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

[F250]

I have read with interest the comments Hunt Talkers make after reading posted articles regarding poachers being caught. Mostly I note anger and disgust toward the offender. Rightfully so. But... how many of you folks have observed a violation of wildlife regulations while in the field ? What did you do : 1) Nothing 2) Call the authorities 3) Call the authorities and provide a written statement 4) Call the authorities, provide a written statement, and testify in court (these folks are my absolute heroes !!!).

 

[dirtclod Az.]

If I see poachers, I make them run the gauntlet!!!
Not many survive...

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

I have read with interest the comments Hunt Talkers make after reading posted articles regarding poachers being caught. Mostly I note anger and disgust toward the offender. Rightfully so. But... how many of you folks have observed a violation of wildlife regulations while in the field ? What did you do : 1) Nothing 2) Call the authorities 3) Call the authorities and provide a written statement 4) Call the authorities, provide a written statement, and testify in court (these folks are my absolute heroes !!!).

Well, I have self-reported and showed up in court to face the music when a deflected arrow of mine sailed over the antelope buck I was shooting at and double lung’d a fawn that was behind it (which I couldn’t see). That resulted in a $100 fine.

Also when I was a teenager, two buddies I was with shot a buck with a rifle during archery season. I did nothing and it still gnaws at me.

Around that same time I saw someone shoot a cow elk during a bull hunt. I drove to town, reported them and accompanied the authorities into the field to find the carcass and look for evidence. I don’t believe any charges were filed.

In college I found a couple of bull carcasses that had been shot during a cow season. Same thing, I called the fish cop and we went out into the field and investigated the scene.

 

[mplane72]

I've called on guys over limit on ducks, shooting past sunset and being out on WMA before midnight to claim their spot.

 

[D4570]

YES! "TIP MONT" is on my speed dial.
Not a lot of "Game" violations, but MANY trespasses, and driving off-road, or on "Closed" roads. Most of which have resulted in situations being issued. I have had the FWP contact me to tell me the results.
Outstanding program.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I don't think I've ever witnessed a "serious" hunting or fishing violation. In NY, our deer hunting hours are sunrise to sunset, meaning that there's almost half an hour of daylight on either side (the best collective hour of the day). So, I've heard plenty of shots earlier, or later than is legal. The rule (as stupid rules are), is ignored by many. I can't say I've ever reported a shot outside of shooting hours. And, on the subject of 'ignored by many' I've seen hunters in Colorado who aren't wearing enough blaze to truly be legal. These don't seem to me like the kind of violations that i need to report. I think I would report someone who shot too many ducks, killed something and left it there, etc. When I was in college, I found a swan someone had shot, floating in a backwater at Kelly Island, in Missoula. I phoned that in, but that's the closest I've ever come.

 

[rwc101]

There's a kids only fishing pond in a park nearby. I've called when guys roll their infant's stroller to the bank and prop their rod in the stroller.

An idiot in Arizona recorded himself shooting quail and rabbits from a moving vehicle and uploaded it to Youtube. I downloaded a copy and sent it to AZGFD with a link. I got a call a few weeks later from AZGFD saying they were pressing charges and they were sending me a hat for the tip. Never got the hat.

Did the same thing for an idiot in Pennsylvania who uploaded lots of evidence bragging about his "first kills" as a new "hunter." He killed a bunch of chickadees with a pellet gun. Never heard from PGC about it though.

 

[mtmuley]

I've seen quite a few. And I called it in every time. No exceptions. mtmuley

 

[JFish]

A place I was archery hunting, there was a guy I bumped into that used a 4 wheeler to get to his spot. Not an egregious violation but 4 wheelers are not allowed there. At first it bugged me because it was 430 in the morning and I had an hour hike in the dark with a tree stand on my back to where I was hunting. He hunted a different area so I minded my own business. Had I walked all that way to find him way back where I was I may have reported him. He got caught by the warden a few weeks later and I didn’t see him the rest of the year. I didn’t understand why he used the 4 wheeler because he took it to an area that was maybe a ten minute walk...

