All I know if I was in the main stream hunting media: i.e. web shows, tv shows, magazines, etc..... I would make damn sure I knew how every game law worked in the state/area I was hunting. Do they not realize how many eyes are watching them??? I don't know anything about this man, but it amazes me in my short time in the hunting world how many celebrity hunters get themselves into trouble over this type of thing. Innocent or guilty I hope he gets exactly what he deserves. If he "didn't know" he should not have been hunting the area in the first place, especially with a guy video recording him and then publishing it to the world when he shoots a 230" buck. Like I said, all eyes are on you, so make sure you are absolutely abiding by every law.
Obviously none of us know all the facts in the case, but I can tell you from experience that you don't always know where property lines are, even on property you own. I'd say 99% of tracts that are sold are not surveyed and marked, what you have is a basic legal description of the properties location, and most land owners generally just abide by the old fences, even though they may not be exactly correct. So it is conceivable, that he thought he was on his land, when in actuality he was not. The other gray area, is what happens when you shoot a deer on your land, and said deer runs off your property. The recovery of the deer isn't on your property and you have to transport that deer back onto your property. What is legal/Illegal? Can you hunt on someone else property if you shoot the deer on yours? Is it where your stand is? Where you release the arrow, where the arrow impacts the deer, or where the deer is recovered? Lots of gray areas that are not specifically spelled out, at least in my state.
I think this whole things was brought up by greed. No viewer of the show is going to know what property he was on or even the tag that was put on the animal. My guess is he had a falling out with someone who knew the specifics of the tag/property discrepancies and that person brought it forward in an act of revenge. The video I'm sure shows the land and probably some identifying landmarks(I haven't seen the footage), but in no way could anyone without knowledge of the land or his tag be able to suspect this. It's a shame that the "bragging rights" of such an animal can not only make people knowingly disregard the laws, but it can also stem the jealousy and angers in others to create the turmoil years after the fact. It's amazing the powers antlers behold.
Uhhhhh what? I know EXACTLY where all the property lines are on my land and where im hunting. I thought that was part of being a responsible hunter? ....for once im being serious...
I know where all of my property lines are...there are a **** load of treestands on the other side of the fence line.
Because that's how life works. And, it is simply more valuable (see rare). If you steal my baseball card, it isn't the same as stealing a Honus Wagner baseball card. Even thought they cost the same (relative) at the time of production (a stretch, perhaps). Economics, son!
So you've had your property Surveyed? You have survey markers that outline where your property ends and begins? Your fences run exactly down the property line? I highly doubt it.
So you've had your property Surveyed? You have survey markers that outline where your property ends and begins? Your fences run exactly down the property line? I highly doubt it. Not all tracts of land have identifying markings. I hunt property up in NW Missouri, where there are no fences in the large block of timber, sure there's on old corner post somewhere in there that's rotted and fallen down, so unless you pay to have that land surveyed, you don't know your exact property line.
Dude I didnt know my property lines until this year and my dad has owned that land for 20 years! we just got it surveyed because we got it logged. we knew some general landmarks but not the exact property lines.
Agreed. And yes I do too. All 6 properties. I want my neighbors to know the lines, so it only makes sense that I do too.
I haven't followed this thread much but, he posted on Facebook this: It appears he had a land owners tag on a lease. Maybe he learned his lesson.
I will probably catch a lot of grief for stating this, however, I feel the max penalties are absolutely too steep. Take his Kansas license away and implement a reasonable fine to the incident, but ridiculous high fines and jail times are crazy for this in my opinion. It is a tag issue, and seems he should be penalized for what I understand to be a first time offense, but not prosecuted like a repeat criminal. It is a deer, and the only reason it is in the news is because of the size, and the landowner wants to make this about $. He seems to be in the wrong, but he should not receive the max punishment in my opinon.
Well I just saw this... http://www.wsmv.com/story/20205140/professional-hunter-pleads-to-hunting-violation He pled guilty.
So now he says it was all just some confusion over what tag he needed. What a bunch of BS! He knew that the only tag available to him in that zone that year was a landowner tag and he knew very well that he was not hunting on owned land. He is only sorry that he got causht.
