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Poaching

6K views 68 replies 22 participants last post by  Dallas53 
#1 ·
For several years, we've been dealing with Poachers.
They shot and let the body but took the heads of three recently.
Th game trail goes right behind the house, slits with many coming around the house and down into the field, others on up and around and down into our cove and up along the ridge.
another comes across the road and through the graveyard. It is deep and muddy in many places along it.
Friday am, before the sun was up three separate and single shots, other side of the tracks, right where they feed briefly , they cross the track and road and up behind us. One Friday evening after dark.
The TWRA Officer, the Mayor, our Policemen, watch it when they can as I do now.I've called the Sheriff so often, they recognize my ring.
So last evening I sat, watching for the Poachers, along with the Mayor.
I'm going to be there at every opportunity for a while.
We had and hopefully still do, what my Kids and one of our Policemen describe as monster buck, with ten points in our field and beside the house.
Kids say he was at the salt, and just looked at them and continued feeding.
I haven't seen him.
Three years ago someone poached a deer that looked like a Jersey cow.
I was told to be careful, as the poachers are probably dangerous, but I am damned and determined to stop them.
I bet over ten deer have been poached. I asked the Dispatcher if any of the Deputies caught anyone but he didn't know.I guess that means no.
People like that are devious and like the challenge of evading us.
I am not sure how to stop it as we can't be there or here all the time.
 
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#5 ·
One of our properties has had poacher problems for years. All the neighbors in that area had poacher problems. It's all the same scumbag. He spotlights deer, shocks folks ponds and trespasses at will. There is presently no game warden in that county. The sheriffs office refuses poacher calls.

About one year ago a neighbor i never met came by. That guy has a crippled grand daughter who just wanted to kill i nice buck. She couldn't get her buck because the resident scumbag poached them before deer season.

We talked long about the poacher. Told the man that i saw some dead cows on the poachers place that had been shot. The man said: "Yes, i killed them. The poacher bastard got the message and the girl got her big buck this fall.
 
#7 ·
A few years ago, a road hunter shot a deer in direct line with my house and family - just at dark. About 300 yards from us. I was a Deputy at the time and caught him and his wife. A convicted felon, he got 51 months in the Federal Prison system for being in possession of a firearm. My life and the lives of my family were threatened the next day when two of them drove into my driveway. A few days later, about 3 AM, my house windows were shaken when some sort of explosive went off in front of the house. I never saw a vehicle. It was great sport to drive by and call out obscenities, etc. This went on until we went to court. At the trial, I testified as to the threats and harassment before a good judge. That was the end of the overt threats. My poachers are not your normal "game thief". They've burned people out, been involved in one murder, and will steal absolutely anything.

I earned the right to live in peace after a lifetime of enforcing the law so that others may do so. I also know that unless people are willing to stand up to them, including testifying in open court, they grow bolder and things get worse. Liquor and dope embolden some. Others are simply bad people, mean and dumb.
 
#8 ·
Used to hunt a great spot that got a lot of poaching.
Many from a large city about an hr away, as a park was nearby and folks would see nice bucks growing in velvet and talk about it.
But...........quite a few of the poachers were folks that actually lived near that park, or their friends and family.
So if you really want to catch them, you gotta tell nobody.
Heck, a CO and a LEO got into some hot water for hunting on places without permission.
Just sayin'..........don't say diddly to anybody, and when you catch em, don't be surprised on who it is.
 
#9 ·
Tinbucket, do you own the property where the poaching is taking place?

When I first bought the property I live on and put up the posted signs, some people thought that the signs weren't meant for them. Some *** put **** traps in and around the stream where my children played. I wen't out, at night, and sat on the traps waiting for the crook to arrive. I would have "arrested" him if he showed up, and held him until the FWS officers arrived. If he were armed and wanted to make an issue of it, I was fully prepared to shoot him. Armed trespassing here is a felony.

I am glad now that no one came that night. I confiscated all of the traps I could find and left a hangmans noose, as a message, in a tree over where the last one on my place was found. That has been many years and I have not had a problem.

The taking of the game on my property is not the big issue. It is my property, but not my game. The big issue is that there are people who have no respect for property rights or the law, wandering around my place armed with high-powered rifles and itchy fingers.
 
