Asshat Poacher - Not for the Squeamish

[Pat]

I was hunting in my favorite part of the state this afternoon, when I came across the above mess. Some SOB had killed a fawn and stripped off most of the meat. He also shot two geese, breasted them out, leaving the rest of the meat on their carcases. All left at the head of a trail.

Even though I grew up in the north woods and have hunted all my life, I was really shocked at this absolutely evil waste of wild game. OK, so he took a couple of geese... But you are supposed to take the whole bird.

But shooting a fawn?!

I stopped at the ranger station in Onamia, but it was closed (Sunday afternoon). Am going to call the DNR tomorrow morning. Not much they can do now, but I can't let something like this go unreported.

[gunflint]

Every once and a while we get people that shoot moose and just take the head. Poaching game is something that I've never understood. The penalties are a joke, unless of course it's an endangered species.

[Thor]

Well, it is goose season, isn't it?? I'm not much for goose, but from what I understand, breasting them is quite common. I'm not so sure about the fawn. It is deer season if one is a bowhunter....I suppose that IF the guy and his family needed food.....

Quite honestly, I'm not real keen on the idea of hunting licenses, seasons, etc. It reeks too much of requiring permission to "kill the King's game". When I bought my license in Va, it was for deer, bear & turkey and I got several tags for each and could have hunted for quite a while. MN licenses really "tax" the hunters. (pun intended)

[cobb]

We know it is a fawn? Did it still have spots?

Many years ago when my father was still alive, during deer season if he saw 2 does, one large and one small running together, his choice was to harvest the smaller one, most likely the fawn. The highest survival rate is among the adult does, so he thought it better to harvest the better meat and allow the larger or adult doe to survive and hopefully make it through the northern Minnesota winter. He did not want that much meat and thought the smaller and more tenders was a better choice, both for the table and conservation.

I remember one time a few years back when we were butchering and trying to skin an 8 point buck that my brother-in-law shot. The rack was a small 8 point, the face mostly gray, but a big body. After Dad tried to skin it, then watch 2 of us younger kids struggle with the hide, he declared he wanted none of that meat unless it was going to be made into sausage.

Different thoughts, but it is hard to see from the picture what is.
One thing that is wrong, I don't think that the carcase were disposed of properly and should be reported.

[Thor]

I was thinking about the fawn issue a little last night after my post. I'm wondering if some young kid, bowhunting with his dad might have shot the fawn. If I recall, kids under a certain age are allowed to shoot either sex. That would include a fawn. Unless one actually saw the fawn being shot, I'm kind of thinking reporting it would be like "crying wolf". Of course, it might alert the game wardens to be more watchful.

[ttousi]

I would suggest you report it...........as Jack used to say "just the facts ma'am" No conclusions.



It may tie in with some other incidents that you are not aware of.