More Poaching in Utah

BrowningRage · Oct 28, 2015

More bulls and a trophy buck killed illegally...

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=37140380&ni...gally-killed-dwr-seeks-poachers&s_cid=queue-4

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

browtine · Oct 28, 2015

There have been a lot of animals poached this year. I wonder how many go unreported?

BrowningRage · Oct 29, 2015

I'm hoping the DWR sticks with this trend of posting reported poaching cases everytime its reported. I believe the increased awareness of just how rampant poaching is in our state will hopefully get many of us more involved and more primed to turn people in for suspected violations.

I have personally reported 3 incidents this year and I can say that the DWR followed up with me on all of them in a timely manner. None of them were LE units or anything, just general season area stuff. But knowing that I had at least done my part by reporting violations felt pretty good.

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

Tristate · Oct 29, 2015

Browning rage,

Increased awareness can be dangerous. One of the problems with both the non-hunting and anti-hunting public is they illogically attach poaching to hunting. What ends up happening is they become more aware of the poaching and they scream for the feds to do something. Obviously everything that can be done is being done by the state but in an effort to look pro-active the feds flex their muscle and the easy soft targets are hunters. It happens.

shotgun1 · Oct 29, 2015

Couldn't disagree more. Everything that can be done is not being done. Maybe the guys doing the leg work out in the field are doing all they can but the DAs and judges are not. Time and time again these DBs are getting off with nothing more then a slap on the wrist, even repeat offenders. More awareness hopefully means judges start handing out stiffer penalties and DAs wont be so quick to strike deals with every teary eyed poacher that walks into their office.

Tristate · Oct 29, 2015

You'll see. One thing the press loves to do is talk about poachers and hunters in the same sentence. Happens everyday.

Right now the Prime minister of the Netherlands is petitioning the UN to make all legal "trophy hunting" an international crime because of elephants and rhinos getting poached. That is one of many stories that happen every single day.

You don't get it. To many non-hunters, YOUR ALREADY A POACHER.

browtine · Oct 29, 2015

Tristate,

I see what your saying and I get the knee jerk reaction. Its a fine line when things hit "trending". These reports are non trending issues right now. And putting their names in the media is most definitely a deterent to many people who have businesses revolving wildlife (taxidermists, guides, clothing lines, TV shows. Its often the aftermath of potentially getting caught that makes people who would pull the trigger, not.

Tristate · Oct 29, 2015

Browtine,

I totally understand what you and Browning rage like about the stories. There can be a definite benefit to educating the public about serious issues. If you want the public to see what happens when people get caught then that is the story you need to run and not just a one time mentioning on the third page. If all you want is a bunch of knee jerk emotional non-hunters taking notice then run the stories over and over about "We are looking for Poachers" and be sure and include useless pictures of the dead bambi that was recovered. The uneducated public won't see any difference between those pics and your hunting pics.

I have a brother that is in the newspaper/media business. Do you know what one of their biggest problems is right now. They can't get readers who view the digital news to look at a story for more than ten seconds. They literally read the headline look at the closest pic, ignore details and content, and immediately start looking for the next story. All while forming an opinion!

I'm all for informing the public but focus harder on the convictions and a lot less on the emotional violation.