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Monday, August 31, 2015

Poachers Beware

We were down loading two aspen trees that blew down on our property and the deer were browsing about 20-30 yards from us all the time we were tossing down and loading logs. They kept right on eating and remained while we were driving away. The animals all feel safe here because in the past our community was off limits to hunters. Being able to work and have animals all around us that are not afraid is a really neat experience especially when it is clear they trust us and feel safe.

Our road is about 6 miles long or roughly 31,700 linear feet long. For years we have had poachers on our road hunting from the road in various methods. Because there are only three homes on our road and nothing behind us except a private ranch we have low life poachers that shoot game animals who believe they are in a protected area. I am pretty sure about two who do this and I can only say that they must feel real good about themselves for shooting animals that are within protected areas and feel safe. Our association has put signs up at each end of our road stating private property and no hunting. While we are grateful for the effort it will not stop these low life bottom dwelling trash. Our property is posted and that doesn't keep them out. They like to flaunt their illegal activity and continue to prey on unsuspecting animals who believe they are safe from hunters. Since the poachers read this blog to help them find animals to prey on I do not use actual dates to throw them off. When these photos are posted the animals are a long way away.

I have called 911 and the poaching hot line several times now and do not even get a reply from law or game enforcement. The game warden is clearly afraid of these scum and won't even return a telephone call. The sheriff always has somewhere else to be and hence we apparently are going to have to resort to self help if we are to stop these bottom dwellers who shoot unsuspecting animals. I have nothing against legal hunting but poachers are the scum of humanity. The longer they go unchecked the more bold and organized they get. I find it ironic that a group of hikers located the exact 2 foot wide trail that poachers have been using for years and recently decided to mark it for their "hiking" activity. Out of 31,700 linear feet of road this is really quite the coincidence. These bottom feeders have hunted within 200 yards of our home and calling the game warden does not even get a response.

Self help should be a last resort but it appears all that we have left. I glimpsed a poacher/trespasser behind our house not a month ago. Our area is no different than many other areas where a small group of bottom feeders tend to assume that everyone else owes them something and they see nothing wrong with taking what is not theirs to take. Breaking the law is a way of life for them. When their lawlessness becomes a threat to us and our well being and official sources are unwilling to help then there is nothing left but self help. Poachers beware!!!!


7 comments:

Pat said...

Good luck stopping the poachers. I worry about our ducks. They have become so tame, when they hear my voice they come running for corn. I worry on their flight north, they'll spot some hunters on the ground and think, "Oh goody -- a human... maybe they have some corn..."

Jane said...

How do these folks get in the gate? Just curious. Do you agree with the POA the HOA sent out to authorize ECC members to prosecute trespassers on a parcel of land? I am not sure how I feel.

Bruce said...

Jane: These are alleged to be residents who are in charge of protecting against poachers. Details and evidence has been turned over to the sheriff but they do not seem to put a high priority on illegally killing animals nor does the game warden. They have gotten very close to our house and that alarms me. I may have to start to carry a gun while working on our property.

Unknown said...

We own a couple of patials on the SDCR side of the mountains. I must say that the poaching on this side is also terrible. Up on the property last year during hunting season. People actually walking our road at 11:00 pm poaching. Sounds like a war going on. I always have a gun nearby while on tthe property. Best of luck.

Cletus said...

Can you use trail cameras to record their intrusion?

Read several books written in the 60,s by Helen Hoover. She and her husband lived on the Minnesota border with Canada. She often wrote articles in conservation publications about a deer family in their yard who were pretty used to humans. She would try to scare them away when hunting season came around by firing a pistol. Hunters would sneak into her yard to look for the deer she wrote about.

Bruce said...

I have put the trail camera out hoping to catch poachers but it has a little red light that flashes when it takes a photo. Someone keeps turning it off so it is hard to hide it well enough to be effective. Also, my wife was trying to set the time and date and managed to push in and break the motion sensor. Argggg.....

Anonymous said...

Try putting a piece of black electricians tape or any opaque tape or a dab of dark fingernail polish over the little red light (if possible).