Poached Buck....

[Land Shark]

My buddy and I were up in the coast range today scouting and trimming a tree for my tree stand. After we finished we drove to a area that we shoot our bows when ever we are up there. Saw some Ravens about 100 yds down the road so we went to see what was up and found this nice forked horn buck beside the road. Looked to be about a day or so since somebody poached him. They left his head and all 4 legs from the joint down along with the gut pile. This kind of crap just burns me up. Reported it on the way out to the OSP. Just makes you wonder how many these low lifes have poached this year.

[flyfisherwoman923]

lets hope that the karma gods are paying attention and their time will come....they SUCK!!!!!

[StickFish]

When I used to hunt the coast range I always saw more vehicles heading out in the Am when I was headed in - all had big lights and barrels hanging out the windows. Camped up there one year all we heard were gun shots - next morning lots of gut piles along the roads. Called it in - told not much they can do unless they catch them in the act

[steelhead22]

"Just makes you wonder how many these low lifes have poached this year."

I wasn't aware of exactly how bad this problem is until my buddy started working for OSP Fish and Game last year. Every single time they do a "bust" for spotlighters, people shooting from their vehicles, etc. they've got more offenders than they can handle. Worst part is, they are only covering an extremely small area. On the large scale, over the entire year, I'd say poaching is probably the #1 problem for our deer and elk herds, unfortunately.

[bigjake_888]

Wonder what it would take to get a decoy next to a wireless internet connection on a camera so we can do I fish poach busters. How cool would that be? Just set them up in target areas. I bet the whole set up would be less than 5 G's. We could make sure that we have enough evidence to hand over to OSP.

We can rig up a small real quiet generator on a motion detector and a photocell. So when a car drives by during the night the generator starts....and so do the cameras. The generator will need to be far enoough away such that you would not hear it. The cameras would turn on and we would have one at the perfect spot to shoot from the road so we can get the licesnse plate. The only bad part is we would probably loose our decoy unless we wrapped it with razor wire or something. Just a thought.

[Land Shark]

"On the large scale, over the entire year, I'd say poaching is probably the #1 problem for our deer and elk herds, unfortunately."
Stealhead22 I think you are right on the money with that statement. My brother was a coordinator for the " decoy program " several years ago and his stories of the idiots that they caught would make you sick. I think with OSP's game officers numbers down from years past it is almost impossible to keep up with this slaughter. The night before opening day of archery season last year I woke to gun shots several times through out the night in several different directions where I was camped. In this area I hunt in the last 7 years I have not once seen an OSP officer's vehicle on the roads during archery season. They did run an "eye in the sky " operation during rifle season in the area last year.

[JustCallMeDave]

Wireless Internet would require wired Internet nearby, as transmission isn't all that good right now. Also consider that parking five large worth of high tech poacher-busting goods without protection could very easily turn into scrap metal and wires rather quickly.

[GDuck]

Originally Posted by Land Shark

"On the large scale, over the entire year, I'd say poaching is probably the #1 problem for our deer and elk herds, unfortunately."
Stealhead22 I think you are right on the money with that statement. My brother was a coordinator for the " decoy program " several years ago and his stories of the idiots that they caught would make you sick. I think with OSP's game officers numbers down from years past it is almost impossible to keep up with this slaughter. The night before opening day of archery season last year I woke to gun shots several times through out the night in several different directions where I was camped. In this area I hunt in the last 7 years I have not once seen an OSP officer's vehicle on the roads during archery season. They did run an "eye in the sky " operation during rifle season in the area last year.

Far as I know OSPs game officer numbers are funded separately and have remained relatively stable for several years. Problem has always been there is never enough of them, they are made to work alone most of the time, and they are never scheduled correctly. Combine that with the fact they have very few fixed wing planes with the correct technology to bag night poachers and you get the poaching disaster you have today.

OSP is also its own worst enemy. The common sense generation of gamies are retired or will be soon. Now OSP is famous for putting raw recruits straight into fish/game, along with those who don't know a fishing pole from a shotgun. This gets you, among other things, female gamies who complain about "dead stuffed animals" in the office so management removes them, and other gamies who write hunters for offensive littering for doing a #2 in the woods (Astoria office, ask around, its true).

Between poachers, cougars, and OSP management we aren't doing very well.

G

[HuntNFishAddict]

Originally Posted by GDuck

OSP is also its own worst enemy. The common sense generation of gamies are retired or will be soon. Now OSP is famous for putting raw recruits straight into fish/game, along with those who don't know a fishing pole from a shotgun.

G

GDuck,
Although you might have a valid point to some degree here; I know of 4 or five recruits that have become Troopers within the last couple of years. All of them are avid outdoorsman and try their best to educate offenders before writing tickets. The good thing about this is they are very good at judging character and if they believe the people made an honest mistake they will most likely give them a strong warning. This obviously depends on the circumstances. On the other hand if guys are being knuckleheads and deserve a ticket ... well you should read the regs before you pull the trigger.

