Sitting on a pasture surrounded by woods that only I can hunt. Have a large gobbler abut 400 yards across from me and he and a few hens were coming my way. When he got to about 300 yards...Boom some criminal to my left shoots him with a rifle and runs out and picks him up and runs back in the woods with me hollering at him whole time. Called the sheriff and never found him. Very mad and fustrated the deputy did not even want to go back in the woods.
I'm sorry to hear you had that experience, what a terrible way to start the season. Something like that leaves a taste in your mouth that doesn't easily go away.
People like that never go out of style, unfortunately. Glad you called law enforcement, too bad they didn't catch him.
What a complete loser! I guarantee he's boasting about his "great hunt."
That sucks man. I wish you would have caught him. I severely dislike those types of people. Worthless
Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club
Sounds like some of the "hunters" on SE Oklahoma.
Unfortunately that sounds like a pretty typical MS turkey hunt
Call the game warden not the sheriffs office.
You should get a little different response from a game warden, Hopefully
Someone needs to learn a lesson about manners.
Sickens me to hear something like this. I hate you had to experience it and glad you weren't in this idiots line of fire. Hopefully his deeds catch up with him and he's caught. I hope the rest of your season is more peaceful and enjoyable. Everyone stay safe out there.
Slobs everywhere bro. You go out and have a great hunt tomorrow, good vibes your way. Z
Quote from: Gooserbat on March 16, 2024, 06:32:37 PM
Someone needs to learn a lesson about manners.
hard to teach a lesson, when a fine and maybe a short suspension is "the worst" they can do to you
That's pretty wild... bummer the warden didn't feel like putting any effort into it.
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These criminals need stiffer penalties. The kind that would actually make other poachers pretty fearful of getting caught. I'm sorry that happened.
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They can levy some pretty hefty fines and seizures here in Ohio. You pay a standard fine, and after that you pay restitution for the animal. There's a scale of value and on deer it is set by the total inches of antler on a buck, that can get really high as in the thousands. After that they can ask for seizure of all the gear and even vehicles used and license suspensions. I think almost every state now honors License suspensions for other states. Trouble is they are slow updating the data bases. The value of a gobbler is $750.00 and that is added on top of fines. Poaching a gobbler will cost you in excess of $1,000.00 here, but idiots still do it thinking they'll never get caught. Then they whine and cry unfair when they get caught. Always call a game warden, sheriffs only look at it as nuisance trespass and don't want to mess with it.
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-1501:31-16-01
Time for some trail cameras. That's the type people that has made it hard for honest hunters to get permission to hunt. I hope you catch him, he will be back!
I would call the game warden and still inform him of what took place and ask if he would patrol your area enough to show his presence. That tends to make repeat offenders think twice or move on to other areas.
I'd consider posting signs stating the place has cameras/video surveillance- even if you really don't have cameras up. Assuming the landowner agrees, of course.
When they're that low down AND that bold about it, it'll take the second coming to cure it.
If you see illegal activities, always call 911 immediately. Try to get as much information as possible. Get a license number.
Very angering, both about the poaching and the sheriff's efforts. I had an issue on my property and the deputy acted annoyed from the moment he got out of his car. He gave me about 3 mins to get the issue documented and then left. I never heard a thing after. I assumed he didn't want to deal with a wild game issue.
I would most definitely have the warden's make a presence in the area and let them know about what happened . I would also get some game cameras and put them up higher in the trees so no one would likely see them. Then I would check all the areas that the poacher could have accessed your land, neighbor, government access, they had to get into spot somehow, and it is most likely the path of least resistance. Or the way they can stay in cover where they can't be seen. I guarantee if you poke around a little bit and talk with some people close by you will figure out where they came in and who it was. If your birds are seen from the public road could be someone much closer than you expect. Like some others have said most states have a hefty fines for illegally taking wild turkeys, Even most outlaw poachers will check a few turkeys in for bragging so give all your info to the warden dates/time/ anything you can remember they have some clever ways of finding things out now. You would be amazed, technology and cell phones have came along ways. Most people now are taking pictures of there harvest with in minutes or maybe a video who knows, Just remember this who ever the poacher was he bragged to someone about his turkey, Don't let it eat ya to bad , Get back out and find another bird to hunt.
Quote from: eggshell on March 17, 2024, 07:34:30 AM
They can levy some pretty hefty fines and seizures here in Ohio. You pay a standard fine, and after that you pay restitution for the animal. There's a scale of value and on deer it is set by the total inches of antler on a buck, that can get really high as in the thousands. After that they can ask for seizure of all the gear and even vehicles used and license suspensions. I think almost every state now honors License suspensions for other states. Trouble is they are slow updating the data bases. The value of a gobbler is $750.00 and that is added on top of fines. Poaching a gobbler will cost you in excess of $1,000.00 here, but idiots still do it thinking they'll never get caught. Then they whine and cry unfair when they get caught. Always call a game warden, sheriffs only look at it as nuisance trespass and don't want to mess with it.
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-1501:31-16-01
road hunting with 22s is low bagger poaching and needs to be stopped.Call the sherriff.