This encounter I had has been eating at me for a few days… I’m not sure I could have done anything different - but it was just kinda sad/upsetting/frustrating. I had been working on tree stands all afternoon on Friday - I was done stopped into the liquor store and picked up a 12 pack. The gentleman in front of me probably 70-75 years old, suspenders on - clearly a local (I’ve probably seen him before but can’t place him). He see’s that I’m pretty dirty and in muck boots - I guess he assumes I’ve been working because I don’t know him at all. Him: where are you working at? Me: Well today I’m not working - I took the afternoon off to hang tree stands at my hunting property. Him: Oh yeah. My tree stands at night… (gestures with his hand pretending to spotlight deer). Me: (Totally perplexed) Well that’s not good… Him: Got to keep the freezer full anyway I can. Me: I guess that’s one way to do it (smart ass voice). As you can imagine that was pretty much the end of the conversation… What else do you do? Make a scene and call him out? Follow him out and notify the authorities? Move on and hope that he’s just being cute? I’m sure I could have reacted different - it just bothers me people are like that. It eats me up. I put so much into deer hunting - I’ve spent so much money - I’ve tried to pass on marginal bucks hoping they grow big and old - I’ve tried to do things the right way… People suck.
Serenity prayer my friend. If you're unfamiliar: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. If you would have said something, you may have felt better about yourself in the short term, or poorly if the guy got defensive and you got into an argument or something worse. If you call the authorities, they may catch him but probably not, but even if they do, he's not likely to change his behavior anyway. I would have done the same thing, just let it go and understand that you likely can't change what he's going to do to keep himself fed. On the other hand, you could engage in conversation, ask him about his trophy room and then make a more educated decision based on what he shows you. If he's got a large room of shoulder mounts, more investigation might be necessary, but if he's just killing deer to eat, that's a slightly different story. Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
I had an old man contact me about shooting a deer for him, so I said sure. Wouldn't you know that sealed it on not having a single shot at a doe all season. He called me a couple of times to check in. Well finally a young 6 pt gave me a shot and I took him. I gave the older man the buck rack and all. He hugged me in tears and said you have no idea you saved my life. I told him to sell the hide and keep the rack. He scrounge up some scrap wood and made a mount of that 6 pt and gave it back to me. It's the only mount I have other than a 8 pt. I tried my hand at skull mounting. We NEVER really know another's circumstance. Perhaps offering to shoot a doe to help him out would have made you both feel good.
He could have just been pulling your leg too. Never know if he was just telling a story or if he actually does that. If he’s older like that I would guess that he also just comes from a different time and generation and likely have different values than you and others. I put a ton of money into deer hunting too and value the deer like the majority of us do. It would bother me too. But unfortunately that kind of stuff probably goes on a lot more than you would think and more than you know about. I would try not to let it get you down and just stick to your values and educate people who are interested in things like deer hunting and conservation values etc. as best you can anytime the chance arises. Sounds cliche i know but I don’t know of a better message or better way to approach an issue like that I guess. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That woulda been a great thing to say - It’s only my wife and I. A deer or two is all the meat we need - so I typically don’t harvest more than one or two deer in a given season - in fact in my 15 years of hunting I’ve never taken more than two in a season. That would have been a great thing to offer… thank you for that suggestion if I see him again I’d definitely go out of my way to do that. Several great thoughts guys - thank you!
I would've done the same as you. A smartass comment followed by a wave and telling him to have a good hunting season. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Personally, I would blow it off unless you do want to offer to shoot one for him. I have bigger concerns to worry about than an old man maybe or maybe not poaching a deer. Unless he spotlighting and dropping them in my yard, I am not going to worry about it too much.
I wouldn't let it bother me one bit. He's probably just a cranky blow hard that likes to try to get a rise out of folks. There are many that just love to do that. Same as a "troll" in the internet world. What he said is likely 100% B.S. And if it's not, well someone that tells that to total strangers isn't long for getting busted.
only thing I might've done different is say something along the lines of "that's a good way to get your gun and truck seized by the cops" and see what his response was. He might not be aware of the penalties. I say 'might'; he very well might not care either. Guy like that has probably been doing it that way for decades and knows his chances of getting caught at night in Podunk, Indiana are slim. Probably chucks his empty beer cans out the truck window, too.
Ha... Right. His answer was too quick and he was too confident. I guess my frustration/thought/annoyance was - if he's that blatant about it to brag to me in line to get some beer then how many deer has he actually illegally killed in his lifetime? Perhaps you just dismiss it - but I feel like it's hard enough to find poachers - they have the ultimate upper hand on hunters, the authorities and the whitetail - when I guy announces himself if you choose to do nothing about aren't you just as guilty? I think the correct solution came out of this thread - call the authorities is likely going to result in NOTHING. I never really entertained that until I thought about it later that evening. I could have been a little more confrontational - again that wouldn't have solved anything this guy is either jacking with me or he's been doing it way to long for it to matter. I should have grabbed his address/phone number and say hey - I've got this many tags I will bring you as many deer as you think you can eat if you agree to not hunt them at night... Done. I too have bigger things to worry about than who is poaching deer and who isn't in my area. It's like the poor guy on the MeatEater podcast earlier this year who had his entire hunting cabin burned to the ground by poachers - because he tried to make an example out of them. That is just a crazy outcome!! I wasn't about to create a giant stir over some comments in the liquor store. That said, I can't help it that his comments bothered me...
Knowing someone who poached deer - I get the level of frustration. Thankfully after the game commission watched him for a year he was nailed with many charges and fines. He also has had his hunting privileges pulled. Spent time in jail on other charges, he was a mess. Thought the kid got his life squared away. But, nope. This year he tries to get a hunting license, knows he isn't allowed one, and was granted it. How? I have no idea. He now thinks that he is going to kill a Mama bear and his girlfriend is going to shoot the cub that he has on camera. After my husband called him an unsportsmanlike ******* - we told him to come get his fish and to not contact us again. Owning a taxidermy shop - we don't want to associate with people like that. We've been in touch with a game warden friend who now has a bug in his ear and will keep an eye on whats going on. If you don't know the fella or the truth - not much you can do. But, old or young - I have no room for people like that.
No, I realize probably plenty of them really are that brazen of a poacher. When people with that kind of smarts can get away with it for years and years, well, it tells you how poor our country's F&G enforcement is staffed. We have maybe two to four Wardens that cover multiple hunting Units here. I can't remember when the last time was that I encountered one in the field. A solid 10 years or more I'd guess. Pretty sad.
Unfortunately hunting has More than it’s fair share of idiots, A$$holes and especially blow yards. I think the best thing to do is not engage them in their idiocy
When I was younger, and some old geezer made a comment about shooting deer with a spotlight, my go to line was “well when I’m too damn old and useless to actually hunt, I might consider it…” I’m 61 now, and still use that line..
If hes got enough money to buy stuff at the gas station hes got enough money to buy some balogna. Im all for someone killing deer if they are actually living off the land but thats not the case here. Just a crotchety old man who doesnt have any ethics . Best thing to do is just let him go. Sounds like by his age he wont be poaching much longer. Hope he didnt pass that on to his kin if he has any.
Been a long time since I looked into it, but becoming a CO in Indiana was far and away the most difficult LEO job to get in the state. Their initial vetting test was really, really hard. Their PT test was even harder.
I'd have been honest with him - he clearly has enough money to buy booze, he can easily legally obtain meat. I'd not be a ****, but I'd also like him be truthful in what I say back to him. I'm sick of the mentality inside society to not hold another accountable. Being honest or truthful with him won't change him, but at minimum he will know he is in no way welcome inside the same "circle" as I.