 

[MarvB]

One time a guy snagging salmon on a closed stream; pics, statement, and testified.
Another found a muley buck with just the head cutoff (and it was a SMALL buck); notified warden and sent him a pin to the site, never heard back.
Last on myself; scotch double up on a pair of sprig, was a one bird/species limit and to be honest I saw green in the parking lot. He checked my license and stamps, the rest of my birds, did an ammo and plug check, and thanked me for my honesty. Took the second bird and told me to be more careful.

 

[mtmuley]

A place I was archery hunting, there was a guy I bumped into that used a 4 wheeler to get to his spot. Not an egregious violation but 4 wheelers are not allowed there. At first it bugged me because it was 430 in the morning and I had an hour hike in the dark with a tree stand on my back to where I was hunting. He hunted a different area so I minded my own business. Had I walked all that way to find him way back where I was I may have reported him. He got caught by the warden a few weeks later and I didn’t see him the rest of the year. I didn’t understand why he used the 4 wheeler because he took it to an area that was maybe a ten minute walk...

Busting ATV's gives me great satisfaction. You should have turned him in. mtmuley

 

[Mallardsx2]

I have reported several people for doing an array of stupid stuff on public land.

Wow those are very clear pictures said the warden. I said "I started running Swarovski's on a tripod this year and I swear I spot more people doing stupid stuff than I do deer most days..."

He chuckled and said "Well, I can definertly tell he is mid 20's and wears dark rimmed glassed. So I know who we are dealing with here..."


Moral of the story- Take pictures if possible.....Officers appreciate them.

 

[BirdManMike]

I have seen a few that I have not reported. Nothing egregious, just vehicles where they should not be and possible trespasses. I saved the tip mont number in my phone 2 seasons ago after an antelope stalk was ruined by jerks driving over state land they should not have been - its easy enough to figure out without saving, of course, but I had no service at the time, unfortunately.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Videoed a guide snagging stocked brood fish on a kid’s fishing day.

Spent 8 days in court in meetings, deposition and testimony against him and his accomplice.

In spite of the fact that a guilty verdict was returned against him and he was convicted of multiple charges he still holds a guide license and continues to guide occasionally.
The fact that the outfitter I have seen him guiding lion hunts for is part of the MOGA board and continues to hire him does a lot to improve my opinion of that organization.

I self reported after shooting two elk last fall. That resulted in a written warning and confiscation of the second elk.

 

[glass eye]

Watched some guys shoot a couse deer during the spring javelina rifle season. They knew we were across the canyon and were watching them and they did it anyways. Perhaps they also knew that we were in a dead zone and couldn't make a call.

Another time in CA I saw a group of Russians setting up hunt camp on private property that I had access to but nobody else did. I told them they had to leave and they pretended that they didn't understand English. I called CalTip and nobody would respond. They packed up quick and sped off when they saw me on the phone.

 

[NR_Hunter]

Bro I’ve seen some shit in my day that I don’t even wanna get in to. Most of the people I grew up were pretty bad and honestly it’s probably cost me some hunting opportunities but I’m fine with that. I hated hunting with people who feel the need to kill literally anything and everything, and that would be before they started drinking.

 

[mtmiller]

Had an interesting off-road violation a few years ago. I saw this pickup driving in a area where there was no road (in a Monument as well). I was a little nervous walking up to the pickup, but it was empty so I got up close for pics. Pickup was very muddy, but the dip shit had a magnetic sticker of his business on the drivers side door that he had cleaned off so you could read the business name, address and phone number. Snapped a couple pics and then pulled out my GPS with the lat/long and snapped another picture with the point and vehicle in the same shot.

I sent the pic to LEO and followed up a day later. I was told this was such an easy case the ticket was just sent in the mail to the fella without even having to track him down.

 

[hank4elk]

20 years as a Park Ranger,yeah just about every day at work.
Out on my own as a citizen,yeah dozens of times.
One call led to the 1st DNA case used in NM for elk poaching.
I've watched atv's being hauled away from a wilderness on another call.

 

[JMG]

I report people that I believe knowingly violate the rules and regulations. I have never witnessed any egregious violations, but if I had I would report. I think it is everyone's civic duty to ask yourself; what can I do to help.

With todays cell phones and their ability to take quality pictures or even videos … it is a great way to document. Report it and let the professionals sort it out.

 

[OntarioHunter]

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.