Aberdeen Weyerhauser Poaching

[Dark2Dark]

I don't hunt the Aberdeen area but I do have the permit for the ST Helens area.  I have seen all of the above with my own 2 eyes.  Trucks driving into area at night. Areas I know do not have any camps in them and well past dark.  Hearing gun shots well past dark and then finding gut piles the next day when I know I was the last one out of the area the night before.  I personally reported 4 different gate problems my self.  Locks missing and gates left open all night long.  Loggers locks used to open gates where no active logging is going on but it is a more convenient access point for them.  Keep a count and saw 7 trucks with no permit hanging just during rifle elk season.   Just last weekend was in the 550 unit and saw 2 guys fully decked out in hunting gear in a unit with no late season.   While the permits have slowed it down, the problems still happen and I cant tell you how many people I know with keys they shouldn't have. Yes some have been turned in but you will never stop it all.  Too many ways into and out of the woods to watch it all.

I have seen and heard of a lot of cougars in 550. They could have had guns, but I’m also in full hunting gear whenever I’m scouting, pulling cams, etc.

I called in a dead elk next to the road one time that I was sure was poached. The game warden informed me that the elk was found towards the tail of the season and he could back track to see where it looked like someone had simply lost the animal.

He had chopped the head/rack off to spare others the temptation. So, the headless elk I found with a bullet hole in it wasn’t as clear cut of a poaching case as it appeared.

[Skyvalhunter]

How do you call in a dead elk?

[headshot5]

How do you call in a dead elk?

Use your cell phone to call in the incident to the game warden I would imagine.

[Wanttohuntmore]

How do you call in a dead elk?

 

[BA Mongor]

Just because you see me with a rifle in a closed unit with no big game season doesn't mean I'm doing something shady. For me, it means I'm killing coyotes or cats.

I have a far larger problem with the hound guys up in cat areas running their dogs after "raccoon and coyotes" !!! I like hound hunting, but it sure is nice to find some unmolested cat tracks. I usually have to walk or use gated areas to get away from them.

[grundy53]

I rarely go into the woods unarmed. Sure as heck if I did I would see a coyote or a bobcat. Or I would have my one opportunity to kill a cougar.

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[Lumpy Taters]

While agree there is legitimate reasons to be in the woods with guns even after the general hunting seasons end.  For example Cougar season lasts well into the next year.  I too have seen animals that the WDFW has removed antlers and such because they don't want someone else taking them or dissecting a carcass to look for evidence.  But I have never seen them take both back straps and nothing else off a cow or doe.  The area the OP was talking about is closed at night.  The area I was talking about did not have any late seasons after riffle deer.   Yes I know there is some special permits out there. But when you approach someone sitting somewhere and they take off in hurry like you are the boogey man it only adds to the suspicion.  Most people out enjoying the scenery will wave say hello or BS your ear off for an hour.  Not take off the they were shot at. 

[Igottanewknee]

While agree there is legitimate reasons to be in the woods with guns even after the general hunting seasons end.  For example Cougar season lasts well into the next year.  I too have seen animals that the WDFW has removed antlers and such because they don't want someone else taking them or dissecting a carcass to look for evidence.  But I have never seen them take both back straps and nothing else off a cow or doe.  The area the OP was talking about is closed at night.  The area I was talking about did not have any late seasons after riffle deer.   Yes I know there is some special permits out there. But when you approach someone sitting somewhere and they take off in hurry like you are the boogey man it only adds to the suspicion.  Most people out enjoying the scenery will wave say hello or BS your ear off for an hour.  Not take off the they were shot at.

I never BS longer than 10 minutes, and only hide from the boogeyman when I'm mushroom hunting. Must keep my spots under the radar. 
I will say I've seen back straps and hind quarters removed from does over the years at Vail. Game wardens would take your name and contact information and never be heard from.

[Casey]

2 more dead elk. One shot with no meat taken. This bull was found today. Second elk was found a couple weeks ago. Quarters were taken and head was taken. Also they tried covering the elk with brush to hide it.







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[Bullkllr]

Sickening.

You would think with limited access points enforcement would be easier if they even cared to try, which it appears they don't. 

Make sure you report and keep reporting to Weyco and WDFW.

[actionshooter]

Inside the Weyco gates? I would be surprised if it were someone with a pass, but then again 

[Casey]

Inside the Weyco gates? I would be surprised if it were someone with a pass, but then again 

Yes it is inside the weyco gates. I find poached elk every year behind the gates. Always right off the mainline where a rifle can easily dump it and drive off.


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[Norman89]

Sickening.

You would think with limited access points enforcement would be easier if they even cared to try, which it appears they don't. 

Make sure you report and keep reporting to Weyco and WDFW.

Not to try to take this a political direction, but in my mind law enforcement of all kinds are leaving this state in drives to try to save themselves and I can't blame them. I have noticed a nasty lack of enforcement in the woods all around me the last year or so, my local warden and one Hancock guard the only ones I have seen. I reported what I think was a poached elk I found while running my trap line in February I found on the side of the road to my local warden and he already knew about it which surprised me since I check traps at dark usually so he caught wind of it with 24 hrs of it happening. I also carry a weapon year round while checking my cameras, running traps, scouting, mushroom picking. My truck is never hidden and I stop to talk with anyone I see but if I'm off the path and someone comes by I don't know I hit the dirt. Had enough traps stolen and messed with I don't attract any attention unless I'm in my truck. I think with our current climate the poaching will get worse but not as seen here, more find a gut pile and that's it. People willing to bend and break rules to put food on the table, especially seeing that much more violent and severe crimes go unpunished across the country. I have also noticed a uptick in garbage dumping, wreck less camp fires, and gates being vandalized and broke into

[Bullkllr]

 :yeah:And it's even sadder and more maddening when it's happening in 'pay to access areas'

[highcountry_hunter]

Sickening.

You would think with limited access points enforcement would be easier if they even cared to try, which it appears they don't. 

Make sure you report and keep reporting to Weyco and WDFW.

Not sure how the game wardens are on the Westside but in NE washington that’s the last thing you want to do. I’m not sure what it is about the wardens in this area but they are all grade A pricks. 3 of my close personal friends have called in poached animals and had to go through rigorous investigations to defend themselves. Yes, the reporter of poaching had to defend himself from our fine WDFW agents accusing them of being the poacher. In fact one of my good buddy’s dad’s even had is rifle confiscated for over a year after reporting a poached moose along a forest service road and then leading the wardens to the carcass.