Poaching Deer

[DeerHunter01]

Well as long as I was a State Conservation Office this stuff happen alot more then people realize.

I thought I would post this deer for all to see, it was poached in the State of Ohio.

The problem is most hunters see a buck like this a few weeks before season and they go into the woods in search of his trail or scrapes and rub's, making this the main reason they went there in the first place. Now there hunting every day and they never see that buck again, and wonder what happens to it.

Most poached deer in our states are shot with a 22 cal rifle, or a Cross Bow and most likely from a vehicle. After they shoot the deer they keep moving along the highway until a later time that night, then they drop off a person to go get it, while the other person drives around until this guy gets it to the road side.

What always gets me, is why do you have to mess up my hunting grounds ? or maybe my son's first buck, when we can hunt legal.

Out of all the arrests I have made in poaching none , repeat none of them were poor, where they didn't have the money to buy food for there house.

One family that I had arrested had just moved into a house along a road that had no one near them. I got a call at 5PM in the evening that a man was hunting rabbits and came across 4 Gut piles from deer, and he said it looked like a blood bath .

When I got to the location I parked about a mile away, found where there was four gut piles and then I spotted another one on the side of the hill about 30 yards away. but there was no drag marks. so As I walked down this old coal bank road, I spotted small blood drops, so I followed them to the back of these new peoples home, got to looking and found 5 deer completely boned out hanging from a large deer rack beside the home, So I went and got a search warrant for the house and when I returned to the house I had two other officers with me. I knocked on the door, as a lady in her middle 50s opened the door, I said you know why I am here ? she looked at me and said Damn we just got them all cut up and packaged. and then invited us to have coffee while we packed all the deer meat out of there house. at the end of this the total fine came to close to $3000.00 . And as I was leaving the husband came over to me and said can I still deer hunt this year too ?

But anyway off track here, here is the picture of the buck that was just killed in Ohio.

Thanks
D/H

[cook]

In your experience,how many poachers do you think are generally honest people that just couldn't help themselves?I've heard that excuse before,and I don't agree with it for a second!!(kinda like locking a car keeps an honest man honest)

My Grandfather taught me that Morals are what you do when you are alone or no one is watching.Guess some people never had a good role model.

With the price of trophy antlers people are paying,its only going to get worse.

At least in the example you provided,the people used the meat,and didn't just cut the antlers and waste the rest.Still don't make it right.

[VerotiK]

That happens around here quite a bit and it really p*sses me off. Last year, a old lady my parents know, was walking along the highway in from of her house picking up trash and found several large heavy trashbags and knew something wasnt right, so she called the sherriffs office. They came out, and someone had cut the deer in big chunks, put it in trashbags and dumped it. No, the hams and shoulders weren't gone, only thing missing was the antlers. That happened several more times. What are the people that do this thinking? Its sad to take an animal's life just for it's antlers. What a waste. As far as im concerened, if your caught once, you should have your hunting privlages taken away for AT LEAST 10 years. Ever caught again, you should go to jail and never be allowed to hunt again. People know better, and everyone that hunts knows it is wrong.

[armynavy]

Why only 10 years I think it should be no hunting for life, I love my racks as much as the next guy but if I cant get it legally then I just dont get it. Taking of deer out of season you had better be starving to death if you want my sympathy.

[three_rivers]

I'd agree with most you guys. There should be a hefty penalty for poaching. Now taking away hunting privileges for life is harsh for a beginning hunter or youngin. Five or ten yrs maybe but not forever. I'd be lying to tell you i haven't ever done anything that would be considered poaching. That was all when i was young and naive. I do know better now and have a better understanding of our ecosystem and how humans impact it all due to education.

As bad as hunting is getting the tresspassing and poaching is gonna get a whole lot worse. Its just cheaper to get caught tresspassing than to pay to hunt here in arkansas anyways. I know of a fella last year that got caught not once but twice. Nine hundred dollars in fines are cheap compared to a fella hunting across the slough on the same property for twenty five hundred dollars.

You take pics or call wardens and i've found it only turns them on you. Walk up to your vehicle with tires cut or winshield busted. I've even found a two way radio in a stand that came from one of the hunters in a club a mile north of us. The radio worked great to know they watch when you come and go so they could pretty much hunt all over everywhere and hide when they need to hide. Its nice to know how they see you as a @$$hole and talk so nice when you happen to say hi.

I'd say increase to fines to where its not worth getting caught and the points!! If people are willing to pay good money the fine should be higher and the penalties tough. I will also say until they do it'll get worse every year.