Is poaching truly this prevalent?

[Bugger]

Fines dictate the level of compliance. It’s on state agencies to start making it more expensive to get caught than it would be to hunt legally. Until that happens people are still gonna treat poaching like speeding tickets.

 

[MNGrouser]

I think it is both an old-school "that's how we did it." mentality as well as a new generation problem. To point #1 I remember plenty of stories of "camp meat" during the Wisconsin deer season. A group of guys would show up to their cabin for a week in late November. On the way in, the first guy shoots a deer to hang and eat off of for the week while they hunted for the deer they were going to tag. Again, I heard this same story so many times it was just presented as the way things were done.

To the second point I think there are compounding influences. First is the social media inspired desired to be seen/liked/admired. It seems like everybody just wants that instagram photo so they can be the talk of their circle. The second piece is the increase in technology & gadgetry. "Back in my day" (I'm in my mid 40s) you had to learn woodsmanship and skills. I started deer hunting with open sights. Only later in life was I allowed to upgrade to a scope. No there is thermal & nightvision & drones & cellcams & you name it. The value of hardwork just isn't appreciated enough anymore. So when you pair a desire for instant gratification and ways to cut corners you are asking for trouble.

Yes, I turn in poachers when I see them. But I'm a county prosecutor and my local conservation officers would be pretty pissed at me if I didn't.

 

[RockAndSage]

He retained his cocky attitude and thought he was going to receive a citation and leave.

This is a huge part of the problem with systemic, organized poachers - the risk is usually a slap on the wrist, compared to significant rewards of trophies or even money in a situation like that. Until poaching is absolutely hammered criminally, consistently, this won't stop.

I don’t think it’s a new thing, I think it’s leftover culture from the past. What I don’t understand at all, is how can someone be proud of a big critter that they killed if they had to cheat to get it?

Completely agree with both of your points here. I saw more of this mentality in my grandfather's and dad's generations, mostly in tagging out for other people. They wouldn't poach a buck there wasn't a tag for, but a lot of them had no problem agreeing with each other to fill each other's tags if the opportunity arose. Not trophy or commercial poaching though. It was also back in the day where you could get a tag every year, and it was more about meat than heavy scouting and hunting for a big buck, even if they all would prefer a big one. In their minds though, they were following the rules "more or less". It's mostly died out though.

But the pride and bragging some seem to do with trophy poaching - that's a different thing entirely. It's like watching a dork who can't get laid hiring hookers, who's posting up photos of them as "girlfriends" to flex on his bros. It's a level of pathetic that's hard to comprehend.

 

[RockAndSage]

In Washington if you turn in a poacher you get 10 added points for your draws.

This is one of the most brilliant anti-poaching moves I've ever heard of. People would turn in family to get 10 draw points.

 

[ez_willie]

Fines dictate the level of compliance. It’s on state agencies to start making it more expensive to get caught than it would be to hunt legally. Until that happens people are still gonna treat poaching like speeding tickets.

That’s ganna be tough at the rate tags keep increasing, just did the math on MT elk only GENERAL going in with 2PP, $1430 LOL

 

[Brock A]

This is one of the most brilliant anti-poaching moves I've ever heard of. People would turn in family to get 10 draw points.

I agree, however, with the value of points diminishing in WA state, they really should offer a separate pool of points for incentive tags...pretty sure people would actively go looking for poachers.

 

[kcormack]

Yes, it is prevalent. Not shocked by it anymore just disappointed. It has no social economic boundaries. My observations from 60 + years actively hunting. From deep in the mountains of Virginia to the deserts of Nevada.
I hunt alone mostly and always have. Due in part to it.

 

[RockAndSage]

I agree, however, with the value of points diminishing in WA state, they really should offer a separate pool of points for incentive tags...pretty sure people would actively go looking for poachers.

Seriously. You'd have guys who didn't get drawn out scouting for poachers, half just for the sport of it.

 

[The Harbor Master]

Seriously. You'd have guys who didn't get drawn out scouting for poachers, half just for the sport of it.

Hey, it works in Africa.

 

[Skerhunter]

I’m shocked at how prevalent poaching/game violations are and how complacent people are with it. But most people never get turned in or caught.

I would guess the guys doing it by the book are in the extreme minority.

I routinely see the following BS.

Rule benders - party hunt/filling tags not under their name, will shoot a deer within 50 yards of a fence line (call it close enough but still trespassing). Only buy one permit but shoot multiple deer. They justify it because they think deer are over populated and permits are too expensive.

Lazy people - bait, leave a deer if it’s not big enough to show off, shoot off the road/out of vehicle (illegal here), out west I’ve seen ppl drive in closed areas and cut across private to access public to save on hiking

Desperate ppl - will do anything to fill a tag, usually involves trespassing/road hunting. These ppl are obvious and shoot most of the local big deer during our November firearms season.

Legit poachers - constant trespassing/ hunting out of season/at night/using gun during archery or ML season.

 

[KenLee]

I worked with a guy who would go duck hunting with his father-in-law
He'd brag about all the ducks he shot on the weekends.
"Father-in-law has the license/stamp and just likes to go and BS and
drink coffee. He lets me shoot his"


Father-in-law at the time was a MT game warden.

Professional poacher!

 

[hibernation]

I think it's it's kinda like drinking and driving... Some people get away with it for years... Possibly hundreds of times before being caught for a "first offense"...

This is a decent analogy, because there's also the cultural acceptance around it. Everyone's heard those stories told with a laugh, "man I don't know how we made it home that night".

Regardless of legal or other consequences, the cultural acceptance is a problem.

 

[MallardSX2]

Back before everyone had cell phones (2002), we ran into a guy guiding someone (illegally) in the flattops of Colorado. It was muzzleloader season and he had a muzzleloader wit a scope on it. The hunter didn't have any orange. It was an awkward conversation. I was pretty young and let my buddy who was in his late 50's at the time do most of the talking. We never saw those guys again in that unit.

The "guide" kept playing it off like it wasn't a big deal.

 

[Beaveralum]

This comparison is ignorant! The outcome of driving intoxicated can kill innocent people.

The getting away with it is one thing, but to tie it with drinking and driving just doesn’t sit right with me.

The comparison is factually correct and not ignorant at all. On average people drive DUII about 80-100 times before being caught the first time. So it is entirely fair to say that the vast majority of poachers are not caught the first time, but rather after having poached a considerable amount of times prior.

The comparison was not that the consequences of poaching were the same as drunk driving. But maybe that’s just my ignorance showing by not reading something and immediately becoming offended…

 

[jayhawk]

This comparison is ignorant! The outcome of driving intoxicated can kill innocent people.

The getting away with it is one thing, but to tie it with drinking and driving just doesn’t sit right with me.

I think all he is saying is that people who get caught have most likely been doing it for a long time. Not comparing the actual acts

 

[The Harbor Master]

Fines dictate the level of compliance. It’s on state agencies to start making it more expensive to get caught than it would be to hunt legally. Until that happens people are still gonna treat poaching like speeding tickets.

This is true too... I do see occasional stories of poachers being punished with a $300 fine and revoking their hunting license for x years... it's like suspending someone's driver license as punishment for driving without a driver license.