Poaching

[maxx]

I despise it as much as the next guy.

With that how many of you grew up with or around people that poached? I knew of people growing up that poached a lot. Some major violations some miner. Some of these people even bragged about it and thought it was a cool factor, kind of like the kids that would smoke just cause their friends. I will admit I idolized a few of these guys, I was younger they were older.

I cant ever remember knowingly poaching. I am sure I have made a mistakes. There were times I didn't care as much as I do now. At one point in my life I made a decision that if I wasn't going catch it or shoot it the right way it wasn't going to be fun, along with that I enjoy hunting so much I do everything in my power to not do stuff wrong because I don't want this privilege taken away from me.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I'd still be serving time in ADX for wildlife crimes I committed before age 12. I didn't call it my "life" list..

I behave myself now.

 

[Wally Dog]

Greenhorn, my powermaster 760 was wood! Same, same.

 

[The Hedgehog]

My first one was wood also. Wish I still had that one..

 

[noharleyyet]

Mockingbirds were a big pre-adolescent temptation here.

 

[Fire_9]

HAHA I'm right there with you Greenhorn. I preferred the Benjamin Sheridan pellet gun though...

 

[Marshian]

As a preteen, I "harvested" my share of chickadees and robins. And now that I'm an adult, the window of opportunity to sample these birds as tableware has passed me.

 

[antlerradar]

That Benjamin Sheridan was the gun. My brother and I saved for months and bought one for 50 dollars. (dad wouldn't let us get two, smart) We wore that gun out. I still find pellets stuck in old fence posts or the side of the barn. Nothing was safe. We spent hours in the barn with a flash light hunting deer mice and pack rats.That "life" list was way to large. Now I keep a real one.

 

[LCH]

Ah, the old days, when crows were big game

 

[7mm08mo]

I remember when I killed my first bird a robin. Elated at first then remorse when I got to the bird. Starlings and squirrels and crows became targets after that. At that time the bloodlust was there it wasn't a good hunt unless something died. As I aged that left, and I realized it was a hunt not a kill. As a child tag sharing was a common occurence as well as if you seen one from the road during season you shot it. They werent dedicated road hunters just opportunists to put meat on the table. Otherwise the laws were obeyed, and respected. I have no use for blatant poachers as they rob law abiding citizens of the opportunity for game. Last year 3/4 of a mile from where I hunt whitetails a guy shot with a rifle a buck that I had pics of. Antlered deer season was closed except for bow and rifle doe season was open and he tagged it on a bow tag. The buck had a 23" inside spread, he got caught bragging on facebook and one of his buddies turned him in. It was really dishearting because I had pics and hopes of shooting him only to have them taken away by a poacher.

 

[tarheel]

Mockingbirds were a big pre-adolescent temptation here.

My Grandmother loved mockingbirds and none of us kids dared point our Red Ryders at one, nor a purple martin or cardinal which is our state bird. English sparrows, song sparrows, juncos, towhees, thrashers and even the lowly tit mice were fair game though. Once I moved up to a shotgun and real game the childish pursuits were in the past and I've been doing penance ever since by feeding thousands, erecting nesting boxes and trying to help the little buggers out all I can.

So far as poaching, I've known of a few who might have taken a doe after the doe season closed but it was pretty much guaranteed that the kill was to feed their family. These peckerheads though should have their trigger fingers cut off. http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/5-charged-including-3-juveniles-after-26-dead-deer/npyRy/