Poachers

[Foysey22]

I have been hunting the same area since I was a 4 year old annoying my dad to take him out hunting. With the years of hunting and farming I’ve got to know it inside and out, I have more permission than I know what do with. With that comes a lot of work I do for these landowners out of the goodness of my heart as my way of saying thank you for allowing me access. I put a lot of time and scouting in. I always try and take a mature deer with a clean ethical kill. Over the last 4 or so years my area has become busier and busier with road hunters and trespassers. This year takes the cake though, have now watched 5 plus people shoot from their vehicles, have now found 5 dead deer shot, 3 of which were witnessed by myself and the other two found by a friend and fellow landowner. Today a friend found a bait pile on his place. All events have led to the fish cops being called. My best friend is the corporal in my town for the rcmp and it’s bad enough to the point where he is checking vehicles on the backroads because the poaching and trespassing has gotten out of hand. People need to grow up. Quit ruining it for the people that do it right. Make a guy want to dig a hole instead of calling the fish cops if you catch someone. 504/506 are the areas. If you have any stories to share of that area please share, maybe we can get the attention of authorities. I have young kids I intend to take hunting one day and at this rate there will be nothing left to hunt

[liketoshoot]

Lots of lazy hunters, i go deep in the bush, no roads minimal hunters. We farmed for years and every year trespassing got worse.

[teledogs]

Poachers are not hunters. I am sorry for the trouble you are experiencing. Sounds crazy and glad you called the authorities. I am hunting in 214 and I have hunted everyday in November so far and I have not seen any trespassers or road hunters. I have seen 2 wounded deer and found 1 abandoned mule doe carcass. I found one of the wounded deer a couple of days later dead and it had vehicle injuries. So not too bad here from my experience. Maybe I have just been lucky.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Foysey22

I have been hunting the same area since I was a 4 year old annoying my dad to take him out hunting. With the years of hunting and farming I’ve got to know it inside and out, I have more permission than I know what do with. With that comes a lot of work I do for these landowners out of the goodness of my heart as my way of saying thank you for allowing me access. I put a lot of time and scouting in. I always try and take a mature deer with a clean ethical kill. Over the last 4 or so years my area has become busier and busier with road hunters and trespassers. This year takes the cake though, have now watched 5 plus people shoot from their vehicles, have now found 5 dead deer shot, 3 of which were witnessed by myself and the other two found by a friend and fellow landowner. Today a friend found a bait pile on his place. All events have led to the fish cops being called. My best friend is the corporal in my town for the rcmp and it’s bad enough to the point where he is checking vehicles on the backroads because the poaching and trespassing has gotten out of hand. People need to grow up. Quit ruining it for the people that do it right. Make a guy want to dig a hole instead of calling the fish cops if you catch someone. 504/506 are the areas. If you have any stories to share of that area please share, maybe we can get the attention of authorities. I have young kids I intend to take hunting one day and at this rate there will be nothing left to hunt

The area doesn’t really matter… it happens everywhere.

[Smoky buck]

I hunt 90% public land and if I want to be reminded how stupid it can be I just have to hunt close to the roads on a weekend. The stories I hear from those who mostly hunt private land seem even worse

Each year I find myself hiding from others more and more

There is plenty of good ethical hunters out there but their actions are less obvious then the idiots/poachers

[elkhunter11]

Last year we arrived at a friends land to hunt twice, and saw vehicles leaving the field, before legal time.According to the landowner, I was the only person with permission for the property. This summer, the access from the township road was chained off, and I have never seen so many animals on the property. What a difference, when the poachers aren't there.

