Have Any of You Observed a Wildlife Law Violation ? What Did you Do ?

[LuketheDog]

I talked to CPW about once 3-4 months when I lived in Pueblo, there's lots of work for them to do in that part of the state.

Usually it was fishing violations. People worked really hard to keep the fishing good down there, but typically there was a segment of society that would do it's best to cheat and litter. There is a bridge that delineates where the river switches from any method of take and a larger limit to fly/lure only with a slot. Guys used to stand on the upstream side of the bridge and use an extra large bobber to drift their bait down past it. The CPW office was about 1/2 mile away, so they'd get there pretty quick, and often there was a drug bust to be had along with the fishing violations.

I called in a poached deer I found during spring turkey season, they were glad to have that and already investigating a series of those they'd found in the area, the one I found was very close to the suspect's house.

Another time I'd hiked way out to the back of a STL property and was literally starting to pull trigger on an antelope who'd been on private all day long and finally crossed the fence, when two fat men in a truck drove up and scared the herd off. They told me they'd left a rifle out there and came back to find it, but it was too far to walk so they decided to drive out. I didn't even have to call, I bumped into two wardens running a checkpoint on the access road. I told them what happened, and they told me that they'd already caught those two driving where they couldn't once that day, I waited there to watch the ticket get written when the other guys drove up.

 

[glass eye]

On the Kaibab I was tracking an arrowed buck for someone that I witnessed shoot it and he lost the trail. He stayed behind looking for blood and I took the path of least resistance. I found the buck with 3 guys cutting it up. I told them that I was tracking a wounded buck that had a rack just like that one and that it was hit in the liver just like that one. They said nothing but gave me ugly looks. I said "whoever shot needs to tag it" nobody put a tag on it and continued with the death stares. I turn around and left them and as soon as I was out of sight I ran back to the rightful owner and as it turned out a Game Warden showed up to check him out. I explained what was going on and took them to the spot. The thieves were gone but we found the carcass buried in branches like a lion kill. Also found the head and meat hanging in a thick cluster of small pines, hidden but not good enough. The hunter was happy that they did all the work for him. The Game Warden took the bright yellow cord to go check out campsites where there might be the same cord being used.

 

[LuketheDog]

An outfitter friend of mine here in Colorado witnessed an elk poaching case last fall that ended up going to trial. CPW asked him to come back and testify, so he drove all the way out here from Ohio to do so. When he got here they told him they didn't need him...

 

[Nameless Range]

I have committed them myself. Shared this before on here, but in my youth my brother and I caught many fish of this caliber with our bare hands. The one he holds here is mounted on the wall at his house.

I can forgive my 8 year old self for not using fishing tackle.




I am pretty good at avoiding people, so I can't think of any meaningful big game ones. I hear tons of rumors that I believe to be true though about happenings in my neck of the woods, and I wish there was more of a enforcement presence where I lived - I have never encountered a game warden in the three main hunting districts I have hunted for 30 years.

I have called a stranger out about fishing a creek prior to the third Saturday in May on a creek in Western MT that was closed. They guy didn't know, and I didn't call him in, and he seemed genuinely sorry.

 

[MTGomer]

I don’t think I’ve ever observed actual poaching that I know of, as in illegally killing an animal, but hunting from age 12-28 in Montana I turned in illegal off road travel one time. I have turned it in 4 times from 28-30 in Arizona (and twice more if we count drug smugglers). It’s a problem here. The most recent was this December some guys rode Honda dirt bikes into the Superstition wilderness to hunt coues deer.

 

[Corn king 60]

About 15 years ago I found tree stand ( climber) and every bait you could think of on my farm. The guy really spent a lot of time and effort to haul it in coming in from neighboring property. I found it just prior to the start of archery season called warden they staked it out and caught the guy filled charges and got court date I took a day off work only to find out he had already gone in week prior and pled guilty and paid fine I guess the magistrate figured I needed to burn a vacation day

 

[squirrel]

Ive seen tons of technical violations over the years, never gave two shits about them. I simply do not care if some 80 year old guy thinks he doesn't need evidence of sex left attached and puts the bulls pecker in a plastic bag.

