this and understand what I mean.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

I don't know about where you live ,
but here , yes it will . The closers at McDonalds here average around $6-9.00 per hour in a market where the median value of a house is still well under $100,000 . Besides , if I ain't too proud to flip a burger , which I've had to do more than a few times , my wife ain't too proud either . Burger joints aren't the only ones I see around here flying "help wanted" signs either , I see them at many of the businesses of all types that I pass each day . About the only reason to be unemployed here is if you just want to be .

Nobody ever said a family of five could have a blast on a minimum wage budget , only that they could make it . I've had to do plenty of distasteful and sometimes downright brutal things just to keep my family of five solvent while raising them . Walk a mile in my boots or tell me that you've done the same , then criticize me . I literally raised a family of five , how about you ? As for the tone of your remark , I'll just presume that it came from a total lack of comparable experience combined with an equal dearth of primary social skills and leave it at that .

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

I can tell you I have been in the NO HELP zone most of my life. to much miney to get help not enough to pay the bills.

NO matter who you are you have broak laws many many times. Maby kill a deer to eat maby swindal money for a company or for the rich there is allways the tax froud.What it comes down to is every one has to figer out what they will and will not do to live at the status they live at.

I can tell you I would kill all the deer I would need WAY befor I will kill the farmers cow or take what is not mine from some one that earnd it.

The wages here in MT for FAST FOOD is minum wage. Houseing is way to high avrage house in helena MT is 140,000 or so PRITY hard to make ends meat here.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

This topic gets posted 3-4 times a year and we hit the same arguements over and over. [:@]

There's a big difference between "starving" and not having enough money for food. Where are you going to get your bread, milk, fruit, etc.? Unless you're lucky enough to live in an area with very ready access to game, pound for pound deer meat will be more expensive than store-bought food. If you're really poor is it OK to steal the rest?

Some have suggested that you could sell your gun, but I don't think you should have to sell off everything you own in order to be thought of as being deserving of assistance. But how many people who might claim to so poor as to need to poach will also have found money for cigarettes, alcohol, and other "necessities"? Just like you see the folks who complain that they can't make ends meet but have $90 a month cable TV bills, $50 a month internet connections, cell phones, etc. If you really did fall into the "dirt poor" category I wouldn't vote to convict you, but you'd have to work hard to prove that you had very few other options.

The early "settler" mentality of going out and taking what you need played a big part in game being over-hunted and took many years of management for their recovery.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

DEER AND ELK as much as store meat. NO way you must send yours to a packer. pore people learn to cut up there own.The deal is that having MEAT [the most costly part of food] will help not fix every thing.

If you want to say gass cost more than the meat you get ,MOST pochers get the deer right out there back door.

I allso think most of the people tottaly aginst killing for meat are in big citys and have to go miles to kill anything so they beleave it cost EVERY one a ton of money for meat.

It is way worse cuting down the deer spots than killing some to eat.

I allso think most people that would never shoot a deer to eat hunt for sport not for the meat.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

kshunter,
if the family is having trouble i would poach everything i could eat as long as it wasnt wasted.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

As for me, I am talking about shooting wild game when you are out of other options. If I considered myself in that position, I would have already lost my cable and my phone and about everything else. I have sold some guns from time to time when things were tight. This was many years ago and I can't see anything short of a complete financial breakdown in this country that could put me back there again. If those times ever came though I have a little farm where I can grow food and hunt wild game. Live off the land as most of our forefathers did. I still know how and have the place to do it. Of course in the Dakota's you can only raise food for a short season.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

I think I'd take a deer if I felt the need. I see alot of guys calling it stealing. Who's it stealing from? They'll say the state but arent the people the state or does the Governer own them? Last I knew God gave them to us to feed & clothe ourselves. We'v come to need laws to keep from killing them off altogether thats true but it doesn't mean its stealing. They belong to us.
That said I think if one was broke & down on their luck & theyre family was going hungry theres probably more constructive things you could do than hunt. A deer wont pay the bills but I think if I came home after trying to find a job or working at a job that wont pay the bills & there was a big furry piece of meat in the yard, God would forgive me for being hungry. If I got caught & lost my hunting license that would suck but I'd likely do it again if the oportunity arose. I live by mans laws as a part of society but pushed to extremes the laws that matter are the ones God gave us.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Legal disclaimer, I could argue any side of this arguement with equal personal conviction and have actually done a few flip flops in my own opinion on it. With that statement in consideration....

I have a problem with the above describe people. I think the severity is a little exagerated but just the same, the only thing between most of these people and a job is a willingness to move to the job. If they like where the live enough to starve for it, I don't see why I should have my income confiscated to support their personal decisions.

I lived in a small town. I wanted more. I moved where the income I wanted was available.

If they don't like living on possum, they can do the same.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Poaching is Poaching.

But have you ever went to the Social Services.
Be there at 8 am and stay untile they close just to have them tell
You that thay can not and will not help.

You go to the employment office just to find out there is no jobs.

And the places that used to have jobs are now in Mexico and China.

Poaching is Poaching

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

You know whats funny? To those folks who say "flip burgers" or "get gov't hand outs" before illegally killing a god given creature to feed your family , I'd bet ya'll would come up with a different name for "poachers" if hunting in general was banned!

