Poachers

mtwarden

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I spent 24 years chasing poachers and got pretty good at. I worked probably two dozen really big cases with the USFWS (which gave me the opportunity to see almost the entire United States!) where we hammered dozens (and dozens) of violators.

The common thread in almost all of those cases?........ big egos. These days, people aren't poaching to feed their families, they're poaching to feed their egos.

It's sad, but we used to say after every big case was there was plenty of job security in doing what we were doing.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
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Colorado
I spent 24 years chasing poachers and got pretty good at. I worked probably two dozen really big cases with the USFWS (which gave me the opportunity to see almost the entire United States!) where we hammered dozens (and dozens) of violators.

The common thread in almost all of those cases?........ big egos. These days, people aren't poaching to feed their families, they're poaching to feed their egos.

It's sad, but we used to say after every big case was there was plenty of job security in doing what we were doing.
In your experience, were poachers treated like they committed a minor infraction compared to other criminal cases by the courts? I've turned in a couple, and testified against another, and I was appalled by the quantity of crimes that were all pled down to something super minor.
 

mtwarden

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In your experience, were poachers treated like they committed a minor infraction compared to other criminal cases by the courts? I've turned in a couple, and testified against another, and I was appalled by the quantity of crimes that were all pled down to something super minor.

It really varied widely by the jurisdiction and the judge; we've had some pretty serious cases where people got what I considered a slap on the wrist, we've had others that were sent Deer Lodge Prison.

Typically with the joint federal cases, many of the subjects were given the choice (in exchange for their full cooperation) of misdemeanor state charges or getting charged federally. Many (most) would take this opportunity. The "ring leaders" were usually charged federally and they have very strict guidelines on what the sentence is going to be for a given crime.
 
Joined
Jul 27, 2021
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Poachers steal from all of us, and generate a bad image of the regular hunter, which is where we most fit into. as hunters we have an obligation to take every step we can to assist and support the authorities in these endeavors, these guys with the big rated T.V. hunting shows perhaps are revered by the hunting masses, my bet is if we knew the real facts behind most of these productions they would cease to exist. I would much rather hunt on my own follow the rules and be happy with my harvests, Not watch someone on a T.V. show who is most likely doing it for money, fake fame ang inflated egos.
 

Elknutty

FNG
Joined
Jan 20, 2021
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33
Location
Idaho
I spent 24 years chasing poachers and got pretty good at. I worked probably two dozen really big cases with the USFWS (which gave me the opportunity to see almost the entire United States!) where we hammered dozens (and dozens) of violators.

The common thread in almost all of those cases?........ big egos. These days, people aren't poaching to feed their families, they're poaching to feed their egos.

It's sad, but we used to say after every big case was there was plenty of job security in doing what we were doing.
Thank you for your service, mtwarden!
 

Scoot

WKR
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Nov 13, 2012
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1,631
It's sad, but we used to say after every big case was there was plenty of job security in doing what we were doing.
Eeeesshh, that is sad. Damn sad! I wish you could just shoot them in the field. That way, idiots like MF couldn't be repeat offenders.

Before anyone goes bonkers on me for the comment above, lighten up Francis. I don't really mean it...
 
Joined
Oct 14, 2017
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Boston Ma
My brother is a warden and the amount of his poaching cases that stem from social media posts is astounding. Guys filling all of their tags yet keep posting pictures with deer. Posts like “#7 for the season” sir you have 4 tags. They monitor all of the local hunting and fishing pages. I truly don’t understand the look at me mentality with hunting and fishing that makes folks break the law.
 

S-3 ranch

WKR
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Jan 18, 2022
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Texas / Hillcounrty
My brother is a warden and the amount of his poaching cases that stem from social media posts is astounding. Guys filling all of their tags yet keep posting pictures with deer. Posts like “#7 for the season” sir you have 4 tags. They monitor all of the local hunting and fishing pages. I truly don’t understand the look at me mentality with hunting and fishing that makes folks break the law.
Yeah soical media baffles me
I know two felony poachers and both are still on Facebook with “ look what my wife killed “ one with a pistol strapped on
increadable stupidity
 

zrodwyo

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 18, 2017
Messages
215
Location
Wyo
I live next to a block of public land popular with hunters. I watch people come and go from my living room.

It seems like poaching and being an all around trashy POS is the rule rather than the exception.

I don’t know what happened in this case but if this guy was breaking the law I really hope game and fish capitalizes on the opportunity to make an example.
 

TheTone

WKR
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
1,783
I live next to a block of public land popular with hunters. I watch people come and go from my living room.

It seems like poaching and being an all around trashy POS is the rule rather than the exception.
I don’t think you’re entirely wrong. Actively involved hunters are a minority, the majority seem to be just out to kill something and are super opportunistic about breaking a law or two to do so.
 

Gutshotem

WKR
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
849
Location
USA
Nobody cares anymore. The CJ system is a joke and is constantly being exploited. Two Honduras just killed a bald eagle in Nebraska and USFWS won't even pick up the phone.
 

trolson90

FNG
Joined
Feb 1, 2021
Messages
99
Location
Northern Utah
They quickly scrub their YouTube and socials and block anyone that mentions the things they've been busted for. Most probably don't know
This is exactly it. I saw a few people comment on something they had posted asking about the article and the charges and an hour or so later those comments were gone. It's a full-time job scrubbing your stupidity from the internet. Though they are being blasted on the local Utah FB hunting groups right now since the articles dropped. Hopefully more people will be informed this go around cause I was surprised to see the crowd at their booth and wondered how many either don't know vs choose to ignore.
 
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