Witnessed a poach.

[Short Track]

Big deal. He was off the road and out of the traffic, muzzle was on private or public and facing away from the road when it went off - not endangering anyone (which is the primary reason for the rule).

He still needs to trespass or chase the animal on someone else's land to retrieve it. Especially if it runs 500 yards..

 

[Fatcamp]

He still needs to trespass or chase the animal on someone else's land to retrieve it. Especially if it runs 500 yards..

You know for a fact he didn't have permission?

 

[brsnow]

He still needs to trespass or chase the animal on someone else's land to retrieve it. Especially if it runs 500 yards..

Typically people are hunting BLM and other allowable state/federal land. It is all mixed and a good GPS map program is a must. We’re they trespassing?

 

[Short Track]

If he had permission, he'd be on the inside of the fence wearing orange, not full camo.

 

[brsnow]

If he had permission, he'd be on the inside of the fence wearing orange, not full camo.

WY you only need an orange hat and people road hunt as only certain pieces are public access. So they drive and when they enter parcels which are legal they look for game and then jump out and try to get them.

 

[NUGGET]

This must be a troll post. Fooled me. Dang. You got me good rookie!

 

[JeffRaines]

Big deal. He was off the road and out of the traffic, muzzle was on private or public and facing away from the road when it went off - not endangering anyone (which is the primary reason for the rule).

Hunters sure have become a bunch of sniveling little snitches.

Don't forget to call highway patrol on everyone that's speeding too.

Im all against poaching, but what was described is hardly what I’d call poaching. Big assumption on him not having access.

Was he skirting the rules a bit? Maybe, but does it even matter? It’s one thing if the guy pulls off the road, slings his rifle over the hood of his truck shooting across the other side of the road, and another entirely for him to be sitting off the road next to the fence with the muzzle facing away.

People trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[Bighorner]

Just to play devil's advocate, if you did not know what road you were on how do you know you were not trespassing on a private road? The difference between a county road and an private oil field road is not always as apparent as you would think.

 

[Dust Rider]

Fence post = rifle rest.
He could also been a disabled hunter and not required to get out of road right of way

 

[wytx]

Fence post = rifle rest.
He could also been a disabled hunter and not required to get out of road right of way

Shoot from a Vehicle Permit – All requirements remain the same; this permit was added to Chapter 35. This permit allows any person with a qualifying physical disability to shoot from a stationary vehicle to take wildlife. This permit does not allow a holder of this permit to hunt, shoot or attempt to take any wildlife from, along or across any public road or highway.

Regulations for disabled hunters updated, new requirements | Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Hunters planning for their 2017 season should be aware of changes to Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Regulation Chapter 35, Hunting Permit Regulations for Persons with Disabilities.

wgfd.wyo.gov

Nope, not legal.
It's not sniveling to expect hunters to follow the game laws.
Had a GW seen him shoot from that side of the fence on a public roadway he would have been cited I'm betting, or at least got a warning.
Lots of assumptions as too whether he had access or not, it was the shot that was illegal if it was a public roadway that is fenced.
Play fast and loose with the game laws in your own state.

 

[30338]

Hope he had a mask on at least. Covid.

 

[npm352]

It was illegal by the letter if the law in Wyoming, even if he had permission to hunt the private. Simply assuming the guy did not have permission is simply judgement and not a fair assumption.

I talked to a Game Warden once while in WY on a routine check and asked about that law because I was curious. (In Idaho you just step off the gravel and you're good to go.) He said some of his colleagues write citations for using the fence as a rest and confiscate the animal shot, but he personally did not and usually just gave warnings.

Regardless, yes, it was illegal, and illegal pursuit of game is poaching.

However, I would not turn anyone in doing that personally, but have turned in poachers for other things (spotlighting 3 does out of season from the road...hunting from motorized vehicles on clearly marked closed roads). Blatant stuff where I feel game and opportunity is being stolen is where I draw the line in reporting. That is personal to me. I wouldn't commit the crime of shooting on the wrong side of the fence in WY, but just do not feel it is a big enough deal to turn someone in over or post on the internet.

