80%???? i'll bet its less than 2% of illegal activity is done by these guys. A POACHED DEER IS OF NO VALUE. How many times must that be said? no real value. How could a guy make 20 30 40,000 dollars if the deer can't be displayed? Its not like these deer, record size that is, are shot every day. I have a whole lot more faith in a hunter that only takes big bucks than in the brown its down guys. Big buck hunters know the value in passing lesser deer and only taking the big boys legally cause that's where the payoff is. These guys that work at taking monster bucks have way more to lose than the average guy that isn't interested in just big bucks. Big buck hunters that do illegal things have their reputations and careers ruined and that's their bread and butter. I've heard of a couple big names that at a moment of weakness ruin their careers. What does Joe Blow lose if he shoots a doe during bucks only? He'll still go to work the next day and in a couple years be back in the woods shooting whatever. I'll admit that BIG BUCKS could be more tempting to take illegally but to only those with the predisposition to do something illegal. I'll go with 98% of all illegal activity is done by "SLOB HUNTERS", not that anyone here is one but you know the type I'm talking about. Of everybody out there, I would guess that 60% are honest good hunters. 38% slob hunters who do most of the illegal stuff, and that 2% that give in to a moment of weakness. The bright side of this discussion is we all agree that poaching is wrong and those that do so deserve harsh penalties.  |