# Deer Poachers!?!



## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

Last night we had someone poach a deer in front of our house at 2am. 
We were awake and heard a shotgun blast out of nowhere right outside
the front of the house. Looked out there and someone was in a truck shining a light into the field. So we shined our own spot light on them and they took off full speed.
Could see the type of vehicle but no plate #. Called the cops but they never
even drove by. Then around 45 minutes later I heard the truck pull off
then seen it turn its headlights on, so I did not realize it was back out there, must have pulled up slow with headlights off so I did not notice, they probably picked up the deer they shot, nothing is out there now. Reported it to DNR and they came right by and took a report but I did not have much to tell them. Another neighbor seen it too and knows more and I told them but my husband just informed me the neighbor does not want to get involved, oops!!! What kinda coward does this let alone on someone elses property 
right in front of a house with a shotgun like no one would notice!?!? Ughh I really wish I got that plate # but all my trees were in the way. I have no idea who it was. I hope they get caught. I have kiddos and hearing a shotgun right by my house in the middle of the night is very upsetting. I cant believe people would even stoop to this level. 

Stephanie


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I cant believe people would even stoop to this level.


It's a common crime that will happen more and more as the economy worsens


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

I would send a couple rounds their way, in self defense of course.


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## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

We live in the middle of nowhere with plenty of places to do this where no one
would ever know and we are loaded with deer everywhere so easy pickins, but yet they do it right in front of my house then have the nerve to come back and pick it up after we already shined the spotlight on them!?!? wow is all I can say! After talking with neighbors if it is who they think it is they have been doing it for years on all their property and have yet to be caught by authorities, just keeps going on and on. They do it cause they can and have been getting away with it not cause they need to.
I support hunting but we are not hunters just dont have the patience for it, so I dont know the rules, ect but I mind my own business and could care less what others do until it invades my property or business I just know what happened last night was wrong.


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## ovendoctor (Jun 28, 2006)

there is a group of 5 poachers that work the minden swamp

seen them come out of the woods with bulging back packs of meat

shoot, process the good cuts and leave the rest

been going on for years

Doc.


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## CNCfamily (Sep 13, 2010)

Honestly, if I knew someone was poaching because their family was going hungry, i'd probably turn a blind eye. Probably give them an earful about WHERE they were shooting though...that's scary. 

However, those that poach just to kill....there should be a special tag for them....that'd deter 'em!


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

The paper had a story about gunshots heard at 8:30 in the morning last week. Rancher found one of his bulls dead, and another shot and died later. Black Angus, not elk or deer colored, and after sunup. They saw two vehicles from out of the county and have a reward, plus will file felony charges if they catch the idiots.


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## FreightTrain (Nov 5, 2005)

||Downhome|| said:


> I would send a couple rounds their way, in self defense of course.


yep, me too


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

One thing I have found to be true in lower michigan is the law enforcement is pretty poor.
Poor to the point they do not even come out to investgate a reported problem even though it is clearly written in the hunting rules and regulations book.

Poor to the point the county cop will tell you he is not getting out of his car to run a tresspasser off your property that is hunting with in 40 yards of our home.

I no longer take the trouble of calling either the DNR report all poching hot line, the county cops or the state cops.

Some kids messing with my mail box I send a load or two of bird shot their way. Tresspassers get the same treatment. 

If the cops arn;\'t going to answer my call why should I think they will answer the call ofkids that just had a load of bird shot sent their way.

Saying in this area of Michigan is--- if you want protection buy a big gun or build a donut shop in your front yard.

*Your supposed to be sleeping soundly at 2:00 AM and a single gun shot shouldn't rouse you from a sound sleep.*

 Al


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## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

I was awake at 2am, my husband gets home from work at that time
and brought me home some pregnancy craving ;-) I was sitting right
by the window and could see them driving by slow so I looked out
the window to see what was going on then heard the shot. 

Your right law enforcement does not take it seriously, we called the city and county and neither responded or even took a report. We found out who it was and got a plate # and they still did not take it serious like we were wasting their time. 

I am more so upset that someone is shooting a shotgun from a moving vehicle in front of my house in the middle of the night! I have deer colored sheep, dogs that look like deer,(fawn great danes) ect. And my kids bedrooms are right up at the front of the house. It was so loud it
rattled my windows! At first for all I know someone is shooting at us,
if your gonna poach why do it right in front of someones house!?!? Geeze!

