You would call in on a poacher right?

[WCB]

How about one of your cohorts shooting a 12" deer and after measuring it taking said deer home? Is that different than poaching?

[temple droptine]

Integrity is what you do when no one is watching..... I think it all boils down to INTEGRITY.
cb

[TX_Kevin]

It's not an issue in Crockett County where I hunt. Heck with the drought out in west Texas there may not be any deer to shoot and then measure.

[Sparkles]

Kind of a loaded question. If it were an honest mistake I would not consider it poaching per say. I wouldn't call GW in those circumstances, I would suggest they do though. If it were lack of care about width yes poaching imho and would strongly suggest they call GW and probably wouldn't call myself but wouldn't be one of my cohorts anymore. I would let land owner know for sure though and let him make the call if he wanted. Hope to never e in those shoes though.

[red]

What if someone shoots a 12" deer and does not take it home? That would be a waste of game and a violation as well

[xman59]

How about one of your cohorts shooting a 12" deer and after measuring it taking said deer home? Is that different than poaching?

no its not the same,, a 12" deer "might" be a mistake,, leaving it the woods is wastefull... intentionally shooting a small deer planning on taking it home is wrong.... in my belief, this scenario is not poaching if he did it again it would be an intentional act in my eyes and yes then i would report it.... but that is just me...

[dustoffer]

Integrity is what you do when no one is watching..... I think it all boils down to INTEGRITY.
cb

Absolutely--and I faced the same situation with two guys last year, plus one told me about shooting a deer with his .45 from the shoulder and going back to get it later. I told all of them they were in trouble--and unless they wanted to have a visit from the GW, to stop it. Maybe made a difference and maybe not--but they haven't told me any more such stories.

BTW, I heard the stories after the season had closed so not much I could do other than warn them--

[bowhuntntxn]

That is vastly different from poaching. It is violating a game law. Poaching is the taking of an animal from a property that you dont have permission to hunt. There is usually a trespass charge that accompanies a poaching charge. Violating game laws could range from shooting a game animal out of season, exceeding bag limits, or even shooting an undersized buck. And yes, the person who knowingly assists in a violation of game laws could and possibly should be prosecuted. SO not calling someone in should have consequences.

[Swampa]

Depends on the situation.........

[flywise]

I'm all about obeying laws, and this would be a hard one. If my friend or family shot a 12" deer I doubt I'd call them in. If they made a habit of it after I told them they were wrong....well maybe then I would but then again at that point I would not be calling in on a friend.
This law is a game management tool that I do not totally agree with.

[baldybarton]

I am on a lease with my dad and a good friend. I personally would turn myself in, but I think that I would let them make the decision on their own. If they don't turn themselves in then I would have a hard time hunting with them in the future, i might have to try to find a new lease, or go to public land for a little.

[WCB]

I understand it's not poaching. But it's about the same thing if after realizing it's an illegal deer you leave it/take it home. I've heard many from this site talk about how low poachers are and the book should be thrown at'em, strung up, shot, etc... Just wondered if it was an AR issue and it was one of your friends if they should be treated the same.

[canny]

Can't compare poaching to taking a deer not legal by AR. Poaching involves the deliberate breaking of game laws. This means that the person knows the rules and chooses not to abide. There is no concrete way to determine if a deer is over 13" until after the harvest. Now if it's blatantly obvious that the deer is less than 13" like a basket 6 or 4 with 6-8 inside then you betcha I would call in but I would give the person a chance to make right by calling themselves. However if it measured to be 12 7/8" then I would inform them of the law and let them make the decision. Which ever one they make would tell me alot about the person and whether or not I would invite them back. So all in all it would be a case by case basis. But I hunt private land and it is always just me so I really don't have to worry about it.


Let's do work son!!

[TX_Kevin]

I understand it's not poaching. But it's about the same thing if after realizing it's an illegal deer you leave it/take it home. I've heard many from this site talk about how low poachers are and the book should be thrown at'em, strung up, shot, etc... Just wondered if it was an AR issue and it was one of your friends if they should be treated the same.

Poachers are normally not invited to a property.
Poachers know what they are doing and don't care that it's wrong.

A hunter that doesn't know any better and shoots a buck with less than a 13" spread in an AR county might very well have made a mistake. So, I guess it depends on whether or not that hunter knew the buck wasn't legal when he shot it.

[bowhuntntxn]

Mike, they are 2 completely different circumstances. Very rarely will someone not "totally" agree with a fence line, unlike a newly introduced law. IMO for the first 2 years there should/could be a grace period with a database of all KNOWN offenders(people that a GW checked with a <13 deer) so if they are checked again the next yer, ticket time. And every time after that slam them.

There will always be an argument about a kids first deer, too far to tell, and what ever excuse you want to use. When the law starts cracking down, then they are seen as the bad guys and people will start wasting game, which itself is a game law violation. And the argument that people are hunting to feed their family is total BS. No one needs to do that any more especially with the social programs in place. This is a moral issue that no one can honestly answer until they are placed in that situation, and then the individual has to decide.
Truth be told, there are tens of thousands of people who do NOT call every year.