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

[L84Cabo]

Um...Why on earth didn't he simply tag his elk? What possible reason could he have had for not doing so...other than maybe he didn't like being told what to do.

 

[mhayd93]

Sorry, I didn't mean to criticize you personally. I just like to have a little more assurance of my safety from either the structure of a range, great distance or a personal relationship when it comes to firing lethal weapons. But maybe your shoot was about as controlled as a range.

While I don't necessarily disagree with your statement here, I am wondering where your wingman is to like all of your posts??

All jokes aside, I'm with you on this one! I keep a very close circle of who I am around firearms with; of course, that isn't to say that those "breaking the ice" with strangers are inherently wrong.

 

[Koda]

Um...Why on earth didn't he simply tag his elk? What possible reason could he have had for not doing so...other than maybe he didn't like being told what to do.

Im guessing he never had a second tag.

 

[oregonferret]

You mean at the make-your-own-silencer and Tupperware party?

Now you just sound like a weirdo..

 

[Member 52301]

@nwwoodsman Do you know what this guy did to earn his first felony?

That is what I asked from the gitgo in my post.

Cate

 

[OldBroad44]

Um...Why on earth didn't he simply tag his elk? What possible reason could he have had for not doing so...other than maybe he didn't like being told what to do.

As I pointed out in post 38, a common way of poaching is to not use your tag when you get your deer/elk/whatever. If you can get the animal home without running into any check points or LE you can use the tag to get a second animal. Then a third if you still don't use the tag. Etc. Those who live close to where they hunt are pretty likely to be able to get the animals home without running into any surprise check points. Especially when they actually took the animal on their own land, where they don't need to travel on any public roads to get the animal home, and usually have a barn or shed where they can butcher it out of sight. Usually they would have enough warning if LE showed up to tag the animal before he's close enough to catch you with an untagged animal. The law about tagging animals immediately is aimed at trying to prevent this style of poaching or at least making it somewhat harder.

The bad guy in this case was undoubtedly resistant to tagging his elk because he wanted to keep his tag unused so he could take a second elk with it.

 

[Mikej]

Good question. In many locations, for decades, first offenses (well, actually, the first time someone is caught) allow for diversion for nearly every drug offense. Yes, it can be a felony, in reality (at least where I worked and from talking with LEO's from around the country) it's just usually not. Someone is likely to fight a felony. This causes a lot of work for the DDA, possibility of a loss (their win/loss record is important) and now they are busy preparing for this trial instead of pleading out several dozen other cases. Again, they can be a felony, and most of us agree they should be, just not the way it often plays out.

For some reason I hadn't even considered that very real aspect of it. Heck, now days it's probably even more difficult to get a felony seeing as a large amount of former crimes aren't even pursued or ticketed anymore.

Did you mean: tattletail

If the cop's don't show up, Why call them and cause trouble for yourself and someone else.
Why not just take your sh*t , leave and no longer be around that person and know that they are no good?

There are things that can come back at the most inopportune times and bite a person in the back side. This case could have very well been one of those.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I don't understand why elk tags would be given to a convicted felon. If he can't use a gun but is given a tag to hunt elk with a gun. Why not give tags to people who can hunt legally?

 

[ilikegunspdx]

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.

Yep the Michael reinhoel murderer in Portland was a felon caught with a gun in Baker city and released. Then caught with a gun in Portland protest and immediately released. Then he was shot in the arm while trying to steal a gun from a legal carrier at another Portland protest. Was admitted to hospital and police never even showed up. Then he murdered a trump supporter in cold blood in Aug 2020. If not for the us marshals who killed him he would likely be on the streets still today.

 

[WillametteWill]

Yep the Michael reinhoel murderer in Portland was a felon caught with a gun in Baker city and released. Then caught with a gun in Portland protest and immediately released. Then he was shot in the arm while trying to steal a gun from a legal carrier at another Portland protest. Was admitted to hospital and police never even showed up. Then he murdered a trump supporter in cold blood in Aug 2020. If not for the us marshals who killed him he would likely be on the streets still today.

Yes^^^

This is the norm, not the exception. People see this and think, "This fell through the cracks." Sadly, the crack is the size of the Grand Canyon much of the time. Good post @ilikegunspdx !