Stephanie


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Poachers get shot and they pick up the body later. Few times they got luck and just the spotlight shot out of their hands.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I don't know about your home but at mine the deer are in the side yard (the side yard butts up to the road) grazing before and after going into the corn/beans. They even bed down there. Just this week alone we have seen early in the morning a really long spike, a high setting 4 point and a basket ball hoop 8 point. Not to mention all the does.

The DNRE is supposed to respond to the poching reports when you call the report all poaching number Michigan 800 292 7800.
they didn't show up for me when last called but did talk to me. I didn't push the issue then but if they start shooting in front of my house I WILL BE TALKING TO THEIR BOSS, if they refuse to show up. Then there is a whole list to choose from to put some heat on their back sides. We Pay property taxes for law enforcement. Part of our hunting fees money is supposed to go tward law enforcement of the protection of wild life.

Be that squeeky wheel and start raiseing cane put the pressure on. Keep in mind the proscuting attorney for your county can apply pressure. Thur ours the cop who refused to rid our property of a hunting tresspasser lost his job.

 Al


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Bearfootfarm said:


> It's a common crime that will happen more and more as the economy worsens


Poaching to feed your family isn't a crime in most peoples eyes. That said most of the known poachers around here, have money and plenty of their own or family land to hunt on. But can't be satisfied with that and have to trespass and poach or road shoot off some one else's land.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

alleyyooper said:


> I don't know about your home but at mine the deer are in the side yard (the side yard butts up to the road) grazing before and after going into the corn/beans. They even bed down there. Just this week alone we have seen early in the morning a really long spike, a high setting 4 point and a basket ball hoop 8 point. Not to mention all the does.
> 
> The DNRE is supposed to respond to the poaching reports when you call the report all poaching number Michigan 800 292 7800.
> they didn't show up for me when last called but did talk to me. I didn't push the issue then but if they start shooting in front of my house I WILL BE TALKING TO THEIR BOSS, if they refuse to show up. Then there is a whole list to choose from to put some heat on their back sides. We Pay property taxes for law enforcement. Part of our hunting fees money is supposed to go toward law enforcement of the protection of wild life.
> ...


dnr is worthless. many of the CO's I believe are in it for the right reason but the bureaucracy is the problem that and lack of staff need more CO's and less biologists and admin types. as far as the county and state cops not handling 
wildlife related crime that's life and "JURISTICTION" most departments are understaffed also. alot of nonDNR officers don't understand the laws they are suppose to enforce let alone laws that another department is suppose to handle.



Allen W said:


> Poaching to feed your family isn't a crime in most peoples eyes. That said most of the known poachers around here, have money and plenty of their own or family land to hunt on. But can't be satisfied with that and have to trespass and poach or road shoot off some one else's land.


if its ok to break one law , common whats a few more.
um that logic is flawed big time, the robin hood mentality may fly if that poached game where the kings, but those animals belong to everyone.
and there are rules for good reasons. here I think the bag limit is pretty decent as well as your chances to fill your quota legally. 

it is like saying he robbed the bank to feed his family, or he killed that guy in a robbery feeding his family. I don't care what it is I don't think you can pick and choose the laws your going to follow or you have to let everyone do that,then whats the point of having a law and enforcement is out the window. I would love to see some laws changed but even with lenient laws you still have some entitled idiot who wants more.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Bearfootfarm said:


> It's a common crime that will happen more and more as the economy worsens


Got to agree I was going to call on another Guy my wife told me not to times are hard and we may find ourselves in the same Boat.

big rockpile


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

using a shotgun is stupid anyway...makes too much noise. lol


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

||Downhome|| said:


> if its ok to break one law , common whats a few more.
> um that logic is flawed big time, the robin hood mentality may fly if that poached game where the kings, but those animals belong to everyone.
> and there are rules for good reasons. here I think the bag limit is pretty decent as well as your chances to fill your quota legally.
> 
> it is like saying he robbed the bank to feed his family, or he killed that guy in a robbery feeding his family. I don't care what it is I don't think you can pick and choose the laws your going to follow or you have to let everyone do that,then whats the point of having a law and enforcement is out the window. I would love to see some laws changed but even with lenient laws you still have some entitled idiot who wants more.


