This is certainty not directed at you, Skip, but just a reminder for folks to develop a good relationship with your wardens and the DNR, preferably before you need their assistance!
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Been thinking about this since it was posted. Are wardens the answer? Maybe. But during the period that poaching happens, what are they doing? Working dayshift, running from trespassing call to trespassing call. Answering complaints. Doing daylight hours hunting stuff because thats when people are hunting. Poachers do their best work in the dark.
When I mow along my road, I pick up gobs of Busch Light cans and backwoods smokes blackberry cigars (something like that). Burglaries are pretty common. I know for a fact that there is no enforcement on that road. Can tell by what is in the ditch.
I think the answer is cultivating the right relationships. With wardens? Sure. If they don’t know it is happening, they can’t do anything about it. But I think what would be better is your county deputies. Any troopers that live in the area. The young ones that don’t have seniority to work day shift. They are out there working in the dark. They are doing training on their computers and writing reports. These young fellas and gals might even be hunters. Maybe they are from a different area and don’t have a place to hunt.
***Every Crime Has A Transportation Phase during which Evidence Is Transported*** What does that mean? Poachers driving around with poached deer. Uncased crossbows. Uncased rifles with suppressors. Night vision equipment. Spotlights? Maybe drinking beer. Maybe smoking weed. Maybe meth. Maybe DUI. A lot of these guys are going to be a cornucopia of violations. Total shitbirds.
Here is what you want: You want these young aggressive officers to be aware of poaching and be aware of what time of year to have heightened awareness. You want them to know that there is “poacher season” and you want them to know that during these few months of the year it would be awesome if they patrolled areas where a lot of poaching activity happens. If they were doing their computer work in a good rural spot, they can let these poacher trucks come to them. Aggressively use the traffic code to make traffic stops. Awareness of the trappings of poachers, what equipment to look for. Know what to do when they see it. Know who to call when they see it. Be able to call a warden directly. So often, if they have to go through a police dispatch center, the dispatchers won’t even call the warden. The young officer will get the answer that there aren't any working or “aren’t available.”
Next- we want to facilitate *networking* between your local officers working night shift and your local wardens. You the landowner might have a cell phone number for the local wardens but a young officer might not. They may have never met. It would be awesome if these young officers knew what they are looking for. It would be awesome if they had the ability to call the local wardens at 11pm on a Sunday and say “hey i just stopped these two guys from Missouri (or from the next town over) out here on County Road F and they are saying they are staying in Anytown but I can see they have one crossbow between them, the bolts were sitting between the seats and they have night vision goggles. What do you think”. Or- I keep sing this guy out driving around at 1 am. I cant get a stop on him, but he isn’t coming from work from what I can see. Have you ever heard of this guy? Etc etc.
How do you do this? Networking! Making friends by talking and building relationships! Putting people in touch with each other! Food! Smoked food. Grilled food. Maybe beer. Maybe bourbon. MAYBE even facilitate training where wardens and deputies and troopers interact and learn about game violations committed by the same losers that are causing other problems in the community. Facilitating night time ride alongs with wardens would be pretty awesome. September would be a great time for this, whether it is a “networking party” where the warden gives a little speech and mingles or formal training at the local fire house or police department. Make sure it’s fresh in their minds in the fall. Set up ride-alongs immediately following any training.
Remember your target audience. The young, low level officers that are working at night. Not the sheriff, not the captain or chief deputy we went to school with unless they are going to 100% buy in and help you facilitate. This is something you are going to have to do yourself, as part of a club or with your neighbors.
When I mow along my road, I pick up gobs of Busch Light cans and backwoods smokes blackberry cigars (something like that). Burglaries are pretty common. I know for a fact that there is no enforcement on that road. Can tell by what is in the ditch.
I think the answer is cultivating the right relationships. With wardens? Sure. If they don’t know it is happening, they can’t do anything about it. But I think what would be better is your county deputies. Any troopers that live in the area. The young ones that don’t have seniority to work day shift. They are out there working in the dark. They are doing training on their computers and writing reports. These young fellas and gals might even be hunters. Maybe they are from a different area and don’t have a place to hunt.
***Every Crime Has A Transportation Phase during which Evidence Is Transported*** What does that mean? Poachers driving around with poached deer. Uncased crossbows. Uncased rifles with suppressors. Night vision equipment. Spotlights? Maybe drinking beer. Maybe smoking weed. Maybe meth. Maybe DUI. A lot of these guys are going to be a cornucopia of violations. Total shitbirds.
Here is what you want: You want these young aggressive officers to be aware of poaching and be aware of what time of year to have heightened awareness. You want them to know that there is “poacher season” and you want them to know that during these few months of the year it would be awesome if they patrolled areas where a lot of poaching activity happens. If they were doing their computer work in a good rural spot, they can let these poacher trucks come to them. Aggressively use the traffic code to make traffic stops. Awareness of the trappings of poachers, what equipment to look for. Know what to do when they see it. Know who to call when they see it. Be able to call a warden directly. So often, if they have to go through a police dispatch center, the dispatchers won’t even call the warden. The young officer will get the answer that there aren't any working or “aren’t available.”
Next- we want to facilitate *networking* between your local officers working night shift and your local wardens. You the landowner might have a cell phone number for the local wardens but a young officer might not. They may have never met. It would be awesome if these young officers knew what they are looking for. It would be awesome if they had the ability to call the local wardens at 11pm on a Sunday and say “hey i just stopped these two guys from Missouri (or from the next town over) out here on County Road F and they are saying they are staying in Anytown but I can see they have one crossbow between them, the bolts were sitting between the seats and they have night vision goggles. What do you think”. Or- I keep sing this guy out driving around at 1 am. I cant get a stop on him, but he isn’t coming from work from what I can see. Have you ever heard of this guy? Etc etc.
How do you do this? Networking! Making friends by talking and building relationships! Putting people in touch with each other! Food! Smoked food. Grilled food. Maybe beer. Maybe bourbon. MAYBE even facilitate training where wardens and deputies and troopers interact and learn about game violations committed by the same losers that are causing other problems in the community. Facilitating night time ride alongs with wardens would be pretty awesome. September would be a great time for this, whether it is a “networking party” where the warden gives a little speech and mingles or formal training at the local fire house or police department. Make sure it’s fresh in their minds in the fall. Set up ride-alongs immediately following any training.
Remember your target audience. The young, low level officers that are working at night. Not the sheriff, not the captain or chief deputy we went to school with unless they are going to 100% buy in and help you facilitate. This is something you are going to have to do yourself, as part of a club or with your neighbors.
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