Game Thief

[sampotter]

A guy that hunts with my neighbor shot a decent 115" 3yr old 8pt across the road opening morning of gun season. Not a buck I would shoot and I was a little surprised he shot it as it is not his first rodeo, but a nice buck that the majority of NY hunters would be tickled to take. Fine, congratulations. Then my neighbor called me yesterday evening to tell me that the same guy shot a much bigger 8 pt yesterday- a 130"+ 8 pt from the same stand! I told him I was reporting it to DEC, he asked me not to and said he had thoroughly handled it. At this point all I have is heresay because I have no evidence of the 2nd deer other than a pic on my neighbor's camera. This kind of stuff is what is wrong with the deer hunting in NY and probably the country. Poaching of any kind hurts us as hunters. I understand why he would want to shoot the 2nd buck- it is a great deer, but I don't get why he feels he is entitled to steal from the citizens of NY by shooting it.

This same douche shot a decent 3yr old 7 point on the gun opener last year and then wounded a spike during a deer drive a little later in the season. Incidentally I ended up finishing it off after it crossed my property. I returned to the farm and soon I received a call from my neighbor asking if I wanted to tag the aforementioned douche's spike because even though he wouned it he didn't actually want the deer. Just like the average dog that can't resist giving chase to something that runs, this guy can't resist shooting at something with antlers, big or small.

Another note- my neighbor's hunting group seems to believe its ok to tag a buck with someone else's buck tag, even if they are wintering in Florida, so they are not a completely wholesome bunch either.

At this point I have made 2 decisions:

1) although I have participated in a couple of drives in the late season with my neighbor's group over the past couple of years, I will no longer do this as I don't need to be associated with the above crap or get in trouble for it.

2) I told my neighbor that I would not call the DEC this time (I have no hard evidence and my neighbor is a genuinely good guy except for this stuff) but assured him that if I found out this happened again that I would and they could assume that it was me.

I am sure this happens all across the state and it needs to be stopped even if it is one at a time.

[5.9cummins]

I struggled with the same decision a while ago. A family member of a friend shot a nice buck and then decided he needed another and shot a second and used another persons tag. The guy is amazing at finding big deer.

In the end my wife convinced me not to blow him in.

Over the past couple years he has been good 1 buck with the bow and 1 with the shotgun.

In the future if i ever see him double up or use another's tag i have decided i will be blowing him in.

Either way its not an easy decision to make.

[Big Indian]

I applaud you for that, and assure you that this will continue until someone who obeys the DEC laws reports it. They would love to hand out some fines and license suspensions to the offenders.

I remember a phrase a good old friend once told me regarding situations you describe, "always act as if your mother is watching you", and if she wouldn't approve you probably shouldn't do it!

[Dan92]

Its a shame people can't just follow the rules.. Because of people like that the Hunters who abide by the rules loose out. I wouldstill call Dec and have them watch this guy.. He's bound to do out again this season

[growalot]

Yes it does happen all over...doesn't really help when the DEC puts out a report that they haven't had any new Officer training since 1998 and are short on ECO just before the season opens...the lease guys are out there filling "wives Tags" now after shooting a few buck...drives me nuts...

Ps...how do I know....dropped the orange vest and hat and are sneaking into the woods in total camo..watched them ..last night in fact...one that told me he shot a buck..by the way I heard the shot...6:45a.m opening morning....

Edited November 19, 2012 by growalot

[Dan92]

Not sure where you are but opening morning sunrise here was 6:45

[mbucks27]

I have a guy on the farm that i hunt that does the same thing. He used to be a close friend but now he just really annoys me. I have been hunting a buck with the bow or the last week and i find out yesterday that he shot it an didnt tag it or tell anybody. Man that got me pissed off. Then he shot on opening day and came back in saying it wasnt him so nobody really knows what he shot. Its to the point now that he has runied a great piece of property and i dont even have the urge to hunt there anymore. Its a shame how one guy can really screw up a whole area. I didnt even go out yesterday because i was so annoyed at what he is doing.