A few blatant "wanton waste" were tougher calls but no call was made. I have carried out and eaten some of the "to be" wasted animals. Not so much condoning of the violator as why call in the criminals with badges? I've seen the green gestapo do a pile of violating too, who ya gonna call on them?

 

[Panda Bear]

recent threads about female hunters, social media and this thread reminded me of a woman from Norway who illegally shot a ptarmigan in The Territories and was caught via a picture she posted. Same thing with hunter's from Alaska and B.C. who were caught illegally hunting sheep and moose, in The Territories. (two different issues, they were not hunting together or at the same time ) Again via pictures they each posted is how they were caught and after the pictures were posted, other evidence of game that they had hunted illegally surfaced. One fellow was hunting a Dall illegally and when stopped his excuse was he always wanted to hunt one but could not afford to pay the price to hunt one. He stated that the fine, if he got caught, would be less than the cost to hunt them legally.

 

[shoots-straight]

Watched 3 guys shoot seven cow elk, It cost them several thousand dollars at Christmas time.

 

[Valley1320]

Bout 4 years ago we had a young man that brought deer to our butcher shop, in our area filling his dads, moms and grandpa's tags for him. The first year he did we were sure but perty suspicious he was. By the second year he did it he was bragging enough about it to buddies and all that I turned him in. Game wardens came and confiscated all the meat and heads and let him off with a warning. Perty sure it wasn't enough but he no longer brings his deer to us.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I always call it in. The 3 game wardens I talked to last hunting season all asked for OnX points so I've gotten in the habit of saving those first.

The most notable case I saw was a little elk calf that ran quite a ways on public to cross on to private and layed down on the corner of private and public. A guy in a jeep parked on the public road and got on top of his jeep ready to shoot. When the calf wouldn't go on the public side, he decided to try to scare it on to public. He would kick the fence and yell at it. I had to drive to the highway to get service to call the game warden but texted him my OnX way point and the pictures I took of the jeep and the guy. The game warden didnt catch him but when I went back the next day, a couple hunters said they saw the guy shoot the calf on private and drag it under the fence. What makes me mad is the hunters I talked to thought it was funny and didnt call it in.

Three years ago I watched one guy shoot 5 cow elk. The last one he shot went down but he wounded 4 others that later had to be put down. The game warden saw the guy from far away but I was much closer to the elk and saw what happened. I remember counting each shot and seeing the cow elk jump through my binoculars when they got hit. When I got back to my truck, the game warden was already there to ask me questions. I'm glad they caught the guy but it was just a horrible scene to watch.

 

[Nick87]

I sort of self reported back in 1981 when I shot a bull and cow elk with same shot. Had already hit the bull and it was just before dark so I had to drop him. I saw a cow to his rear and one standing in front but did not see the one on the other side. It probably wouldn't have made any difference. He had to go down. That night I called the regional boss at home anonymously and offered to take someone up there the next day when I hauled out the bull with horses. I did not want another elk. He said five years earlier he would have just issued another tag but with the current crop of bleeding hearts and aspiring Dick Traceys in the office he couldn't guarantee I wouldn't get cited. He almost guaranteed I would. "Leave it there to feed the birds." I took a chance and brought it out. At the conclusion of our conversation he asked where I shot it (because he had to ask). "Oh ... um ... up the Middle Fork. Yeah, that's it." He chuckled. Of course I didn't shoot it up the Middle Fork. And I didn't want manpower wasted looking for me there either. He got the message.

You probably were using too much gun? Never would of happened with a 6.5

 

[MThuntr]

Last year I observed guys in a side by side driving miles from any marked trail during hunting season...it was too far away to get clear pictures of the guys but I got a bunch of pictures of the damage they caused with GPS locations. It was obvious these guys were associated with the neighboring property (absentee landowners) since they accessed the area through the main gate but unfortunately without identifying information of the offenders BLM and FWP couldn't do much but say sorry.

