Idaho 2015 record mule deer poached

[Rainier10]

So they had the sheds from the previous year.  They knew it was a shooter buck. They targeted it that entire next season.  When they found it they were shocked at how much bigger it was this year.  On the last day as it was escaping over the hill and the father couldn't hit the broadside of the barn the son shot it.

How about this?  Instead of the son shooting it, let it go and come back the next year and try again.  My guess is it would have still been as big and you would have even more history with the buck making success if achieved even sweeter.

How pissed would the dad have been to find out that someone shot it out of season while it was still in velvet this year before he had a chance at it?  He would have been irate that someone took his opportunity away before he even got a chance.  That is exactly what they did to everyone else with a tag.  The son took the opportunity away from the dad and every other hunter who had a tag or was going to have a tag the next year.


 

[JDHasty]

So they had the sheds from the previous year.  They knew it was a shooter buck. They targeted it that entire next season.  When they found it they were shocked at how much bigger it was this year.  On the last day as it was escaping over the hill and the father couldn't hit the broadside of the barn the son shot it.

How about this?  Instead of the son shooting it, let it go and come back the next year and try again.  My guess is it would have still been as big and you would have even more history with the buck making success if achieved even sweeter.

How pissed would the dad have been to find out that someone shot it out of season while it was still in velvet this year before he had a chance at it?  He would have been irate that someone took his opportunity away before he even got a chance.  That is exactly what they did to everyone else with a tag.  The son took the opportunity away from the dad and every other hunter who had a tag or was going to have a tag the next year.


 

That is pretty much the alpha and the omega of this story

[bobcat]

It was a special permit hunt, so they couldn't have come back to hunt it the following year. As far as the story of it getting away so the son shot it, we don't know if that's true. Nobody really knows what happened except the father and son. Maybe the intent was for the son to shoot it all along, since he was the one who scouted it and found that buck.

[Rainier10]

It was a special permit hunt, so they couldn't have come back to hunt it the following year. As far as the story of it getting away so the son shot it, we don't know if that's true. Nobody really knows what happened except the father and son. Maybe the intent was for the son to shoot it all along, since he was the one who scouted it and found that buck.

He shot it without a tag this year, he could have easily come back after the season and shot it without a tag or come back next year and shot it without a tag.  He did have the option to come back and shoot it anytime he wanted if he was willing to shoot it without a tag.  He was obviously willing to shoot it without a tag.

By doing that he took opportunity away from an unknown amount of legal hunters including his father.

[idahohuntr]

I wonder how IDFG solved this case...would seem incredibly difficult to prove without a guilty plea from Dad/son.  Was it being videoed? 

Idaho has a program that allows parents/grandparents to give tags to their minor children...not that the son in this case is a minor...but I guess I just don't see this as the crime of the century, particularly given Idaho currently supports some form of tag sharing among family.  All that said, I do not condone such actions - but I do think the punishment is probably about right...not too light.

[WAPatriot]

Ya who was these guys lawyer he should be dismembered from the bar!!!

[bobcat]

I agree with Idahohntr- not the crime of the century. They DID have a tag. I think the fine was excessive. I also do not condone this but I don't consider it "poaching." Honestly if the dad wants his son to fill his tag that he drew, I almost don't see a reason why it shouldn't be legal. As long as the father is with him it seems like it doesn't make much difference who pulls the trigger. I'm also curious how this case was solved, they only had to deny it unless there was a witness.

[JDHasty]

The investigation showed that Gary Nix had a valid tag and permit for the deer and began shooting at it, but when it did not fall he asked his son Garrett, who did not have a valid tag, to help him kill the deer to prevent it from getting away. Both men fired multiple shots before the deer was finally fatally wounded.

[PA BEN]

Not sure why but I just couldn't quit thinking about this story last night.    What an awesome buck and what a shame they couldn't get it done the right way.  All that time scouting and hunting and if he would have just spent a little more bench time at the rifle range it all would have been different.

Practice, practice, practice, you never know when that buck of a lifetime is going to present a shot.

