Meateater's "Dumbest" Poacher

[Sytes]

Gold... I recall the pic. Pretty impressive until... Farm raised purchased and sold specific to the client.

Suppose the $20k to boast about it, probably with a twist to the story.

Agree, pretty darn dumb...

The Dumbest Poacher of 2019

Earlier this month, Dugan Traversie entered a plea deal with prosecutors for his role in a poaching case that dates back to last fall. Traversie was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution to Timber Lake Elk Ranch, one-year probation, and one year without hunting. Since the judgement by the U.S...

www.themeateater.com

 

[homers]

Poaching is bad enough, what pissed me off was he did it for the rack only, left all the meat to rot.

 

[MO Betta]

Yeah, that was a pretty dumb one. Still think it should have been treated as livestock instead of game, though.

 

[bennirio]

Poaching is stupid period. Wasting a grain fed animal is just sad. These guys that poach need to learn that it's like robbing a banks, you will get caught eventually. Always faster if you are bragging about it on social media.

 

[appaloosa]

Is it really "poaching" if the victim is livestock?

 

[AZBridger]

We had a dumb one that finally got nailed in AZ. Poached 4 muleys, 2 of which were over 200" and a B&C bear in a year's time. One of the bucks netted almost 200" as a typical and got a lot of publicity when he killed it. Even won an award and story contest with it. he got off light with a 10 year ban and 18k fines

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Is it really "poaching" if the victim is livestock?

Get a rope, we'll just hang him like in the old days. Or with today's mentality, we could just deem it "not that bad". Just ignore it and hope people will change and stop on their own.

Should be grand theft either way. That guy needs jail time for sure.

 

[glass eye]

If the deer was "sold" to a client for $20k, why then did he only pay 9k in restitutions ?

 

[Schaaf]

Is it really "poaching" if the victim is livestock?

Yep. I wouldn’t consider blasting a heifer off the county road “poaching”

 

[Schaaf]

Get a rope, we'll just hang him like in the old days. Or with today's mentality, we could just deem it "not that bad". Just ignore it and hope people will change and stop on their own.

Should be grand theft either way. That guy needs jail time for sure.

Last year there were some trespass cattle on USFWS land in winter range. The owner knew all about it. If it happens this year I think I’ll be stocked up on rib-eyes.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Last year there were some trespass cattle on USFWS land in winter range. The owner knew all about it. If it happens this year I think I’ll be stocked up on rib-eyes.

Yeah! Just post harvest location so we can all get in on it.

 

[ChrisC]

It's hard for me to see the image of the headless deer and not have an immediate emotional reaction overcome you, both of sadness and anger.

On a somewhat related topic...I may be misremembering but if I recall correctly, didnt the meateater podcast have someone on who was mentioning something like the overwhelming majority of poaching is done by a small percentage of serial poachers who arent out for social media posts but quietly build up these massive collections of poached animals? I wonder what their penalties would tally, if caught.

 

[kwyeewyk]

Yep. I wouldn’t consider blasting a heifer off the county road “poaching”

In my opinion attaching his tag to it makes it both rustling and poaching, and ridiculous he didn't have to pay market value of $20k.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

It was livestock, so is it really poaching? I don't know. Stupid act but I HIGHLY doubt this guy is the "dumbest poacher of 2019"

 

[ignorethefringes]

It's hard for me to see the image of the headless deer and not have an immediate emotional reaction overcome you, both of sadness and anger.

On a somewhat related topic...I may be misremembering but if I recall correctly, didnt the meateater podcast have someone on who was mentioning something like the overwhelming majority of poaching is done by a small percentage of serial poachers who arent out for social media posts but quietly build up these massive collections of poached animals? I wonder what their penalties would tally, if caught.

I remember that podcast. The guest said that the guys that make the biggest impact don't even usually tell anyone. They just amass the massive collections you mention. They do it for the personal thrill.

 

[lastlight]

Meh they missed the mark here IMO. You can’t poach a high fence pet. They should be outlawed by now I don’t get it. But I am upset he left the meat to rot.

 

[timmy]

Shooting a rutted up mule deer in easy terrain isn’t much different than shooting a black angus. A lot of people line up to do that.