I witness and report if possible guys for shooting waterfowl after shooting hours every year but often without the warden standing there to witness nothing really happens and I know he has bigger fish to fry.

 

[OntarioHunter]

You probably were using too much gun? Never would of happened with a 6.5

Yeah, I probably wouldn't have killed that cow ... or the bull.

 

[Steve Petersen]

About 20 years or so ago I self reported on a black tail doe in Cali. Missed the buck and hit the doe. Drug it a mile out and then drove another 20+ miles to a pay phone. Waited over an hour for a warden to arrive. They took the doe, my deer tag and gave me a ticket. Had I not been active duty at the time I’d have ended up in jail the judge said. Wanted to give me 6 months in jail and a $5k fine. Judge ended up giving me 6 months probation and a $200 fine. He also took my hunting license for the year.

I knew an older guy many years ago who would take a double daily limit (hunt/ fish in the morning and go back in the evening) of doves, ducks and trout from time to time. I’m sure he took a few rabbits as well when he shouldn’t have. His wife was nearly bed ridden from multiple illnesses an he hardly made enough money to keep a roof over them. I never reported him as it was subsistence living for them IMO. It was enough to get a few extra meals is all.

Last spring I had a guy shoot a sow with cub at my bait. Had the camera pics the day before, day of and day after. My son saw the bear in his truck and the guy admitted to the general area he shot it. I reported it to a warden. He was already under suspicion for illegal baiting of bears. But they found no evidence of a bear when then went to his residence. He was was back hunting last fall. This time he set up a bait in my area on water and close to a road. All 3 are illegal acts. I took pics of the site reported it. Warden found evidence of the illegal bait. Also found identical set up not far away in another zone. In the end they arrested him. They found he had 3 fresh bears at his home, the barrels from my pics I took, selfie pics of him at my bait in the spring with the sow he had taken. None of the bears had been reported. They confiscated his game cameras, bait barrels, rifle, all the bears and meat, ATV, and other items as evidence. He got a $10k fine, some minor jail time, lost his bear baiting areas and lost his hunting license for a year.

 

[OntarioHunter]

An outfitter friend of mine here in Colorado witnessed an elk poaching case last fall that ended up going to trial. CPW asked him to come back and testify, so he drove all the way out here from Ohio to do so. When he got here they told him they didn't need him...

They probably needed him till he arrived. Defendant's lawyer was undoubtedly waiting to see if he appeared. Did the guy plead out?

 

[mplane72]

To be clear. When I said I called in guys shooting ducks after sunset I'm not talking about a couple minute discrepancy. I'm talking about like 20 minutes after when everyone else in the marsh is picking up or motoring out and the ducks are coming back in because they know they won't be shot. Poachers or just ignorant I don't care That's just ruining the hunting for everyone.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I've called in a couple.

I see a pile of people without blaze on in CO every year, have yet to call in any of those.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I hunt alone and have run into problems on very rare occasions where I accidentally exceeded my daily bag limit of waterfowl. Nothing for it but to make a second trip into town and back out to the field. A pain in the arse but I deserve at least that much punishment. Self reporting would be self destructive. It's not an uncommon occurrence for even the most careful hunters. I will not leave a bird in the field which seems to be the usual resolution. Nowadays when I get to the last two geese, I'm VERY picky about the shots I take. It's not that important to fill the limit. More important to be out there hunting.

 

[Nick87]

I hunt alone and have run into problems on very rare occasions where I accidentally exceeded my daily bag limit of waterfowl. Nothing for it but to make a second trip into town and back out to the field. A pain in the arse but I deserve at least that much punishment. I will not leave a bird in the field. Nowadays when I get to the last two geese, I'm VERY picky about the shots I take. It's not that important to fill the limit. More important to be out there hunting.

Smh