62 BIRDS FOR 5 PEOPLE! This made me sick

[Bird_Bagger]

So this happened a couple of weeks ago but I wanted all of you to hear it if you haven't already. About 2 weeks ago now, some early 20's "hunters" shot 62 birds in about 5 minutes on Fir Island. One of the hunters had already had his license revoked for the same thing, 2 didn't have licenses at all. This just ruins it for all the locals and people who have been hunting out here for years. And mostly it gives the bird watchers and anti-hunters one more reason why hunting should be outlawed on Fir Island. What really pi$$e$ off is how the game wardens view US! (The younger generation) I'm sure there have been people like this in every generation but its the first time I have had a game warden say it really doesn't make us look good in his eyes. So I ask if anyone on here knows these idiots to please give them a swift kick in the a$$ for me. And thank them for making our sport look even worse to those who don't understand what hunting means to us.

Thanks for letting me vent,
Bird_Bagger


Update: So after all the tickets were issued and the wrists had been slapped, these folks were ran out of the same private property this past Sunday! Seriously, are they that dumb?

[dbllunger]

Unfortuneatly there are historical stats on ages, vehicles, etc. of people who violate all laws including game laws.  Insurance companies are the worst at this.  This crap gives us all bad names, but every chance you get show people the difference between ethical hunters and these skum.  Just pointing out the details and the difference will help. 

[sisu]

My question is: Why would the game warden say that to you? (When you are not part of the problem.)

[Bird_Bagger]

I speak with the Fuzz anytime I see them around, I think its a good thing to do to keep the relationshiop between the law and myself on good terms. 


And to answer your question: (The property where it happened is my uncles so I went out there when the gameys showed up, he mentioned that 90% of the time when tresspassing occurs it is younger people.)

[clindsayrun]

I can remember that sort of stuff happening when I was in High School. Guys would leave the bed of their pick-ups filled with ducks as if no one would call the warden. I remember one notorious poacher who finally shot a decoy deer and ran from the wardens...they caught him. It affected all of us. I remember being denied permission to hunt some property I'd hunted the year before because he'd had guys poaching on his land and figured it was easiest if no one was allowed access.

I thought they should all have their hunting privileges revoked for life...
It was always the same though, just a wrist slap and a call to their parents (often the source of the problem). 

Anyway, like most juvenile crime, a couple of them grew out of it and became responsible hunters.

So maybe the young guys who seem to have some problems ought to loose their privileges for ten years or so. Give them a change to grow up some. As for the others I support stiff prison sentences.

[singleshot12]

That's terrible!  There always seems to be a handful of these guys wherever you go that don't play by the rules. But you know what I say?  THEY WILL GET CAUGHT AND THEY WILL BE WEEDED OUT SOON.
 Last Friday I caught a guy flock shooting the Snows 25 minutes before opening. He was about forty and laughed when I said the warden watches this place. Now the warden has his plate number and vehicle description...His time will come!!

[road.kill]

people will break the law and eventually they will be caught. What part of fir island is your property on? Those guys must've been just jumping out of the truck and ground pounding them off the road to get 62 birds?

[BIGBULLBALLS]

We gotta start standing up to these retards.  You ground pound the geese and we beat your ass.  I know, I know its never a good idea to get physical with another armed hunter but some idiots need an ass kicking.  I can think of 5 times this year when i could have killed dozens of geese in a couple of shots, but I didn't because i'm not a greedy *censored*.  Shooting snow geese on the ground is like killing coot, only kids and *censored*ty hunters do it.  Sorry for the rant but these piss poor hunters, trespassers, and poachers are driving me nuts.

[NWTFhunter]

Bird, do you know the wardends name that handled that?
I need to call my buddy and get the scoop. 

One of these poachers wasnt a local named andy was it?

[Professor Chaos]

if these idiots still had their guns to be able to do this again after the first time, the warden needs to get lined up with them for a swift kick in the ass.

[Gamblin Guy]

If the warden wrote it up and sent it forward as he was supposed to and they were still out there, blame the liberal courts in this state not the wardens.  It's probably safe to say they are as frustrated as we are with the light sentances poachers are given in these cases....blame your legislators, they are the one's making the rules, blame your judges for the light sentances handed down...support your wardens by being willing to witness and testify in these cases and we might get more accomplished.