Downhome 

I wouldn't turn any body in that was trying to feed their family, I would probably give them a couple of places to shoot some does.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Poaching is againest the law just like robbing a bank or store. 
Some of you think it is OK to poach to feed your family, on that train of thought is, it should be OK to rob a bank to feed your family *TOO*.
Any body going hungery in todays envirment is just plain out and out lazy or just plain stupid.

All the goverment welfare programs keep familys from starving to death. Here in this area of Michigan there are also many a church plus food banks to feed the hungery.
They provide clothing, shelter also.

Poachers are crooks pure plain and simple,
Many shoot the big bucks some one has been hunting legal for a long time robbing the legal person of a trophy. Turn them in they will get fed in Jail.

 Al


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

I prefer to think of "poachers" as deregulated businesses (theirs being the business of putting meat on the table, or selling meat for profit), and it seems, that as with any business, those in the business know what is best for the business; deregulate the business of hunting, and fishing, and the herds, flocks, and fisheries are bound to flourish beyond everyone's wildest dreams.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Dead Rabbit said:


> using a shotgun is stupid anyway...makes too much noise. lol


Yea thats what gets me people say Crossbows but in truth most Poached Deer are killed with .22.

big rockpile


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Haggis said:


> I prefer to think of "poachers" as deregulated businesses (theirs being the business of putting meat on the table, or selling meat for profit), and it seems, that as with any business, those in the business know what is best for the business; deregulate the business of hunting, and fishing, and the herds, flocks, and fisheries are bound to flourish beyond everyone's wildest dreams.


I suppose bank robbers are unregistered currency traders, drug dealers are unlicensed pharmacist bet we could come up with a long list of bull crap diversionary titles for every crime and criminal in the nation.

if your thinking where correct there would of been no need for conservation in the first place, it was the market hunters that cause the biggest issue.
followed by the masses to lazy to raise their own food or earn money to purchase it. 

the conservation officials are in the business and it is in the best interest to have healthy herds,flocks and fisheries.

case in point is Africa, places where conservation is in effect have lots of game and the revenue it generates is enormous.
the places it does not and every one survives off bush meat is a stark comparison.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

Haggis said:


> I prefer to think of "poachers" as deregulated businesses (theirs being the business of putting meat on the table, or selling meat for profit), and it seems, that as with any business, those in the business know what is best for the business; deregulate the business of hunting, and fishing, and the herds, flocks, and fisheries are bound to flourish beyond everyone's wildest dreams.


*****************************************
the liberal mindset and philosophy fails when confronted with the cold, hard facts of reality~! 
Managed game; whether on a private preserve or by the 'king's posse' (aka Conservation Dept.)
is what flourishes 'normally' and when someone is either too cheap or can't be bothered to
'follow the rules' like everyone else, then everyone can suffer.....less game, no trophy bucks 
that you might have been waiting for and feeding on your back 40 until hunting season.....
only to have some yahoo come along in the middle of the night and shoot not only that buck, 
but your prized black angus heifer as well...... 

Seems a shame that some folks not only can't follow the 'rules', but that others cheer them on......
'course everyone suffers then......or at least the one's who lost their cow.


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

Poachers in this area were sort of ignored till a couple of horses were shot at night. One was my neice's 4-H horse only about 75 yards from the barn where she was doing her chores, she did get a tag number and an arrest was made. Now anyone out with a spotlight and gun at night better be a law enforcement officer.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Why am I the only one that thinks Haggis is being sarcastic?

If all the horn hunters around here weren't too proud to take a doe, legal, I might not have lost fifty feet of maize around my maize field this year. Guess its time to buy some tags and shoot my first deer.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

hes not allen, hes pro poaching, just read some of his input on other poaching threads.

I dont hunt horns, they are a nice bonus but I hunt for meat to feed me and mine, buy my tags and what ever else I need,hunt during hunting hours, play by the rules.

if someone was truely destitute and could not afford to purchase a tag I'm sure they could find someone to cover it for a share of meat. 

here you can take up to 7 deer, 2 bucks and 5 does. so even doing halfs with someone covering expense would still net a guy a decent amount of meat. 

that total is per person too so if you had more then one hunter in the family you could very well be set. 

