Another Poacher

14881 Views 53 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Southern Man, Mar 30, 2008

Turtle

Discussion Starter · Mar 26, 2008

JACKSON -- Chris James of Horton pleaded guilty Monday to illegally killing a trophy buck in the archery season last fall.
James admitted he shot the 24-point whitetail before he purchased a hunting license.
District Judge Michael Klaeren sentenced him to a mandatory five days in jail, plus a $1,000 fine to the state wildlife fund and a $300 fine to the county.
"Just as important, he loses his hunting privileges for the rest of 2008 and the next three years after that," Assistant Prosecutor Nick Mehalco said after the plea.
Klaeren said he will allow James to serve his jail time on weekends.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers saw the pictures and story about the giant buck in the Citizen Patriot on Oct. 26.
James told a reporter he shot the buck with an arrow at dusk on Oct. 24 and tracked its blood trail several hours in the dark, returning the next morning to find it.
An investigation revealed James did not purchase the archery license until the morning after he shot the deer.
While agents built their case, James entered the rack in big-buck contests. It is one of the largest ever taken by a Michigan bow hunter.
A Commemorative Bucks of Michigan scorer awarded it 218 points, making it the second- or third-largest ever recorded in archery season.
Conservation officers seized the antlers in January, when James was charged with the misdemeanor.
The deer rack is the property of the DNR and will likely be on display at either a state park museum, wildlife office or other DNR facility.
A friend of James said he would make no comment.

Sad:sad: Don't know why someone in that position would seek out publicity and attempt to take pride and recognition for what he done. Just do it legally in the first place and don't put yourself in this type situation.

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buckfever

· #2 · Mar 26, 2008

Thats crazy. Glad to see he got busted. You can tell he forgot to use his head. You would have thought he would at least been smart enough to change his story since he did not have a license.

I wonder what the genius would have done had he shot a doe? Risked getting caught driving it home or just left it in the woods for the coyotes?

Hats off to the game wardens for using their heads.

joel the signman

· #3 · Mar 26, 2008

the greed over over antlers is getting out of hand if you ask me.I dont think his punishment was tough enough

Hunting Man

· #4 · Mar 26, 2008

Glad he got caught! I agree until the fine is considerable $$$$, people will take the chance to hit it big in the antler money lottery. I remember a few years back a well know archer in Michigan attempted to submit a record book buck. The buck was huge and would have shattered Milo Hanson's current record buck. After people saw the pictures and noticed things didn't look right, ex-rays were requested and he withdrew the buck for record consideration. Hanson's attorney got involved at some point and things got very quiet.

Turtle

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 26, 2008

Here's link with pic

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/...ris_james.html

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joel the signman

· #6 · Mar 26, 2008

thanks for the link.nothing like having the facts:thumbup::goodposting:

BruceBruce1959

· #7 · Mar 26, 2008

joel the signman said:
the greed over over antlers is getting out of hand if you ask me.I dont think his punishment was tough enough

I agree with Joel on this one, This guy isn't getting a punishment at all, what he got was a Leniency. A mere spanking.
The Poachers will never stop as long as the courts just pat them on the hands and send them off so easily.
All over a set of Scoring Antlers, This is why I am totally against record book hunting.
I don't believe any Game animal should ever be harvested simply for it's scoring ability.
just offering my 2 cents.... :ranting:

G

· #8 · Mar 26, 2008 (Edited)

It was rewarding to

It was rewarding to get 37,545 sigs on the pttoeiin to end boiling, baking dogs and cats alive in China .quite an ordeal to print out and mail off postage alone! Not sure if it will do any good at all as we are dealing with a communist country and culture that condones some very unthinkable, over-the-top animal cruelty (not real good on the human rights either), but at least the numbers were there and the pttoeiin went to the National Tourism Dept .with the current TV ads from China encouraging tourism thought they should know that cooking animals while they are still alive and skinning animals alive, would be a likely turn off' for the westerners they are trying to attract. If it only money that concerns them, one day it may make more sense to them to adopt more humane methods of slaughter. Daughter studying Chinese culture now told me that in some regions, sentimentality and compassion for animals are thought of as weaknesses?

