Poaching Discussion - From the Wife
Writer’s will discuss anything. Here’s a thread that’s started about poaching at a writing forum called, not ironically, Writingforums.com.
I do like that there’s a distinction being made between poaching for monetary gain, and poaching out of necessity. For myself at least, there’s a world of difference between the person who hunts elephants for their ivory and the tiger simply for the thrill, and the person just needing to put food on their table. It does make me realize how regulated everything is. In that glorious, sepia-toned ’simpler time’ of old, life happened without having political fingers dipping into every aspect of it. Now, you need to fill out a series of forms (in triplicate, thank you!) just to sneeze.
I suppose, it could be argued, that poachers are indeed putting food on their tables, too, by using the monies they receive for their non-regulation goods, but I just can’t reconcile the two ideas. There is such waste and cruelty in poaching. And, even if I don’t like having government nosing around in my underwear drawer (they do like to have every detail of your life on record, after all), having strict regulations does ensure there will be rhino’s (complete with horns!) around for future generations to admire and enough deer for a tasty venison dinner for our great-grandchildren to enjoy.
I’d like to ask, from a non-hunter to the hunters, what sort of fines are involved (wherever you are) if one is caught poaching? Do you think they’re enough to make people think twice about poaching? And do the gains outweigh the risks?
Curious in Canada,
The Wife
Hunting, poaching, hunting regulations, Big game trophy hunting
November 30th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Here in Virginia the fines for Poaching are pretty cheap and the penalties can range from jail time, loss of privileges and loss of vehicles and rifles/hunting equipment used in the crime.
In my opinion if you are caught poaching for trophies then your fines should be $10,000 dollars up to one year of jail time and loss of hunting privileges nationally for 3 years.
Second offense is loss of hunting privileges for life, loss of ability to own any firearm and jail time of up to 5 years and fines of 25,000 per animal taken.
Now if you are caught poaching for food then I think the penalties should be a 1000.00 fine, loss of hunting privileges for one year in year in your state of residence and an introduction to Hunters for the Hungry to work with you to create a plan to keep your freezer filled.