I will also raise another point, all these poachers seem to only want to poach deer they 
dont bother with small game, if my family was starving and needed to eat I dont think I would be so picky as to just shoot deer. besides if money so tight Im pressed to buy a tag seems to me a small game and a traping permit would be the soundest investment.
no need to tag every animal just stick to bag limits per day and be able to shoot what ever you come across and trapping you can make next years tag money on the fur you get. bet you could get a few bucks for some of pelts you shot hunting too.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

People poaching at night are usually just horn hunters. People poaching during the daylight hours, could possibly be just meat hunters. 

I admit, if your finances are barely scraping by the skin on your teeth, it's hard to spend that money on license and tags when there's plenty of deer everywhere. They want you to kill more does to control the population, but they don't want you to get it free either. But you don't have to kill deer at night on someone elses property if your hungry. Get permission to hunt on someones property. If you be nice and check around, someone will let you hunt and they may even let you sneak a doe off the place if your hungry.


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

Allen W said:


> Why am I the only one that thinks Haggis is being sarcastic?


I have been found out!!!!!


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## Frenchy (Sep 28, 2005)

rules of hunting my place is if you kill a deer I get half of it this is what my pa made clear he wanted from each hunter an so far every one who hunts here readily agrees to it no questions asked .......as to poachers last one I caught was literally with his pants down an as I levered my rifle behind him an hollered at him he jerk pants an all up an went running down the road with a full seat full of erm ah yeah crap better that than a seat full of slugs.........turned out to be a teen from down the road but after talkin to him an his folks an mentioning the shot gun blast that peppered my house his folks realized the next time he would be getting return fire!!! ............ poachers are theives no matter how ya look at it


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Oldcountryboy said:


> People poaching at night are usually just horn hunters. People poaching during the daylight hours, could possibly be just meat hunters.


Perhaps usually but not always. Most of mine were at night while **** hunting and then generally one per year. I'll never forget the chance of a lifetime shot at a monster buck carrying a rack that may have been in the top 10 Boone and Crockett. Less than 25' away at about 2AM. Instead of shooting him, I did nothing. Son asked why I didn't shoot the buck. My reply was that we were over 2 miles from the car and there as no way that we could drag it!

Martin


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I can buy a combo buck deer tag here which intitles me to two buck deer one of which has to be 4 points on one side. I buy a single buck tag as I am only hunting for one buck with a really good rack. Their is just Kare and I left at home and she doesn't eat very much meat. I could also buy 3 or 4 doe tags every year but don't buy a one. Michigan has a program hunters feeding the hungery. I am not into paying to have my own deer processed out so I sure am not going to pay $60.00 for the plesure of shooting a deer I am not going to eat myself.

If they want the meat wsend some one to get it and p[ay the processing fee them selves.

Rob a bank to feed your hungery they got bailed out and gave them selves huge bonuses afterwards. But in Michigan don't use a gun as it is a added crime.

 Al


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Old Mission said:


> Last night we had someone poach a deer in front of our house at 2am.
> We were awake and heard a shotgun blast out of nowhere right outside
> the front of the house. Looked out there and someone was in a truck shining a light into the field. So we shined our own spot light on them and they took off full speed.
> Could see the type of vehicle but no plate #. Called the cops but they never
> ...


I would have went right out there and took that deer, corse I'd be armed and laying low, to catch them in the act. Trespassers make me furious.


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## Mare Owner (Feb 20, 2008)

I've been lucky so far here that I haven't had problems with trespassing or poaching. And half my land shares a boundary with a WMA that people from "I don't know where" do come to hunt in.

I've made a point since my husband passed away to make jokes with the neighbors and friends in the area, that I answer the door with the shotgun if I'm not expecting anyone. And I investigate outside with my .22 at hand, incase of skunks, of course.  But my friends know that I will at least fire a warning shot first!


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

Poaching deer is a difficult and not easily understood aspect of rural life these days.
Shooting a deer near someone's home at 2 a.m. is a good way to get killed yourself. That's trespassing pure and simple, and it doesn't matter if that nearby homeowner actually owns the land where it happened. If that poacher needs meat, he needs to get on down the road to do his dirty work, and not taint the good name of the majority of the hunters out there. 

