Poaching in the Northwest

[walkinghorse]

'A demented social club': Poachers slaughtered hundreds of animals in Pacific Northwest for 'the thrill,' police say - The Washington Post

I have not heard or seen anything about this? Perhaps I missed it with other events going on in the news? Pretty disgusting and blatant! Hope the final resolution for the perpetrators is severe, financially and with prison time!

 

[Watchdog]

It had apparently been going on since 2016.

Quoting from an article in The Seattle Times:

"The Wasco, Ore., County District Attorney's office charged eleven people with misdemeanor wildlife crimes in that county Tuesday. Some of those charged in Oregon are also being prosecuted in Washington state for allegedly killing bears, deer, elk or bobcats illegally. Members of the loose network often filmed or photographed their hunts, capturing gruesome scenes, including some in Washington that showed hunting dogs gnawing on dead or wounded bears. In some hunts, the alleged poachers left their prey to waste, collecting little meat or hide, investigators said."

This sort of behavior is hard for me to understand. I do see behavior of this type as being the product of a seriously disturbed person.

These ignorant yahoos give real hunters and sportsmen a bad name. Clowns like this are who the anti-gun crowd point to when they want to put out negative statements about gun owners and hunters.

Forget the misdemeanor charges...these idiots need some jail time. Two or three years, minimum.

Disgusting behavior. Simply reprehensible.

 

[Texas Star]

This sometimes happens, and some poach bears for gall bladders for commercial sale, etc. Not sportsmen!

I think a lot of bear and tiger parts sell in China.

 

[nachogrande]

HARD TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND.

1 OR 2 SICKO'S I can understand. GEE that's a group (OF LOSERS) I really want to be a part of. NOT for $ or feeding families??? Reminds me of one of those organized groups of pedophiles. 1-3 Years and fines is fine by me IF it goes for each offense with time served to run concurrently, and fines with no limits.

 

[Absalom]

This sometimes happens, and some poach bears for gall bladders for commercial sale, etc. Not sportsmen!

This is something different. Poachers for meat or profit are criminals, but at least money is a rational reason. This was mostly just killing animals.

Just looking at that selfie with a bunch of illegally taken deer in the truck tells you all you need to know.

Forum-appropriate language fails me .....

 

[jlrhiner]

Like so many young ones today, their gratification was in the act. They "Win" if they got the most/biggest/best.

Me? I can sit for hours in the woods and never raise my rifle.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The English language has many words that perfectly convey the feeling towards such people and their actions.

"Despicable" is one such word.

 

[16thVACav]

Poaching is just one notch above child molesting.

 

[muddocktor]

To me, a just punishment for these yahoos would be to throw them into a Thunderdome style cage with a couple of griz and see who comes out. To me those yahoos don't qualify as people, just mad animals. Since they don't have claws or teeth, I would give the humans a small pocketknife to equalize the contest.

 

[BC38]

What a bunch of sick creeps. These are the types that, if not stopped, go on to become murderers.
Poaching is taking a deer or whatever out of season for the meat.
This wasn't poaching. It was sick slaughter for the sake of killing.
The punishments being discussed aren't nearly severe enough - they need to be doubled or trebled (at the very least).

 

[Scorpion520AZ]

Unfortunately, the anti-hunting mob portrays the disgusting, criminal acts and photos of "poachers" like these morons as "hunters" to the unknowing general public. No one hates a poacher more than the legal, lawful, responsible hunter.

 

[JH1951]

Part of the punishment should be confiscation of their firearms and no right to own or hold any in the future. In my neck of the woods, a felony conviction brings that upon a perpetrator and I have no problem at all with that.

 

[Watchdog]

I can sit for hours in the woods and never raise my rifle.

I can sit for hours in the woods and never even have a rifle or a shotgun with me.

 

[vonn]

Don't guess they can hang them but it seems appropriate punishment for the crime.

 

[Class III]

Don't guess they can hang them but it seems appropriate punishment for the crime.

Why not? If found guilty of Aggravated First Degree Murder in the State of Washington the convicted have a choice of lethal injection or hanging by the neck until pronounced dead by a licensed physician.


Now all that is needed is for the jury to be WAYYYY LIBERAL.


