Serial poacher

[Hilljackoutlaw]

You politic guys are f u c k i n g lunatics!

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

So.... My late Uncle would likely be called a serial poacher today. He's deceased now so you can't kill him.

The family didn't approve of the activity (and I was limited to the amount of time I could spend with him), but he was wild since he was young. All the best family stories all were about him. Once in a while, the family would lose track of where he was. They would send me over to the police department and county jail to look for him (he was a regular and would occupy the same cell). Back then the judge would be more sympathetic and would only give him a few days here or there. Sometimes he was just trying to get away from his wife and other times he actually got caught doing something he shouldn't have.

Believe it or not he had a pretty amiable relationship with the game wardens. They would meet up for coffee about once a month and talk about wildlife. For those of you who remember it seemed to me to be something like this



He didn't necessary see himself as a poacher though. In his mind, he was a market hunter (did this for a living), who would kill wild game, fish, crab, trap ect and sell it to regular customers who were often disadvantaged. He thought that he was providing a service to those who couldn't do it themselves at a reasonable price and was living his American dream.

He felt that the government's involvement in wild game procurement and season restrictions was more of a big government intrusion harking back to European models when the the wild game only went to the rich. The hunting licence was extortion of the everyday man, to keep them out of the woods and in the grocery stores.

He did have a hunting and commercial fishing license in the end. He did often struggle with seasons and game laws.

Many may find this offensive, but the one thing that was definitely evident to me as a young boy, was that he absolutely loved wild things and wild places. His enthusiasm for hunting and fishing was absolutely infectious.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

So.... My late Uncle would likely be called a serial poacher today. He's deceased now so you can't kill him.

The family didn't approve of the activity (and I was limited to the amount of time I could spend with him), but he was wild since he was young. All the best family stories all were about him. Once in a while, the family would lose track of where he was. They would send me over to the police department and county jail to look for him (he was a regular and would occupy the same cell). Back then the judge would be more sympathetic and would only give him a few days here or there. Sometimes he was just trying to get away from his wife and other times he actually got caught doing something he shouldn't have.

Believe it or not he had a pretty amiable relationship with the game wardens. They would meet up for coffee about once a month and talk about wildlife. For those of you who remember it seemed to me to be something like this

View attachment 363342

He didn't necessary see himself as a poacher though. In his mind, he was a market hunter (did this for a living), who would kill wild game, fish, crab, trap ect and sell it to regular customers who were often disadvantaged. He thought that he was providing a service to those who couldn't do it themselves at a reasonable price and was living his American dream.

He felt that the government's involvement in wild game procurement and season restrictions was more of a big government intrusion harking back to European models when the the wild game only went to the rich. The hunting licence was extortion of the everyday man, to keep them out of the woods and in the grocery stores.

He did have a hunting and commercial fishing license in the end. He did often struggle with seasons and game laws.

Many may find this offensive, but the one thing that was definitely evident to me as a young boy, was that he absolutely loved wild things and wild places. His enthusiasm for hunting and fishing was absolutely infectious.

Did he kill only trophies to feed these people in need?

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

Did he kill only trophies to feed these people in need?

He respected a good trophy like any hunter would. He would show it off (if it were legal), any good rack or a big fish or even a giant crab or oyster. He would brag about a haul when it was abundant but he did not seem to discriminate. Deer were deer to him, if a doe were available then he killed the doe. He was literally just happy to be outdoors hunting and fishing.

It's a strange conversation because he was regularly breaking the law but was definitely a passionate hunter & waterman. He literally just saw the game commision as big government and that the people should have the right to hunt and fish. I think in the end he understood why we needed conservation as he watched large companies destroy independent watermen by overfishing the resource.

