Rant about Poachers.... :(

[Bidah]

Oh are my wife and I bloody peeved!!  Short version of the story.. I had heard 4 shots (same rifle).   I caught 2 guys on our property loading an elk into their truck.  Got pictures, and they were stopped by the sheriff.  After going over the scene with the warden, they had poached a good size bull and another cow in the truck.  We found another cow and a calf dead not far from where he had shot the other two (one guy did all the shooting).  Tore up the mountain with their truck getting up there.  The guy is a convicted felon, just got his hunting privileges back from a previous infraction (I assume poaching as the warden knew him), and was lying trying to save his skin.  So far they have $8000 in fines, not to mention the trespass.  They had not gutted the animals when they were shot, but let them sit all day.  The meat was bad and rotten already.  Dressed out that comes to around 800 pounds of meat, probably more.

The sad part is that they have ruined the elk hunting up there for a least 2 years.  Between the rotting corpses, and him using the truck to get there, they will stay clear of that area for some time.  That is meat for my table, and for my family (I don't own them, I am just lamenting the lost opportunity).. arrgh.  We manage the herds here, not only the elk, but the deer as well. 

Thanks for just letting me rant.. 

-Bidah

[m25operator]

URRGHH!!!!! I am so sorry Bidah, Makes me want to puke,  down here it's 10+ bucks an acre to hunt white tail. Not knowing if some sorry SOB is taking the good stuff at night, leaving the meat and taking the horns. I hope the Sheriff and the GW, take these guys down hard, hard, hard. Here in Texas, if you make a game infraction, they can take your vehicle and sell it, no due process, I have some problems with that, but it does get attention.

[TAB]

Atleast they got the bastard...  normally they don't

[cooptire]

Atleast they got the bastard...  normally they don't

Last year about this time, a poacher from the big city took a shot at a "coyote" from the road. He hit a young man in his goose blind and killed him. Poachers can easily become murderers. Most never get caught. Fortunately, young Beau's killer was caught and convicted. Terrible tragedy that never had to happen. I'm sorry for the trouble caused by the poacher.

[Pathfinder]

All I got was a bunch of pheasant hunters who ground pound a bird from their pickup inside our little town's city limits - which weren't marked. But I called in the Sheriff's deputy, and she busted them for shooting within a quarter mile of occupied dwellings.

A friend in Wyoming lost a bunch of cattle - his neighbors did too - and his only comment was "Where is Tom Horn when you need him?"

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

The bottom line of this is what Bidah said about the consequences - For those of us that play by the rules and even work hard to improve the area we pay the penalty.  Some pay with their lives when poachers kill by accident, some pay through destroyed habitat, some pay through the loss of an encounter in the wild, and some pay by not having fresh wholesome meat on the table for the family.

The main poaching message brought to firearm safety classes in Minnesota by Conservation officers is that poachers steal from everyone.

[Hazcat]

Bidah,

That infuriates me!  I would give my left (something) to have hunting opportunities and these jokers just can't be bothered to do it legal!

Hang 'em!

[shooter32]

I can't tell you how mad this makes me!! Around here it's hard to find a place to hunt because of DAMN Poachers. Can't blame the land owners,the SOB'S leave fences open, shot the live stock and anything else that they want.

Sorry to hear this Bidah!

[Bidah]

It just comes down to karma I guess.  Normally I would not be home on a Sunday, but I was.  My son and I just happened to take a hike back there to check on things at the right time.  We had the day after to survey the damage done.  Today we are having a blizzard and already have close to a foot on the ground.

We are also a bit more alert than we normally would be.  Found out that he/they are staying in a cabin just 1/2 mile up the road from us.

Yes, we are pretty fumed.  There are 5 sections that we help with down near Bozeman.  There are at least 400 head of elk down there.  We have lost several locks each year (caught one guy red handed, he wrote us a check.. dumbass..).  We don't dare park our truck near the gate as they will shoot it if they can't get through the gate.  Wardens have said it is particularly bad this year.

Oh, I am starting a rant again... better go lay in the snow for a bit.. 

-Bidah

[ericire12]

1-800-TIP-MONT

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/poaching/hotline.html