Class III

 

[Old 44 Guy]

All the meat taken by my rifle, shotgun or pistol has been eaten by my family or hunting buddys. And all was taken legaly.

 

[Filo McShoe]

I've had village idiots show up on my property to hunt in and out of season, I call the sheriff's department and report it as soon as I know they're around.
Me confronting some armed moron doesn't seem like a good idea to me, I pay my taxes so let the people who are paid to do it, do it.
More than one has claimed Bubba or Jim Bob said they could hunt on the property only to be told Bubba don't own the property I do.
Years ago across the road in the morning fog one poacher shot and killed another poacher by accident. Both were convicted felons who shouldn't have had a gun but again I'm sure Bubba said it was OK.

 

[pmanton]

The thought of killing just for the "thrill" of killing just leaves me cold.

 

[jlrhiner]

I can sit for hours in the woods and never even have a rifle or a shotgun with me.

What about amorous Bigfoot?

 

[Grip_Maker's_Wife]

Nat Geo used to have a show that followed Fish and Game Wardens. It was an interesting show. They busted anyone from meat sellers in Chinatown selling illegal meat/fish to poachers out in the woods. There were some poachers on the show that were busted multiple times, year after year. One had lost his right to own firearms yet had several hunting rifles on his property and several fresh carcasses from out of season animals. Some just don't care what the laws are and don't care if they are busted over and over. As with all animal abuse, the punishments are often not strict enough.

 

[RobertJ.]

I've always saved my wanton slaughter for spotted owls!

At the very least, these guys deserve a good caning.

 

[Watchdog]

What about amorous Bigfoot?

Well, I didn't say I wasn't armed...just that I don't have a rifle or a shotgun with me. I just don't go wandering the woods with the intent to hunt or kill something, that's all.

 

[Drm50]

There has always been a little poaching in my area. People hard
up will shoot a deer to eat. We have ego poachers that shoot
trophy bucks and only take the head.

 

[islandguy]

Don't guess they can hang them but it seems appropriate punishment for the crime.

Slowly, with no appreciable drop, so as not to speed the process.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Poaching is just one notch above child molesting.

Having defended child molesters and seeing first hand the damage such a vile act does to innocent persons, I suggest your statement is a bit on the high end of hyperbole. Poaching is theft of a resource pure and simple-angry that it makes us, in no way does it approach child molesting.......

 

[Absalom]

Having defended child molesters and seeing first hand the damage such a vile act does to innocent persons, I suggest your statement is a bit on the high end of hyperbole. Poaching is theft of a resource pure and simple-angry that it makes us, in no way does it approach child molesting.......

I would second this statement.

A wide range of behaviors is covered by the term "poaching". However angry it makes us, we shouldn't generalize and demonize, which, as Cajunlawyer indicates, also risks trivializing other worse crimes.

There is the organized and simply revolting slaughter of animals, often apparently just for fun, that began this thread. "Unethical" doesn't begin to cover it.

Then there is organized crimiinal activity, like the hunt for bear parts or, in other parts of the world, for ivory or tiger penises and such, most comparable to the drug trade.

But ... starting back in the 1980s, when the "timber wars" were ravaging Northwest logging communities and many well-paying jobs disappeared, a lot of elk and venison that had never seen a tag ended up feeding families out here, and likely still does. And while I don't condone breaking the law, I'm not judging overly harshly either, because I haven't been in those shoes. But that's certainly a world away from child molesters.

 

[Mule Packer]

I taught Hunter Safety for 28 years and believe that most hunters are sensible, honorable people who enjoy getting outdoors and providing food for their families.

However, that being said, there are obviously some low-life idiots whose motivation for hunting is nothing more than pure slaughter. They'll shoot a deer or elk for nothing more than the horns, or shoot a black bear in order to get the gall bladder. I have come across dead does and fawns, shot for no other reason than someone wanted to shoot something.

I have absolutely no sympathy for these jerks. We have known a couple of judges (who happen to be hunters themselves) who lower the boom on these offenders. Unfortunately, we have also seen some judges who give these bozos the proverbial "slap on the wrist," fine them a few dollars, and turn them loose.

 

[old bear]

I hope two things happen to these animals, Justice is swift and strong, and there is a special place in Hell for any bozo that would do something like these clowns are accused of doing.