#10 ·
We rarely have hunters trespass on our 25-acre farm. Half of it is woods, with a significant stream being the property line. No Trespassing/No Hunting signs about every 15 feet on trees overlooking the stream. On the other side of the stream is about 900+ acres of uninhabited land - mostly woods. The owner allows a hunt club to use his property. Most of the members are good folks who respect our property, but some don't. Previous owner confronted one, confiscated his gun and ID, and called the county police to give them his gun and ID. Never had another problem and that hunter was banned from the hunt club for life. I have never confronted one, but we have found human poop-piles (with toilet paper) on occasion. I sometimes "patrol the perimeter" with my Mini - often visible from the other side of the stream. I generally prefer not to, as this would tend to drive whatever deer on our land to the hunt club area. Short of poaching, they're safe on our property and that of our neighbors on this side of the stream.

I'm also in a bit of a pickle in that if I REALLY piss off them and they develop a grudge, they'll take it out on our horses.
 
#11 ·
If I had a problem with hunters of the adjacent hunt club disrespecting my property line I would simply move my shooting range to the property line and do my target practice at dawn and dusk every day during hunting season.
 
#13 ·
Beside posting No Trespassing or Hunting. Tennessee recommends the signs also states Violators will be Prosecuted. ;) I was more thinking "Shot on Sight"!:p
Take photos of their vehicles and their plates and give a copy to the Sheriff's Department or better yet Department of Wildlife Enforcement. If they are caught in Tennessee by TWRA or the Sheriff's poaching they would have some serious problems! Besides I have some dangerous deer here on the property.
Arrested, Car and Gear confiscated, and in the cases I am aware of Hunting Licenses revoked! And of course $$$$$$ in fines.

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#14 ·
Vehicle access isn't possible in our area. Occasional shooting into the stream seems to work. Branches, etc. are fun to shoot as they float down the stream. It is pretty much a "dead" stream, anyway, so adding a bit-o-lead doesn't bother me and it just might discourage trespassers...
 
#15 ·
We used to have poaching problems - one deer stand ON ME which I cut down and hauled off, and several deer stands constructed BARELY on the other side of our property line, with view to our property.
I started a new practice of bush hogging those clearings on opening day, starting just before first light - with a big boom-box strapped to the tractor fender blasting acid rock, just in case the tractor and bush hog were not loud enough.
Then there was the year that I saved urine ala Howard Hughes in bottles and just before deer season I trespassed on THEM and poured the urine all around their deer stands - that worked too -
A guy parked in the field right across from our BIG back yard where a small heard, every early evening, would come out of our woods, cross the yard, and go into that field.
I chose that day, just before sunset, to practice my running and rapid fore shooting of my AR into the big bank the woods is on. I only shot a hundred rounds or so -
He left.
And EVERY TIME I am outside in view of any neighbors, I have a BIG stainless pistol on my thigh where it shows very well. My Chiapa White Rhino, Ruger GP100 or Raging Judge.
For some reason, they leave us alone now - -
 
#16 ·
My neighbors all think I am some kind of conservative gun nut. They are half right.
 
#18 ·
Would prefer word got around that there is an armed "crazy person" patrolling his land. One of my neighbors has that moniker and hasn't had any problems for 30 years...

There is a tree stand across the stream, but that is private property - not my land - so as difficult as it is, I respect that.

Found a tree stand on my property years ago and it came down that day. Should I find another, I'd likely sabotage it to cause some pain to the trespasser. And maybe some food for the buzzards, '*****, 'yotes, etc.
 
#20 ·
If a stand is built right up against my property line, and the ONLY clear shot it has is into MY field, yes indeed I will put my scent around it.
I have hunted from the time I could hold a gun until we moved to TN. Deer, bear, moose, Caribou, duck, geese, turkey, pheasant, quail, dove, rabbit, squirrel, and other small game as well. But when we moved here and I got a good look at the 'hunters' in this area, I decided I did not want to be called a hunter any longer.
 
#25 ·
Ghost, not a problem. Wouldn't go over the property line as I respect others' properties - as painful as it might be in our circumstances. We love our deer and other wildlife - one of the reasons we moved here. But if hunters trespass, not sure I would be quite as understandable. Loaded up with counter-fire if necessary - something I hope I never need to use.

A few years ago, one of our next-door neighbors let one of their semi-down-trodden friends come hunt on their property. It would have been on the deer that we - in the community - embraced.

It didn't work out well for him as the deer tended to congregate in his barn. The hunter, coming around the end, was almost stampeded by them. He couldn't get a safe shot and he eventually gave up. We were happy "our" deer survived that.

Deer in this area are not subject to famine. They eat well and are in no danger of starving. There isn't an over-population problem here, so we don't see them with any problems other than surviving hunters. Were it different, perhaps I'd change my views, but they are well-fed with the local vegetation, don't pose a problem or danger, and give us great pleasure. Should they have a problem, I'm happy to feed them!
 
