Bend television poaching story...

[rem721]

Last night, the Bend NBC affiliate aired a story about poaching in Central Oregon. In this report, they repeatedly referred to poachers as hunters.They also said that several poaching investigations have led to arrests for meth labs, pot growing operations and various other felonies. Part of the story showed a bald eagle killed near Crane PrairieAs the demographic of Central Oregon changes, THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF PUBLICITY HUNTERS NEED. I sent an email voicing my displeasure that they would confuse poachers with hunters.

The good news is that the local game officer, Officer Pond made mention that poachers were different than real hunters. It also showed a few recent arrests for poaching. The bottom line is that IMO, it lumped ethical hunters with poachers and made us all look bad. Here is the link- if it won't work just search Z21 and you will find the story. If you don't like the way poachers are called hunters, take a m,oment and send them a message!

[loper]

Originally Posted by rem721

I sent an email voicing my displeasure that they would confuse poachers with hunters.

Thank you for doing that.

[OR_Bo_Huntr]

Already did, Mr. Pond did a good job....He's a member and a friend, hopefully he see's/notices our appreciation, because the dang news made a correlation of hunters and poachers...he made a distinct note of saying that it wasnt "hunters" rather poachers

[Artwo]

Here is what I wrote to their public affiars department................

"With regard to the report you recently did on wildlife poaching in your area please understand their is a huge difference between an ethical hunter and a poacher. Many times throughout your report you catagorized those who were doing the illegal poaching as hunters. Please understand that by catgorizing ethical hunters and poachers as one in the same you give the less informed individual the wrong impression of the sport we ethical hunters work so hard to maintain.
Thank you,"

I'll be waiting for a response...............

[rem721]

Thank you!!

This is what i sent them:

While I am glad that you aired this story so that awareness of the issue will hopefully be raised, as a law abiding hunter I am outraged that you referred to poachers as hunters. Nothing could be further from the truth. Poachers are criminals. As stated in the report, poachers make a conscious decision to break the law and ethical hunters whom practice fair chase methods make a conscious decision to obey all wildlife regulations. Ethical hunters do more than anyone else to preserve habitat and support wildlife populations both monetarily and through volunteer efforts. Perhaps you could do a story on the Oregon Hunters Association and all that they do for wildlife in Oregon.

Again, poachers are not hunters. Real hunters would like to see penalties for poaching increased. Next time you do a story on poaching, please call these thieves what they truly are-not hunters but criminals.

[Wazzu06]

Thank you for doing this. I wish there was more we could do to put a stop to pouching. Until there is more man power sadly these horrible people will get away with it. This is a great start and I commend you for what you all did. I will be posting to them shortly.

[nevermiss]

Poachers are not at all hunters, they ARE just plain criminals. Think about how much we legitimate sportsman await our opening days--that doesn't mean a thing to those kind: summer's as good a time as any. HIGHER, LARGER PENALTIES!

[RiverRogue]

There was an incident where a young man shot and crippled a paint ball gamer wearing a black/white helmet which was reported in the Eugene & Salem papers. The shooter was identified as a hunter in the articles. The perp violated several laws, firing his rifle from within the vehicle, shooting from a roadway, & not identifying his target. The perp was also id'd as a hunter. My letters to those papers made the point that calling this person a "hunter" is like calling a bank robber a "bank patron" because he can make a "withdrawal". It is what it is, a criminal act. Call the perp a criminal, NOT a hunter.

[SXS]

I appreciate the "heads up" on this as I am on vacation and did not watch the program. I have emailed my dissapointment in Z21 inaccurate reporting/editing. I hope every ifish member does likewise. Bad enough the media everywhere is biased; but now even Central Oregon? I guess this shows how Bend is changing for the worse. Let's let them know we want truthful reporting.

[Dextreme]

Is this the article?

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=9382551

If so, I am just trying to see where it's refering to poacher's as hunter's unless it has already been edited.

Or are you saying that:

It's the height of wildlife poaching season, as officers across the state catch dozens of illegal hunters, many of them in Central Oregon.

should read:

It's the height of wildlife poaching season, as officers across the state catch dozens of poachers, many of them in Central Oregon.


I am just trying to understand...

