# Illegal Harvesting - Did they get off too easy?



## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

I am not a hunter, but I wish our wildlife laws were more strict. These just don't seem like the charges I'd expect for a repeat offender. Too often, I see this kind of "punishment" for over harvesting in fishing too. While I'm sure these are painful, I'd like to see more $ taken away. 

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-...y-deer-poaching-couple-convicted-in-massillon


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Agree that the final sentence is usually way too light. Would love to see much more severe punishment for all poaching. Even 1st offenses. 
Guess to sum things up, would like to see the cost of poaching price itself right out of business.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Surprised that he will serve any time in jail. Some of the biggest cases have all of the days suspended. There must be jail space in that county. The fine for an antlered deer in Ohio is 500 dollars. the fines start getting expensive when an antlered deer scores 125" or more. That's when the DNR uses a formula to add onto the 500 dollar base fine. He did get 10 days in jail, 2900 in fines, 8 years combined lost hunting privileges which carries over to other states, and lost all his weapons. Still think it's pretty weak since he had a prior deer poaching conviction. My guess is he will be hunting anyways once he gets this mess ironed out.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

I saw the stats posted last year for the amounts that ODNR had fined poachers for under the antler score system VS. the dollar amount that they had actually collected to date. They don't even collect a small percent of what the fine people.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

supercanoe said:


> I saw the stats posted last year for the amounts that ODNR had fined poachers for under the antler score system VS. the dollar amount that they had actually collected to date. They don't even collect a small percent of what the fine people.


The biggest thing it does is makes the poachers name into mud.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

You also have to remember the ODNR doesn't actually fine anyone. They charge them, and it's up to the judge for the punishment. Some judges rely heavily on the discretion of the officer, and some blow it off as petty. 

As far as fines collected, when someone is hit with a big buck fine, they usually suspend their licenses until it's paid as an incentive to pay it off. I know one of the first ones in ohio was a couple local guys here that were coyote hunting and shot a big deer when the temptation and opportunity presented itself. Dumb decision. They were hit with close to $20k. It was paid off in a year, and they were out hunting the following year.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

beaver said:


> You also have to remember the ODNR doesn't actually fine anyone. They charge them, and it's up to the judge for the punishment. Some judges rely heavily on the discretion of the officer, and some blow it off as petty.
> 
> As far as fines collected, when someone is hit with a big buck fine, they usually suspend their licenses until it's paid as an incentive to pay it off. I know one of the first ones in ohio was a couple local guys here that were coyote hunting and shot a big deer when the temptation and opportunity presented itself. Dumb decision. They were hit with close to $20k. It was paid off in a year, and they were out hunting the following year.


Exactly! Just like out on the street when an officer makes a good arrest on a thug. Thug goes before the Judge and often released before officer has the paperwork done. Suppose it's just as frustrating for ODNR officers as it is with regular LE officers. 
IMO, the system is very broke...but it's not on the LE end.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I personally know a couple guys in the wildlife law enforcement department. It is very frustrating for them, trust me. There is a lot of work that goes into some of these busts to make sure they get a good conviction, only to watch them get slapped on the wrist.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

I'd say they nailed him pretty good. Everything including vehicles, weapons etc were seized, did jailtime, 5 year hunting priv ban, 2400 fine. Could have been worse but I wouldn't say they got off easy. I'm all for a 3 strikes you're out scenario in this case.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Same here. Know some guys on both sides of the fence also.
The guys I know that have been busted poaching, mostly just laugh about their sentence if the sentence is a $ amount or suspension of hunting/fishing privileges. All but one are on government assistance, don't have a job or any $, never plan on a life any different of having anything either. They've been to jail multiple times for various things, so, but for the minor, short inconvenience of having to go to jail for a couple days interrupting their usual illegal lifestyle, they really don't care about jail. They laugh about that. Again, they also laugh about suspension of hunting privileges cause no sooner then they get out of jail and back out here in the woods, they're gonna hunt regardless. They're not gonna hunt deer during season cause they know game wardens will usually be in this area at least a couple times during say, gun season or BP season. They also know these woods are too thick to see them from the road early before foilage drops and with the lack of ODNR manpower, their chances of being caught are about the same as hitting the lottery.
Now what does seem to bother them the most is the 'permanent' confiscation of say their quad, pickup or weapons.
What would bother them just as bad is if the courts would assess their welfare until their fines are paid. But that's never gonna happen.
At any rate, the ones I know are not first time poachers. They are criminals with records of various offenses that could care less about license suspension. Criminals don't care about laws.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

Sounds like you and I know the same people. Haha


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

beaver said:


> Sounds like you and I know the same people. Haha


 Yea...usually the only difference in those kind of people are the location of the place they live.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

yea, I agree with Masillon , of course the fine could've been heavier but I would definitely say they did not get off easy .


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

fast water , I also agree with you, these guys probably give two chits. about a license suspension heck they're poaching in the first place ! they're just gonna go back out and do it again ! but the confiscation of the vehicles and the weapons is a very good idea.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

I think the law should permit landowners of dealing with these bums themselves. I can dig a pretty big hole with my tractor! I've seen the same tools trespass on my place year after year. Wrist slapping doesn't work.


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

As Willie Nelson & Toby Keith say "hang em high in the street"!


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

We can't even get rid of murderers and rapist and you wanna hang people for killing a few deer? Lol


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

lol... ostbuck... they're are just venting steam, poaching is obviously not a welcomed practice on an outdoor forum.


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