I have to disagree with LostHawg, somewhat, on this one. I don't think that most of our poachers are poor folks who have to shoot rabbits or go hungry. And I don't think that honesty and character are necessarily a function of income.
I think most poachers are either people who just don't care or have no values. They shoot out of their cars, they sneak on to property that doesn't belong to them, and they shoot out of season. Mostly to make themselves feel like they have accomplished something. They brag about what a hunter or fisherman they are, not mentioning that they shot the deer with a spotlight from the road, and probably in a park where the deer are almost tame. They catch twice the number of fish allowed, they know its wrong, but they do it anyway.
I have often thought that we should push for stiffer penalities for these offenses. I am talking about people that intenionaly and knowingly break the game laws. I am not talking about the starving guy who kills a squirrel or the guy who forgets and leaves his license in plain sight on the dashboard, but rather the guy who shoots twice the limit of doves. The minor violations should be met with the appropriate fine, the major ones should be met with something serious enough to be a deterrent to those people who won't or can't control themselves.
Tracey, I do think you are right in that we should work to provide as many outdoor opportunities to as many people as possible. I just don't think lack of opportunity is a justifiable reason.
Okay, I am off my soapbox and the rant is over.
MJ
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