John

Edited November 19, 2012 by mbucks27

[joe12]

This happened to me last year - a guy that hunts a powerline behind me shot a nice 8 pointer on opening day. He showed me the pictures and told me he was getting it mounted. A week or so later I am hunting my property and I hear a shot from the powerline. I get a call from him a few minutes later asking if he could cut through my property with his four wheeler to drag it out. Seeming like a nice enough guy and the fact that he asked permission I told him no problem. As he drags it out I see that it is a legal spike horn. I watch him put it in his truck - no tag. I questioned him and he said that he thought it was a doe (which raises several more questions). I really thought about calling the DEC on him. It drives me crazy when guys are only out for meat and shoot young bucks when we are in an area that is over run with does and you could easily fill all of your DPMs in a single weekend (you could get 4 dmps this year in 3m).

[growalot]

7:04 where we are....Today it was 7:07am

Edited November 19, 2012 by growalot

[Steve7]

I hate it too. Drives me crazy when I hear other tagging out then using someone elses tag later in the season. I was fortunate this year to take an 8 point with the bow and a 10 with the gun. I posted the property heavy this year but that doens't seem to matter either with trespassers. I hear shots at night all the time and it's just disgusting. All I can say is if you do it right be proud that you don't cheat like others do. I can honestly say they I uphold the game laws and proud that I do it right. I straight out tell those that do it that they'll never hunt with me and any deer they take, buck or doe, is nothing to be proud of.

[screamon demon]

I will respond first by saying that I totally agree with all on this thread. However, I got to thinking about it a little as devils advocate. If a hunter shoots a buck on Saturday and tags it legally with his tag then hunts Sunday and tags another buck with his wifes tag who is he cheating? His wife could have shot that second buck. It's not legal, it's not ethical, I don't agree with it, but as far as the population of deer goes nothing is impacted any differently regarding who shoots it.

I think some guys have to get up everyday and measure what they got in their pants in order to prove they are a man. Those are the same hunters who measure success by quantity not quality of they hunt. Some of my best days in the woods I have come home empty handed.

[Steve7]

I will respond first by saying that I totally agree with all on this thread. However, I got to thinking about it a little as devils advocate. If a hunter shoots a buck on Saturday and tags it legally with his tag then hunts Sunday and tags another buck with his wifes tag who is he cheating? His wife could have shot that second buck. It's not legal, it's not ethical, I don't agree with it, but as far as the population of deer goes nothing is impacted any differently regarding who shoots it.

I think some guys have to get up everyday and measure what they got in their pants in order to prove they are a man. Those are the same hunters who measure success by quantity not quality of they hunt. Some of my best days in the woods I have come home empty handed.

SD.. I totally agree with your point for sure. It doesn't impact the population regardless of who shot it. It's always a great day to be afield regardless of success.

[sampotter]

I will respond first by saying that I totally agree with all on this thread. However, I got to thinking about it a little as devils advocate. If a hunter shoots a buck on Saturday and tags it legally with his tag then hunts Sunday and tags another buck with his wifes tag who is he cheating? His wife could have shot that second buck. It's not legal, it's not ethical, I don't agree with it, but as far as the population of deer goes nothing is impacted any differently regarding who shoots it.

I think some guys have to get up everyday and measure what they got in their pants in order to prove they are a man. Those are the same hunters who measure success by quantity not quality of they hunt. Some of my best days in the woods I have come home empty handed.

There are some folks that buy their wife a license even though she has no intention of hunting. I follow your devil's advocate point but it easier to go by the law than a "well, what if?" I agree with your second point completely. There are 4 other hunters on this property and they were all allegedly there for each kill. The fact that they don't tell him to drag his arse amazes me. None of those other guys have shot a buck...

[gunner1]

I will respond first by saying that I totally agree with all on this thread. However, I got to thinking about it a little as devils advocate. If a hunter shoots a buck on Saturday and tags it legally with his tag then hunts Sunday and tags another buck with his wifes tag who is he cheating? His wife could have shot that second buck. It's not legal, it's not ethical, I don't agree with it, but as far as the population of deer goes nothing is impacted any differently regarding who shoots it.

I think some guys have to get up everyday and measure what they got in their pants in order to prove they are a man. Those are the same hunters who measure success by quantity not quality of they hunt. Some of my best days in the woods I have come home empty handed.

It's funny but I was kinda thinking the same thing as I read some of these posts. As long as it's a LEGAL deer, taken by LEGAL means in a LEGAL area and reported properly, isn't who shoots it really just samantics? I think it's worse for people to bag deer and not report it than it is to fill someone else's tag.

