Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Hunting Ethics, Right in my Backyard

.
As out conversation this week will be about ethics, I am posting these two incidents that occurred this week here in my own county.

Officer Loren Lowers of the FWC, was observing a baited area near Myakka City during the opening day of spring turkey season. Shortly before daylight, an individual arrived and sat within 20 yards of an electric feeder that had corn inside it. When it was daylight, Officer Lowers came out from his concealed location and identified himself. The individual was with his young son, and told Officer Lowers he knew the feeder was there, but was told it was empty. The feeder was lowered to show the individual it was not empty and still had a good amount of cracked corn inside the steel drum. The individual was cited for taking or attempting to take turkey over a baited area. He was also issued two written warnings for hunting license and turkey stamp violations.


FWC Lieutenant Tom Ware was observing a baited area near Myakka City during the opening day of spring turkey season. A short time before daylight, an individual approached and sat within 48 yards of an electric feeder that had cracked corn inside it. At daylight, Lieutenant Ware came out from his concealed location and identified himself. The individual said he knew there was a feeder somewhere, but didn’t think he was that close to it and that it was supposed to be empty. The feeder was lowered to show the individual that it was half full of cracked corn. The individual was cited for taking or attempting to take turkey over a baited area. He was also issued a citation for no hunting license and a written warning for no turkey stamp.

In both cases, not only where the perpetrators hunting over bait, which is illegal for turkey, they didn't even bother to get licenses! I have a call into the FWC for the officers to call me. I am going to post the names of the game law violators if the law allows, and I am forwarding it to the local newspaper.

It is time that we took these matters and brought them to the forefront. Warnings? Citations with stiff penalties should be the only answer to these kind of scofflaws. Only a sharp hit where it really hurts will stop these miscreants.

Regards,
Albert

10 comments:

Z@X said...

No licenses?

Warnings?

Throw the book at them. I used to love hunting ... guys like these two ruined it for me and probably hundreds thousands of other hunters.

No ethics. None. Toss them in jail.

Native said...

Albert,
I believe that these type of people should be placed into a program (much like an alcohol program) that "they" have to pay for, and be re-educated upon "why" these laws are set there in the first place.

If they were to have to sit 8 hours a day for a couple days a week (4 weekends) and be schooled in the matters of: Market Hunting, The history behind it and How and Why It Affected Our Current Game Laws!)

Then if they committed an infraction "after" all of that, we should surly throw the book at them!

I believe that a large number of people just do not "know" exactly why and where our License and tag fees go to.
And they also just do not "know" why there are seasons and bag limits.

Also, what the officers did is called "Entrapment" and could be beaten by a sharp attorney.
This proposed program could still be mandatory even if the charges are dropped.

T. Michael Riddle
native hunt dot com

R. Gabe Davis said...

I don't know the answer. In any segment of society there will always be the liars and cheats. how we deal with them will determine how hunter's will be judged as a whole. as for native's statement, I think it could only be considered entrapment if the officers had provided the bait. But I am a soil guy not a game law expert.

native said...

Envirocapitalist,
I may be mistaken but I believe that when the officers placed the corn in the feeders, That is where the entrapment charge possibly could reasonably be argued in court.

At any rate though, I still believe that proper History and current Law education could possibly help to deter some of these people from doing such things.

Kind of like putting a pad lock on your truck's tool box, It will help to keep the Honest People Honest.
Sure won't stop an "addicted to that rush" thief though.

Albert A Rasch said...

Fellows,

The officers did not place the corn in the feeders. They knew the feeders where there and staked the setup out.

Albert

Anonymous said...

The laws and regulations are there for a reason and if you can't abide by them than you have no need to be in the outdoors where law abiding citizens are hunting.
All they have done is put a black mark on us and that is not right. They should be punished to the full extent of the law.

native said...

Those sly foxes! (the officer's)

We need a video made for T.V. called: The Dumbest Crooks In The Woods!
Hosted by: Albert Rasch

Watch and laugh as these crooks do stupid things like: SHOOTING AT MECHANICAL DEER DECOYS

All joking aside though, I still am of the opinion that "some" might be educated and rehabilitated.

Other's, like Rick said, just have no business being outdoors with a firearm/archery tackle in hand at all.

Wild Ed said...

Remember you need to know all the facts before you decide what is right and wrong. Some believe it is wrong to hunt over bait. Is a northern hunter sitting on a cornfield or orchard any more ethical than a southern hunter watching a protein feeder in the middle of a field. In the part of Texas where I am from supplemental feeding is all there is for deer and many will not survive without it. What about hunting a fake or natural scrape, water holes, salt licks, bedding areas or food plots. If it is legal and approved by your State I say have at. It is more important that we hang together than lose our sport altogether. High fence, low fence or no fence. If the animal has a sporting chance and the acreage is big enough lets go hunting. There are lots of high fence places here in Texas where some of the bucks are only seen on gamecams yet I hear people condem high fences everyday. If it is a pen then for sure it is not hunting but otherwise I do not care one way or the other just so it is fair and sporting. It is supposed to be hunting not shooting.

Albert A Rasch said...

Great point Ed!

And you stole my thunder for the next installment! LOL

In this particular case though, it is illegal to shoot turkey near a feeder or over bait. And that's the issue.

Unlike hogs which you can.

We will explore this further later this week.

Regards,
Albert

native said...

I am of agreement with Ed!

When it concerns the laws of your state or provence.