Hunting for sport nowadays is mostly a money thing. If you got yourself heavily invested in guns, gear, ammo, a tractor and the food plots on that membership in a hunting club, and the ego trip that goes along with all that, chances are you're more apt to view someone killing "your" deer just over the property line in a more negative fashion. Aside from the food plots, most of these "hunters" use C'mere Deer, or a corn pile, or deer cocaine type stuff as bait and they actually never hunt a deer. Just go sit in a box in the woods and call it a hunt because they got up early to go do it. 

Some guys have little money and little prospects and it really doesn't matter if he has a family or not. If he's taking a deer for food he's just out there on his own, taking his own chances and suffering whatever consequence he gets for his actions. That is if he gets caught. 

Killing a deer is not an immoral act. It may offend some, but it's not an immoral act in and of itself, for whatever reason you do it. The sporting man, the farmer, the poor man all have their ways and means to do it and their motives are all different. I wish them all the best of luck, especially the farmer and the poor man. 

Killing a good wild buck on your own, without artificial aids is still a difficult thing to do.
How many hunters today hunt hard all season without a kill and still are happy with what they did that year?
Some poaching is legal, some ain't.
Hank Parker and his sons are not the role models I'd want to point to for a young person who is just starting out.


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

In all honesty, I don't poach, but I wouldn't turn in a poacher; neither a meat hunter or a market hunter. What I don't understand is the would be poacher's steadfast dependence on loud, "Hey, I'm over here doing something illegal", firearms for the poaching of deer. I snare fox and coyotes every winter; I have done so for many decades, and it is all I can do to keep deer out of my snares. Truth be, when I do catch them, I catch them by the hooves, and they can be a handful to handle, alone, while taking the snare off their hoof, but they are sure easy to catch. (I've never had one thank me for letting them go, and I always let them go.)

A would be poacher could make a 100 deer snares for way less than $50, these snares, once set, would work 24 hours a day, be completely silent, and absolutely effective. It isn't any trouble, from the road, to spot a deer trail heading back into the bush, and it wouldn't be too hard to follow the deer trail back a bit, out of view of the road, and set a snare or two. If, when checking the snares, the would be poacher sees anything suspicious, discipline would require driving calmly away, never to return. A good plan would be to always carry, in one's hand, a roll of toilet paper when headed in to check one's snares; people rarely stop to ask what one is doing if one is headed into the bush carrying a roll of TP.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

In Michigan in nearly every county south of the big Mac deer hunting only needs to be as costly as you want it to be. Ya you mostly have to have a stand to hunt from on private property as so much is posted ya can't just still hunt all over the country.

Baiting in the lower is also not legal any longer nor is salt blocks and other such stuff.

But a person with a used winny 30-30 in the northern area, either bought or borrowed and ablaze orange hat stands a very good chance of collecting a deer with the liberal doe tags sold. Lots of state land and federal lands to hunt also.

In the southeren section a shot gun, slugs or buck shot, or a muzzle loader and that blaze orange hat bought or borrowed stands a very good chance of bagging a deer. Yes a lot of farmers will not give a person permission to hunt on private land the first week of the season but the second week acess is usally gained by those doing some leg work asking farmers. A farmer near me will allow any one who askes to hunt, to hunt the second week and the special seasons on private land if they have a doe permit.

In the UPPER there are a lot of areas that do not allow doe hunting at all such as where my deer camp is. But even there with a borrowed rifle blaze orange hat and a willing ness to scout an area you stand a very good chance of bagging a buck. My deer camp is surrounded by about 6000 acres of federal land. In 14 years I have only seen road hunters attempt to hunt it. Good gawd ya have to tramp thru about 300 yards of cramberry bog with 6 inches of water to access the ridges behind the bogs. We do it every year and have collected some very nice deer. 

Yesterday morning I sat in my living room with the wife and watched a 5 point and a 4 point pushing each other around. We also have a long tined spike that passes thru nearly every day going to the corn field next door.

Yes here at home I set in a box blind. since we have a corn field or some times beans on one side and a mowed like a lawn horse pasture the deer tend to pass thru our woods. 

Out my back door Monday.










 Al


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