Hypothetical Ethics Question

[Kevin in NH]

What was the intent? a mistake was made......let him own up to it

 

[deltadukman]

I don't hang out with people that knowingly shoot 3pts.

 

[Dos Perros]

Folks, it's a deer. I'm not turning anyone in over that.

Here's a question: how many of you would turn in friends or family for petty tax evasion?

 

[elkyinzer]

Personally I follow the big rules always becuase I am by nature an anxious person and I don't need to ride around with that shit hanging over me for a stupid deer or whatever.

You have three categories of people in life the way I see it. Those you would help hide the body, those you would pretend you didn't hear ask to help hide the body, and those that are going to jail.

If I'm out there hunting with them, they are probably in the first group, and if not, certainly the second. That's just prudent screening. So the answer is none of the above, cause the people I'm hunting with aren't dumbasses. But shit happens, we're probably ride or die if we're hunting together.

 

[Torque]

Unless a human has been affected, IMHO, involving the cops/authorities is always the wrong choice. What purpose would it serve by reporting the person? To teach someone on a lesson? To prove you're more virtuous than they are? In the scenarios you posed, who was harmed? If the deer had a bigger rack next year and was killed, would anything have been different? Would the world be a better place? Nope. It is just a dead deer. I live in AR. The decisions the AGFC has made in my state have, overall, been detrimental. Most of what they do is guess work or copying another state's regulations or practices. Appealing to authorities, as if they know better than the common man, is misguided.

 

[Torque]

Exactly.

Unless its murder, rape, theft, or abuse, I would never involve the authorities. In most of the cases I just mentioned, I would gather other family and confront the situation before I would involve authorities too.

 

[Dos Perros]

Here's a scenario. You're with your friend. You're driving to go hunting together. The highway goes from 65 mph to 55 mph and he doesn't notice and he does 65mph through that zone. Do you call and turn him in?

 

[go_deep]

I just posted a hypothetical. A group of guys were talking at work and it was pretty funny to hear anything from F the wardens to, yeah I'm going to ask them to self report or turn them in.

So it lead to a follow up question.
What if after you helped process the deer they told you they shot it knowingly illegally. Now you participated, you saying anything then to hopefully not get in trouble? Or you still saying nothing and willing to be an accomplice and hope nobody finds out?

 

[JJ1179]

Here's a scenario. You're with your friend. You're driving to go hunting together. The highway goes from 65 mph to 55 mph and he doesn't notice and he does 65mph through that zone. Do you call and turn him in?

No, most people wouldn’t. It’s all about what is justifiable and tolerable to the individual. For some, killing a deer knowingly or by mistake is intolerable. However, to that same person, speeding, rolling stop signs, running red lights, carrying a concealed weapon in a business that don’t allow firearms, and other “minor” infractions is justified and ok to do in their minds. It doesn’t make it right, but they can tolerate those offenses and justify them.

 

[TaperPin]

My aunt scratched a car with a shopping cart, should I make her track the person down? Then she drove 40 in a 20mph zone - what a bitch. Lol

 

[HUNTNUT]

In 1989 I went bowhunting in New Mexico with a group of 5 other hunters; all friends at that time. Myself and 2 other guys had Mule Deer tags and 2 other guys had any-sex elk tags. Two guys said they were just going for the fun of it. The first day one of the guys shot a cow elk (almost in somebody's backyard) and another guy shot another cow elk in the forest. Everything was gutted and hung to cool. The next day, one of the elk killers shot a small MD buck thinking he would use one of the other's tags. Another guy wounded a black bear thinking he would go buy a tag if he shot one. All hell broke out and I thought I was going to get beaten up for speaking up. I was out of there that afternoon and have not spoken to any of them since. I didn't call it in, somewhat in fear for my safety when we returned home.

 

[go_deep]

My aunt scratched a car with a shopping cart, should I make her track the person down? Then she drove 40 in a 20mph zone - what a bitch. Lol

Yeah, actually. She damaged someone else's property, why wouldn't you take ownership of that?

 

[FairWeatherFisher]

I’d be better able to answer this if I knew why the ref had changed to 4pt or better.

If it’s that the population is struggling to maintain healthy levels, then I’m going to report #2. Someone who’s aware of the need to carefully manage and conserve the wildlife, but disregards the greater good for their own selfish reasons is a POS, and could do to learn an expensive lesson. Plus not reporting something like this is more likely to lead to having the season closed all together.

#1, mistakes happen (though this one shouldn’t). I’d encourage a self report, then it’s don’t ask don’t tell from there on out.

 

[TaperPin]

Yeah, actually. She damaged someone else's property, why wouldn't you take ownership of that?

If I’m not there when it happened I don’t feel obligated. I have much better things to do than be the mall cop for our community - I could spend 12 hrs a day, 7 days a week telling other people what they are doing is wrong. I’ve met Karen and Ken types that think that’s their gift, but that’s not me.

However, one of my favorite things when eating out at a slow sports bar is getting a table near enough to watch the bar and bartender. Cheating the owner is a universally popular past time and it’s fun to see which credit cards are run and which aren’t. What transactions are rung up and which aren’t. Everyone knows cameras are everywhere, so the tell is going through motions for the camera without actually completing a transaction with receipt. Friends of the bartender have a familiar comfort level that sets them apart - body language says they obviously know each other well, but try to not look chatty to draw attention - even purposely ignore each other. One sports bar had “special”nachos come out with an entire ribeye steak cubed up on top - you know the cook is in on it when that happens. Lol

I am known to buy things at the bar with cash if someone seems fishy - I love it when they ask if you want a receipt before it’s rung up and if you say no, they give you correct change but it’s not entered as a sale. The till is over that amount and all the person has to do is roughly keep track of every cheat sale and once a shift a friend buys something and gets the extra money in their change. I’ve heard from bar owners that go as far as secretly marking bottles once a day and doing a rough inventory, that someone that brings their own bottle of vodka to replace missing inventory is the hardest to catch - unless they goof up and over fill a bottle. lol

 

[Oregon]

We get 4 preference points for the species of our choice if we turn in a poacher. I'm dropping a dime even if it was my mom!
Ha.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

I would not rat someone out in either scenario, but I would not hunt with him anymore or let him hunt on my owned or leased land and would probably distance myself in the future.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

We get 4 preference points for the species of our choice if we turn in a poacher. I'm dropping a dime even if it was my mom!
Ha.

That might be different...

 

[magtech]

Here is your answer (Close friend or relative)
Are they more important to you than some scrub buck? if so, treat the relationship accordingly.

If you have to think about it, they arent a close friend.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I’d inform them of the change in scenario 1, but would never report a friend. In scenario 2 I’d reevaluate why I’m friends with this person and would probably end the friendship. I don’t want to be around people like that. I wouldn’t report either though.

It’s sad to say, but I don’t trust the law or our justice system anymore.

This 100% sums up what I was going to post.

I used to be Mr Green Jeans' best friend, not anymore. I learned through a few experiences that it's best to just mind my business. I'd do exactly as above, dude's gonna need to change his behavior if we want to remain friends in scenario 2 and I'd make fun of him to prove a point for scenario 1.

I'm not covering for them in either scenario though, if it comes to the point where I'm being questioned by LEO I'll tell the truth. I won't be the one turning them in though.

 

[KenLee]

Snitches get stitches.

Came here to say same