 

[wind gypsy]

I typically read the regs pretty close if hunting out of state but there is a fair chance I would have skipped over shooting from a road thinking "yeah yeah, don't shoot from or over a road... its that way everywhere..." So now I know better as it relates to fences in WY, thanks.

 

[Rich M]

He still needs to trespass or chase the animal on someone else's land to retrieve it. Especially if it runs 500 yards..

I was hoping you wouldn't take the post personally - it was about the way folks treat things these days more than anything. It makes an us & them concept with other hunters.

Had a guy call LEO on me couple years ago on a duck hunt - he didn't like me setting up where I was (over 200 yds away and in a diff flight path) and how I accessed the spot (not thru his setup) - their biggest guy came over to rant and rave while shining a spotlight in our faces so we wouldn't recognize him (He's a fireman who's in love with his truck). So they are all pissed off over nothing more than us being there. Funny thing was that they were shooting 5 minutes before legal time (times are a big thing with duck hunting). Yet they used LEO to "punish" us with a cavity search back at the ramp. LOL! I pull the boat in with a 77 and an 80 yr old in there and the LEOs were very nice - asked for licenses, if we got birds, and how our day went. We all got along fine - no complaints, it was a great day, thanks for checking us kind of thing.

Why didn't I call LEO on them? If they were a little more blatant in their disregard for the laws, sure, but not for 5 minutes early - they know the risk of having a Federal agent watching them and it isn't my place to police the marsh/woods/roads for minor stuff - now drunk driving, obviously way over limit, etc are real issues and deserve a call.

Plus, I do volunteer work at the refuge and know that if folks complain and such, they make changes like removing hunt areas, reducing hunt opportunities, stuff like that. All cause some folks whine and complain if things aren't perfect for them.

That's what I see - folks being whiny and nit-picky, us vs them kind of stuff. That's what is being promoted online these days - have em arrested if they don't act just like "you" think they should. Don't know if you have kids but if you do and take em on a long distance drive, put em both in the back seat and you'll see what many online hunters sound like. Most guys in the field are decent.

It's my responsibility to know what I'm doing and where I'm at as opposed to worrying about others all the time.

Did you stop and talk to the guy after he shot the antelope? - ask him who owns the land and if he thought you could get permission (sly way of seeing if he's got access) and if he needs help loading up or getting a picture. Shooting 100 or 200 yards off a fence post means dead antelope and no tracking - especially the guys who know what they are doing and how to shoot.

That's all.

 

[JeffRaines]

Blatant stuff where I feel game and opportunity is being stolen is where I draw the line in reporting.

This is what it should be.

I view what the guy did like going 5 over the speed limit - by the letter of the law it’s wrong, but who can honestly say they never go a couple over ever? Very few.

 

[4ester]

Probably wouldn’t be this many replies if it was a coyote along the road.

A lot of assumption here. How did you know the shooter didn’t have permission? Could have been the landowner himself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[roosiebull]

Big deal. He was off the road and out of the traffic, muzzle was on private or public and facing away from the road when it went off - not endangering anyone (which is the primary reason for the rule).

Hunters sure have become a bunch of sniveling little snitches.

Don't forget to call highway patrol on everyone that's speeding too.

good reply.

i appreciate road hunters, that is that many less people walking around..... there is tons of road hunting here too, also technically not legal, with lots of people with very obvious intent driving around.... as long as they don't do anything dangerous, and they stick to the target species, why would i care?

if they are driving around, they aren't parked walking into where i want to be.... win for them, win for me. people would be a lot happier if they just worried about themselves, rather than questioning everyone else's intentions or actions.

when i think of "poaching" the scenario laid out in this thread is not the picture of that.... poaching would be shooting in illegal hours, shooting out of season, shooting without a tag, shooting with the wrong weapon in the wrong season, or actually shooting on property they don't have permission on (not just a super loose assumption that might be happening)

 

[roosiebull]

This is what it should be.

i agree

 

[Ucsdryder]

Everybody is becoming a Karen these days!

 

[2ski]

I go with a guide, and I pay a pretty penny for guided service, and access to his hunting areas.

Is this what its about? It was a weird comment to me given the context and I wanted to check and see of I was reading too much into it. To come where it did in your post seemed to me like a privilege thing. You paid for access he didn't. I could be reading into it though.