Poaching or survival

I agree that if the man was just trying to feed his family then it's not poaching. Still, you hope they're not going after endangered species and that something would be done to improve their diet in other ways. As for anyone that takes an animal here in this country, I'd have far less sympathy. Like NONYA mentioned, there's been a culling operation for deer in Helena, MT. The meat has all been donated to the local food bank. Personally, I like having the deer around and have never had a problem with them but there are a lot of pansies that don't like having their pansies eaten.
 
There's a few more names too, and they do alot more than just stripers. And these are the same fisherman that will complain that they arent catching anything. Even had a poster up in the local Gander Mntn. for a guide service. Bragging to the agents that they were making 600K a year and caught with 400K in the house. But I saw 2 brand new trucks and a Food vendor trailer just yesterday selling crabs, does that make any sense?
As a registered professional environmental engineer I have dealt with poachers for most of my life. Here's you some poachers and I guess y'all will find some of your friend and relatives amongst them.
 
I have a relative that used to go spotlighting at night with the county Sheriff. They donated the deer to local families that were struggling to get by. This clearly not legal, but it certainly was the right thing to do at the time.

Southpaw
 
This situation in Africa is no different than the way it was in England 100 years ago. Royalty banned hunting for the subjects so that Royalty could enjoy the sport of the hunt. Royalty did not care if a common man was hunting to feed his starving children, they threw him in the dungeon.
Africa is no different. The modern Royalty are the foreigners that pay high fees to the P.H.'s and the government. None of them care a bit that the locals are killed by the lions or elephants. The locals can not defend themselves against the animals or they risk being put in jail. The government will sell reduced price licenses to the foreigners to come kill the maneaters and the elephants that are destroying the villagers crops, but the villagers are legally helpless to do anything but wait. RIght now, there is a prime example of this. There are 4 man eating lionesses terrorizing villagers. The hunts are $11000 for 1 lioness and 1 PAC elephant.
4 PAC LIONESSES MUST BE SHOT NOW PLUS PAC ELES!!!!!(DEAL SWEETENED) - Topic Powered by Eve For Enterprise
The ruling class really has it's priorities backwards when they value hunting license fees over human life. Wait until the various states start prosecuting unemployed Americans for poaching deer and rabbits to feed their starving children.
 
After reading these post, it takes me back to what I was taught as a child and still hold to be true today.

"Live life the way you want, but make sure it is within the law. Now, if you're ever fortunate enough to have a family, you do everything you can, with in the law to provide for them. If you still can't provide enough, then there comes a time when you may be forced to step outside the law to provide for them. If for some reason that day ever comes, then don't bow your head in shame, but raise your head because you've done what is necessary to be a Father, a Husband, and a Provider!"

Now with that being said. I just bought a 300 WSM back in October. My wife asked me, "Why do you think you need that?"

"Well lets see, I have a 12 ga, a 22 LR, a 44 mag lever action, and a 40 cal hand gun."

She replies" yeah, so why do you need another gun?"

My response, "we are moving to Colorado, the economy sucks, I may not be able to get a job after losing the one I have had for 12 years and there is a lot of open land out there. So sneaking up on game is not my forte, so the other guns are pretty much self defense weapons and this 300 WSM may be the only thing between my family and starvation."

Never heard another word about it. I'm thankful to have a good woman that understands necessity.

Poaching is wrong on all levels. Shooting game out of season, with a prohibited weapon, with a spotlight, how ever it is done just for horns or trophies. I can not and will not ever condone these actions, but I will never feel shame for taking game out of season to feed my family.
 
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