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BruceBruce1959

· #9 · Mar 26, 2008

In just this case alone Antlers had everything to do with his intent to Poach this Deer.
I do agree however there are probably more Doe's poached than bucks and I think that's only because Doe's are more apt to wander out into the fields quicker than the bucks do, The Doe's just make themselves the easier target for poachers. But again I think in this particular case this guy only wanted that scoring Rack I'd bet a bundle if it had been a Doe he would have passed on it.
Now to answer your question, I would take the one that I know I could down the safest. The 180" racks are awesome but the Antler size is only a bonus to me.
I know in my lifetime of hunting I've passed on several huge racked deer, they just didn't offer a good safe shot.
I can't begin to tell you how many huge racks I've seen bound off because I jumped them out of their beds but again I'm not about to let the sight of a huge rack cause me to start pumping lead out there with hopes that I hit the running brown spot, that's just not me but some (not all) trophy hunters only see antlers and begin shooting without hesitation and that's just not cool to me but they are the ones that have to live with the results of their actions.

Book Deer? a Book Deer to some hunters might be a 150 class deer or better but what about a youth hunter that takes a 180 lb. 4 pointer..
The Book would say, It's only a 4 pointer doesn't qualify to be in the books and that to me is wrong. I think rather than have trophy books there should just be "State Record Books" because the way I see it, they're all trophy's

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Hunting Man

· #10 · Mar 26, 2008

It's all about antlers and money and record books! If it was only a doe maybe the local news paper writes a small article, not that poaching does is different under the law, but only the big bucks make the news because its about BIG BUCK'$. I've never heard of someone trying to put a doe into a record book and making national news!Poaching does is about meat and killing, poaching big bucks is about money!

G

· #11 · Mar 26, 2008 (Edited)

You are right about

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Hunting Man

· #12 · Mar 26, 2008 (Edited)

Ronn, you simply missed my point, its the money that's driving the poaching for big bucks! I have no problem with P&Y, B&C either nor the ethical hunter that hunts for the records. The problem is the big money for big bucks provides the (motive) for the poaching. I don't think this was a problem 40 years ago or even 20 years ago when there wasn't big money invovled. I think in a lot of ways ethics has given way to greed ( promoted by industry) for money, this isn't just in the hunting arena. If the antlers were worth $300.00 the poaching for (dollars) would deminish which would negate the incentive for the poachers and the antler selling market. Other than money greed, what is the purpose in promoting a harvested big buck, beyond the record book?

G

· #13 · Mar 26, 2008 (Edited)

Just desire to say y

Just desire to say your arclite is as astonishing. The clearness in your post is just cool and that i can suppose you are an expert in this subject. Fine together with your permission allow me to take hold of your RSS feed to keep updated with imminent post. Thanks 1,000,000 and please continue the enjoyable work.

wmi

· #14 · Mar 27, 2008

Money for a trophy rack is not an issue. It would be like saying the gun shot and killed the man. No a man killed a man therefore a poacher is a poacher. This criminal according to other articles has not hunted with a licence for years it is just this time a deer of this caliber happened by and he tried to get some notoriety for his accomplishment. It is a shame that this magnificent animal had the bad luck of walking by this low life plain and simple.:ranting:

Hunting Man

· #15 · Mar 27, 2008

Well guys I read your posts, but I just disagree. I think money is the problem (incentive) behind the poaching for big bucks. Otherwise the poached bucks would simply become hidden freezer meat and nobody would see them being displayed for record potential (money). So we will agree to disagree and I will leave it at that. Good discussion on this one!

G

· #16 · Mar 27, 2008 (Edited)

In many states, haiv

In many states, haivng a gun in your possession in the woods is de facto evidence of hunting. If you have no license, you can be cited for hunting without a license. You have the right to appear before a judge and plead your case. if he believes you, you can have your property returned and have no fine to pay. In your case, it is in your interest to go to court. You can defend yourself and it is not necessary to have a lawyer. Of course, it is always to your advantage to have legal representation. The decision is strictly up to you.

joel the signman

· #17 · Mar 27, 2008

while im totally against big government,the wildlife agencies need to come up with a method of tracking antler purchases.I know its illegal to sell them on E bay .I think i read they are trying to make it illegal to sell antlers,just like its illegal to sell the meat.Im not against anyone who trophy hunts or someone who bags a record buck and wants to go in the books and endorsement route.i HAVE A FEELING THAT THERE IS A CORE GROUP OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS ACTIVITY(sorry caps loc) and that they are responsible for 80% of the illegal activity.

G

· #18 · Mar 27, 2008 (Edited)

That's a knowing ans

That's a knowing answer to a dififcult question

BruceBruce1959

· #19 · Mar 27, 2008

They sell antlers on ebay, heck you can buy a set of trophy whitetail antlers on there.
Here's a set on Ebay right now you can buy for $ 699.00 U.S. Dollars <--Click to view

G

· #20 · Mar 27, 2008

I think the Lacey act stopped the sale of wild game, meat, except the hide and head. along with a bunch of other stuff.

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