illegal acts

[7magman]

what would you do if you knew someone was using illegal methods for hunting in your area? would you approach them? would you notify the authorities? or would you just let it go?

[VixChix]

On our land up north, I've encountered trespassers. At first I play stupid and just asked naive-sounding questions. Being a woman I've found that the guys that I've run into are usually pretty talkative. Then I ask less naive questions and watch as they get uncomfortable.

I've had them assume I'm a fellow trespasser, like them. I've had them point out the private property for me and warn me not to hunt on it, then come across them hunting that same property later in the day. Then I get a kick out of telling them that I am the landowner.

I asked one guy all about his gun (during bow season) and he was really willing to tell me all about it. Chat chat chat. Again, since I'm a woman I'm sure he didn't think I had a clue. It's kinda of funny, I suppose. If I'd seen him on our land again I might have called the cops on him.

I can get pretty fired up about people who hunt property without proper permission, but I'm pretty careful about getting confrontational as I'm usually in the woods alone. If a situation developed and I felt unsafe I'd call the cops.

Closer to home there were a few times when things "just didn't feel right", I've left the woods for the day. I've had problems with unethical hunting in both of the woods we have permission on and since I'm not the landowner I back off.

[Mike P]

It depends.

On our farm we have a zero tolerance policy. We take pictures, notify multiple authorities including the local sheriff and county wildlife officer and prosecute to the hilt! It helps that one of the partners is a trial attorney and knows every trick in the book. We also publicize to the best of our ability to potential trespassers and poachers that we never bluff and always prosecute.

Around the neighborhood where I hunt is an entirely different story. You have to be a little more careful. Many times I am hunting on my surrounding neighbors properties where I have written permission. And I know when I run into another hunter that he does not have written permission as I always confirm with the neighbor if anyone else is allowed to hunt. But as it is not my property I have no rights to throw them off or anything. But I do try to take their picture and tell them I will be supplying the property owner with the date, time and photo of the individual should they wish to prosecute. It seems to be effective as I seldom run into repeat offenders.

[Limbs and Sticks]

If you have written permission and it's written that you lease the land or care taker of it you have the right to kick them off if they don't have the right to be there, that's the way it works here. I HATE SNEAKS.....

Wes

[dick195252]

If they are hunting with Illegal methods i would notify the Game Warden. I do not Hunt or Fish breaking any of the laws Period.

[gruntahunta]

i think we need to do what we have to to protect the sport and past time we love, its those who do the wrong thing that make it hard for those of us that do the right thing!
there is a lot of e legal hunting that goes on over here and i have had people i thought were friends try and sneak on property that i have permission to hunt on then wonder why i burn them.

i made up my mind that if i catch some one doing the wrong thing were i have permission to hunt i will be telling the authorities as i think i would owe it to the land owner to do something about it!?
just my 2c worth

[Undertaker]

Recently, I caught my neighbor cheating on his wife. Mums the word for sure. But...if I had caught her cheating; well that's another matter altogether.

I jest- but the point is that YOU decide. Based on your own sense of decency. If you call the law, you may regret it. If you don't call, you may regret it. Which regret is best to have ?

If my neighbor had a few beers, and then jumped in his car to go to the grocery store to buy his family some dinner, I wouldn't call the police on him. But if he smacked his wife for cheating on him, I would call. Both acts are illegal, but only the one renders me unable to take a pass. One case, she gets a bruised face, the other, someone might die. Yet I have them somehow reversed.

Only you can decide.

[Grizzly Adam]

The law that protects us all is no better than the community that supports it.

If we want laws to effectively do their work, then it is our civic responsibility to do our part in seeing that law is enforced. Citizen involvement is critically important to efficient law enforcement; there are far more watchful eyes in any community than there are in patrol cars ... thus the popularity and effectiveness of "neighborhood watch" programs.

The same thing holds true in the woods: There are far more responsible hunters in the field than there are wildlife officers, and game law enforcement depends on hunter cooperation. I can tell you that most wildlife officers greatly appreciate and actively encourage tips and information that help to apprehend violators.

Every one of us encounters situations in the field where we can either help to stop a chain of abuse and violation, or fail to do our part in stopping it.

Indeed, it is up to us ... and it is a test of character.

[dick195252]

Grizzly Adam You have said it perfectly.

[Cossack]

I'd report it pronto..Isn't that why God created cell phones?
I sure as h... wouldn't confront them. Aside from not doing someone else s job, mom didn't raise any fools.These are the kind of folks that tend to bring a gun to a discussion.

[snapperdan]

I have seen people take game out of season on posted land
that they were not suposed to be on to feed there familyes
and felt good about it?On the other side seen people do the same
for no reason other than greed? I gess i am confused about this .
as both were breaking the law. but one of them made me sick.
I gess the law is the law???

[Popacap]

With so much public land to hunt. Why do people chose to go on private land uninvited. Maybe on public land your more likely to become the hunted due to overcrowding? I live in the city and own no real amount of land other than my yard. Back in the day my folks had 20 acers but when they retired they moved, therefore no more home with land. I have ask numerous people to hunt on their land ranging from 40 acers to 600 acers and people seem pretty reluctant to let you. So now I must find public land. I havent ever hunted before but it is a skill I want to learn. I wont name names but a forum member has offered to let me come to his hunting grounds to scout and hunt for my first time wich is great! This person doesnt even know me but is willing to give a very helpful hand to a new hunter. I cant even express how much that means when ya really dont no where to hunt and have no mentor to help you along the way. I dont want to hunt on property where they dont want it but if I accidently cross the line from public to private land and break a law by tresspassing it would be an honest mistake. So please dont call the law just say hey are you supposed to be here. Then you will know by their answer weather they have good intentions or bad. I guess it probably should be hunting season though.
Happy shooting!!!