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im personally really on the fence about this stuff. living in one of the worst poaching areas in oregon, knowing, personally, guys who do it to feed their families, i have a hard time accepting the arguments. on the flipside, i've also seen plenty of redneck bubblegum poachers, tearing up and down logging roads with muzzles poking out of their windows, taking shots any any deer, doe or buck, young or old. these are obviously the guys you're after- but where do you draw the line?

i do think that shooting certain animals is irresponsible. there's really no excuse for poaching big horn or antelope when there's deer and elk all over the place. but at the same time, who am i to judge? when you're hungry and looking at a nice fat ram through your glass, "ethics" probably dont mean much.

i also don't think that saving trophies from poached animals is any indicator of worth or intent. if you're gonna risk your personal liberty to feed your family, why wouldnt you go on ahead and save the rack/horn/whatever? especially antlers- they're useful for bringing in more game later.
 
Wow, I used to live in the itty bitty town of Richland, Or.

I hope those 6 days in jail are filled with romance, soft lights and Bubba in the semi-private corner cell. I hope he never has guns again too.

Equating jail rape with poaching is a bit much in my opinion.
 
Posted by bkb0000 (i do think that shooting certain animals is irresponsible. there's really no excuse for poaching big horn or antelope when there's deer and elk all over the place.) The line between needing and wanting is thinner to some. Lets say that if I stumbled across a man and his son in the middle of July with a Doe, I would probably give them a hand as that situation is fairly easy to read. If I came across a man with two fine herd bulls down while in the middle of deer season, (and I have) well,,not so much. He was a thrill killer that just couldn't pass up the opportunity to kill when given the chance, the worst kind of poacher. This subject is very paradoxical to some. If you NEED the meat to feed your family, I would tend to look the other way. But if it's a WANT thing and your driving a $40k 4x4 while living in a $250k home and employed,, well I gotta call BS on that. Yes I know, I will probably get blasted here as many see no grey area on this subject. So I have to agree with you, I too am on the fence when it comes to some forms of poaching. But, that's just my two cents. I'll throw it out to others here to decide how they personally feel about it. So what do you members think,, where do you draw the line between needing and wanting?
 
If you keep the rack, horns, pelt whatever than you are a trophy poacher. If someone is truly doing it to feed their family out of necessity then the trophy for them would be full bellies on the kids. I myself if resorting to illegal activity to feed family would not have the evidence after the fact.
 
I suspect most poaching is out of want rather than need. Unless one lives in an area where the availability of animals is basically 'right out the front door' and far enough out to be completely shielded from LE, neighbors etc. poaching could be an expensive and difficult proposition when you factor in just having to figure a way to 'cover your tracks' from the kill to the freezer. Most of the poached animals I have found in the woods have been only partially dressed out or had just the antlers cut off. Several years ago I found a pile of Elk north of Redmond and only the antlers had been taken. It seems whenever a poaching story makes it to the news there are multiple animals involved and 'need' does not appear to be the motive. I agree with Blitz in that,
it's a way of life and he will likely never stop poaching
 
My father had a saying whenever such a discussion came up: "If everybody only took what they needed, there'd be no need for game laws." There's certainly room for some debate in what Dad said, but his general premise is true. With a wife and three kids, we were dirt poor, but I never remember going hungry. I remember going to a neighbor kid's house to spend the night when I was twelve. Dinner was beef T-bone. I didn't know what it was, or even how to eat it (that bubbly yellow stuff around the edge, I was finally told, was fat---and pretty good too!). We killed what we needed when we needed, and ate all we killed.
Poaching? Yes. Equivalent to this guy's offense(s)? I think not.
 
My father had a saying whenever such a discussion came up: "If everybody only took what they needed, there'd be no need for game laws." There's certainly room for some debate in what Dad said, but his general premise is true. With a wife and three kids, we were dirt poor, but I never remember going hungry. I remember going to a neighbor kid's house to spend the night when I was twelve. Dinner was beef T-bone. I didn't know what it was, or even how to eat it (that bubbly yellow stuff around the edge, I was finally told, was fat---and pretty good too!). We killed what we needed when we needed, and ate all we killed.
Poaching? Yes. Equivalent to this guy's offense(s)? I think not.

I grew up the same way. When the freezer would get low, Dad and I would go out an take a deer or elk (since they walked right through the back yard) and use pretty much the entire thing.

My boy will grow up the same.
 
I doubt he ate the bobcat! I also think that if things are so tight you have to poach to feed the kids you don't have any business on the other side of the state hunting.

How much does a familiy get in foodstamp $$ every month now?
 
I doubt he ate the bobcat! I also think that if things are so tight you have to poach to feed the kids you don't have any business on the other side of the state hunting.

How much does a familiy get in foodstamp $$ every month now?

There are many options aren't there. Don't underestimate bobcat meat though my friend, it's delicious, both it and cougar are very palatable!
 
when you're hungry and looking at a nice fat ram through your glass, "ethics" probably dont mean much.

changing the quote to fix the context...

when you're hungry, and you're 350 miles from home, looking at a 15 hour round trip, and you're looking at a nice fat ram through your glass, and you have no tag and no license, but could afford the rifle and binos and $140 in gasoline, ethics don't mean much
 
What about the humane society? They are doin a pretty fine job, of poaching all your game animals as well. Mt. Lion, Wolves, the new breed of Columbia River Sea Lion. They protect these poachers with big lawsuits,,, :s0114:


Cause we all know america's problems are fixed. Let's give this guy life in prison for poaching,,,:p


Look at Kommiefornia, there is little space for criminals. They are being forced to release thousands of criminals. Let's save the prison space for the real criminals. Oh maybe, like these illegals goin around raping little girls,,,
 
Why the long face?

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I was inclined to say that maybe there should be some kind of subsistence tags that could be issued to people who qualified, but I know folks who get food stamps and they really eat pretty well. Still, there's something about going out and getting your food instead of having the government give it to you that's appealing. No easy answers here.
 
Let's see... he hunted without a license when he COULD get one, why wouldn't he continue to hunt when he CAN'T get one??

Lots of good points here, some of them contradictory;
Yes he got off easy, but the jail space certainly could be better-used. Perhaps some SERIOUS community service, like a years worth??
Most despise poachers of this apparent ilk, but many, including myself, have little or no objection to someone feeding their family. Legally they are one-in-the-same, but morally?? Hardly.
 
Let's see... he hunted without a license when he COULD get one, why wouldn't he continue to hunt when he CAN'T get one??

Lots of good points here, some of them contradictory;
Yes he got off easy, but the jail space certainly could be better-used. Perhaps some SERIOUS community service, like a years worth??
Most despise poachers of this apparent ilk, but many, including myself, have little or no objection to someone feeding their family. Legally they are one-in-the-same, but morally?? Hardly.

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