[zahc]

Latest issue of Wild Ohio (by ODNR DOW) Fall 2003 Has a blurb about poachers caught this year.

One poor guy was caught with "20 packages of deer meat and no tags or documentation of ownership"

Another was a felon and so was not allowed to possess guns. Bam, jail time. Pretty sad. I hope I never become a felon. Does that also apply to bows?

Another had a bunch of mounted antlers and "could not provide evidence that the deer and turkeys were taken legally".

Remember how easy it can be to get on the wrong side of the law.

[TallPine]

My god, do they come in and inspect your freezers in Ohio?

What kind of place is that?

[zahc]

Apparently they got annonymous tips from the TIP program (turn in poacher) i suggest you try to find a copy of the article maybe online.

[cordex]

*shudder*

As much as I hate wasteful hunters, this is simply scary.

"Serf! Prove to me that you obtained that meat legally. Can't? To jail with you!"

[Smoke]

My god, do they come in and inspect your freezers in Ohio?

They do in TX. Don't need a warrant either. Game Wardens are God,:banghead:

They even send them in to syspected drug houses. If thet see something while they're in there. ...warrant is issued for the real cops.



I hope I never become a felon. Does that also apply to bows?

Nope. Ever watch 'Dukes of Hazzard'? :neener:


Sorry. couldn't resist.

[Norm357]

Game wardens are REAL cops.

[Moparmike]

If they are real cops, then they need REAL WARRANTS for entry. This aint my car they can inspect with simple "probable cause" on a tip from Bubba Joe down the way.

[TheeBadOne]

Poachers deserve to R O T. Innocent people deserve peace, Poachers deserve to R O T.

nuff said

[Jim March]

Hey, I've poached before! Sorry, but that's how I *LIKE* my eggs!

:neener:

[WonderNine]

Another was a felon and so was not allowed to possess guns. Bam, jail time. Pretty sad. I hope I never become a felon.

Is it any wonder why our prisons are filled to the brim.

[C.R.Sam]

Some poach for the thrill.
Some poach for a trophy head, and leave the meat.
Some poach for gain, sell the meat.

And a few poach to feed their families.

All bad but in differing degrees.

Sam

[TallPine]

Worse than poaching is trashing the Constitution ....


No warrant, no lookee, unless you plan on shooting me first.

[Sergeant Bob]

One poor guy was caught with "20 packages of deer meat and no tags or documentation of ownership"
I've got the better part of two deer in my freezer, and I'll be da**** if I could come up with the tags for them! (they were on the carcasses when I took them to the rendering plant, so I wouldn't get arrested on the way there)

Another had a bunch of mounted antlers and "could not provide evidence that the deer and turkeys were taken legally".
Never seen a "buck " turkey.:eek: You can find antlers lying on the ground out in the woods, or as I have seen some do, cutting them off of road kills.

I sure hope that mentioned wasn't the only evidence they had, though it wouldn't surprise me as after all, they are the Kings deer!

[zahc]

Pay attention to the quoted section. They didn't claim there were 'buck turkeys'.

Also the antlers were probably connected to part of a skull but I've found several dead deer in the wood (probably wounded and got away) and I saved them skull and all.

I wonder if I'm supposed to get some sort of tag if I find one. What about on the way to get the tag? Get the tag first and go back to the deer so I don't get busted for possesion? I don't want to go to jail:uhoh:

[mrtgbnkr]

What happened to "innocent until proven guilty" and the burden of proof. The burden of proof in a criminal matter is on the state, so I DON'T have to prove that I took the deer legally, they have to prove that I took it illegally...at least that's the way it's supposed to be:banghead: :banghead: :barf:

Mark

[Carlos Cabeza]

A buck turkey is called a Tom. You are supposed to keep the tags with the meat until it is totally consumed. :uhoh:

[TallPine]

You are supposed to keep the tags with the meat until it is totally consumed.

How about the leftovers in the back of the fridge ... ? :rolleyes:

What? Do they do DNA tests on meat in people's freezers? Or on their, uh - no, I won't go there.... (Really, officer, I ate at my neighbor's house last night)

[rock jock]

I'll take the dissenting opinion here and say that if they can't prove the game is legal, it is almost certainly not. Legal hunters follow gaming laws religiously. Poachers are among the most vile people on earth and deserve extreme punishment.

[zahc]

I disagree with your statement. It's like saying all criminals are bad. It depends on the definition of a criminal. It depends which law you are failing to obey.

If it was illegal to wear white shoes I would not judge people who wore them as bad just because the law says so.

I do not get my morality from the law. Ethics in hunting is more important than legality, at least morally. If someone took a deer at the (legally) right time with the right methods then they do not deserve 'extreme punishment' because they misplaced the tags to match the meat in the fridge.

