This last week I�ve been hunting black-tail deer in the Oregon Cascades. I had an experience like no other. Monday morning I left camp on foot at first light. Walking out to the main dirt road about 75 yards from camp I spotted a doe and a yearling. As I continued the walk they circled around and crossed in front of me. As I approached the area where they had crossed, I found a nice set of buck tracks crossing the road just ahead of them. I back tracked about a 100 yards and circled around to get in front of them. I knew the area well, and guessed about were they would end up. I waited for them about 15 min. and heard a gun shot near the road I had crossed. A few minutes later another shot. I heard a deer running towards me breaking branches in a mad dash. I clicked off my safety and got ready to shoot. The deer ran past the small shooting lane I had with its head down, so fast I wasn�t even sure if it was a doe or small buck. Knowing I had missed my chance I headed back towards the road to walk to a new area to hunt. As I approached the road I saw a hunter standing near where I had last seen the doe and yearling. I yelled and inquired if he had made a shot. He said he had shot a small spike. As I approached he started dragging the deer fast as he could to his truck. The faster I walked the faster he tried to go. I got close and saw he had taken the yearling! I saw movement in his truck and new he had a partner. I got the heck out of there as fast as I could thinking they might be poachers. I got back to camp and checked the regs. The unit I was hunting in was forked horn or larger. And doe/spike season was still 3 weeks away. The next evening I was hunting A couple hundred yards further in from where I had been the prior morning. I heard many ravens making a fuss and went to check it out. Sure enough I found the doe dead and half way consumed by the birds, and its rear leg broken. I can only assume the poacher shot the doe and was too lazy to go after it and took the yearling. I wish I�d have had the presence of mind to get his license number to turn him in. The whole thing made me sick.
The guy was a jerk. Don't beat yourself up over not having gotten the license number, at least you had the thought to do that, and next time, you probably will get it.
You have to wonder: What was his thought process in wasting an animal? He must have the mentality of a dung beetle!
Poaching sucks, but I can almost tolerate it if the guy is bringing meat home, or using the animal in some benefical way. But to shoot and just leave wildlife for the pickings of scavengers I just can't understand at all.
------------------ Live Free! Madison, Jefferson and all the boys paid for it, and so did our very own fathers.
