Occassionally, the issue of poaching in areas of Africa comes up on this forum. I think the overwhelming consensus of contributors to this forum find the act of poaching as revolting. We often hear of the problems with poaching "over there" in Africa. Today's NY Times had an article on the pervasive poaching that is occurring across the Western US

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/us/09poach.html?hp&ex...094&partner=homepage

I would guess that the same or worse is occurring in Canada as we speak. What are your thoughts? Are there any solutions?

Question:
The impact of poaching big game in the US is

Choices:
much less than the poaching that occurs in Africa
similar to that in Africa
much more than in Africa

 

Should your last choice read "Much MORE than in Africa"?

LHowell,

Yes - thanks. Poll's corrected now.

This really should be in the AMERICAN big game forum but I must say you're comparing apples and oranges. In the States its mostly ego motivated greed in the quest for big antlers. In Africa most "poaching" while often greed motivated as well is rather an issue of MONEY - bush meat, ivory and horn to be sold rather than bragged about.

What I found disturbing about the article in a mainstream paper was the photos, all but one of LEGALLY taken game. The unfamliar (with hunting) readers of that article aren't likely to make that distinction.

Several years ago when I was living in Charlotte NC there was a story in the paper one day about some poachers being caught killing bears. As the story went on they were selling ball gall bladders to Asians for some medicinal benefit. What struck me as odd is that they did not arrest them until they had documented 150 bears illegally killed. I never could understand why they let them go so far before the arrest.

I think your average Joe Blow hunter has no idea as to how large the scope of illegal activity is happening right from underneath his nose. Studies have shown that the illegal killing and trade in wildlife parts is second only to the drug trade. We're talking billions of dollars here.

The biggest and the best are being stolen from law abiding hunters. Not only commercial poaching, but people living within your community (who knows, maybe some of you reading this are in this category as well) who take an extra deer or two, shoot wildlife out of season, or kill that big buck in the headlights because "no one's around or who will miss just one?"

I've got a friend who is a game warden at a national park in Kenya. Many who poach there are forced into it due to a huge problem in the amount of poverty. They snare bush meat for market or for their family. They kill wildlife to sell the parts to get a little $$ to buy food or clothing.

In the states it is much different. People poach because they are greedy...want the big head, want the bragging rights, or just have no regard for other hunters or property owners. They know their chances of being caught are slim, and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, or when they think "no one is looking".

As ethical hunters, it is in our best interest to help our wildlife agencies combat these lowlife's and report any violation we observe.

MG

Dead on Oupa,

Africa=Poaching for meat / survival.
USA=Poaching for big antlers and bear gall bladders.

National Geographic had a pretty good article within the last year on the bush meat trade in Africa. Just think about a country with the economics / social order of Zambia or Zimbabwe. How much poaching goes on just to feed the population. If you cant buy food, how do you feed your family?

I admit to probably knowing very little on the issue, but Iam pretty confident that there is no contest. Africa wins this contest hands down.

[quote]The biggest and the best are being stolen from law abiding hunters. Not only commercial poaching, but people living within your community (who knows, maybe some of you reading this are in this category as well) who take an extra deer or two, shoot wildlife out of season, or kill that big buck in the headlights..." quote]

This is so true! It's not the organized poachers who do the most damage, they just get the most attention. While deer are near pests here abouts BIG deer are still rare enough to get attention. A good friend who's managed the deer on his farm closely for years - hasn't even shot a buck for several season due to self imposed criteria - recently had one of his trophy buck "poached" by a young man with permission to hunt the neighboring farm. Sitting on the fence and seeing the bruiser crossing my buddy's field, the kid just couldn't resist. It was "only one deer" but it was the result of years of management to get the quality up on that farm. It was a deer my buddy earned by hard work. Had it crossed the fence it'd been his bad luck but since it didn't (the poacher did!) this was as wrong as any Rhino killed for his horn... and typical of what happens all across America thousands of times every fall. "Just one deer" by one of thousands of the unethical hunters who take "just one deer" illegally.

Game and Fish Departments across the West know that poaching is a huge problem. They also know that the state's judicial system siimply does not feel that game animal violations, including poaching, is any big deal. Now, when the feds get involved, which the feds can because of the interstate deal in transporation of antlers and hides, the cases become a bigger deal. I lived in Cibola County in New Mexico for eight years and the most I ever saw anyone sentenced, was probation. That said, after I left there was a lady in Reserve, I believe, who was convicted of selling bogus big game license and I worked a case as a news reporter of a couple in Cibola County who were charged with 66 counts including tax evasion for illegal activities with the state's elk hunting. They owned an outfitting outfit which also sold bogus elk authorizations. The fellow's wife was sentenced to probation and the fellow, Adrian Romero, is awaiting sentecing after he copped guilty pleas. Until the state judicial systems begin to take the crimes of game law violations seriously, then little will be done. Nothing sends a message faster than some SOB going to prison for a few years for selling bogus elk tags to get the word out. Well, that's my rant for the day. Tom Purdom

Living in a rural, but relatively highly populated area I can say that the evening rifle shots are all to frequent, and rarely if ever investigated. It is sad to see and hear the local "hunters" brag about their killing of game in their unique sporting way. It is not hunting.