Question on poaching

[Skyvalhunter]

Yea you right, no use getting yourself in a jam if its unneeded. It's not just on Weyco property these days unfortunately. Ton of it goes on over at Mt Anne people feel they are entitled. Can't remember when the last time I saw a decoy trap, probably before WDFW became LEO's.

[KFhunter]

I didn't much care about locals shooting backyard deer,  but now that I feel the population is crashing there's a lot more awareness on poaching and now I care. 


We need those backyard deer to help keep the population up,  might come a time when we need to relocate and back fill dead areas.

This one has me completely puzzled.  Can you expand on your thoughts?

Ya, lots of poor families in a rural area and deer thick as flies. It was well known, wood cutters leaking blood out of a load of firewood. Old school wardens knew who the needy families were and turned a blind eye. Generations of poachers just lived this way.

Things have changed, less deer and more benefits for low income families means I care a lot more now, no reason to poach anymore,  spend that ebt money and quit poaching!

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[Sitka_Blacktail]

2nd poached deer, this one a doe dumped in the middle of a county road. Buck only area. Passed it and took pictures this morning, just called it in and no one else has even reported it. 6 hours on a pretty “busy” road. This is why people would think poaching isn’t as high because no one reports it and no one talks about it.

Not saying it wasn't poached, but are you sure it wasn't a road kill someone claimed?

[huntnphool]

It’d help if the enforcement cared more about the wildlife than the fish. I called in a poached buck I found just the other day, no warden responded and now it’s gone. The best part is the deer left a trail running right back to the “mountain man’s” house. I hate those kind of people now because they claim to be “living off the land” and then they don’t preserve any of the meat so they only eat on it for a week and then they get another. Or they take hind quarters only. Or they go for moose and elk which are scarce enough up here. *censored*. I know more poachers than legal hunters right now. No lie. I tried talking to fish and game to become a warden and was told they wouldn’t put me back here everyone has to go to the port of Seattle first usually. So if you hunt ferry county just now these animals are getting the squeeze year round. Oh and most poachers and “mountain men” aren’t the old timers or ones that have been here. Most are the ones from the big cities or east coast that find out our land is cheap and get here. Once here they usually have to start making or dealing drugs to get by and few survive winter without committing some sort of crime- poaching deer, making some meth/BHO/or robbing someone else. So yeah, poached to legally taken in my area would be like 4:1 more than likely. Here’s the missed head shot during an archery only season.

 I always hear quite a few shots during archery season.  But what can you do about that?  Odds are some of those shots are poachers, but unless you actually see it to know whats going on, you just dont know

 Keep in mind that even during archery season, there are a few allowed to hunt with any weapon they choose.

[Bango skank]

It’d help if the enforcement cared more about the wildlife than the fish. I called in a poached buck I found just the other day, no warden responded and now it’s gone. The best part is the deer left a trail running right back to the “mountain man’s” house. I hate those kind of people now because they claim to be “living off the land” and then they don’t preserve any of the meat so they only eat on it for a week and then they get another. Or they take hind quarters only. Or they go for moose and elk which are scarce enough up here. *censored*. I know more poachers than legal hunters right now. No lie. I tried talking to fish and game to become a warden and was told they wouldn’t put me back here everyone has to go to the port of Seattle first usually. So if you hunt ferry county just now these animals are getting the squeeze year round. Oh and most poachers and “mountain men” aren’t the old timers or ones that have been here. Most are the ones from the big cities or east coast that find out our land is cheap and get here. Once here they usually have to start making or dealing drugs to get by and few survive winter without committing some sort of crime- poaching deer, making some meth/BHO/or robbing someone else. So yeah, poached to legally taken in my area would be like 4:1 more than likely. Here’s the missed head shot during an archery only season.

 I always hear quite a few shots during archery season.  But what can you do about that?  Odds are some of those shots are poachers, but unless you actually see it to know whats going on, you just dont know

 Keep in mind that even during archery season, there are a few allowed to hunt with any weapon they choose.

Im well aware.  I was hunting deer with a rifle during archery season in 2017 when i had a raffle tag.  And here a couple weeks ago i shot a couple predators during archery season.  Theres raffle and auction tags, moose tags, predator hunters etc.  But the number of rifle shots i hear during archery season each year,
in various areas, odds are some of them are not on the up and up.  But thats my point.  You dont know that the gun fire you hear is illegal, so calling in every shot you hear would be ridiculous, thats why im saying you just dont call it in unless you actually see illegal activity going on.  Or what appears to be illegal.  Just hearing gunfire isnt enough to report.

[Skyvalhunter]

Yes but the raffle holders are not allowed to hunt at night and multiple shots also.

