Bagged a deer poacher while turkey hunting

[bobcat]

What does he care about hunting privileges anyway? He didn't have an Idaho hunting license.    I doubt if he even ever considered that he might get caught, because of it being all private land.

[ribka]

Yes Ribka, the doe had a fully formed female fawn.  I won't post any pics, cause it'd push everyone over the edge, but I did show the pics to my 3 sons (13, 12, and 10) who are all learning to be ethical sportsman and while they were fired up at the story...when they saw the pics of the doe with one entire side of it's body rubbed bear of all hair and then of the gutpile and saw the unborn, fully developed spotted fawn...wow, that really hit 'em.  They were visibly sickened and angered to the point that they all sat up from their seats and developed a very personal hatred for poachers.  I know it will have a long lasting impact on them.

The poaching occurred on private property, that did not belong to the step-dad or the property owner of the land I was hunting on.  The Warden contacted the property owner and asked if they wanted to file criminal trespass charges on the poachers and unfortunately the owner felt that the kid had already learned his lesson with everything he had already received, so he just let the trepass part go.   I think the reason that the guy and his girlfriend came over to WA to do his crime was because he felt safe with the large tracks of private land with little pressure or witnesses.  Unfortunately for him, he happened to pick opening weekend of turkey season to come do it.  And of course we turkey hunters like to slink around quietly in camo.

Thanks again. Shame your sons, although a good lesson, had to witness this criminal behavior at such a young age.

You did really good reporting this!!

[goducks]

 

[ORCA_SIX]

Well if you get busted and have your license taken away in Washington, it effects you in 30 or so more states.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Why would someone from IDAHO come to washington to poach deer when Idaho has more deer than washington could dream of ......   Enjoy those points .. The way this state makes laws it will not be long before some people get a free deer tag ....

[Heartsblood]

I really can't wrap my brain around the idea of taking hunting rights away from someone who "hunts" outside of the law already. It would be like banning a bank robber from banks. I guess, the one benefit to taking licenses away from people like this is that they couldn't claim that an animal had been taken legally when it really wasn't. But then again, these folks weren't under any pretense of hunting legally.

Jail time might end up being a decent deterrent...

So glad you guys were there - in the right place at the right time. Thanks.

[saylean]

Booyah! Nice work.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Yeah but poaching this time of year usually means someone may have kids to feed and has no money ,poaching during deer season usually someone trying to be mister big and has to show off all his huge deer he has killed So there is a difference there and I know it is illegal but if someone needs to feed there family then so be it ... Just my opinion...

[Skillet]

Yeah but poaching this time of year usually means someone may have kids to feed and has no money ,poaching during deer season usually someone trying to be mister big and has to show off all his huge deer he has killed So there is a difference there and I know it is illegal but if someone needs to feed there family then so be it ... Just my opinion...

As pointed out before, he had the money to buy the gas to get over here to poach.  You can buy a lot of round steak in family packs for the money it would have cost him to get over there and back.

[Shed Stud]

Yeah but poaching this time of year usually means someone may have kids to feed and has no money ,poaching during deer season usually someone trying to be mister big and has to show off all his huge deer he has killed So there is a difference there and I know it is illegal but if someone needs to feed there family then so be it ... Just my opinion...

If they have no money and kids the state will feed them. There are no exceptions to the rule. No one is allowed to shoot our deer out of season. Please don't try and justify it here.

[Heartsblood]

Yeah but poaching this time of year usually means someone may have kids to feed and has no money ,poaching during deer season usually someone trying to be mister big and has to show off all his huge deer he has killed So there is a difference there and I know it is illegal but if someone needs to feed there family then so be it ... Just my opinion...

I hear ya. And if they have kids, I feel bad for the kids in more ways than this thread could possibly encompass.

Your statement made me think of the fact that many other types of crimes are committed because the perpetrator is also trying to feed their families. It doesn't wash in those cases.  For example: armed robbery to feed ones kids is still armed robbery.

Too, in a sense this type of poaching could be considered armed robbery ...

[BOWHUNTER45]

O.k I will tuck my tail and grawl to the corner now ....

[h20hunter]

If the kids are that hungry they should have sold the quad and used the cash. Or the rifle. Or downgraged the truck. Or something else. Still not an excuse to break the law.

[pianoman9701]

Poaching is almost never to do with hunger. If you ask your local game officer, 9 out of 10 poachers have big trucks, ATVs, nice guns, and own their own home. This is almost always about someone who thinks the law doesn't apply to them. The fact that these hosers dragged a living animal behind them tells me that they have no respect for wildlife or the law. I'm very glad they were caught.

[pianoman9701]

Yes Ribka, the doe had a fully formed female fawn.  I won't post any pics, cause it'd push everyone over the edge, but I did show the pics to my 3 sons (13, 12, and 10) who are all learning to be ethical sportsman and while they were fired up at the story...when they saw the pics of the doe with one entire side of it's body rubbed bear of all hair and then of the gutpile and saw the unborn, fully developed spotted fawn...wow, that really hit 'em.  They were visibly sickened and angered to the point that they all sat up from their seats and developed a very personal hatred for poachers.  I know it will have a long lasting impact on them.

The poaching occurred on private property, that did not belong to the step-dad or the property owner of the land I was hunting on.  The Warden contacted the property owner and asked if they wanted to file criminal trespass charges on the poachers and unfortunately the owner felt that the kid had already learned his lesson with everything he had already received, so he just let the trepass part go.   I think the reason that the guy and his girlfriend came over to WA to do his crime was because he felt safe with the large tracks of private land with little pressure or witnesses.  Unfortunately for him, he happened to pick opening weekend of turkey season to come do it.  And of course we turkey hunters like to slink around quietly in camo.

Thanks again. Shame your sons, although a good lesson, had to witness this criminal behavior at such a young age.

You did really good reporting this!!

On the contrary, I think this was a great lesson for the sons. They got to see that their dad is an ethical hunter and what happens to people who break the law. Nothing leaves an impression on a young person's mind like seeing someone taken away in cuffs and losing their chit.