[Professor Chaos]

it is my understanding, which may be incorrect, that the warden has the authority to confiscate as evidence whatever gear was used in the crime.  Their gear should have been in an evidence locker, not in their hands, and that is on the warden, not the courts.  I'm sure our courts arent competent enough to have a case like this run through the system that fast.

[Gamblin Guy]

How many guns do you own?  I have several.  If their weapons were taken, there is still a hearing that has to take place in order to determine if the state gets to keep them or they get them back, due process.
 
Not trying to start a pissing match, just trying to point out that these guys cant do it on there own and with Queen Christine running the state into the ground there will be fewer of them to do the job.  If we want to stiffer penalties for these offenses, we have to convince the legislators in this state to make the changes.  After all, if you play poker online you can be convicted of a felony but if you steal wildlife from the rest of the people in this state, you get a slap on the wrist.  Make's perfect sense to me.... 

If someone knows a little more info on who these jokers are and can look them up on the public info website, might shed a little more light on what happened.

[Bird_Bagger]

Sorry, I don't know the wardens name. The warden did confiscate the guns used that's all I know. I don't know if the guys name was Andy or not but I do know they are from sedro woolley and there was one girl with them, and it was a ground and pound, it just isn't right. I think the thing that bothers me the most is I can see in the future that hunting could get outlawed on the island if more things like this happen. I'm not saying its the best or only place to shoot a duck/snow in the Valley but if you grow up hunting somewhere and your comfortable with the spot its something you want your kids to experience. In about 6 months I'm going to be a dad and I honestly hope that my kid will get to hunt out there like i did. Sorry about the rambling but hey, this is a forum and I'm speaking my part. I hope some of my fellow hunters feel the same way  .

Edit: I agree Gamblin Guy

[Gamblin Guy]

Bird,

Sounds like we need more young guys with your frame of mind, that's the only way to keep this tradition alive.  Congrats on the coming arrival, kids will change your life in ways you never thought they could. 

[NWTFhunter]

I just tried to call Jeff to get the scoop but got his voice mail.  I will let you know what I find out.

[Schmalzfam]

Jeff is a hunter himself and I know he is pretty firm when it comes to busting these guys. He wouldn't be one to just slep them on the wrist. However, they can't just decide what to give them. What they did to break the law is what the ticket will be written for. The courts/jury are the one's who decide the punishment.
I give the game warden's in the county credit. There is a LOT of duck hunting land to be covered and I think they do there best. It is our jobs as hunters to help them! I call them if I see something illegal. He will ask us if we've seen anything going on, heard anyone shooting late, etc.
We are always out hunting with our boys and I think they need to realize the game warden is your friend. Most of them hunt themselves and always have good stories to share. There is no reason to look at them in a bad light, if you are following the rules.
Fir Island is a great place to hunt and believe it or not there are a lot of people willing to share their private land. However, I have to agree it is getting harder.
We stopped and asked for permission a couple weeks ago and this guy said,"Yes, feel free to go out and pop off a few shots, I just don't want you setting up out there, my neighbor has first dibs."
We politely declined...just not our style to stalk and shoot ducks..??

I live in Sedro Woolley and there was just a thing about 3 guys from Sedro Woolley who went to Winthrop and POACHED 2 "trophy" deer!
Makes you feel sick...if I hear who it is I will share...

 

[Bird_Bagger]

He also told me he found some more under one of the sheds. No bueno-

[NWTFhunter]

Jeff is a hunter himself and I know he is pretty firm when it comes to busting these guys. He wouldn't be one to just slep them on the wrist. However, they can't just decide what to give them. What they did to break the law is what the ticket will be written for. The courts/jury are the one's who decide the punishment.
I give the game warden's in the county credit. There is a LOT of duck hunting land to be covered and I think they do there best. It is our jobs as hunters to help them! I call them if I see something illegal. He will ask us if we've seen anything going on, heard anyone shooting late, etc.
We are always out hunting with our boys and I think they need to realize the game warden is your friend. Most of them hunt themselves and always have good stories to share. There is no reason to look at them in a bad light, if you are following the rules.
Fir Island is a great place to hunt and believe it or not there are a lot of people willing to share their private land. However, I have to agree it is getting harder.
We stopped and asked for permission a couple weeks ago and this guy said,"Yes, feel free to go out and pop off a few shots, I just don't want you setting up out there, my neighbor has first dibs."
We politely declined...just not our style to stalk and shoot ducks..??