#26 ·
I hunt every year. As a family between wife and me we can legally tag 8 deer a season.
Been years since I hunted antlers.
We process every deer we take at home freeze and eat the meat all winter until it runs out instead of Beef.
We do have an over population problem until blue tongue struck this summer killing alot 8f deer.
Even at that there are areas of my state that had no limit on deer that could be taken.

I'd never begrudge a person killing a deer or other game for food.
What irritates me is guy that takes bad shots, suffering the animal or losing it.
Or the guy who shoots a deer then just leaves it lay.
If he doesn't want it to eat KY has a program you can turn the deer into participateing processors that then in turn give the meat to needy families.
I like watching them too. But they are tasty as well lol.
 
#27 ·
We have a local family of culls that take orders for back straps and other premium meat cuts from deer and elk as well as salmon when they are running in the local stream. They we finally caught and had many other wild game parts in their home, the dad and one son spent time in prison, they did a lot of damage over the years, including theft, sometimes from property where someone had just died. It has amazed me that they were never shot other than from a drug supplier that supposed to have shot at their home for non payment. The dad died of a heart attack on a hot afternoon while cooling off down at the creek shortly after getting out of prison, don't know if the rest of them are still around but they have left me alone, they probably think I'm that "Old crazy guy" that always seems to be carrying a big .44 mag or some other firearm and think I might just be "crazy" enough to use it.
 
#28 ·
Ghost, don't get me wrong. I understand the lure of decent hunting in order to cull an over-populated herd. Particularly when their meat is put to good use either by the hunter or to a local homeless shelter or other good need. I understand the thrill of a fair hunt, too. It's just not me, and our local population isn't in need of culling and is fairly tame with us residents. There isn't much of a "sport" around here... I have seen deer tracks inside our horses' dry lot and am happy with that, and will feed them should they need it. They haven't needed help in the almost thirteen years I've lived here...

It pains me to see them hunted locally when they aren't overpopulated; just for "the sport"; when they are fairly tame with us and our neighbors. One of the reasons why I'm particularly sensitive about trespassers/poachers. My Dad hunted occasionally - even in Germany where the rules, regulations, responsibilities, and ethos vary significantly. I get it; it's just not for me - particularly when they frequent our land and give us such pleasure.

The deer around here are also about the size of my late Fi (avatar), so there is an emotional connection, too.
 
#30 ·
And it is not only poaching here in Tennessee IMO! Some of these guys shoot every Buck the see no matter what the age. I am trying to educate some of the young guys here in our area of the mountains about them shooting all bucks they see. I advised them when they see a young buck with a good rack not to shoot them. They are the breeding stock for the future! And try not to shoot a buck that is under 3 years old. I explained if they do that, in a couple of years there will be some monsters running around here to hunt in the future. But killing a young buck who probably hasn't even been active in the years rut is ridiculous! IMO! I believe they are beginning to listen. But I will turn in a poacher in a New York second! I have Zero tolerance for violations of the wildlife and game laws here in Tennessee. But as AM stated I have never been more aware of game violations regarding poaching and other violations than I have been made aware of here in TN. Poaching, spot lighting, limit violations, feed plots during season, slot limit violations regarding game fish and on and on!
Even though Tennessee Wild Life Division Officers cut no slack on serious violators. There just isn't enough of them for all the large areas they patrol. And obviously they can not be everywhere 24-7 and those who frequently violate the law are very aware of that fact.;)

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#31 ·
This morning dead of night,2:08 Am, I know because I was awakened from a deep sleep, by the sharp report and, looong echo, of the shot, o a high powered rile possibly a .270, made made sit up straight.
I got my flashlight capable off lighting up the woods a quarter mile away, and searched the field below the house, went to he rear porch and as far a I could see up the hill, in the woods. All that was evident is the wild black cat, taken up sleeping on our patio swing.
It had to come from behind the house up the hill, on on the road beside the end of the yard along side of the hill. I'm betting, of the road on old road and along side of the hill along the side of the hill because the distinct type of echo.
You have to bee crazy at 20 degrees to sit in the woods for a deer at 2:00 am.
Someone wants the big deer bad and may have got him.
I didn't call the sheriff. I should have. I don't believe I've ever dreamed up a rifle shot, that awoke me.
I should have put on clothes and grabbed a shotgun. No doubt they were gone within a minute of me waking.
Scumbags
 
#32 ·
If you "target shoot" 30 mins after sunup only in deer season, by the property line.........you're just asking for it. Some states have hunter harassment laws.

Remember, some time you might have a need to go to the other property. Being a jerk, even if legal...........has consequences.

If somebody is doing something illegal, call the law and let them deal with it.
 
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