One of them actually got me hooked on waterfowl hunting. He is quite a few years younger than myself, but is by no means a rookie when it comes to being a sportsman.

On the subject of the poaching thing, I think that the days when guys shot a deer here and there to feed their families are long gone. They need to find a way to catch them and do some whoopin hiney if you know what I mean. They need to make it hurt like when we used to get taken behind the woodshed.

[jvp]

Originally Posted by JustCallMeDave

Wireless Internet would require wired Internet nearby, as transmission isn't all that good right now. Also consider that parking five large worth of high tech poacher-busting goods without protection could very easily turn into scrap metal and wires rather quickly.

taking the fun out of what if satellite feed if, no blocked feed from trees, no storms hmmm farmers field or scab rock flats might work

[tag-a-long]

We camped in the coast range last year hunting out of logsden. One A.M. on the way out we saw what looked like blood and hair in the road near some some skid and peel out tracks. We checked it out and found a little fork dead thrown in the bushes next to the road. He had a gunshot wound in his neck. Must have run him down and shot him and got scared off or just doing it because they were idiots. Took pics of the area and the deer, contacted OSP and offered the photos. They didn't seem too interested. Said it would be tough to find out who did it. The little bugger was still warm and not yet rigored. OSP said just to leave the animal where it was. I was gonna use my tag on him. Shame to leave him to waste.

[CombinationLicense]

Originally Posted by steelhead22

"Just makes you wonder how many these low lifes have poached this year."

I wasn't aware of exactly how bad this problem is until my buddy started working for OSP Fish and Game last year. Every single time they do a "bust" for spotlighters, people shooting from their vehicles, etc. they've got more offenders than they can handle. Worst part is, they are only covering an extremely small area. On the large scale, over the entire year, I'd say poaching is probably the #1 problem for our deer and elk herds, unfortunately.

This is a huge problem area and I'm glad this thread got started to keep the awareness level up right before hunting seasons start. I've posted before that the poaching "take" is estimated to be as high as the legal take for big game in Oregon. It's not just people taking a deer here and there for food, it's wholesale meat supply and the tacit approval of the hunting community via turning a blind eye to "subsistence hunting" has to stop.

About OSP's enforcement efforts - I would say they are doing what they can with the resources they have. I've noticed a decline in their field presence in recent years and started asking questions from the agency. What I found out is that although the funding has remained fairly stable, it has become more diversified. What I mean is that to keep the funding level up, OSP had to pursue funding from other sources besides ODFW. That then translates into some of the Troopers time being spent on enforcing other related issues like marine safety, ohv's, etc...

The squeeky wheel gets the grease though and we need to support our game cops by letting our legislators and governor know that we want a stable budget for OSP and strong enforcement from the Wildlife Division.

Remember the "Turn In Poacher" Hotline 1-800-452-7888

Turn in a poacher, help our wildlife AND get a reward

"CL"

[ehunter]

The other problem is the remoteness of these areas they really need the people who live in those areas to help and they do. The officers can't be every where but if we repot as many problems as we find they can spend some time and resources in those areas being hit. I kind of find it amusing they seem to catch a lot of people using spot.:grin:

[gerry]

Here's what I can't understand about these dirtbags.Why a buck? They probably passed up a dozen does before shooting this little fork. I guess they need more of a challenge.

[Spotted Owl]

Originally Posted by CombinationLicense

Remember the "Turn In Poacher" Hotline 1-800-452-7888

Turn in a poacher, help our wildlife AND get a reward

"CL"

The TIP line IMHO is a joke.

Several times now we have called that number for poachers. Nothing has happened. every time we have been told that we would be contacted by an officer on duty or an officer to follow up on the issue(s) being reported. Twice we told the lady on the phone that we had, Liscense plate #'s for vehicles and camp trailors, the number of poachers in the vehicle, the vehicle discriptions, the poachers discriptions to include clothing facial hair and hair color, what animal in camp was the one we witnessed being poached, to top it off we had exact locations of the camps and vehicles.

Not one time have we ever been return contacted by anyone about any of the info that we had but the operator didn't want.

I agree poaching is probably the biggest detriment to our herds. However the way I see it if the authorities don't want our help or want the info we have then nothing will change. Sure ole Scruff at nite gets a few, and makes a good negative spin on so called hunting and so called hunters for the media, but untill OSP or who ever wants to utilize there volunteer force nothing is going to change and that is IME&O and very sad thing.

We have gone to when we see headlights heading up the road at night we follow them. Poachers turn around before to long and leave. People heading for camp sometimes questions us, and when they get the skinny on what we are doing are all for it, and we have since ran into two of the campers we have followed doing the same thing last season.