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

As a citizen of Appalachia who has worked in the coal industry since high school and has NEVER had any trouble finding work throughout that time I wish just once someone could have a poverty discussion without throwin us into it! Take the 20/20 shows and stick em....come on out...I'll have ya 3 jobs by the weekend...with that being said..theres always a job out there for someone who wants to work bad enough!! It may not be doing what you wanna do...or it may not even be a job anyone wants...BTW I drive 127 miles round trip per day usually 6 days a weekand have been since 2000...so dont get me started. As for the poaching...I dont have a dog in that fight...I dont but not saying I wouldnt. We have a our fair share of poor folks....but no more than anyone else..and a big chunk of the ones we have I think the proper description for would be shiftless??

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

all i am saying is i would use and eat a creatures that god gave us way before i would go steel or rob some one for food.

for those who say it cost more to hunt for meat than buy it at the store. i dont know where you live and how much bullets of arrows cost there but if i had to poach to feed my family i would not be tacking it to a butcher. and i would shoot it out of my yard. so all it would cost me is the bullet. lets see $1.00 for 80lbs or so of meat. how much does it cost for that much meat a the store you shop at? because if you can buy it cheaper than that i will make the drive. lol:D


and yes i am raising a family of five and i work 2 jobs a day job and a night job and dont have much time to sleep or do any thing fun very often but my family has food to eat. i have always worked hard had a job since i was 14 and worked two part time jobs when i was 16 and went to school so we could make the bills. so yes i know what it is like to work hard and raise a family of five. and i also know what it is like to be the child of a widowed mother and poor. and yes i shot a deer out of season back then and it was the first time we had eaten steak in two years. so what!

and yes if i was that poor now i wouldnt be on this computer talking to you all about it. i would have already sold it.


every one here gets upset to easy lightin up a little.:)

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Poaching is only a temporary souloution for a long term problem.

Again, Move your ass and make somthing happen. Only if some of theese people could see other countries that they truley have nothing, Not even a place to live and Absoloutly no oppourtunity to make a better life, no matter how hard they work.

That might put things into a little bit different perspective.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Like I said before if your that bad off let the local Police or DEC cop know and they will get you all the road kill you could ever eat. No need to shoot them illegally.

How many pounds of fish do you think you coud legally catch a week?

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

we are not talking an endangered species here. Deer are overpopulated (at least where i live) and I think they should already extend the hunting season. I don't agree with poaching, but a man has to do what a man has to do. I'm not saying go out and hunt all year for the racks or the sport. I can turn my back on someone that takes a doe every once in a while to feed their kids. Hell, i wish I could go out and get a doe once a month for the meat. If it was legal i would but that is a different conversation.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

We homelessmen don't know how to poach. Deer not in city. Bus don't go to deer country. We rob and steal here in city. They feed us good in jail.

2005 people in Africa poach to feed themselfs. That's YES and OK. Only poachers kill elaphents and big animals to sell for plofits. That' NO and never OK to govermant.

Amearicans should no't poach today. Too much food and help. Many wasted. In the past, Americans used to be poor and ok to kill deer and catch fish anetime, out of season. Poaching now means taking monster trophy illegally. Go jail for that.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

The problem I see is game laws get more and more complicated every year. I understand them, but I study the manual and have an advanced college degree. And I bet I still miss things, in fact I know I do. And then there is accidental poaching. One time I had two deer run by in a thicket and I shot one as it ran by. Then another one came out right at me and I thought it was the first one and shot it. Then I had two which is illegal. But I wasn't going to waste one. I try to follow all the laws, never shoot them out of season, etc. But there are a bunch of laws and more every year. For example last year we could kill two but only on certain days. And we could kill a doe almost all the time except for one week.

And the laws are different on private and public land. I am not making excuses, obviously if you can't understand the laws you probably shouldn't be hunting but it is very complicated. And there are about twice as many regs as there were 10 years ago.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

I've known a few people who have taken a doe for meat over the years and all have lived in rural areas where live is simple and you do whatever you can to survive. Not saying whether I agree with it or not but I understand more in those situations than I do when people shoot animals, take the horns, and leave the meat to rot.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Charlie P,

I dont know about where you live but i know in Central Pa, it would be really hard to live off of the fish you catch. During trout season, its easy to catch a bunch but your limit's only 5 a day and after we fillet them and deep fry, i definitly eat more than 5 myself. For river fishing at least in my area (Juniata River), you can have your good days but there are definitly alot of times when the only bass catch that you catch are too small. And if you go out to Raystown lake, Good luck. If you're not night fishing your chances of catching enough to feed a family are pretty slim. Maybe if one would live in Minnesota i can see if being possible.

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Yeah , I'd call them criminals instead of poachers ,
but I still wouldn't poach personally . I hunt for pleasure and meat , not racks , but I don't need the meat . Even if I did I wouldn't poach .

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

Night fish then your not working anyway.;)

RE: Is Poaching Okay???
 

So then , how many more out there would never hunt again if hunting was banned?:eek:
I've read replies from some of you folks on different threads that have said "if hunting was banned I'd be a poacher":eek: But yet there's no excuse for poaching now?[&:]

I also find it interesting how some folks post about their hatred for welfare and gov't handouts (tax payers money[:o]) over on the political forum but then refer to it as a better option over illegally killing a deer to feed your family.