Landowner frustrated with F&W

Mike_W · #1 11-12-2013, 04:47 PM

I hunt a piece of property about 1.5 hours away it's a mix of 6 private quarters and 6 lease land quarters.
Well Sunday evening a few minutes after legal light a poacher shot a buck from the road. Being close to his home quarter and his adult son and grandson hunting only a 150 yards in they were able to rush out and confront the guy. Well the guy claimed he shot from the road at the deer in the ditch and he didn't need permission to access his lease to get the animal.
Only once the landowners son ( first on scene ) arrived did they proceed to tag the animal (the buck was back at the road).
Fish and wildlife were called out and in the end the buck was confiscated and the shooter was given $150 ticket..... That's it! WTF!!

A ticket not even twice what it would cost to fill his truck.

Ok so to summarize shooting 10 min after legal light, shoot from a road, more than likely off the hood , up a road and into the ditch, trespassing and failure to to immediately tag an animal. All he got was $150 ticket what a joke. This is the same fish cop who stopped me leaving this same land owners place a couple years back and was telling me what a problem night hunting and decapitating bucks and general poaching was out there.
Then the landowner hands a group of four guys over on a platter and all they get is one ticket for $150. Unreal what a way to discourage poaching.

Sorry rant over.

fordtruckin · #2 11-12-2013, 04:52 PM

As much as that sucks I'd be thankful that they at least got caught, punished and will have some type of a record for it. As for the amount, I think you summarize it up quite nicely when you say "more than likely off the hood". You can't go giving tickets off of "more than likely", doesn't quite work that way...

stickflicker · #3 11-12-2013, 04:55 PM

In addition to the $150 that also comes with license suspension and the need to requalify after 1 year suspension I believe.
Sucks all around though.

CaberTosser · #4 11-12-2013, 05:40 PM

Plus at least their names are now in the system, if they get snagged again things will not likely go their way quite so easily, now that their history is established in a gov't database. I agree its too light a punishment, but the responding officer needs to have certain irrefutable proofs to lay certain charges and perhaps the stars had not aligned for that.

H380 · #5 11-12-2013, 05:58 PM

What was the ticket for ? Trespass ?

Mike_W · #6 11-12-2013, 06:24 PM

I think it was for shooting along a roadway.
He admitted to shooting from the road into the ditch.

Mickey · #7 11-12-2013, 06:30 PM

I agree with mike. This is total bs.
An opportunity to hammer some fools comes up and they get a slap on the wrist. They needed to be made an example of and got off light.

braveheart_77 · #8 11-12-2013, 06:39 PM

land owner should have called the cops too and pressed charges for trespass

ishootbambi · #9 11-12-2013, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stickflicker

In addition to the $150 that also comes with license suspension and the need to requalify after 1 year suspension I believe.
Sucks all around though.

i dont think thats how it works. a fish cop can hand you a summons, but licensing issues generally go to the courts for decision. think about traffic stuff. a cop can give you a speeding ticket, but only a judge can suspend your license. im guessing with minimal evidence.....sorry, but i think i saw something doesnt stand up in court....the fish cop did the best he could to deter that kind of activity.

i think we can all agree that this needs to be discouraged.....but remember we have a judicial system in this country that demands evidence of guilt. without enough evidence....the courts cant do much. and really.....thats a good thing.

the moral of the story? if you witness this crap....gather undesputable facts. pictures are gold. a simple "i saw it" isnt enough.

igorot · #10 11-12-2013, 07:59 PM

How would you think a prospective employee will react with charges of illegal activities. This guy might just laugh at it but in the end it will catch up to them later. Justice work in mysterious ways, don't sweat it.

1shotwade · #11 11-12-2013, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorot

How would you think a prospective employee will react with charges of illegal activities. This guy might just laugh at it but in the end it will catch up to them later. Justice work in mysterious ways, don't sweat it.

Sadly this won't show up on any background check! It is not a criminal offence. it's just like a speeding ticket.