Be proactive for sure but at the same time from my experience don't be fooled buy the TIP line. We still use it everytime we can but have come to expect nothing to come of our reports.

Owl

[Matthewc]

Sheesh, and to think I want to move to the coast for better hunting : (

A friend of my during last bow season was stalking a doe up a hill and as the doe got to the top and crossed the road 2 gun shots rang out and a whoop and holler and I got it I got it YES! He was very worried so he just ducked down in the brush and waited for the poachers to take the doe and go. They split pretty fast and took the doe to gut it at another location. The area he was hunting is known for mountain camping meth cooks and poachers. I told him that is exactly why I carry S&W 357 anytime im in the woods now. Its not the wild animals that scare me folks.

[BrianMaguire]

Originally Posted by CombinationLicense

This is a huge problem area and I'm glad this thread got started to keep the awareness level up right before hunting seasons start. I've posted before that the poaching "take" is estimated to be as high as the legal take for big game in Oregon. It's not just people taking a deer here and there for food, it's wholesale meat supply and the tacit approval of the hunting community via turning a blind eye to "subsistence hunting" has to stop.
"

Its not just tacit approval of the hunting community, which I am not sure we have for the practice, but flat out approval in many communities of poaching. You are dead on when you state the take is high which limits all of our opportunities. It is also myths about what a species does, like the "fence busting pronghorns".

What gets me is that many of us work the heck out of the system to do what we think is right for the herds, to improve the habitat and to increase the survival by decreasing winter mortality, only to be thwarted by thieves. My goal being involved in conservation has always been to see a 400 class bull in the wild in Oregon, maybe even kill it, but when you have people poaching year round it makes it that much harder. To compensate you have to do more drastic things than would otherwise be neccessary.

I bet if there was zero poaching in this state I could hang my hat up and get out of the hair of all the land managers hair I am in. How I wish that were the case.

What gets me is that the real problem is a year round thing, something that is as prevelant in May as Oct. Targeting in force during hunting season is just part of the answer. Yes party hunting is a big thing, jacking animals another, but drifting down the Mackenzie checking everyone for a Salmon tag is not the answer. Its the easy thing but not the best thing, IMO.

[Cornbread]

Originally Posted by BrianMaguire

What gets me is that the real problem is a year round thing, something that is as prevelant in May as Oct. Targeting in force during hunting season is just part of the answer. Yes party hunting is a big thing, jacking animals another, but drifting down the Mackenzie checking everyone for a Salmon tag is not the answer. Its the easy thing but not the best thing, IMO.

FWIW I have been hunting in Oregon for 10 years now. I have never even seen an osp officer in the field. Not on the way in, not while hunting, not on the way out. I have never had my tag checked nor my license. I haven't even seen one stop by just to say howdy. On the other hand when fishing I have been stopped a couple of times a year to have my license and tags checked. I don't mind having my license and tags checked but I wish they were as active for hunting as they are for fishing about poachers.

[TheTexan]

Originally Posted by Spotted Owl

The TIP line IMHO is a joke.

May be a joke, but it is the only tool we have, currently. I've called twice and know for a fact it worked on one of those calls. Number is programmed into my cell phone.

[CombinationLicense]

Originally Posted by Spotted Owl

The TIP line IMHO is a joke.

Several times now we have called that number for poachers. Nothing has happened. every time we have been told that we would be contacted by an officer on duty or an officer to follow up on the issue(s) being reported. Twice we told the lady on the phone that we had, Liscense plate #'s for vehicles and camp trailors, the number of poachers in the vehicle, the vehicle discriptions, the poachers discriptions to include clothing facial hair and hair color, what animal in camp was the one we witnessed being poached, to top it off we had exact locations of the camps and vehicles.

Not one time have we ever been return contacted by anyone about any of the info that we had but the operator didn't want.

I agree poaching is probably the biggest detriment to our herds. However the way I see it if the authorities don't want our help or want the info we have then nothing will change. Sure ole Scruff at nite gets a few, and makes a good negative spin on so called hunting and so called hunters for the media, but untill OSP or who ever wants to utilize there volunteer force nothing is going to change and that is IME&O and very sad thing.

We have gone to when we see headlights heading up the road at night we follow them. Poachers turn around before to long and leave. People heading for camp sometimes questions us, and when they get the skinny on what we are doing are all for it, and we have since ran into two of the campers we have followed doing the same thing last season.

Be proactive for sure but at the same time from my experience don't be fooled buy the TIP line. We still use it everytime we can but have come to expect nothing to come of our reports.

