I noticed that there isn't a lot of action on this new forum, so maybe I can offer an amusing anecdote. Some of you may know that we have a nice mountain here in WA named Mt. Rainier. It is also a National Park. Well, a few years ago a fellow who is a member of a prominent and well-to-do hunting family in WA was pictured with his 6x bull elk on the cover of a local/state hunting publication. Now, I probably have a detail or two wrong, but it shouldn't affect the story all that much.

In the background of the pic was a lot of snow. An employee of the WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife became curious, because he didn't think there was snow during elk season. He circulated the pic in the hopes that someone might recognize the landscape. Well, just as sure as shit stinks, someone did. The scene was clearly and inarguably in the Mt. Rainier National Park.

I don't claim to be totally without sin as to game laws. I may have been one fish over a couple of times, and it is possible that one of my bullets might have intersected the right-of-way on a remote county road. Moreover, I'm confident that the great majority of my fellow AR members respect our game and the laws which protect them. That said, I don't know anyone who has hunted in a national park.

If one is poaching one doesn't take pictures or talk about it.

quote:

If one is poaching and plans on not getting caught, one doesn't take pictures or talk about it.

There you go, fixed it for you.

In this day and time idiots are constantly posting "selfies" and other photos on FaceBook and other social media sites, with too many fish/over sized-under sized fish or game and all sorts of things that earned them a visit from a GMO and many times a ticket.

Some folks just don't get it, they just have to share with their buddies.

In my previous job, I actually made cases on idiots sending photos of themselves with illegally taken fish and/or game and/or fur to monthly magazines, who actually published them.

Have also made felony cases due to idiots posting selfies on various social media pages, with stolen property in the pic.

Several years back one of our Game and Fish Commissioners "killed" an antelope, Boone and Crockett. When it came out someone else shot it his best buddy swore he was there when it was shot. Only problem was his buddy had a Sheep tag, opened the same day. Oops!!!!!!!!!!!

From experience, GMO's don't always adhere to the laws they are sworn and paid to enforce.

My first buck with long bow, I got so excited, that when I got home my wife said " Where is the tag? "
OOps, totally forgot.
If got caught, I would have been screwed and nailed to the cross.
I would have been treated like someone who did it on purpose.
My way of looking at game laws?
Way overboard and too draconian, but what do you expect from power hungry politicians and gun wielding law enforcement

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
My first buck with long bow, I got so excited, that when I got home my wife said " Where is the tag? "
OOps, totally forgot.
If got caught, I would have been screwed and nailed to the cross.
I would have been treated like someone who did it on purpose.
My way of looking at game laws?
Way overboard and too draconian, but what do you expect from power hungry politicians and gun wielding law enforcement

Boarkiller,

Please explain how a LEO would know what your intentions were regarding the untagged buck. Would you expect him to take your word for it? I have issued somewhere around 150 tag citations in 32 years as a F&G employee. The most common excuse I heard was "Oh damn, I forgot!" Never once did any one say "Well you got me. I didn't tag it because I wanted to shoot another one on this tag."

Had I stopped you under the conditions you described I also would have cited you. But, I would have done it with a smile on my face.

465H&H

Agreed

There are reasons we have game laws and reasons why we have people hired to enforce those laws.

You either obey the laws or you don't. It is funny how many people that consider themselves law abiding citizens feel that they should be allowed to slide because they left their tag at home, while someone that didn't even bother to obtain a tag should be tarred and feathered, both broke the law.

I have dealt with GW's over the years that nearly all have fell into one of two classes as far as doing their job was concerned, those that operated under the Letter Of The Law, and those that operated under the Intent Of The Law.

CHC is correct in that some COs follow the letter of the law and others the spirit of the law. It is an ongoing debate amongst COs. The letter of the law group believe that it is the judges job to determine the degree of guilt and that they shouldn't usurp the judges authority. For the spirit of the law group, it is the end result that is most important. What ever will keep the violation from happening again is of most importance. In Idaho, the departments policy was issue a warning instead of a citation if it is more likely to accomplish future compliance with the law. I operated in that manner and can't think of a time when my supervisor ever second guessed my decision.

465H&H

That has always been my point
with any authorities, you jump down people's throat and you create more problems instead of compliance
It's like that from school days, you punish kid from get go instead of working with them, they will more likely try to do it again just for hell of it.
I think it all has to do with Thing called Freedom and that is something any of the Law should always consider being cops, judges or just people in power.
Because everyone once I awhile breaks law.
That is why there always been revolutions, uprisings etc
Laws got to be too draconian
One mans hero, another mans terrorist