Put in a bad spot...

[TedH]

If there is one thing I simply have zero tolorance for, it's a thief. I put poachers in that catagory too. Found out from a friend that another friend poached an animal while bowhunting deer. He was apparently proud of his "trophy", and had pictures of the animal that he took, and it's definately out of season. Never thought this guy would do something like that, but the rarity of the opportunity I suppose was too much for him to resist. I'm angry, and feel personally betrayed, but don't feel like I want to rat him out either. I have never personally hunted with him before, but certainly won't if the opportunity ever arises now.

[mack]

If he is truly a friend I think I would have a talk with him. Something like this can eat at you for a long time. If he is not that close of a friend I would just give him the cold shoulder, or even drop dime on him. In either case I would want to be sure of the facts, not just hearsay.

[FatJackDurham]

That is a tough call if it's someone you know. I remember at Guards once, we were doing exercises in our motor pool with a tank, and one guy actually watched someone poach a doe about a mile and a half away using the tank sight system. He called the game warden immediately. But in that case, it wasn't like he knew who it was.

Poaching for food is one thing, and here in Vermont, in the olden days, it was common. Poaching for trophy is another thing altogether.

[Charles]

I would not turn him into to the law, but when the opportunity presented itself, I would tell him what he did was not a good thing and nothing to be proud of.

[Blaine]

I would express my disappointment to him personally....he reaction will dictate what you should then do....

[Pisgah]

If he is like many of the breed, he'll post it on Facebook or Twitter, and effectively self-report...

Regardless, I'd let him know the reason I am not hunting with him any longer.

[86er]

Guys like that are usually repeat offenders. Maybe you don't tell on him but you can have someone else do it, even anonymously. What else will he take advantage of when the opportunity to get caught are limited? Depending on the violation, Misprision of a Felony is a charge you could face for failing to report a crime that you know was committed.

[AkRay]

I wouldn't say anything to the guy. Shame on him, but if he'll poach a deer then brag about how good a trophy it is, with pictures even, what else would he have no compunction about doing?

[Tycer]

I'm with Blaine.

If he is a true friend, it is your duty to aid in his reformation and give him sage council.

[Griff]

Guys like that are usually repeat offenders. Maybe you don't tell on him but you can have someone else do it, even anonymously. What else will he take advantage of when the opportunity to get caught are limited? Depending on the violation, Misprision of a Felony is a charge you could face for failing to report a crime that you know was committed.

Yep, an animal taken based on mistaken identity is one thing... but braggin' about it later isn't that. This is one of those cases where the "benefit of doubt" isn't applicable.

[piller]

Whatever you decide, please think about all the consequences and weigh them carefully. I know what I would do, but I am not you. You and your family will have to live with the consequences of your action, whatever you decide.

[iceman]

Let me put it this way. Friend or not. if you knew for a fact that he stole food from a needy family would you report him? If you answered yes then report him. I don't know about your wildlife management system , but if it is anything like ours, it is in dire need of protection. If everybody hides their head up their *** because he is not a bad guy, then everybody (except him ) looses. A thief is a thief. Just my .02 and worth what you paid for it.

[Rusty]

i would think that if the game wardens see his posts that will be all the evidence they'll need to take care of it. It's only a mater of time.

[wolfdog]

Me, I would tell him to turn himself in or I would do it for him. I could let a man poaching to feed his family slide, not poaching to get a trophy.

[FWiedner]

Hearing a nasty rumor from a friend of a friend doesn't make a person complicit in an act, neither does it make them a witness. I'd make some effort to determine the truth of the story.

I'd like to think I could look into the facts and then, if needs be, speak directly to the accused party to tell why I'd be making the choice to end our association.

I'd probably not turn him in, but I probably wouldn't defend him either.

[Old Ironsights]

I would express my disappointment to him personally....he reaction will dictate what you should then do....

This.

[stretch]

Very few deer are left around here now.

Yes, we had a couple of hard winters a few years back, but
we also had a HUGE poaching ring busted a few years back.
They also just nailed another LARGE ring in this area of
Central Maine this year. Both rings contained more than
one convicted felon. I actually knew several in the first one.
One of them used to brag about how he got them with his bow.
Until, of course, he was busted with a rifle in his hands!
He was also extremely active in his local church, and every
other phrase out of his mouth was , "Praise Jesus!"

There is simply not enough game anymore to satisfy human
population pressures, and that's why it's rationed with licenses.
When anybody could kill anything they wanted anytime they
wanted, we ended up with extinct or nearly extinct herds.
The caribou herd in Maine is gone, whitetail were almost eliminated
by 19th century market hunters, bison were nearly killed off,
cod have been all but eliminated as a fishery, and so on and so forth.

Modern poachers are subhuman, egg-sucking slime.
I don't like poachers.....

Rant off now.

