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Poaching $$$$$$

T

THEBAD

Member
I just copied this from the Council Bluffs Newspaper.....


Poaching deer just got a whole lot more expensive.

Governor Tom Vilsack has signed into law a bill (H.F. 2186) that increases the liquidated damages the Department of Natural Resources will receive from individuals who are found guilty of poaching or having in their possession an illegal buck deer.

A new paragraph was added to Iowa Code section 481A.130 which reads, "For each antlered deer, reimbursement shall be based on the point score of the antlered deer as measured by the Boone and Crockett Club's net scoring system for white-tailed deer as follows:

(1) 150 points or less: A minimum of $2,000 and not more than $5,000 and 80 hours of community service or, in lieu of the community service, a minimum of $4,000 and not more than $10,000, in an amount that is deemed reasonable by the court.

(2) More than 150 points: A minimum of $5,000 and not more than $10,000, and 80 hours of community service or, in lieu of the community service, a minimum of $10,000 and not more than $20,000, in an amount that is deemed reasonable by the court."

In the last several years, there has been an almost epidemic increase in the number of large-racked trophy deer being poached across the state. This new law will give the DNR more teeth to combat the situation. Personally, with Iowa being as conservative as it is, I was surprised to see these liquidated amounts make the final cut. Apparently, the legislature also thought that there was a problem, or they wouldn't have seen fit to increase the amount of the liquidated assessment.
 
Thats good to see,maybe other states will do the same.I know here in PA it's a problem and the PGC don't really do much to combat it.Here spotlighting is legal which has alot do with it and I wish they'd outlaw it.Just out of curiousity is it legal to spot deer in Iowa?
 
That's great to see!!! Who knows, maybe the fines could be higher as a bigger deterrant(sp?). But what I'd really like to see is hunting and fishing privelages revoked for atleast 5 years for each offense also. Once a poacher(most times) always a poacher, but maybe those things will make them think alittle bit beforehand.
 
I say a percentage of the fine goes to the person who turns them in...money makes people talk!
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Yes, spotlighting is legal here in Iowa, but you can't have any type of weapon in the vehicle.
 
I'm glad to see it, but I dont think they are high enough to tell yah the truth, i would put something like a 1000 bucks an inch, of poached antler and 10 grand for each doe poached
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No matter how high the fines are people will still poach, they are outlaws in the first place, and are a few fries short of a happy meal to even think, "Well what if we get caught" I like limbs idea, about paying a percentage to the person that turns them in, might make it worth to go out and try to catch some of these crazy bastards
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I dont like the idea of a larger fine for a larger buck. It should be a LARGE fine for any deer. Thats like saying its not as bad to shoot a small one. Anyway, larger fines is a good idea and its good to see something is being done.
 
i think that may be the only good thing that governor "taxsack" has done while in office. be glad to see him gone
 
This was a bill the IBA really pushed for.The only problem was we asked that the convicted poacher not be able to get a hunting license until the fine is paid in full.The law read the poacher need only to be making payment to keep his hunting privilges,even if he only pays $5 a week.They really needed to add some teeth to the new law.The state is owed over $300,000 in liquidated damages they can't or won't collect.
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I think (but may be wrong) that Iowa's TIP program, Turn In Poachers, does award the informant if a conviction is made.
 
I say quit screwing around with the community service. Put a felony charge on top as icing on the cake.
 
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i think that may be the only good thing that governor "taxsack" has done while in office. be glad to see him gone

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dildo
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I am in favor of large fines for poaching, but I wonder how effective they will be against real poachers as opposed to the poor dummie who just makes a mistake. Just as an example of what can happen when you aren't as sharp as you should be. The last evening of 1st shotgun season was very cold and several inches of new snow on the ground. I shot 2 does just before legal time ran out. They were in a picked corn field 80 yards off a main road. My darn pen wouldn't write on the tags "I really hate that system" and I didn't want to leave them there while I hiked a mile back home for my truck so I drug them to a weed patch near a parking area. About that time a DNR truck pulled up and asked how I was doing. He then asked why I had moved the deer without tagging them. I explained about the pen and the road and he was understanding. I marked the tags with his pen and tagged both deer and a problem that was created because I was cold and dumb was handled justly. My only point is that a real poacher probably won't really be affected by these fines, but I aggree that something needs to be done!
 
bowmaker,
I see your point however I respectfully disagree. In many areas the locals and the DNR know who the vilolators are and the fines just weren't great enough to make a difference. Now that it is more than a slap on the back of the wrist it may induce some that would sit in silence to come forward with a tip that would lead to a conviction. I also believe it will give the DNR more incentive to spend the time for stings and more investigations.

I do see your point though. I also agree that it is a step in the right direction. I guess time will tell.
 
Excellent news.

MnBowhunter, as far as revocation of hunting privileges goes, this is the system as I understand it: A person accumulates points for each violation (manor of conveyance 1 point, hunting by artificial light 2 points, etc) and if they accumulate 3 points within 3 years they are eligible for revocation of hunting priveleges. Generally its not hard in a poaching case to come up with a total of 3 points. The arresting officer can request that the judge revoke the offender's hunting privileges for up to 5 years at a time.
I believe this is correct and if not Blind sow can correct me.
 
CUFF EM ALL, any body thats not total in the law should be done for the year, A spent pen is the exception, But any other,,,is a misdermeanor, non exception, your out there you bought the the tag you know what you need and what you gotta do, its like taking a kindergarten test, com;'on guys.... ITS EASY!!!! Absolutly no excuses...
 
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I think (but may be wrong) that Iowa's TIP program, Turn In Poachers, does award the informant if a conviction is made.

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Exactly ODG make it like the alaska law book,, put em in for a year minium and 10,000, that will make them think twice...
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I haven't accessed this website for quite a while so I'm a little behind times.

The Habitual Offender law is 5 points in three years.

I believe there was a bill introduced that would have required full payment of liquidated costs before hunting/fishing privileges would have been reinstated. However, our illustrious legislature did nothing with it. As I wrote in my weekly newspaper column for Council Bluffs' Nonpareil (and the source for this thread) I was pleasantly surprised that the high costs survived.

Doug Clayton

State Conservation Officer
 
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