Hunter facing charges after death of beloved elk named Bullwinkle

[CAMPMEAT]

That wont work camp, their too busy running the Forest Circus. 

.....and all of our rights too.

[popeshawnpaul]

Speaking for myself...

I see a lot of hatred of the fact that the guy has been successful in life. This is America, we all have a choice in what direction we take with our lives and we all have the option of doing what it takes to make a better living so we can afford to buy these tags. The irony that nobody considers is that the money from these special tags helps fund wildlife management and ultimately keeps the price lower for everyone else to hunt cheaper. 

FACT, many comments involve: his wealth; that he got a big bull most thought was off-limits; or that it was easy to shoot the bull, he didn't have to hike 20 miles and summit a dozen mountains to kill it. We all have different reasons why we hunt and we all have different methods how we hunt, but none of that should be a part of this conversation, ethics is a different conversation.

It sounds like he had landowner permission and WDFW permission to shoot the bull, unless that is proven false in court it may be pretty hard to convict him of breaking the law. The question is did he violate the law or not, in my opinion we should let the court figure out the truth!

(These comments are my personal opinion, Hunting-Washington is an internet service provider and has taken no official position on this issue.)

Hunters just like to bring down other hunters for some reason.  They claim it's not jealousy but I see that in many responses on this thread.  The moral hunt police are the most hypocritical people I meet.  Those that claim and preach they follow the law and bash someone that makes a mistake only makes me more suspicious of them.  It's no different than the preacher or politician railing against gay people.  Yep, they are gay.  I see it time after time in my profession with hunting charges.  They get up and say to the judge they teach hunter ed, work for WDFW,, never break the law, etc. in front of the judge.

Unlawful Big Game hunting encompasses a lot of different types of conduct.  Whether you have a tag but are just out of the unit, tag an animal later, tag it for someone else, etc.  I'm still maintaining probably half the people calling out TR have done this or a Title 77 charge at some point in their life.  Those that preach the loudest are probably the biggest offenders.  I've hunted with zillions of people over the years and tons on Huntwa.  So has Bearpaw and I bet he sees small issues daily.  Maybe they don't have their hunter orange on, have their clip loaded in the car, etc.  Most guys cut a corner here and there but maybe not that serious of a crime.  Do the best you can and they are so confusing your bound to error into an issue you didn't realize.  Lots of archers don't have the proper arrow for their bow under the law.

So, preach to me about how you have never broke a law before hunting...   

[Alchase]

Bearpaw, you have provided us this forum that I have enjoyed from the beginning. I have met some incredible people, heard their stories and shared their adventures, and some heartbreaks.
For that I am and will be forever great full.

The fact that you feel the need to post this:

(These comments are my personal opinion, Hunting-Washington is an internet service provider and has taken no official position on this issue.)

to keep Hunting Washington from being sued, is very telling.

I understand why you have to do this, and it sickens me.

Thank you for all you have done.

[lord grizzly]

Speaking for myself...

I see a lot of hatred of the fact that the guy has been successful in life. This is America, we all have a choice in what direction we take with our lives and we all have the option of doing what it takes to make a better living so we can afford to buy these tags. The irony that nobody considers is that the money from these special tags helps fund wildlife management and ultimately keeps the price lower for everyone else to hunt cheaper. 

FACT, many comments involve: his wealth; that he got a big bull most thought was off-limits; or that it was easy to shoot the bull, he didn't have to hike 20 miles and summit a dozen mountains to kill it. We all have different reasons why we hunt and we all have different methods how we hunt, but none of that should be a part of this conversation, ethics is a different conversation.

It sounds like he had landowner permission and WDFW permission to shoot the bull, unless that is proven false in court it may be pretty hard to convict him of breaking the law. The question is did he violate the law or not, in my opinion we should let the court figure out the truth!

(These comments are my personal opinion, Hunting-Washington is an internet service provider and has taken no official position on this issue.)

its a pretty commen tune when ever any of these tag holders hunts are discussed on the internet. show me a thread about a goveners tag and ill show you a whole bunch of green eyed monsters replying to it. nothing new (or different) here

[257 Wby Mag]

Tod riechert fan club!! Lmao

[jkthomps]

  Do the best you can and they are so confusing your bound to error into an issue you didn't realize.  Lots of archers don't have the proper arrow for their bow under the law.

So, preach to me about how you have never broke a law before hunting...   

I bet some people are reviewing the regs again to see what the arrow requirements are. 

[lord grizzly]

Tod riechert fan club!! Lmfao

the hater club is even funnier

[257 Wby Mag]

Sorry, the TR fanboys are grasping at straws here. It seems they want to insulate him because he is rich and can afford these tags. The snide remarks about the ram are uncalled for and unsportsmanlike.  But the jealousy train is so wore out its pathetic. Whether Reichert is found guilty of illegal harvest or not, the decision he made to take this bull comes with consequences. From everything said here and from both sides, he made the decision to tag this bull regardless of the consequences because "he doesn't really care what people think". Cool. Good for him. One of the consequences is a unknown amount of speculation and bashing on public forums.