-Stretch

[smokenrust]

There may be many reasons for his actions .. if they are true. But you didn't see it happen so if you want to be a nosey busybody, you could ask the guy face to face. But again thats not really your place unless he is a true friend.

A true story from long ago. John had a farm, and he was always hard working and making ends meet... one hunting season, back in the days of bucks only, he was hunting on his own land with his brother-in-law and he said that all summer there had been up to forty deer feeding off of his crops and if he didn't see a buck thru the season, he would shoot a doe.
The last day he had not a chance to shoot a buck so true to his words he popped the biggest doe out there and then he told the bil to keep quiet. they skunned it out and put the meat in the freezers. The following wed. evening church service he went to , a fellow said, "I heard you got your deer this year". What could he say? He always considered himself honest. Just the fact that this time he reasoned with himself that one doe would be alright since he had been feeding 40 of the governments critters without reimbursments for the feed they ate. He vowed to himself he would never do that again and if he was that short on meat, he would kill his own cow instead.
Now, what would you do if you had heard about this guy, would you report him or look the other way?
Remember you could be standing in his shoes someday... without your own cow to butcher.

poaching just for the sport of it and not for need is a whole different scenario, and you seen it first hand... There would definately be words like 'If you do it again, you will be talking to the authorities....'

"There is simply not enough game anymore" If you are referring to the deer population in this area, That is largely do to the coyote and wolf repopulation along with the bear. Every bambi and fawn taken by them is one less deer for hunting. And I don't know of anybody that eats coyote or wolf. Worthless critters. I hate having to guard my liovestock when they are calving just for some wolf loven idts.

[Chas.]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

[FWiedner]

Very few deer are left around here now.

Yes, we had a couple of hard winters a few years back, but
we also had a HUGE poaching ring busted a few years back.
They also just nailed another LARGE ring in this area of
Central Maine this year. Both rings contained more than
one convicted felon. I actually knew several in the first one.
One of them used to brag about how he got them with his bow.
Until, of course, he was busted with a rifle in his hands!
He was also extremely active in his local church, and every
other phrase out of his mouth was , "Praise Jesus!"

There is simply not enough game anymore to satisfy human
population pressures, and that's why it's rationed with licenses.
When anybody could kill anything they wanted anytime they
wanted, we ended up with extinct or nearly extinct herds.
The caribou herd in Maine is gone, whitetail were almost eliminated
by 19th century market hunters, bison were nearly killed off,
cod have been all but eliminated as a fishery, and so on and so forth.

Modern poachers are subhuman, egg-sucking slime.
I don't like poachers.....

Rant off now.

-Stretch

Not defending poaching in any measure, but the extinctions and near-extinctions you cite were caused by people killing animals legally and over-hunting.

... yet you curse poachers.

[TedH]

There may be many reasons for his actions .. if they are true.............. poaching just for the sport of it and not for need is a whole different scenario, .

It's true, I saw the pics myself. It wasn't for food, it wasn't a deer that he shot. It was because he had a rare opportunity at an animal that is rarely even seen in these parts. Had it been in season, I would be the first to congratulate him.......now, well I don't know yet........

[Mac in Mo]

If he is showing the pics around he will be found out, I don't think you have to worry about that.

I have been in a similar situation and can say it is a punch in the gut. I won't get into details, but I haven't spoken to this "friend" in many years over it. I won't tolerate my freedom( or more likely my wallet) or reputation being threatened over someone else's actions.

Kevin

[stretch]

There is simply not enough game anymore to satisfy human
population pressures, and that's why it's rationed with licenses.
When anybody could kill anything they wanted anytime they
wanted, we ended up with extinct or nearly extinct herds.
The caribou herd in Maine is gone, whitetail were almost eliminated
by 19th century market hunters, bison were nearly killed off,
cod have been all but eliminated as a fishery, and so on and so forth.

Fwiedner, my second paragraph was only an illustration of what happens to
game or fish populations when we have unregulated killing by modern man.
It illustrates WHY we need to have restrictions (game laws!) on how much of
nature's bounty we can harvest at any one time. Legal or not, taking that much
game or fish is a BAD IDEA. Poachers have the attitude that we're back
in the 18th century and there's enough for them to do anything they want.

I still don't like poachers....

-Stretch

[hightime]

Good topic. In MN we have a program called TIP ( turn in poachers ). My Dad was a poacher. We lived on a struggling farm thirty miles from a paved road, no phone and only just had got power. We had milk cows and he worked hard. We ate dead milk cow or venison. I know that hunting was enjoyment for him as well as feeding us. I know if we all understood that some poachers don't hunt for sport, we might see the differance between my Dad and the guys who just left a bar drunk and shined a field with their car headlights as they blasted at deer they left lay. I guess I hunt for sport, but I will alway hold a food hunter above me.

Owen