This issue hits close to home for me. My father lives near Flippin Arkansas and yes he worked at the Ranger factory previously, hahaha. Anyway there was a family down there and the father couldn't afford to feed the family and was know to take game illegally. As urban legend or hillbilly truth has it, the game warned tipped of the wrong redneck and advised that he planned to go after the guy for poaching. Word has it that a posse showed up and had a conversation with the warden about where he wanted to be buried with his vehicle. Now I know my dad likes to stretch the truth but my step brother also told me that a group confronted a warden on his way in to an alleged poachers house and rectified the issue without any harm being done. This was in rural Ralph, Arkansas near Yellville. The way I see it many locals stuck their neck out if this story is true and made it known that this man was surviving by the only means he had. I for one could turn the cheek and let the man feed his family, or perhaps I would shoot a doe or two and donate them to save him the time
Whats the difference between a road killed deer and one I shoot out of season? Picking up the road killed deer is just as illegal here as shooting one out of season. If its a game animal and its taken, harvested, picked up, poaching is poaching no matter the means. I'll get ticketed and fined either way. At least if I poach it myself I know when it was killed and all the meat will be able to be used.
Some of you guys would be ok with killing a wounded deer to put it out of its misery and not tagging it...... yet you would have a problem with someone taking one to feed the family ..... America is fat and prosperous .... even the poor folk are rich compared to some of theseother countries ...... with our current president, we just may begin what REAL hunger is ....
Christine, you make valid points, as do all the other replies. Again, no wrong answer here, no right answer either. I'm just discussing, and have been known to play devil's advocate before is all..... I've never lived through a depression. I've never had to stand in a bread line for food. Don't get me wrong, money don't grow on trees around here but I've been blessed to have always had a roof over my head and food on the table. So to tell you I know how I would act would be a lie, because I don't. BUT I do know that if I had to, I would do it. And if someone I knew was, I wouldn't breath a word.
This is 100% correct. If people would keep this post in mind, the world would be so much better. As for the question asked...if it came down to me taking a deer out of season or my family going hungry, a deer is going to hit the ground. I don't think it would ever come to that for several reasons. 1st, if you look at the amount of money I spend on hunting products, I could easily purchase more lbs per dollar than I kill. Also, I take alot of deer (does) during the season which provides me with enough meat until the season starts again and my family does not eat beef, we eat deer, 12 months a year.
Took the words right out of my mouth. Way too many other alternatives as a so called "last resort". I would also like to see what kind of weapon and camo is being used for these last resorts to feed the family. I wouldn't condone it because there are too many other options.
I would do it in a heartbeat, but every precaution would take place so as to ensure not ending up in the slammer. Bow is the best way, as a blast in the woods generates suspicious activity 'round here.
Call it what you will, but if it came down to it there would be some critters that mysteriously got missing. And I'd turn a cheek on the man that is doing the same for his family. But in all honesty, we shouldn't have to turn our cheek we should help said man out. The Lord has blessed me with a job that affords me alot of luxuries that I can do without before I see another man/family go hungry. I hope that I would help said people out before they had the chance to ask for it.
If my family is starving... I'm going to provide. Period. It'll be the simplest and most economic way possible. If a deer walks through the yard, it's getting shot. If I can't afford $1.50 for a box of macaroni and cheese, what makes you think I'm going to spend $2.00 on a gallon of gas to hit the highway in hopes of finding roadkill? Rifle, shotgun, handgun, recurve, compound, or front bumber... whatever it takes. If I'm in a position of starvation, chances are that there won't be any food at the food kitchen and god knows that there won't be any roadkill left on the roads. If you were truly in a position of STARVATION, not severe hunger, and you wouldn't kill something to eat if it was out of season... I'd hate to be your kid.
I have been reading this post and debating how I feel about this and this is what I have come up with. I do not think that I would turn in someone in this position, however I would in no way condone (edit: or condem) it either. I think there are plenty of avenues one can go before being driven to break the law. Also if I knew of the situation I would offer to help the individual as much as possible. To me poaching a deer to feed your family is the same as stealing from a grocery store to feed your family. Both break the law. Now with all that said would I do it if I was in the position...I dunno depends on how desperate I got I guess. Very tough question and all good responses.
Ya know, thinking about it, I could sell my 4 wheeler a couple of bows and blackpowder guns, my tractor, lots of "stuff" before I ever have to worry about me and mine. That hypothetical "other guy", how many guns and or bows does he still own? Just one I hope if he has to resort to what this thread addresses.
Yeah this being hypothetical (though could easily be a reality for some) it's very difficult to say what the surrouding circumstances would be. And Greg, I would agree with you. If I have stuff I can sell I'm going to sell them. IF I can find someone to buy them. This is one of those situations we could "What if?" to death.
It's also a good lesson learning how to survive difficult times by doing things the right way. Builds character. Would you rather teach that child that when times are tough resort to the easy way out? Chips are down do what you have to do even if it's illegal and unethical? What if they carry that concept with everything they do in their life?
Greg, I agree. The situation I'm depicting in my mind would something similar to a modern day depression. It doesn't matter if you have all the stuff in the world, if nobody has the money to buy it... then it's worth nothing. If nobody else has any food to trade for it... it's worth nothing. I'm talking about super serious near fatal conditions. GABowhunter, you're right, wrong is wrong. But, am I going to let my child starve to death (again assuming the most drastic of conditions)or steal from the grocery store? That's a no brainer. The situation I'm painting isn't a pretty one... Also, we're assuming that "the grocery store" still has food... which may or may not be the case. If nobody has money to spend at the store, who's going to pay the ranchers for their cattle? It's the viscous cycle we all dread... however at some point, the law means nothing.
It almost seems to me that we are picturing different situations. I see in this question a person that has lost his job in today's society. No job no money with too much pride to ask for help. It seems that you are almost picturing an end of the world/collapse of the government situation in which case how would/could you still abide by "old" laws. I think the two situations are very different. I really hope that I am not coming across wrong. I would not condem someone for it. Like I said in my original post this is a tough question very thought provoking.
I agree, but I don't think you guys are making the situation as drastic as it needs to be for this hypothetical. You're right in that doing the right things builds character, but life and death is different than "difficult times" or "when the chips are down". When it gets to that point, you should provide, and if you've done your job as a parent... you're kids will understand that you did what you had to do for them. They'll know that it was the best thing for you to do at that time, whether or not it was against the law.
I think you hit the nail on the head in that last post Dub I don't think I'm picturing the same type situation that you are. Like I said in my original post this is a tough question very thought provoking. I think there have been some very good responses!
Hey Dubs now that you mention ranchers, I would become a rustler in that scenario. My place is surrounded on 3 sides by pasture. Its not uncommon for me to come home to a hiefer or steer eating my lawn. Last year my veggie garden got wiped out by one guys cattle before we got together and patched the fence. Yeah, "Wheres the beef?", in Gregs freezer!