Owl

Wow! I'm surprised that you've had such dismal results from OSP on your complaints. IMHO it's inexcusable for them to receive that much information and not respond or at least follow up on it later. I will be sure to pass the information you posted on to both ODFW and OSP so please pm the particulars of your complaints.

BTW, you don't have to be anyone special to call up ODFW or OSP and rattle their cage. I'm sure that Brian Maguire will agree that anyone with some persistence and the time to make some calls can make a difference. I agree that ignoring the volunteer tipsters will lead to less calls to the TIP line so it's better to correct the problem by complaining to the OSP Wildlife Division brass. Don't let the bad experiences sway you from trying to do the right thing - call them back and complain if you don't get a response. Call the County Sheriff, ODFW or whoever will listen!

"CL"

[CombinationLicense]

Originally Posted by BrianMaguire

Its not just tacit approval of the hunting community, which I am not sure we have for the practice, but flat out approval in many communities of poaching. You are dead on when you state the take is high which limits all of our opportunities. It is also myths about what a species does, like the "fence busting pronghorns".

What gets me is that many of us work the heck out of the system to do what we think is right for the herds, to improve the habitat and to increase the survival by decreasing winter mortality, only to be thwarted by thieves. My goal being involved in conservation has always been to see a 400 class bull in the wild in Oregon, maybe even kill it, but when you have people poaching year round it makes it that much harder. To compensate you have to do more drastic things than would otherwise be neccessary.

I bet if there was zero poaching in this state I could hang my hat up and get out of the hair of all the land managers hair I am in. How I wish that were the case.

What gets me is that the real problem is a year round thing, something that is as prevelant in May as Oct. Targeting in force during hunting season is just part of the answer. Yes party hunting is a big thing, jacking animals another, but drifting down the Mackenzie checking everyone for a Salmon tag is not the answer. Its the easy thing but not the best thing, IMO.

I hear ya' and didn't mean to say that poaching only occurs this time of year. But there are more of us in the woods during hunting season which means more eyes to see what's going on. I'll bet that the people that poach all year 'round don't stop just because it's fall. More likely, they're out filling someone else's tag and catching them might lead to a freezer full of meat that they can't explain....



"CL"

[Limbhanger]

Originally Posted by gerry

Here's what I can't understand about these dirtbags.Why a buck? They probably passed up a dozen does before shooting this little fork. I guess they need more of a challenge.

I think they shoot the first thing they see in the headlights. A poacher has no discretion. First they would have to have morals.
It is unbelievable how many animals are poached and how few of these clowns are caught compared to how many are out there. Just like all crime, if the punishments were more severe there would be less problems.

[Trick]

I have always taken pride in every deer that I've taken (all legal) from the smallest spike to my wall hangers. I wan't to throw-up seeing that picture of that buck in a ditch. Is there so little respect for these beautiful creatures that someone can reduce the kill to that?

I've came across poached deer in the past and couldn't tell ya' who killed them. First deer I ever gutted was a yearling that someone had gut-shot and left for the ravens. My father was upset as was I, but we did utilize some of the animal. This was back in the late 70's or early 80's and I've never forgot it. I still remember the warm eyes on this critter and couldn't understand why?

I called the police on some geese poachers one time and they were arrested, so I know they will respond at least sometimes.

[scottishsetter]

I worked with a coastal human[restaint used] that was caught poaching. He admitted to shooting 32 deer a year. His thing was to give the meat to relatives for the recognition and pat on the back. He used a crossbow.

[roadsend]

Originally Posted by Limbhanger

....... Just like all crime, if the punishments were more severe there would be less problems.

I think that no amount of punishment will ever stop some of these poacher types, life in prison or lethal injection excepted. Poaching behavior seems to be almost ingrained in their identity.
Quite a few of these folks are not financially needy and are well able to afford guided trips enough to acquire all of the deer and elk they could ever use.
I would like to see a gamey or two comment on this thread.

[RODACTION]

Originally Posted by roadsend

I would like to see a gamey or two comment on this thread.

I would also like to see what they have to say. Seeing the picture of that buck made me mad.....


Like said, ingrained....I have to agree, I think for some it is just a way of life, because their father did it, and granddad did, so we do/can also.

It's to bad.

[Land Shark]

Here is an update. I received a call from an OSP officer concerning the call I made about the buck( I used the TIP line ). At first he said he found it but said it was a doe.... I told him no it was a Buck in velvet. The Doe he found was about a mile down the same road and looked like it was shot in the same time period as the Buck I found . Seems like there has been more than just the 2 instances also. He had just come from a poached elk carcass when he went to look for the one I called in. He said they have some suspects from the local area that might the be low-lifes that are responsible and there is an investigation going on. He told me there will be some operations going on in the area prior to archery season and that he would be patrolling there during the season. He said he was a transfer from the east side but he was well versed in the locations I gave him. I hope they catch them!!!!