Youth season being abused

[Xi Bowhunter]

I am very dissapointed at some people. On the sunday of youth turkey season, I ran into a guy who took his son hunting on a property next to mine. His son was very small, and his dad was carrying the gun. When I asked them if they had any luck, the son belted out "we saw 5 turkeys, but daddy couldn't shoot them because there was a tree in the way." Those were his exact words. So me being the nosey person that I am, I asked the little boy why HE did shoot the turkeys, and he said "because daddy said I wasn't big enough yet." So I drew the conclusion that the father took the son with him so he could try to kill an extra bird this season early. This REALLY makes me sick!:mad: Then yesterday, I had almost the exact same conversation with a friend of my dad's and his son....but this time, the father ADMITED to me that he was the one really doing the hunting, and the son was just tagging along. I was so shocked I didn't know what to say! I asked him if he knew what he was doing was illegal, and told him if he didn't want to get turned in, then he should not tell me things like that, because I can only keep my mouth shut for so long. I am REALLY thinking about reporting this guy, but I am afraid my dad will loose his friend over it. The whole situation sucks if you ask me.:mad:

[muzzy125acc]

thats the way that it goes though people will abuse it no matter what.....

[arshooter]

only a selfish father would do that to his kid my son has been turkey hunting the last two years with no luck was there circumstances that i could of killed a bird while i was with him probably just selfishness it will come back get him and i feel sorry for the kid..but you cant take the season from kids because of a few idiots...

[Multidigits]

Happens a lot.....you should have reported it. Maybe the kid would have told the GW the exact same thing.

[jarhedhntr]

its a shame, I think I probably would have reported it. There are rules for a reason, this is to support hunting in our youth. I get just as excited as the next but I would use a child to further my excitement.:mad:

[CSS archer]

When you don't report someone, you are encouraging more of it. No question, turn his sorry a$$ in.....

[Gobblergetter2.1]

You should have reported him, but i understand why you didnt. Just sit him down one day if possible and tell him the consequences he would get if caught, and how it would affect his son. Explain to him that there is plenty of time in the regular 4 weeks to kill a bird. Make sure you drill the consequences into him real hard and spice them up a bit. Tell him that he needs to stop, and if you find out he has done it again, you will report him. If it were one of my dad's best friends, i would have a tough time reporting him, but it would be the thing to do. You might talk to your dad about it and tell your dad to talk to the guy. Just some thoughts. Its a shame that people would do things like this. I thought 4 weeks is plenty of time!

[Dev]

I ran into a guy on Saturday who didn't know who owned the land he was on. Not only that, he (along with his son) was carring an 870. This got me fast. I asked why he had a gun and he said "Incase he wounds one". I just about started sneezing and coughing all over him because I seem to be allergic to bullsh!t. But I didn't want to say too much because he had his young son with him and I didn't want to ruin the little guy's day. I know that probably wasn't the thing to do.

[Xi Bowhunter]

It's hard to yell at a guy when he has his little son with him. This kind of stuff just burns me up:mad:

[Feedman]

I took my son on sunday. Had a bird come in at betwee 30 to 35 yards. The bird only stuck his head up over a high spot of ground. My son could not see the bird's head. I could see it plain as day and could have easily killed the bird. That was not the reason that I was there.

I wanted my son to get a bird and experience the moment with him.
Some people are selfish and only think of themselves. That is the way that life goes. Wonder what types of hunter's those son's will grow up to be when they see their father's breaking the rules.

[Bruttus]

The sad part is the kid thinks this is normal. This is the lack of ethics. Next they will be hunting out of season. Taking more animals than they can take legally. Shooting animals and leaving the meat. This kids dad was probably taught the same way.

[watermelon3308]

I ran into a guy on Saturday who didn't know who owned the land he was on. Not only that, he (along with his son) was carring an 870. This got me fast. I asked why he had a gun and he said "Incase he wounds one". I just about started sneezing and coughing all over him because I seem to be allergic to bullsh!t. But I didn't want to say too much because he had his young son with him and I didn't want to ruin the little guy's day. I know that probably wasn't the thing to do.i would like to see him try to tell a co that excuse for having a gun.

