Finch's thread got me thinking... This past weekend was youth rifle season in Oklahoma. My friends and I headed NW to a place we hunt that is a lot of fun due to the shear numbers of deer. Well we have two places to hunt (the small yellow area at the top left, and the huge chunk to the bottom right). The piece on the top left isn't exclusive permission. The place on the top right is simply a travel corridor the deer move off the alfalfa fields (green dots) and back to the river bottom and up into the sand hills. Anyway long story short we heard a TON of gun shots in this direction as we were hunting the SE piece. We found out that a guy killed 8 basket rack bucks with his son off the NE piece of land that we hunt. The worst part, he was in a tower blind that WE built. Talk about fired up... I was ready to rumble. You'll see the same deer on both pieces throughout the season. So, 8 bucks that were gonna be good to go in 2010 or 2011 are... no more. The guy got fined $500 for each deer over the limit and received a couple of fines for not having tags. They should have taken his truck, guns and him to jail. I was NOT happy.
EIGHT DEER ??? That blows, Dub. Glad he was caught and "kinda" suffered, a little. Hope you have no future issues and may God bless you with plenty of monster bucks on these properties in the seasons to come
We had a similar poaching problem near my house about 8 years back. We would hear a rifle shot in the middle of the night and by the time we got down there, all we saw was a blood path going to the road. One night the warden camped out up in the woods and shortly after his stakeout started he was headed to town with 2 poachers, 2 rifles, 2 bows, and a tow truck was on the way for their truck. Justice was served, and they admitted to taking 3 does that month out of the field. At least they were slapped with a fine in your situation, but unfortunatly you can't replace those young bucks.
Thats a bummer dustin, sorry to hear about that. im thinking in ohio he would have gotten a way bigger punshiment.
lol, thanks man. I guess I was disappointed that they didn't make an example in front of his son. One point my buddy made was this... He said,"Let's say I go on an outfitter hunt, it's going to cost me $2500, roughly. If I come out here and shoot my legal buck and then a monster steps out... what's to keep me from pegging him too (aside from his own morals) knowing that I'm going to get a $500 fine and keep the deer? It's $2000 cheaper to break the law!"
Damn Dustin... that really sucks... you should've put your playa boots somewhere where the sun don't shine! I can't stand poachers... I know of one guy that has bragged about poaching several bucks from my "honey hole" property, but I just truly don't know if he has or not. I am just kinda on hold now though... I know that he personally poaches between 20-30 deer per year and 15-20 turkey per year.... as soon as I hear about his next "kill" I am calling the PGC. I know how much the guy makes per week (nets roughly $1,200) and tells people that he shoots the deer because "it's the only way to put food on the table") S.O.B. is goin down this year!!!!!
Sucks about the poacher, but the thing about being cheaper that you mentioned although true it is the hunters with morals and ethics that keep us in a good light. It takes one poacher to destroy the goodwill of 100 good hunters.
My thoughts exactly John. Jason... my playa boots were beggin' :D But since it was youth rifle season, I was carrying my bow and the guy obviously didnt have much regard for the law... I restrained myself. :D
Come on Dustin... your playa boots mixed with that hat are more than enough to ward off anybody! You should have let them feel the wrath of a pissed of redneck! :D Diamond Don would have haha :D
Well that and I'd hate to make my playa boots stink. :D Diamond Don would have still been driving out there... turning a 180 mile jont into a 6 hour road trip :D
That totally sucks. Glad to see that they caught the guy but wish that they would have taught him a lesson that his son would remember for his entire life.
Dubs, that scum will be back .... if you know who he is, and where to find him, you might want to pay him a friendly visit ...he'll be back ...once a scum ..... ugh ... I'm sorry for ya, dude ..