This guy had a pretty good idea of where this buck was going to be and just wasn't prepared.

[JDHasty]

I agree with Idahohntr- not the crime of the century. They DID have a tag. I think the fine was excessive. I also do not condone this but I don't consider it "poaching." Honestly if the dad wants his son to fill his tag that he drew, I almost don't see a reason why it shouldn't be legal. As long as the father is with him it seems like it doesn't make much difference who pulls the trigger. I'm also curious how this case was solved, they only had to deny it unless there was a witness.

Let me help ya' out. 

How about: if the son wants his dad to fill his tag that the son drew, I almost don't see a reason why it shouldn't be legal.  That would mean the guy with seven kids of his own and five more by marriage gets thirteen chances to put in for a tag that you and I are only allowed a single entry for.  And if you don't think there are a LOT of "dad's" who don't already pull this stunt every year you are living a very cloistered life.  The last thing we need is to "legalize" it. 

[JODakota]

I agree with Idahohntr- not the crime of the century. They DID have a tag. I think the fine was excessive. I also do not condone this but I don't consider it "poaching." Honestly if the dad wants his son to fill his tag that he drew, I almost don't see a reason why it shouldn't be legal. As long as the father is with him it seems like it doesn't make much difference who pulls the trigger. I'm also curious how this case was solved, they only had to deny it unless there was a witness.

I agree. Don't ever go to Minnesota or any of the other Midwest states. Party hunting is pretty normal.

[JDHasty]

Not sure why but I just couldn't quit thinking about this story last night.    What an awesome buck and what a shame they couldn't get it done the right way.  All that time scouting and hunting and if he would have just spent a little more bench time at the rifle range it all would have been different.

Practice, practice, practice, you never know when that buck of a lifetime is going to present a shot.

This guy had a pretty good idea of where this buck was going to be and just wasn't prepared.

Also, I have found that a Harris Bipod is your friend and I have shot and won in a lot of competition events including rifle silhouette. 

[Rainier10]

It just becomes a slippery slope in my mind and where do you then draw the line?

Dad draws a tag.  Dad has one son, two sons or seven sons.  "Hey boys, I drew a great tag, let's go hunting whoever sees the shooter go ahead and drop it."  Now you have 1-8 people hunting with one tag.  Odds of filling it just went way up.  They give out tags based on average success rates.  Well the success rate just went through the roof when you have more than one person trying to fill the same tag.

Some will say that dad and one son is okay but dad and three sons is not okay.  Others will say well dad and three sons is fine but you can't include cousins or son in laws in the hunt.

If you are willing to fudge the line of who actually has the tag why not fudge where the GMU boundary line is just a little?  Why not fudge the legal shooting hours just a little?  Why not fudge the season dates a little?

Where do you draw the line of "that was almost legal so it is okay in my book."?

[bobcat]

Rainier10- I totally agree with that analysis as well. It's just like I said though, this particular incident doesn't seem to me like the crime of the century, I wouldn't call that guy a poacher, and I think losing his hunting rights for three years along with a $2,200 fine, plus losing the deer, was excessive.

[JDHasty]

It just becomes a slippery slope in my mind and where do you then draw the line?

Dad draws a tag.  Dad has one son, two sons or seven sons.  "Hey boys, I drew a great tag, let's go hunting whoever sees the shooter go ahead and drop it."  Now you have 1-8 people hunting with one tag.  Odds of filling it just went way up.  They give out tags based on average success rates.  Well the success rate just went through the roof when you have more than one person trying to fill the same tag.

Some will say that dad and one son is okay but dad and three sons is not okay.  Others will say well dad and three sons is fine but you can't include cousins or son in laws in the hunt.

If you are willing to fudge the line of who actually has the tag why not fudge where the GMU boundary line is just a little?  Why not fudge the legal shooting hours just a little?  Why not fudge the season dates a little?

Where do you draw the line of "that was almost legal so it is okay in my book."?

That is another distinct possibility inevitability.