If I had rolled up popped the bull and loaded him up in my truck. I would fully expect the same treatment in the huntwa court. Probably much worse because I would have been tagless, and trespassing along with hunting in a closed unit. The argument that all the publicity is because he is high profile is just dumb. The bull was high profile. Don't take that away from him.

Maybe the gossiping dramaqueens can zip there yap and let the facts come out when he has his day in court?? Just a thunk...

[257 Wby Mag]

Tod riechert fan club!! Lmfao

the hater club is even funnier

For sure!!

[jackelope]

i would love to see the Wdfw get counter sued and absolutely screwed. I am talking class action screwed. I don't know all the facts but if someone with obsential authority green lighted a hunt and now someone is having their personal reputation ruined as a result. Now the same department decided to press charges. Things could and should get real expensive for the Wdfw. 

I'm not positive, but I don't think WDFW is the one pressing the charges. I thought I read in this thread that it's the county that filed the charges.

[JLS]

Doggone it, looks like the herpes is flaring up again 

[JDHasty]

Also hunters need to unite and not fight. a hunter who spends as much money on hunting, a sport that members on this site are suppose to love should always get the benefit of the doubt. Go cry on a peta website. On a hunting website hunters should be supported and innocent until proved guilty. We're a small enough minority as it is.

Where have we seen that line of reasoning before?  If you don't remember, let me help ya' out.  The BT sniffer tried a variation on that theme to try to redirect the discussion from from what he was up to by leading the topic off into a "bow hunters are being singled out" direction.  The BT sniffer wasn't the first to try that unscrupulous rhetorical device and WAPatriot won't be the last. 

It has been my experience that this particular canard is always one of the first refuges of four-flushers as well as their defenders & acolytes once they figure they areas stuck as a bug on fly paper .


*****

i would love to see the Wdfw get counter sued and absolutely screwed. I am talking class action screwed. I don't know all the facts but if someone with obsential authority green lighted a hunt and now someone is having their personal reputation ruined as a result. Now the same department decided to press charges. Things could and should get real expensive for the Wdfw.

?/? obsential ?/?  Is that a word? 

Hmmm, Oswald Bates is that you posting as WAPatriot?

[blackveltbowhunter]

Sorry, the TR fanboys are grasping at straws here. It seems they want to insulate him because he is rich and can afford these tags. The snide remarks about the ram are uncalled for and unsportsmanlike.  But the jealousy train is so wore out its pathetic. Whether Reichert is found guilty of illegal harvest or not, the decision he made to take this bull comes with consequences. From everything said here and from both sides, he made the decision to tag this bull regardless of the consequences because "he doesn't really care what people think". Cool. Good for him. One of the consequences is a unknown amount of speculation and bashing on public forums.

If I had rolled up popped the bull and loaded him up in my truck. I would fully expect the same treatment in the huntwa court. Probably much worse because I would have been tagless, and trespassing along with hunting in a closed unit. The argument that all the publicity is because he is high profile is just dumb. The bull was high profile. Don't take that away from him.

For the record I'm not a TR fanboy. These tags have created controversy for 20 years.  I don't even agree with some of the ideology that goes along with them.  If anyone is grasping at straws it is the department and it is reaping what it sows. 
I am also not a member of these (there are several different ones) auction tag holder fan clubs.  Many comments from the start of this whole debacle have been rooted by interpersonal relationships.

I understand  And I completely agree with your assessment of the department and the tags themselves. Although I think the raffle tags have been less controversial overall than the governor tags. I think the tags do generate revenue, but am far from convinced they are necessary when discussing elk and deer.

There have been plenty comments made that the only reason this is receiving so much press is due to the fact that TR himself is so widely known and wealthy. And the comments here are spurred by jealousy envy and hate. I am sure some are. That is unfortunate. But I'm not a hater. TR has lived the american dream and is entitled to the tags as much as anyone else.

My point is if TR had never had a run in several years ago I never would have known who he was. I don't follow these tags other than the occasional thread on here. But I knew about this bull.  Until this all started I had no clue who the  raffle or governor tag holders were/are. And there is a decent chance TR's governor bull would not have even made it on here had it not been for this one. Whether the hunt is determined to be legal or not is not the point. Just because something is legal, does not mean it won't attract negative attention.

 
   

[Tbar]

i would love to see the Wdfw get counter sued and absolutely screwed. I am talking class action screwed. I don't know all the facts but if someone with obsential authority green lighted a hunt and now someone is having their personal reputation ruined as a result. Now the same department decided to press charges. Things could and should get real expensive for the Wdfw. 

I'm not positive, but I don't think WDFW is the one pressing the charges. I thought I read in this thread that it's the county that filed the charges.

Did the county process the case and present it to the prosecutors office? 

[Bob33]

Criminal charges are filed by a prosecutor, not a state agency like WDFW.