My rifle seized, a bad guy arrested and the firearm finally returned.

[VinnieBoomBah]

If you ever watch the old TV show Dragnet they will spend weeks and almost countless man hours chasing a check forger or maybe a couple selling fake magazine subscriptions and after all that the bad guys are fined $50.00 and givin a years probation or something.

The more things change . . .

 

[Member 34319]

I know a guy in Vernonia that literally fits the OPs farmer description. Guy was always doing sketchy stuff with guns. Always seemed to never directly be the person buying them, and after he would obtain one, it would be sold privately to someone else almost immediately. He also was trying to get a "reloading" set up to sell ammo to folks. It was entirely too interesting to hear why he had someone else apply for the FFL for his future business instead of himself. Guy is definitely a nice guy, but he definitely was likely a felon and likely couldn't legally own guns much less start a FFL.

 

[Bobbygun]

The landowner would be a lot better off if he asked for a bow instead of a rifle. He made a willful choice and he's lucky it didn't turn out a lot worse. Where do you suppose he got the handgun?

I don't know if the laws are still the same but about 20 years ago my Dad had a large (500+ acres) property and was checking into the landowner damage control tags. I had an unfilled bow tag and he queried the ODFW whether it could be used. They told him no bow tags. Now that they have the "any legal weapon" season instead of rifle season, that may no longer be the case.

 

[The Heretic]

I don't know if the laws are still the same but about 20 years ago my Dad had a large (500+ acres) property and was checking into the landowner damage control tags. I had an unfilled bow tag and he queried the ODFW whether it could be used. They told him no bow tags. Now that they have the "any legal weapon" season instead of rifle season, that may no longer be the case.

Or he could have gone for a black powder rifle

 

[washagonian]

Sorry that happened to you, but glad you got your rifle back.

Great story and well told.

And it demonstrates one of the great maxims of life - as Ned Stark will attest:

 

[BBQ Guy]

Interesting story.
He should have just let you tag both elk, if that is possible. It fixes his problem of felon and firearms. You both get an animal for the freezer and the damage to the crops is lessened.

 

[WillametteWill]

Thank you for sharing this @nwwoodsman . This is what people calling for more gun laws (or falling for the "common sense" and "reasonable" terms) need to understand. First, it is EXTREMELY difficult to become a felon. Second, once you become a felon, there is commonly very little punishment for misdeeds. This is a perfect, and common, example. His punishment was normal, not the outlier. It has been this way for decades.

Here is a glowing (in a bad way) example that the existing laws and processes (could) function perfectly. A law abiding (gun owning) citizen calls authorities. Felon is caught with a handgun and a perfect witness (someone who is making a statement that could go against their own interest) states he was loaned another. Troopers do their job. Case gets sent for prosecution. What happens? Wrist slap.

Yet they continue to add more and more reasonable and common sense laws that effect lawful gun owners.

 

[Bobbygun]

Or he could have gone for a black powder rifle

I wonder. I did a quick Google search and came up with this from NRA/ILA:

Antiques and Replicas
Antique firearm includes any firearm manufactured in or before 1898, any replica of such firearm not designed or redesigned for fixed ammunition, or a replica that uses fixed ammunition that is no longer manufactured in the U.S. and not readily available in ordinary channels of commercial trade.

While generally by definition, firearms laws do not apply to antique firearms, in Oregon those prohibited from possession of firearms, are expressly prohibited from possession of antique firearms.

ETA - Further Google work came up with this definition of "firearm" pertaining to the felon in possession laws:

(3) "Firearm" means a weapon, by whatever name known, which is designed to expel a projectile by the action of powder.

That would seem to cover black powder as well as modern firearms.

 

[Mikej]

First, it is EXTREMELY difficult to become a felon.

Wouldn't a person getting a pound of weed and splitting it up between acquaintances draw a felony if busted 20 years ago? Maybe not in Oregon as it was decriminalize when I moved here in '83. That sounds like a pretty easy to get felony to me? Or someone with some cocaine? People like that aren't a danger to society.

 

[RX-79G]

I don't know why anyone would feel safe hunting alongside a stranger that doesn't even own a hunting rifle.

 

[RX-79G]

Wouldn't a person getting a pound of weed and splitting it up between acquaintances draw a felony if busted 20 years ago? Maybe not in Oregon as it was decriminalize when I moved here in '83. That sounds like a pretty easy to get felony to me? Or someone with some cocaine? People like that aren't a danger to society.

Yeah, when has putting money into the cocaine trade ever hurt anyone?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Yeah, when has putting money into the cocaine trade ever hurt anyone?

Elk don't eat cocaine so we'll never know.

 

[RVTECH]

Elk don't eat cocaine so we'll never know.

But deer do!

 

[RX-79G]

Elk don't eat cocaine so we'll never know.

Have you had a lot of conversations with elk?

 

[SrMachoSolo]

Have you had a lot of conversations with elk?

He's a certain kind of deaf... I think he just has conversations with himself now.

Perhaps he can run for president! I'd vote for him, and so would those two elk.

-Robert

 

[RVTECH]

I get a call from him that the tags are issued

Seriously though - did you actually see BOTH tags or just the one he gave you?

 

[DirectDrive]

Seriously though - did you actually see BOTH tags or just the one he gave you?

Sounds like there was only one tag.
In any event, glad it turned out OK for the OP.

 

[OldBroad44]

Back then there were quite a few felons who had done nothing but use pot plus sell just enough to get their own for free. The one I knew, the husband of a friend, was a Nam vet and had done time before my friend met him. He still used pot almost daily. It helped with the PTSD. Without the pot it was nearly impossible for him to get any sleep. The pot seemed to have little affect on him except for making it possible for him to sleep.

As to why the guy didn't want to tag his elk. This is a well-known method of poaching. The guy who told me about it--an interesting reprobate--he and his wife would both get deer tags. They would go out together, each with one of his guns. He'd usually kill the deer. They'd put deer in back seat. If they hit a check point on the way home, his wife would slap her tag on the deer as soon as they saw the check point. Since they lived in rural Alsea in the mountains rather than needing to drive out of mountains past the major check points, they could usually get the deer home and in the freezer without "using up" either of their tags. Repeated until they had four untagged deer in the freezer. Then they would get two more deer and tag them legally, for a total of six deer on two tags. Six deer was what their family consumed annually. For local residents it was generally easy to take however many deer they wanted on just one or two tags except for one thing-- their kid would go down to the Alcea school and brag about it. And pretty soon everyone would know about it. "Then the deputy comes sniffing around with a warrant for your freezer and accuses you of poaching just because your deer have twelve legs each. Hey, Alcea is a rich valley. Is it our fault if Alcea produces so many 12-legged deer?"

 

[Stomper]

Two pages and NOBODY notices the evidence tag on the box lists the Ruger American in 30-06 as a "bolt action PISTOL"….



All of you stand up, you have a no-go and must retest before you are allowed to proceed past the "perceptive" stage.

 

[DirectDrive]

Two pages and NOBODY notices the evidence tag on the box lists the Ruger American in 30-06 as a "bolt action PISTOL"….



All of you stand up, you have a no-go and must retest before you are allowed to proceed past the "perceptive" stage.

Sorry, sir.
I saw "Ruger American" and stopped reading.