[rem721]

They are poachers- not hunters. Another point states that "the hunters are pretty embarrased when caught..." The OSP officer points out that poachers make a concious decision to break the law- I think the vast majority of us make a concious effort to follow wildlife laws and to pursue game ethically. To those that don't hunt, we are all being lumped together and I deeply resent that. I hold poachers in the same regard as cowards who steal old ladys purses... Understand now??

[Dextreme]

Originally Posted by rem721

Understand now??

Yep, I see your point. It's a case of the author using it interchangeably.

[Pond]

Hey Guys - please take it easy on Z21 when advising them the difference between a poacher and hunter. I do see and acknowlegde getting the point accross....just be polite in doing so.

They are a good resource for me and in the past will air a plead for help on cases and stuff on a moments notice and I don't want to lose that. They actually called me to do a story on some elk carcasses that were found behind the Sisters Rodeo. I told them that was kind of boring compared to some of the other cases we've made this season. So they came over and interviewed me for an hour which gets edited down of course. Their were some items that got left out and status mis quoted but it's still probably an eye opener and reminder that there are poachers and everyone should put TIP 1-800-452-7888 in there cell phones so they can call when witnessing an illegal act.

KOHD in Bend also aired a piece which was a smaller part to a larger story they were working on the same night...

I think awareness of this problem is a good thing. Let's help the messenger, not shoot'em.

I have plans for them to do a ride along with a camera crew and don't want them to second guess doing it. During these interviews I try and plug those that help us like McLagan's Taxidermy for helping build the decoys for basically nothing but "thanks", and advising people to join OHA, but it got edited this time. Sometimes my little plugs get aired...

Next time I'll do a better job of reminding the reporters of the difference.

Pond

[Twitchs_Tackle]

Originally Posted by Pond

Hey Guys - please take it easy on Z21 when advising them the difference between a poacher and hunter. I do see and acknowlegde getting the point accross....just be polite in doing so.

They are a good resource for me and in the past will air a plead for help on cases and stuff on a moments notice and I don't want to lose that. They actually called me to do a story on some elk carcasses that were found behind the Sisters Rodeo. I told them that was kind of boring compared to some of the other cases we've made this season. So they came over and interviewed me for an hour which gets edited down of course. Their were some items that got left out and status mis quoted but it's still probably an eye opener and reminder that there are poachers and everyone should put TIP 1-800-452-7888 in there cell phones so they can call when witnessing an illegal act.

KOHD in Bend also aired a piece which was a smaller part to a larger story they were working on the same night...

I think awareness of this problem is a good thing. Let's help the messenger, not shoot'em.

I have plans for them to do a ride along with a camera crew and don't want them to second guess doing it. During these interviews I try and plug those that help us like McLagan's Taxidermy for helping build the decoys for basically nothing but "thanks", and advising people to join OHA, but it got edited this time. Sometimes my little plugs get aired...

Next time I'll do a better job of reminding the reporters of the difference.

Pond

Good words, and good work. Keep it up, and good luck!


BTW, I saw the story on KEZI this morning in Alsea, its getting out!

[Half fast Toyn]

I wasnt polite....

Oops, my bad.

[Gun Rod Bow]

Originally Posted by Pond

I have plans for them to do a ride along with a camera crew and don't want them to second guess doing it. During these interviews I try and plug those that help us like McLagan's Taxidermy for helping build the decoys for basically nothing but "thanks", and advising people to join OHA, but it got edited this time. Sometimes my little plugs get aired...

Nice work Gamie.

Maybe you should write up some ideas we as hunters could use to help the OSP that are stretched thin.

Thanks for doing what you do.

[baltz526]

thanks very much for plugging OHA

[Artwo]

Originally Posted by Pond

Hey Guys - please take it easy on Z21 when advising them the difference between a poacher and hunter. I do see and acknowlegde getting the point accross....just be polite in doing so.

They are a good resource for me and in the past will air a plead for help on cases and stuff on a moments notice and I don't want to lose that. They actually called me to do a story on some elk carcasses that were found behind the Sisters Rodeo. I told them that was kind of boring compared to some of the other cases we've made this season. So they came over and interviewed me for an hour which gets edited down of course. Their were some items that got left out and status mis quoted but it's still probably an eye opener and reminder that there are poachers and everyone should put TIP 1-800-452-7888 in there cell phones so they can call when witnessing an illegal act.