And the Law should not have authority to check thier fridge without the due processes that are often ignored. I don't know the situation exactly I suggest you read the article if you can.

[Carlos Cabeza]

Do they do DNA tests on meat in people's freezers?
I seem to recall a case where DNR officials used DNA testing to prove the sex of an animal in question. The man was charged with illegal poaching or some other crime and did some time IIRC. Let me ask you this, lets say you failed to correctly identify the sex of an animal before making the well placed shot. The animal is instantly killed and you go to recover the animal and find you do not have the correct tag for that sex. Do you leave it to rot and run like hell, or do you harvest it and take your chances ?

[Sergeant Bob]

Pay attention to the quoted section. They didn't claim there were 'buck turkeys'.
Do you mean this quoted section?Another had a bunch of mounted antlers and "could not provide evidence that the deer and turkeys were taken legally".
It was just a joke, OK? A bad joke, admittedly, but a joke. I am quite aware that a male turkey is called a Tom. If you would like us to respond to the "quoted section", maybe you could post the section. All we have to go on is what you posted for discussion.

[meathammer]

What about sharing meat from a legal kill with friends and family? How are they supposed to prove where it came from? I always keep my tags, as you are supposed to, but just by having wild game in your freezer shouldn't make you a criminal.

[zahc]

All we have to go on is what you posted for discussion.

The way I integrated the quote into my sentence was misleading. I was only trying to clear any confusion.

[answerguy]

Rock Jock said:

I'll take the dissenting opinion here and say that if they can't prove the game is legal, it is almost certainly not. Legal hunters follow gaming laws religiously. Poachers are among the most vile people on earth and deserve extreme punishment.

That seems fair. Let's apply it in all situations. You're guilty unless you can prove you are innocent.

Oh yes, I also support those house to house freezer searches, too. :what:

[4v50 Gary]

What Sam sez. It's one thing if you're starving and gotta feed your family and quite another to be a market hunter. Market hunters need to (New Yawk ack-sent) "boin."

There's a '50s book called Hunting the Lawless and it's by a Game Warden. It's a fun read and talks about all these places and poachers he's busted back in the old days. Can you imagine going out at night and taking over a couple hundred or so ducks. :eek: I'm glad he caught them. There'd be nothing for us if he and other wardens didn't do their job.

[XLMiguel]

Where's Tamara with the "Malum per se" vs "Malum prohibitorum" discussion? I love it when she talks dirty:neener:

[Cowboy Preacher]

Is shooting a deer in JUne some how more "evil" than the ones we shoot in November? WHere my dad and grandfather grew up in W Kentucky they went out whatever the time of the year if they needed meat for the table.
If the goverment wants to have seasons on goverment go ahead but, on private land be it yours or land you have permission to be on I say open season it 24/7/365. Flame away boys if I have upset the precious hunter ethics of you all.

[mercedesrules]

on private land be it yours or land you have permission to be on I say open season it 24/7/365.
Right! "Poaching" is a non-crime if I ever heard of one.

"Government land" either belongs to all or it doesn't. If it does, we can use it as our own. If it doesn't, it was stolen, pure and simple.

MR

[cordex]

Is shooting a deer in JUne some how more "evil" than the ones we shoot in November?
Part of the reasoning behind dear seasons is to prevent unweened fawns from starving after their mother is killed.
So I grok, anyway.

[Selfdfenz]

When I was a kid in western NC hard times were not distant relations for some of the kids I went to school with. We're talking dirt poor folks with big families and not much cash.

I have never hunted illegally and never will.

I also never have held it against anyone in any of those families if the Dad shot a deer to feed his kids and had no license just because I did.

These were people that worked every day and paid their way or did without. I don't get to flaming red hot about someone from back in the day that fed their kids this way rather than taking welfare.
S-

[Cowboy Preacher]

What I am say why should there be anything called illeagal hunting? The animals are here to be eaten so lets help that along. One thing that really gets on my nerve is that certain methods are called evil while others are seen as ideal.

Why not use dogs and bait and live decoys to attract game if will work? I see nothing wrong with running a deer down with dogs, after all we use them against coons and bears. Nothing will attract a predator like a couple of live chickens making a bunch of noise. When the big cat or coyote or bear shows up kill the animal. Just my thinking. Yes I may sound like a redneck but why should my methods of taking game change from those of my forefathers just because I hunt for sport and not survival?

[Matt1911]

Here in Indiana,if i am reading this correctly,when you buy you hunting permit,you agree to allow DNR to search you'r house at any time.also it states that all meat/animals,must be labled as when /where they were harvested.