 

[Mauser maniac]

HOW IT WORKS:
I HUNT FOR ELK ON MY PROPERTY USING DAMAGE ELK TAGS. THEY ARE ISSUED WHEN REQUESTED "ONE" AT A TIME! THERE IS NO LIMIT AS TO HOW MANY PER YEAR CAN BE ISSUED IF THE PROBLEMS PERSIST. A HUNTING LICENSE IS ALSO REQUIRED! IT HAS TO BE A NEW SHOOTER THOUGH. THE HAND WRITTEN TAG (PRINTED) IS MADE UP AT THE FIELD OFFICE OF ODFW AND MUST BE SIGNED ON THE BACK STATING THE THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT A CONVICTED FELON AND CAN POSSESS A FIREARM! "ANY LEGAL WEAPON" IS PRINTED ON THE TAG! IT IS VALID ONLY ON LAND OWNED OR LEASED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER, NOT ON ANY OTHER PROPERTY! ALSO FOR A SPECIFIC TIME LIMIT! HOPE THIS HELPS EXPLAIN IT SOMEWHAT.
IF nwwoodsman HAD A TAG, IT WAS THE ONLY ONE, AS THE OTHER PERSON DID NOT! AS I SAID THEY WILL ONLY ISSUE ME ONE AT A TIME! NO GANGING UP ON A HERD OF COW ELK AS THE TAG IS FOR ANTLERLESS ELK ONLY!!!!!!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I don't understand why elk tags would be given to a convicted felon. If he can't use a gun but is given a tag to hunt elk with a gun. Why not give tags to people who can hunt legally?

A landowner's agent? A permit to effect, not necessarily personally do?

 

[Mauser maniac]

A landowner's agent? A permit to effect, not necessarily personally do?

THE PERMIT IS ISSUED TO A LANDOWNER AND THE CONVICTED TITLE DOES NOT COME INTO PLAY TO ISSUE THE TAG TO THE LANDOWNER FOR A LEGAL HUNTER. NO TATTOO ON THE FOREHEAD STATING THE LEAGALITY OF THE LANDOWNER. THAT LANDOWNER JUST LIED ABOUT HAVING A TAG.

 

[Certaindeaf]

THE PERMIT IS ISSUED TO A LANDOWNER AND THE CONVICTED TITLE DOES NOT COME INTO PLAY TO ISSUE THE TAG TO THE LANDOWNER FOR A LEGAL HUNTER. NO TATTOO ON THE FOREHEAD STATING THE LEAGALITY OF THE LANDOWNER. THAT LANDOWNER JUST LIED ABOUT HAVING A TAG.

Permits of various types are given to private individuals who then can legally subcontract that work out all the time, perhaps as in this case. I don't know.

 

[Flopsweat]

THE PERMIT IS ISSUED TO A LANDOWNER AND THE CONVICTED TITLE DOES NOT COME INTO PLAY TO ISSUE THE TAG TO THE LANDOWNER FOR A LEGAL HUNTER. NO TATTOO ON THE FOREHEAD STATING THE LEAGALITY OF THE LANDOWNER. THAT LANDOWNER JUST LIED ABOUT HAVING A TAG.

Stop yelling.

 

[Flopsweat]

I don't understand why elk tags would be given to a convicted felon. If he can't use a gun but is given a tag to hunt elk with a gun. Why not give tags to people who can hunt legally?

I think the tag was in OP's name, with the bad guy's property as the location.

 

[Yarome]

I have my own feelings about the MYOB policy and snitching, but will refrain from comment.

Bottom line... I think someone might have had their meat goggles on and the entire situation never should have happened in the first place. Considering that wild elk is hands down the most delicious of any PNW big game animal... I get it.

However, taking 10min out of your day to do a little due diligenece on damage control tags would have prevented it all. Or at least led a person to ask the right questions before chosing to participate. It can be scrapped up to "more" fault on the party knowingly and willfully breaking the law, but there is still an amount of personal responsibility on each one of us to know and understand the laws as it pertains to our part in any given situation.

There are ways to have more than 1 active damage control tags at once, but if a guy couldn't immediately and easily explain to me how he came by more than one... major red flag and I woulda made my excuses and bowed out before setting foot on his property or putting a rifle in the hands of someone I don't really know from Jack.

 

[Jcremer24]

What a story! Got pictures of the elk? Thanks for sharing!

 

[DunRanull]

That was a surprise to me. When I started researching sentencing, I assumed he would get around 5 years. I almost started feeling kind of bad for him, facing 5 years over in the clink all for taking an animal, but then I remembered his past, the consequences I was facing and all sympathy was lost.

Not to mention his dishonorable betrayal of your trust.

 

[DunRanull]

Have you had a lot of conversations with elk?

Well, no, not so much really, or with deer either, but I've heard bucks snort...