So this is bothering me a bit. Twice this year I have gone hunting with friends who did not buy their tags until after they killed a deer. I did not know they werent legal until after the fact. Once was the opening weekend of bow season and the second was yesterday. Has this happend to anyone else? What did/would you do?
Well if you did NARC on them you could get a pretty good cash reward and it would even be anonymous. But then again you would be a pretty crappy friend. Maybe you should just try talking them in to getting their lifetime's and not having to worry about buying their tags every year. And if you do turn them in, I believe that their crimes are punishable by fines, prison time, and loosing their weapons that were used. I believe they would also be felons and not be able to own/buy guns anymore. But I'm not sure.
I wouldn't hunt with them again until they unscrewed themselves. I don't know if we have any game wardens on here but would guilt by association apply?
Sadly, I don't believe that they get prison time or felony charges - I have a family member who is friends with a pretty serious poacher and he's been in and out of jail for it, but never had felony charges pressed against him (and the only reason he ever went to jail was because he refused to pay the fines).
I wish there was a line that you could cross when poaching that was a felony.
Well, the standard line we use in Hunter Safety is "tell your friend you can't hunt with them until they start following the rules."
That applies both to safety rules and game laws.
I've heard the question about guilt by association asked and answered (by a warden) in class. Basically, once you know or help in taking game illegally, you can become an accomplice, not an innocent bystander. If you knowingly let him illegally transport the deer in youur truck, well....
The statements above about felony charges from shooting a deer illegally are exaggerated, but a fine would usually be assessed. If he's a habitual offender, then that brings on more talk.
An uncle of mine was surprised by a person he was hunting with pulling out a .357 and shooting a deer on state land when deer were not in season. My uncle refused to help him with it, and demanded to leave immediately (he was riding with the other fellow).
As soon as the deer was in the truck, the wardens suddenly appeared and made the arrest. My uncle told the simple truth, and they believed him.
It was all on tape.
That applies both to safety rules and game laws.
I've heard the question about guilt by association asked and answered (by a warden) in class. Basically, once you know or help in taking game illegally, you can become an accomplice, not an innocent bystander. If you knowingly let him illegally transport the deer in youur truck, well....
The statements above about felony charges from shooting a deer illegally are exaggerated, but a fine would usually be assessed. If he's a habitual offender, then that brings on more talk.
An uncle of mine was surprised by a person he was hunting with pulling out a .357 and shooting a deer on state land when deer were not in season. My uncle refused to help him with it, and demanded to leave immediately (he was riding with the other fellow).
As soon as the deer was in the truck, the wardens suddenly appeared and made the arrest. My uncle told the simple truth, and they believed him.
It was all on tape.
You could PM me your friends name!
but seriously: I would refuse to go with them and be very clear why
i wouldnt hunt with them again. i have stopped hunting with a friend because he would shoot way over his limit on dove. now i have gone over once or twice by 1 or 2 because of loosing then finding them. but this cat would intentionaly shoot way above the limit. no amount of explaining why this was ****** ever worked so he is banned. eff him too i say.
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I will not associate with people who I know willfully violate game laws.
I have yet to drop a dime on a relative but I've been real tempted a time or two.
I used to work with a fellow that like to brag about his "hunting" exploits and how he used to sneak on to private property and take 3-4 does with a .22 mag.
One afternoon while he regaled several co-workers with his stories I made the comment - So, what you are telling us is that you are just a filthy G_D poacher isn't it? I thought he was going to jump me. We had "issues" the rest of the time we worked together. I just refused to have anything to do with him out side of the work related requirements.
I have yet to drop a dime on a relative but I've been real tempted a time or two.
I used to work with a fellow that like to brag about his "hunting" exploits and how he used to sneak on to private property and take 3-4 does with a .22 mag.
One afternoon while he regaled several co-workers with his stories I made the comment - So, what you are telling us is that you are just a filthy G_D poacher isn't it? I thought he was going to jump me. We had "issues" the rest of the time we worked together. I just refused to have anything to do with him out side of the work related requirements.
I know how you feel being a buddy and all. I was camping in the Sierras in California over a Memorial Weekend (I lived in Cali. until 98). Buddy of mine got up at 4:00 am to go "scout for deer" for the upcoming season. He came back about two hours later with the backstraps from a couple of doe he shot with a 22. I couldn't believe it! I was pissed off to no end. I didn't turn him in, but I never hunted/went camping with him again. Out there, there is no doe season. Big no no to shoot a doe in or out of season.
If it were me, I would NOT hunt with this dude again. I will defer to what my Dad told me when I was young and I quote "When you are around trouble, you are in trouble."
If it were me, I would NOT hunt with this dude again. I will defer to what my Dad told me when I was young and I quote "When you are around trouble, you are in trouble."
I would not turn them in, but I would also distance myself from them. It would dive a wedge in the relationship... Integrity issue.
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