I live in Sedro Woolley and there was just a thing about 3 guys from Sedro Woolley who went to Winthrop and POACHED 2 "trophy" deer!
Makes you feel sick...if I hear who it is I will share...

 

You know Jeff Lee also ?  He is good people bro !!  He never checked me while out hunting and my buddies would look at me like WTF.... Then when he saw them with me anytime after he never checked them... He knew I kept em in check.
Another great guy that has retired is Paul Wyland... Fed. Great guy !

Whats this about under a shed Bird ?

There were a couple of guys I ratted on up there that would slaughter the snows... way over daily limits, way over possessions.
I wouldnt be surprised if they are the ones...  there were also a couple of native boys up there that would go band hunting... Would drive along the flocks looking for bands and no matter where the birds were they would run out and blast them in search of a banded bird.  Didnt matter at all if the field was posted or not...  *censored*s.  Ya I turned them in too.

[Bird_Bagger]

They ended up finding like 10 more birds they had stuffed under a shed. Must have filled the back of their truck 

[Schmalzfam]

The one thing that REALLY burns me is these guys generally aren't even doing it to feed their families.
 

[NWTFhunter]

I think they thought they were hunting spring migration in SD   

[snocohunter]

Here's another story to add to the ever growing list:
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_011309ENB-teen-kills-swan-KC.6ac97a8.html


I can tell you right now if i were still and high school and found out this little cock biter did this, i'd make sure he got a beat down for sure.

[NWTFhunter]

Well, I finally got ahold of Jeff last night and got the scoop on the goose issue.
This poaching was done around thanksgiving time by a very lovely local family whos poaching and illegal activity is well known by local wardens.
Jeff said that the geese were ground sloosed... wow thats skill !   Among other past offenses, two of the subjects were earlier charged with baiting bears ! It seems that the guy doesnt mind getting his kids invovled either.
If the prosecuter and judge doesnt throw the book at these people they need their butts kicked and not re-elected next term.

On a happy note though. Jeff told me of a local guy that I had turned in a number of years ago who seems to have woken up and realizes the wrong doing of poaching.  This guy doesnt hesitate to call authorities when he sees this kind of crap. He has turned in several poachers since his day in the spotlight. 

[road.kill]

Is ground sleucing legal? I know it may not be "ethical" but im pretty sure its still legal. Anybody know for sure?

[NWTFhunter]

Im not sure the legality of it.... but when you hit and kill more than your limit its just down right wrong

[hogsniper]

On fir island I know it is illegal to flock shoot them...There are also other rules about so far off the road and so on...I dont hunt out there very much but someone on here knows the rest of the details......I am not sure about everywhere else either....

[road.kill]

Yeah I know on fir island it is you must be 100 ft (i think thats the distance) from the road when you are waterfowl hunting. That was put in place specifically for getting out and shooting the snows.

What do you mean by "flock shooting" when you say it is illegal... just talking about shooting them right off the road?

[hogsniper]

yea, they must be in flight....Cant ground pound em....I have never actually looked this up but have been told that from friends....

[croix]

yea, they must be in flight....Cant ground pound em....I have never actually looked this up but have been told that from friends....

I swear that I have read that they must be in flight but just scoured the regs and can't find it. 

[benbo30]

hey im right there with you , i cant stand it when young people like that do this type of *censored* and everyone else as well, its plain stupid i have never shot anything with out a license or tag , i would rather be legit and take only what i can....it just saves us our hunting rights .... and i can say i have 2 kids (girls) of my own already and im only 22 i want them to be able to hunt and all my other kids to come

[singleshot12]

Have your cell phones ready,camera's ready,and pen and paper for writing down licence plates.These guys need to be weeded out. Let's nip this in the bud so our kids will still be able to hunt!!

[Schmalzfam]

hey im right there with you , i cant stand it when young people like that do this type of *censored* and everyone else as well, its plain stupid i have never shot anything with out a license or tag , i would rather be legit and take only what i can....it just saves us our hunting rights .... and i can say i have 2 kids (girls) of my own already and im only 22 i want them to be able to hunt and all my other kids to come

What  I hate worse than the YOUNG guys that do this kind of stuff.....

The OLD guys that tought them to!!!

No offense meant to anyone but, you learn your ethics as a young kid. If your parents teach you the ethical way to hunt...more than likely you can bet your kids will carry that on!