Poachers

[Ron T.]

I have had access to some property in Lebeck for about eight years , when I started hunting deer there it was a pick and choose harvest . Over the last four years its been getting tougher and tougher to fill a tag with a respectable deer . I have seen a couger on occasion and was thinking that may be the problem , boy was I wrong . Last night I whitnessed a pair of hunters ( poachers ) shoot a buck we have been waiting two weeks to cross the fence line from state property to our property . After confronting the poachers they left the deer lay and took off . I notified the DFG and they responded within the hour . We decided it would be best to return this morning to investigate and found evidence that two other deer have been poached in the same hole within the last week . Here I am trying to teach my ten year old son to be patient and to do things the right way only to see another adult being self centered teaching his son how to do things the wrong way ! Yes , it was a father son team poaching . Now by trying to do things the right way and teach my son morals and standerds he looses . Or does he ? Yes he has been heart broke being so close and going home empty handed this year but I can only hope this will stay with him his entire life and not break another kids heart later in life . The DFG let us keep the deer so it dident go to waste but I can not help but think of the memory we could have shared that was robbed from my boys life . Hopefully the memory of this will forever stay in the mind of the young poacher involved and learn by it before he pays the real price of being cought again . As for the father ? Carma comes around you rotten Son of a bitch .

[Gator]

Ron - You are right on. Karma will come around. You just keep teaching your son the right way to do it!!

[Lance]

Ron T,

I dont hunt but it goes without saying that I dispise poachers to the core. I believe there are bad hunters but I also believe there are good people that hunt, such as yourself. The lesson to your son will be when he reads about these guys in the paper, because they always get caught.

Because I didn't grow up with a "Father" per say, or at least one that fit the definition you are giving your son. I can assure you that when your son grows older and looks back he will cherish the walks in dew covered feilds and having simple conversation with Dad. The size of the buck will be a second thought. Having a memorable Father is a greater prize than any Buck, your son will realize this.

Lance

[Ron T.]

Thank you Lance , I learned all my hunting and fishing values from my grandfather . He was a GREAT man , grand father and more of a man of values than I can ever express . Heres to you Vern Sinclair !

[rickd]

Any chance they gotem?

Some folks a wired wrong, it's a shame that kid has a rat for a father.

[BigBossMan]

Did DFG cite the father?

[Ron T.]

After I confronted the poachers they left the deer lay and took off . No , they got away this time . DFG will have a key to the property and will handle it for now . Hats off to the DFG , they need better funding and support . I was told that Kern county only has three officers working the field in thier region . We have more police working Castaic Lake on week days in the winter ! Whats wrong with this picture .

[propgun]

Ron ,
What a drag on the deer and the memories of that with your son but as it was said your son might have learned a more important lesson here. As told to me by my father when I was taught to hunt by the rules. Karma is a true fact inthis one they will get theires because they aren't smart enough to know better and will more than likly be right back in the same area in a day or two.
Good luck next time and tight lines

[lucas boden]

it amazes me how many people that hunt the refuges cant identify the birds they shoot. i.e. cormorants, swans, or pelicans... its even funnier when they come to the check in station tellin the ranger they have two snow geese and pull out a couple of pelicans! that was the stupidest thing i've ever seen

[Dukslayer26]

People are idiots. When I was a young boy I went up to our place in the delta and some jackass had his boat on my beach at the lake and had 4 dozen decoys mixed in with ours in the back of the lake. That was almost 15 years ago and I still use the guys decoys. Turned out to be nice. All super magnum brand new flambeau's. People do some dumb ****.

[Ron T.]

Well its been a year allready and thay were back at it only this time we GOT EM ! Unfortunatly not until after they shot two bucks . One of which was a nice three by three , again I have been waiting to cross over for three weeks . They lost both rifles , and were sited with hunter tresspass , possessing a fire arm on State Park land , game waste , do to the poore field dressing , I forget the last charge . Both hunters had some bull story but the fish and game were wise to that kind of crap . I would like to thank the fish and game , Lebeck sherrifs dept. and State park Rangers for the quick responce .
Once again my son {now 11} got to whitness the whole thing take place including the bust . He now wants to be a Game Warden . attaboy ! Kern county only has 3 field officers , believe it or not . Sad . Write a letter to Arnold .

[Gator]

RIGHT ON RON!!!! That's a happy ending to a sad story.......

[gt5bass]

Ron,

Glad to hear the Poachers got Poached

[stonefly]

You're right about the carma comin' around. Don't let up on the teaching as it pays off too. My 17 year old son has had too many almost shots come and go until this year. He finally flung his first arrow this year and that buck died less than 40 yards later. That memory will last forever for both of us. Your son's turn will come up and all the experiences (good and bad) will make him a better warden.

[Ron T.]

Congradulations on the bow kill ! thats one to be proud of .

[Rhonda]

I would have turned them in along with a stiff fine. That is just wrong. They don't practice good hunting morals for the younger generation if they are poaching

[Ken C.]

Ron,

What you are teaching your son is the difference between right and wrong. The "High road", if you will. The day will come when out of the blue your son will make a comment to you that will let you know the extent of the lesson he has learned from this, and it will warm your heart.

Just the fact that he said he wants to become a game warden is testament to that already.

Good work!