KOHD in Bend also aired a piece which was a smaller part to a larger story they were working on the same night...

I think awareness of this problem is a good thing. Let's help the messenger, not shoot'em.

I have plans for them to do a ride along with a camera crew and don't want them to second guess doing it. During these interviews I try and plug those that help us like McLagan's Taxidermy for helping build the decoys for basically nothing but "thanks", and advising people to join OHA, but it got edited this time. Sometimes my little plugs get aired...

Next time I'll do a better job of reminding the reporters of the difference.

Pond

Well, I hope my email to them was polite (I tried to make it that way). I was not trying to bash them in any way, just hoping to help educate them on the difference between a criminal and an ethical hunter. The problem I as I see it is not with their method of reporting (any news report about poaching brings awareness) but more with the perception of the general public.

Thanks for fighting the good fight and working hard to preserve our hunting rights and resources.

[shadowstalker]

"Maybe you should write up some ideas we as hunters could use to help the OSP that are stretched thin." (Direct quote from RGB in post 16 above. Ifish Staff)

[Artwo]

Originally Posted by Artwo

Here is what I wrote to their public affiars department................

"With regard to the report you recently did on wildlife poaching in your area please understand their is a huge difference between an ethical hunter and a poacher. Many times throughout your report you catagorized those who were doing the illegal poaching as hunters. Please understand that by catgorizing ethical hunters and poachers as one in the same you give the less informed individual the wrong impression of the sport we ethical hunters work so hard to maintain.
Thank you,"

I'll be waiting for a response...............

This is the response I recieved back from the Z21 Community Affairs Director.................

"Thank you, Jeff...good point.
I will forward this to the News Dept."


Hopefully the message will get through................

[chummer]

The media's ignorance (print, radio & TV) on such issues are unending! Hunter/poacher, semiauto/assault weapon, commercial/recreational, they use terms interchangeably, and seem to put no effort into attempting to distinguish between the two. You would think that would be taught in journalism 101.

[CamoHunter]

Interesting.....

Why don't they refer to people who rob banks, stores and such
as "customers' instead of bank robbers and thieves...

Isn't that kind of the same thing?
Just becuase you "use" a gun it does not make you a hunter.

Camo

[Pond]

Originally Posted by shadowstalker

"Maybe you should write up some ideas we as hunters could use to help the OSP that are stretched thin." (Direct quote from RGB in post 16 above. Ifish Staff)

I'm going to work on that idea. I used to have a volunteer program out of the Bend office and it kind of disolved. I'm revisiting the idea of starting one back up. Right now I always just tell people to program the TIP line into there cell phone 1-800-452-7888 and call with good witness info.

Pond

[Cliff D.]

Originally Posted by Pond

Hey Guys - please take it easy on Z21 when advising them the difference between a poacher and hunter. I do see and acknowlegde getting the point accross....just be polite in doing so.

They are a good resource for me and in the past will air a plead for help on cases and stuff on a moments notice and I don't want to lose that. They actually called me to do a story on some elk carcasses that were found behind the Sisters Rodeo. I told them that was kind of boring compared to some of the other cases we've made this season. So they came over and interviewed me for an hour which gets edited down of course. Their were some items that got left out and status mis quoted but it's still probably an eye opener and reminder that there are poachers and everyone should put TIP 1-800-452-7888 in there cell phones so they can call when witnessing an illegal act.

KOHD in Bend also aired a piece which was a smaller part to a larger story they were working on the same night...

I think awareness of this problem is a good thing. Let's help the messenger, not shoot'em.

I have plans for them to do a ride along with a camera crew and don't want them to second guess doing it. During these interviews I try and plug those that help us like McLagan's Taxidermy for helping build the decoys for basically nothing but "thanks", and advising people to join OHA, but it got edited this time. Sometimes my little plugs get aired...

Next time I'll do a better job of reminding the reporters of the difference.

Pond

Good points !! Appreciate What you are doing to keep an ongoing problem in check, being undermanned & funded.