[Tracker0721]

2nd poached deer, this one a doe dumped in the middle of a county road. Buck only area. Passed it and took pictures this morning, just called it in and no one else has even reported it. 6 hours on a pretty “busy” road. This is why people would think poaching isn’t as high because no one reports it and no one talks about it.

Not saying it wasn't poached, but are you sure it wasn't a road kill someone claimed?

I considered that but with the tire marks literally burning out back down and just being in the middle of the road I called it in. No roadkill permits in the area were called in so they said they’d pass it in.

[MADMAX]

Yea you right, no use getting yourself in a jam if its unneeded. It's not just on Weyco property these days unfortunately. Ton of it goes on over at Mt Anne people feel they are entitled. Can't remember when the last time I saw a decoy trap, probably before WDFW became LEO's.

saw a decoy buck a couple years back going up past Perragin during muley archery
in the grass on the curves heading up bear creek obviously out of place
looked like a fully rubbed 4x4 with a winter coat fake deer in Sept
people were stopping and laughing at it and the game cops had to yell no stopping, people were trying to take pictures of it

[Stein]

Very anecdotal, but it seems like when poachers get busted, it is never for one doe or cow to feed the family.  Once you poach, human nature seems to set in and then it goes crazy.  For whatever reason, you always hear of guys shooting tons of animals, way more than they can ever use.

Part of it is probably odds, the more you do it the greater the chance of getting caught.  Couple that with the current notion in this state that you only have to follow some of the laws and ignore the rest and you get a pretty bad scenario.

[buckfvr]

I think may be some guys need to put their "inner detectives" to rest and quit trying to turn everything into the poaching category.

[OutHouse]

I was talking to my brother about this thread over the weekend and he had an interesting account. He was hanging out with his friend who used to work at the Gold Creek until a year or so ago. They ran into some guys up 410 and chatted briefly. The discussion turned to the modern season and the fellas all laughed and said something to the effect that "locals season starts the day after modern ends".

[444Marlin]

I've heard that some game wardens feel that 80% of the poaching is done by 10-20% of the poachers.  Meaning: there's some serial poachers that are obsessed with it and do it all the time.

Let's all do our part to get good descriptions of the vehicles, individuals, time and location and report it to the tip lines.  I believe a lot of the game enforcement folks are spread too thin and have a lack of resources.

[KFhunter]

I've heard that some game wardens feel that 80% of the poaching is done by 10-20% of the poachers.  Meaning: there's some serial poachers that are obsessed with it and do it all the time.

Let's all do our part to get good descriptions of the vehicles, individuals, time and location and report it to the tip lines.  I believe a lot of the game enforcement folks are spread too thin and have a lack of resources.

Yes!

Agree 100%

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[Snakeriver10]

A few of the bigger issues to come up with a solid number here for a ratio is:  is accidentally shooting a two point considered poaching?  Is shooting an animal after shooting light ends by a few minutes considered poaching?  Is shooting an animal on private property without permission considered poaching?  If you answer yes to all of the above then I wouldn’t doubt a 10:1 ratio is possible. 

With the way Washington seasons are, you can’t instantly confirm a rifle shot during archery to be considered poaching.  I would love to see the seasons simplified and the amount of special permits given reduced.  Animals in Washington are very pressured pretty much from August through December just by hunters.  I know this affects the sport of it for me, I hate to see a herd of deer running over a ridge with there jaws dragging on the ground.....

Another thing I’ve also considered, have you ever seen a game warden out during poaching hours?  Aka after dark, days after or before a season opens, etc.  I know I haven’t.  Shouldn’t the game wardens be out more in force when they know illegal things are going on vs opening day at 9 am?  As has been stated here, poaching season opens when the ethical hunters season ends. 

Others here have wanted suffer penalties for poaching.  One, they have to be caught and so far for the most part they aren’t being caught. Two, you have to distinguish trophy poachers vs accidental poachers vs meat poachers.  It isn’t a clear line.

Bottom line is there are some darn good poachers out there.  Poaching season is open 365 days a year with no limit to shooting hours nor limits on points or quantity. There isn’t enough time out there to catch them nor resources. 

I would highly suggest simplified seasons with less confusion between weapons during time periods.  More targeted patrolling.  Higher rewards for information leading to successful arrests.

[Goshawk]

I've never seen a poaching case where it was just "trying to feed the family".  What I have found is high end optics, nicer trucks than I drive, and good weaponry.  For those folks it's all about a cheap thrill with little or now chance of getting caught. If they do, then odds are the punishment will be a joke of a fine and some community service time. The other side of the coin is the self proclaimed "country boy" who feels everything wild is his to do with as he wants, when he wants.  Add half a rack in the truck and there's your shot and left to rot animal.

Until we get a judge on the bench who is an avid hunter it will continue to be that way.