Mike_W · #12 11-12-2013, 08:36 PM

The fish cop was on scenes once called out. Drag marks are evident he admitted to shooting off the road and into the ditch as "he is allowed to".

I personally think more could be done I believe the landowner will be pressing trespass charges as the fish cop wouldn't.

MathewsArcher · #13 11-12-2013, 09:45 PM

Was this an oil lease road or another road held under disposition? If so, it may have been perfectly legal to shoot from it.

huntinstuff · #14 11-12-2013, 09:47 PM

He got a ticket

That means nothing.

He still pleads guilty or not guilty.

Mike_W · #15 11-12-2013, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MathewsArcher

Was this an oil lease road or another road held under disposition? If so, it may have been perfectly legal to shoot from it.

No it was a twp road that sees a good volume of traffic and is regularly maintained by the county.

FCLightning · #16 11-13-2013, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braveheart_77

land owner should have called the cops too and pressed charges for trespass

Wouldn't stick without advance notice.

stickflicker · #17 11-13-2013, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

i dont think thats how it works. a fish cop can hand you a summons, but licensing issues generally go to the courts for decision. think about traffic stuff. a cop can give you a speeding ticket, but only a judge can suspend your license.

Yes, if convicted he loses his license for 1 year.

igorot · #18 11-13-2013, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

Sadly this won't show up on any background check! It is not a criminal offence. it's just like a speeding ticket.

This all depends on what position and requirements of background check. I saw it ruin a person career because of his stupid mistakes.

jamesonepp · #19 11-13-2013, 08:35 AM

IMHO, probably the biggest reason that poaching exists like it does, is directly related to how easy it is. I mean, really, why bother to go out, get a license, scout terrain, set up cameras, stands, etc. and spend hours, days, whatever it takes to get your prize... When any numbnuts can drive down a lonely Twp road, and drop the first animal they see? We have so much land here that even the likelihood of them being seen is slim, not to mention that the person who sees them knows enough to call it in, and for F&W to get there fast enough... (Head shake)
And in the rare event that they do get caught, no animal and $150 ticket. Seriously? Makes me wonder how many other animals this idiot has taken. Obviously doesn't care. He's probably the same guy that drives like a maniac a and just pays the price of the photo radar tickets as a cost of driving...

Schatz · #20 11-13-2013, 07:27 PM

Just curious how this would be labeled as trespassing? And if the guys were 150 yards away from the shooter i don't feel he was given appropriate time to tag the animal. Although shooting after legal light, yes certainly poaching.

Mike_W · #21 11-13-2013, 08:20 PM

The animal died about 40 yard from the ditch onto the landowners property.... The landowners son went back to his truck and out to the road when he got there they were just dragging the animal up on the road only at that point did they decided to tag it.

Schatz · #22 11-14-2013, 06:25 AM

Wow yeah should have license revoked instantly

elkhunter11 · #23 11-14-2013, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Just curious how this would be labeled as trespassing?

Definitely trespassing.

Quote:

The animal died about 40 yard from the ditch onto the landowners property.... The landowners son went back to his truck and out to the road when he got there they were just dragging the animal up on the road only at that point did they decided to tag it.

Even though it was after the animal was shot, these people entered the private property to retrieve the animal, which is clearly trespassing. Because of the changes in 2011, the shooter could be charged under the Wildlife Act, for the trespassing, and a suspension could result.

Pincherguy · #24 11-14-2013, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stickflicker

In addition to the $150 that also comes with license suspension and the need to requalify after 1 year suspension I believe.
Sucks all around though.

unless they have change the law there is no suspension for shooting from the road. I know a guy that did that a few years ago and he retained his licence but lost the deer and his tag. Hopefully they charge him with something that would cost him his licence.

Mike_W · #25 11-14-2013, 08:38 AM

Oh I forgot the kicker....the truck had farm plates.....dang city slickers.