By Senior Agent Duane Taylor

 

    Why is it that everytime we are in uniform and stop at a store for a coke or coffee or stop at someplace to eat, somebody is going to ask a question or make a comment?  The most common one we hear “up here” is when one friend will say to the other, “better go hide that old doe.”  The questions some people come up with can be a head scratcher.  They all want to talk to the “Game Warden”.  They want to know about some law, or law changes, bag limits, license prices and on and on.  I have often wondered if other officers have the same questions asked to them.  Such as, does the speed limit on the Interstate really mean 70 mph or can I go 80 without getting stopped.

     The other day I was filling up my truck and I saw the question coming from across the parking lot.  It came in the form of old torn up blue jeans, a camo shirt with the sleeves cut out, muddy boots and a greasy torn camo hat.  After the questions started, with me answering them the best I could, he put the ultimate question on me.  “When are “y’all” gonna let us start hunting from the road during deer/dog season?”  “Our club is so thick, it is the only place we can see to shoot at a deer.”  He was wanting to know when we were going to make it legal for him to stand in the middle of a public road and shoot at a deer running across it!  He then added, “is that really such a crime?”  After I explained to him “why” it was illegal, he seemed disgusted with the answer and headed back to his truck.

    After I had paid for my gas and was headed down the road, the question of are Wildlife Violations really a crime kept running through my head.  I thought about it the rest of the afternoon.  Then it finally came to me.  ALL laws, whether Wildlife or any other, were written for a reason.  The most important ones of course being those concerning public safety and crimes against people.  I’m sure that most people view wildlife crimes toward the bottom as far as importance goes, but they are important enough that all fifty states have an agency that is geared towards the protection of their natural resources.  In some places, even the District Attorney or the Judges may view them as “petty offenses”.  Somewhere in the LRS Title 14, it defines Felony Theft as “the stealing of something valued at $500 or more”.

    The state of Louisiana has placed the civil penalty (civil restitution) for the illegal taking of a wild turkey at more than $700 and a deer at more than $500.  This should make the illegal taking or stealing of these animals from legal law-abiding sportsmen a FELONY.  This does not take into account the possible fines and or jail time that goes with it and in some cases the forfeiture of ANY equipment seized in connection with the violation.  Kinda mounts up in a hurry don’t it.  It can also become very expensive.  So to answer the question, yes they are more than petty offenses, they are a crime.

     In my pea brain, I tried to calculate the cost of just hunting deer.  If you are just starting out and buy all the necessary gear at one time, it added up to almost $8000.  This is not annually and I only used a mid range price on everything, the most expensive being an ATV.  But, throw in a new rifle with scope, clothes, club dues, stands, feeders, food plots, gas, food, etc., it mounts up in a hurry.  Hunting is a very expensive sport.  It is easy to spend $1000 annually on deer hunting.  If you spend this much on hunting deer do you really want to have your stand sitting next to a fellow club member that may kill 15 –20 deer in a season?  Is it now a petty offense, now that you can’t see a deer because he has so much meat in his freezer that he is giving them away?

    How about that nice ten-point that you have been seeing during bow season and couldn’t get a shot at, only to find out that one of the local “ROGUES” brought the deer into the country store and he doesn’t own any property and is not a member of any club in the area.  Later you find out that it was shot at night a short distance from your stand, after you dropped a grand to hunt this year.  Is it still a petty offense?  If you are an honest law abiding sportsman, this should make you highly irate.

    If it does, then why are some people reluctant to call in a complaint on a poacher, regardless of whether it is his hunting club or not.  The guy is stealing from somebody.  There are not enough Wildlife Agents to “watch” every club or piece of private property in this state at the same time. Unless we are working a complaint, we go about our normal patrols and try to catch a thief “in the act”, red handed.  I don’t know of any fire department personnel that ride around in the fire truck all day trying to find a fire.  They wait until somebody calls and tells them where the fire is.  The same works for Wildlife Agents.  All we can do on patrol is ride around and look for violations, or sit at night and “hope” somebody comes along and shines a field because it looks like a good spot to night hunt.  At times, we get lucky like this, but sometimes the blind hog finds an acorn.

    If you are a true, law-abiding sportsman and you have a genuine concern for “OUR” sport, not only for now but for future generations to enjoy, I will provide you with a number to call and we will even pay for it.  The number is 1-800-442-2511.  It is the number to Operation Game Thief (OGT).  This number is manned 24/7, 365 days a year.  If you are tired of the outlaws and the game hogs, whether it is game or fish, get as much information as possible.  Then pass the information on.  Somebody will follow up on the complaint.  There is even a reward offered.  You will be helping out another honest sportsman as well as putting a thief out of business.  Is that a deal or what?