[jim335]

Heck, nowadays you can sign over your doe tag to another hunter. Who knows, someday they may allow you to sign over a buck tag.

[boo711]

i have witnessed once someone shooting a doe then rushing itcl right to the barn with no tag. think that is wrong. but if you shoot a buck opening day, and the next day you are hunting and a bigger buck comes along and you shoot it and someone in your group tags it i dont have an issue with that. the deer is getting tagged. and i know & have heard of to many people whos wives or kids they get tags from because they dont hunt. he is paying for the liscences, not me. i smile every year when i hear people complain about how much they spend on there liscence. glad i dont have to

[growalot]

Well lets say I see it way differently...for there are other guys /gals around me that have not shot a decent buck for years....my shooting the 9pt...then going out the next day and shooting a 8pt or one of the 10pts on Mr B's tag is cheating another hunter out of a chance for a nice deer...WRONG...WRONG...WRONG...it saddens me that ppl think it's OK...just because a tag was purchased...you want another buck...go bow hunting or muzzleloading...actually teach your wife to hunt and then be proud of her deer...WTH!!!

[Doewhacker]

I don't want to pee on the cry fest here but why don't any of you report the lawbreakers and move on with life. Its a simple enough thing that can be done online now, then its up to the DEC to take care of the bad guys.

[Dan92]

Well lets say I see it way differently...for there are other guys /gals around me that have not shot a decent buck for years....my shooting the 9pt...then going out the next day and shooting a 8pt or one of the 10pts on Mr B's tag is cheating another hunter out of a chance for a nice deer...WRONG...WRONG...WRONG...it saddens me that ppl think it's OK...just because a tag was purchased...you want another buck...go bow hunting or muzzleloading...actually teach your wife to hunt and then be proud of her deer...WTH!!!

couldnt have said it better myself.. was in the stand when i wrote on here before so i didnt go into detailed response... but thats exactly how i feel in this situation. i havent harvested a deer in 3 years of hunting, and when i hear stories about these people shooting deer and either using someone elses tag or just not tagging it at all.. shooting 2 bucks in the same season all that really grinds my gears. i personally believe if you know of someone doing this and dont report it to dec that you are just as much in fault.. you are still knowledgeable of the illegal action so therefore you are an accessory to the crime. when i saw "you" i just mean all people involved not personally whoever is reading this

[sampotter]

It's funny but I was kinda thinking the same thing as I read some of these posts. As long as it's a LEGAL deer, taken by LEGAL means in a LEGAL area and reported properly, isn't who shoots it really just samantics? I think it's worse for people to bag deer and not report it than it is to fill someone else's tag.

Really? Did you miss the part where he had already used his buck tag thereby making shooting the 2nd buck ILLEGAL? It always amazes me when folks tried to rationalize breaking the law. There is no gray area- the law is black and white. There are other states that allow party hunting, NY is not one of them. It's illegal to even possess another hunter's deer tags other than a signed DMP. I'm not even sure the 2nd deer got tagged. Grow has the right stance- shooting an illegal deer is stealing the opportunity from everyone else. This deer was not one on my trail cameras so I don't feel as though he poached one of "my" deer and I'd be happy for any hunter that LEGALLY killed it.

[growalot]

Any of you that have read many of my past posts...KNOW I've tried and this is what I get for trying....

[Dan92]

tried what im confused

[jjb4900]

must be a real pleasure to share hunting land with a slob who keeps shooting bucks as long as he can illegally scrounge up another tag to put on it.......must feel good to screw someone else out of a chance to get one........it's ok to shoot 2 or 3 8 pointer's, but god forbid someone shoots a button buck.

[growalot]

getting the DEC to do anything...wheres the proof...showing up 2hrs after a call....ect ect....for rest of you guys that know me...trying to keep it short...It gets tiring for even me after a while....

[Dan92]

i have never shot a deer in my 3 seasons.. and i keep saying to myself "if a spike walks by im letting him go" now i would love to get my first deer and who knows what i would do when that time came but i really liked what screamon demon said though.. i would rather hunt quality over quantity.. for bucks at least... i would take a doe to fill the freezer as long as its not still a young doe