[WhiteRubi]

Youth hunts should be just that, for the youth. It SHOULD be to instill good, sound hunting practices and good hunting ethics in the children. All this guy has done is make it appear as though it is okay to bend (and by bend I mean BREAK) the rules. You guys are absoloutely correct, no need to ruin it for the little guys and gals due to some scumbags.

Some people shoot for meat, and some shoot for horns. That is a matter of preference. We can all argue our own point of view on meat vs. antler hunting. This guy just flat out broke the law. No need to even think that it's a matter of personal choice/preference.

turn his a$$ in!!!

[RutNBuck]

Bruttus
was right on the $$$$ kid would follow in his fathers foot steps and would dis-respect all rules...people like that just burn me up..

[buckchaser]

I didn't get to take my son this year because he doesn't have his hunter safety card yet. The only class is at the first of May. As far as people using their kids as an excuse to hunt before regular season opens is just down right sorry. I am sure it hapens a lot more than we are aware of also. However people who break the law are going to do it anyway no matter what the law is. And peole are going to continue to try to find ways around every law passed, that is why they have to keep changing them.

[WildmanWilson]

The same thing happens in deer season. Also how many deer and turkey get tagged under the wife and kids name who don't even hunt.

Nothing more than greed. If these guys want to hunt and be in the woods so much then they should take a camera after they are tagged out so they can still enjoy the outdoors.

Using the youth season as a way to kill extra animals is the ultimate in bad taste.

[bcdh1]

I say turn all there a$$es in. Its plain and simple. You would tunr somebody in for killing a big buck out of season and that is the same thing they are doing. If it is against the rules then the law is being brke and those people need to be prosecuted and punished. I wonder why the number of turkeys killed has gone down. The number of birds reported is the only thing that has gone down.

[ecmbowhunter]

When you don't report someone, you are encouraging more of it. No question, turn his sorry a$$ in.....what he said

[Xi Bowhunter]

I've been thinking about this all day, and I only have one more question.....How do I prove it? It will be my word agnist his unless i could get his boy to tell the truth and turn his dad in, and I don't think that is going to happen.

[Mount-N-Man]

That really stinks. All the guy is doing is teaching his son to be a slob hunter also, who will teach his kids the same thing someday.

[Kentucky Cooner]

Some of you know me and some dont.I was in fish & game enforcement for several years.
The best isn't to say one person in general is doing this act.Thats hear say.
You say I know for a fact that is act is happen on this farm.Then law enforcement can watch the site and they will, trust me.If they don't,let me know.I got a good friend that I can pass the word to.

[GSP]

I know several COs that make some very good busts. Get to know these guys and help them (you) out!
They don't do the, "hey Joe Doe told me you were packing a gun in youth season"!
These guys are very well trained law enforcement officers. Help them (you) out and give them a call.

[RutNBuck]

XI
dont feel guilty about doing it
its the slob father that is at fault you'd only be doing whats right for our future...make ole dad fess up and admit his guilt

[nontypical2002]

These guys are low lifes...my son looks forward to going hunting and I would NEVER take that thrill from him!!! Wonder what would have happened had these father's taken a tom...they would have taught their son to lie and say that they had killed the bird so they didn't get in trouble for doing it. I told my son what these guys were doing and his exact words were; "you can't do that dad because that's against the law" this is coming from a 7 yr. old. The law breakers kids don't stand a chance...they would have to put on a happy face while dad drives around town showing off the "kids" turkey...poor kids.:(

[Talkin'Turkey]

It is certainly a bad deal.
My son, who is eight, took his first turkey Saturday. The longbeard had a 10 1/8" beard, 3/4" spurs, and weighed 20lbs.
I could not have imagined taking that opportunity away from him.
Sadly, the property owner let two neighbor boys hunt there Sunday. I was told they killed a tom and a hen.
It is an excelent spot but I believe I will not return.