[kerthump]

That must be so disheartening. I’ve stuck to the 400 WMUs, (402, 404, 406, 408), even though it’s all on the draw and takes a lot of hiking in rugged terrain. Lots of other recreational users, very few roads to access and patrol compared to farmland, so very heavily patrolled by the CO’s. Numerous times over the years, as soon as I pull over to the roadside in my truck, they’ll be right behind me to have a chat and a check through my licences. Several highways have wildlife corridors that are clearly not poached judging by the animal behaviour. Hopefully the poaching plague doesn’t show up here too.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by kerthump

That must be so disheartening. I’ve stuck to the 400 WMUs, (402, 404, 406, 408), even though it’s all on the draw and takes a lot of hiking in rugged terrain. Lots of other recreational users, very few roads to access and patrol compared to farmland, so very heavily patrolled by the CO’s. Numerous times over the years, as soon as I pull over to the roadside in my truck, they’ll be right behind me to have a chat and a check through my licences. Several highways have wildlife corridors that are clearly not poached judging by the animal behaviour. Hopefully the poaching plague doesn’t show up here too.

The reason there is such a high presence of CO’s is past poaching/infraction issues

I have hunted over a large portion of Alberta and BC idiots are everywhere. They are just more obvious in busy areas

[patrol1957]

Make a guy want to dig a hole instead of calling the fish cops if you catch someone

the corporal in my town for the rcmp and it’s bad enough to the point where he is checking vehicles on the backroads because the poaching and trespassing has gotten out of hand

Well Thats a good thing isnt it you should feel safer in your area now.HAPPY HUNTING

idiots are everywhere. They are just more obvious in busy areas

x2 agreed

[Jim Blake]

As stated above, poachers are NOT hunters!! We just had a nice mature whitetail buck shot and left yesterday. What a waste!! I called the RAP line and received a call back in twenty minutes from a Fish and Wildlife Officer.

He came out within a half an hour, checked the carcass for bullets with a metal detector, checked the road for brass but no sign of anything.

There are 3 acreages within 100 yards of where the deer was shot on the next quarter South of ours. Our quarter is the last on a dead end road and posted. These poachers are either mental, drunk or high on something to shoot so close to houses never mind on posted land.

I was very impressed with the professionalism of the Fish and Wildlife Officer and the concern he has for this type of activity.

[Justfishin73]

Opening day, I had to stop two idiots shooting from the road, on land they didn't have permission, no rifle zone at two escaped llamas. They me to f off, but had called CO before even talking to them, so he rolled up with the cops right in the middle of altercation. Bah ha ha. Idiots. One infraction, crap happens, but they had about 10.

[Quantum Theory]

I can attest to this, its bad everywhere but I have family that own land in 504 that we hunt regularly and the amount of road hunters or trespassers we see every year is just ridiculous. Makes it to a point a guy doesn't even want to go out there anymore in fear of some guy firing shots off in your direction.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Welcome to hunting Today, enough said.

Grizz

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Welcome to hunting Today, enough said.

Grizz

Talking to my grandpa poaching/trespassing is not a new issue but instead it was excepted more

It might seem worse because there is higher population

[Jayhad]

I hunt some private land around Olds, for years I've been the only person with permission. Last season whilst bow season, I spotted a trail cam which I hadn't placed. I called the land owner and asked if someone else was hunting the property due to the camera I had found. He stated no, no one except you has permission.
That day I found 4 cameras, one with in 100m of the land owners house, no one came to his door asking for their trail cams back.
I don't understand how someone thinks this is anywhere close to acceptable behaviour. That said I am thankful that not only do I have permission, the land owner gave me 4 new trail cams last season.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Talking to my grandpa poaching/trespassing is not a new issue but instead it was excepted more

It might seem worse because there is higher population

True, it's all about population numbers and it seems people are more blatant about it, either because they don't know better or believe they can get away with it. In the old days, if someone poached, they might have badly needed the meat, your neighbor could understand.

Grizz

[270person]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

it seems people are more blatant about it, either because they don't know better or believe they can get away with it.

Grizz

I'll go with the latter. I see, and report, lots on Hutterite land, and guys I know haven't asked for access on grazing leases. Conservative estimate would be on 90% of my hunts.

Outfitters are some of the worst.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

True, it's all about population numbers and it seems people are more blatant about it, either because they don't know better or believe they can get away with it. In the old days, if someone poached, they might have badly needed the meat, your neighbor could understand.

Grizz

It’s because they get a slap on the wrist if they even get caught so there is not a big deterrent