Edit - I don't want anyone to dig up Uncle Spider and put him in a wood chipper

We ate everything and I mean everything from big game, small game, waterfowl, turtles, crustaceans, fish, frogs you name it he hunted or trapped for it. He would even catch grasshoppers and dip them in chocolate (got that idea from the folks he sold turtle penuses too). The and his wife made trinkets and crafts out of the animal parts and skins became clothing or blankets. His wife would preserve the wild meat and would eat it all year long (if they didn't he would risk it and take something out of season). I call her his wife because my father's family never really accepted her into the family. Her name was June but I never knew her as Aunt June sort of thing,

He didn't really have a trophy room per say but rather incorporated or assimilated taxidermy or animal products all over his modest home and daily living. He was more likely to have a lamp made out of antler bone than to put it up on the wall. He generally didn't waste money on taxidermy that didn't have a really good story which meant that the stuff that he did have was strange stuff that most wouldn't consider worth the effort. He would have a muskrat stuffed and sitting on the window sill and tell me it almost killed him in a fight to the death when it tried to tip over his canoe or a stuffed squirrel incorporated in a wooden nut bowl. Antler handles for the butter knives type of thing. Big game, small game, waterfowl it didn't matter. If it was of interest to him he had it in his weird little house sitting in the corner.

Honestly his real trophy room seemed to be his spare bedroom that he turned into his gear supply room. He had a trap, a hook, a net, a pot, a knife, camo, a cartage and firearm for every situation. He was very proud of that room. I was proud because I was the only person he would let in there.

 

[BuzzH]

Perhaps Buzz, you should stay in your own lane and go count some trees or whatever you do. Maybe go do some more big game scouting on the government dime in your Joe Fed truck. I have spent days and weeks living with felony serial poachers in UC situations. But I am certain you know way more than I do about their mind- set.

Answer the question specific to this thread and the article.

How did loss of hunting privileges change the behavior of this guy?

I would argue it didn't, not even one bit.

Maybe his third life suspension will change his behavior this time.

 

[homers]

I wouldn’t shed a tear if a serial poacher happened to fall into a wood chipper

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

Answer the question specific to this thread and the article.

How did loss of hunting privileges change the behavior of this guy?

I would argue it didn't, not even one bit.

Maybe his third life suspension will change his behavior this time.

I wouldn't think that their behavior would change on just removing privileges. If the poachers feel justified by feeding their families or because that's what their families have always done; I think that they would continue to do it regardless of the law. They may also feel more embodend because they think that they are sticking it to the man. They will get agreement from folks on that and think that they are justified.

I think that the inconvenience of being locked up for a long period of time would change that behavior and would perhaps send a message to the whole family(s) that may think the same.

If they are just poaching for the grip and grin on social media then I would think that more jail time would do it.

 

[texwest44]

I wouldn't think that their behavior would change on just removing privileges...... I think that the inconvenience of being locked up for a long period of time would change that behavior and would perhaps send a message to the whole family(s) that think the same.

I'm thinking more experimental sentencing might be effective. I mean if someone knows what the regular penalties are, and have decided they aren't a deterrent, then maybe more irregular and unique deterrents are the answer. I'm thinking a spinning wheel with different options is the answer. At sentencing, the convicted party must spin a wheel with different options on it: gladiator-style fight a brown bear, 2 seasons of cleaning bathrooms at a sports arena with only a rag and bucket, three seasons of unpaid wildland firefighting, punishment option as chosen by internet voters, etc.

Something tells me the sense of unknowing at possibly having to lose summers to fighting fires or having people from the internet make you clean hippo droppings at a zoo could really be effective at making someone think twice before pull the trigger on a deer at night.

 

[whatnot]

Exactly why loss of hunting privileges doesn't mean a

Exactly.

With what tags are bought for, in some cases it would be less a crime to steal a car value wise. Only long jail sentences will help

 

[shootbrownelk]

This guy needs jail time to keep him out of the woods. The bans are useless and fine most likely won't be paid back.

Exactly how many felonies did this jag-off rack up. I take it he was banned from owning firearms because of the felony charges. He could of, and should of been put away for a long long time. If the DA and the Judge did their jobs.