[WoodsWhisperer]

That is just pathetic. I want to take my daughter, but she isn't ready yet. I haven't killed a gobbler in 2 years and I wouldn't stoop that low for a chance. Like some of you said its for the kids, I would report it and hopefully they will learn their lesson.

[naturalelite]

Very hard decision to make. I know I have had to report relatives before. Some might think that is a little too close to home but the way I look at it is if I knew it was going on and didn't report it I might as well have been the one that pulled the trigger. IMO The CO's can only do so much.Without our help they are fighting a loosing battle.

[Pollcat]

Turning folks in to the co's is a tough thing to do. I've done it once before. I cought a guy hunting ducks 1 week before early woody and teal season came in. I called the co, told him where he was hunting and which ramp his truck was at. The co called me later and said he cought the guy pulling his boat out of the water, decoys in the boat, and guns in the truck. The guy told the co he was just scouting. Basically my word against his???????
One thing to remember is if a person breaks the law enough they will eventually get theirself cought. I know for a fact that the new younger co's running around the country side are much more active than the older generation was. I heard a story last year where a co stopped at a truck parked on the side of the road during youth turkey season. Checked out the truck and found 2 empty gun cases in the back of the truck. This made the co believe their might be an adult hunting with the youth. The co unloaded a tracking dog and tracked the hunters up... a long way from the truck. Everything was legit, it was one adult and 2 youths hunting. Just shows how serious these co's are these days. Justice will be served sooner or later.

[Kentucky_MAdman]

The important thing here is that by turning the Dad in, you may just turn the kid around.

[jdixon]

My 10-year-old daughter took a shot at a Tom at 25 yrds. Sunday, missed it. I would have been able to drill it at that distance. However, her missing that bird was a bigger thrill to me than my shooting it for her. Actually watching her excitement for 20 minutes while we waited for a shot was a bigger thrill than taking any turkey that I will ever bag. Those who are doing otherwise are really missing out in my estimation.

I glanced at this talk about turning people in. I see a problem here. All of these hunting violations are just that - violations under the law or at the most misdemeanors. In extreme cases, you may have a felony but those are usually Federal violations like shooting a Bald Eagle. With these state laws being minor infractions CO's, police officers or any law enforcement officer can not take action (i.e. cite or arrest) unless her or she actually sees the violation take place. There is no what is called "probable cause" provision in the laws of this state on misdemeanors or violations. If an officer were to get enough probable cause (documented proof and or physical evidence) of a violation that did not occur in their presence, he or she would have to go get a warrant or summons for the violator, then with the court order go arrest or cite the violator. Basically turning someone in to the CO for something that they told you they did would be little more than "nice to know" information. At the very most he could go talk to the person about it and then only if he had the time to do so - not likely.

You as a citizen, if you saw one of these violations taking place, you could swear out a charge yourself, a warrant or a summons would be issued for the person and the matter would be presented in court. In these cases, you would essentially be the CO and would have to present the evidence you have of the violation.

These are some of the legal resons why it is so hard to catch those who disregard the hunting regulations and rules. Best thing we can all do is what most appear to have done here using peer pressure and setting the example.

[turk2di]

Then i guess it's time to ratchet up the penalty;) As much money as the state spent on the restoration program, i would think a request by various organisations for increased penalties would get some serious thought!

[jdixon]

Increasing the penalty may seem like a fix but this would mean making these charges felonies. Felonies all carry jail time of a year or more. Where do we put these people convicted of these now felony-hunting crimes? Our penitentiaries are full. It is about impossible to get a serious jail sentence for someone who steals a car or commits a burglary. Prison terms for those who commit armed robbery are so short it is disgusting. You could up the penalty but, due to the existing strain in the criminal justice system already in place, in practice it would be no different from what we have now.