Poachers Caught

J.G.W

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112
Location
QLD, Australia
Saw this on an Australian hunting forum.They will probably only get a slap on the wrist. How would this be dealt with in your part of the world?

"Again just letting the hunting fraternity know that I caught Vince Ashe trespassing on my property yesterday with a hunting client. He has been poaching deer on my place for years with paying clients and yesterday he and his client were caught red handed. He has been charged with trespass while armed as well as unlicensed possession of a silencer as has Zac Hepburn but Zac did a runner as the police arrived but the police know who he is and have taken over the search for him. More charges hopefully to come but unfortunately a stag was killed before I could catch them."

and

Senior Constable xxxx xxxxx on May 9, 2018 @ 3:26pm
A 57-year-old man from Crows Nest has been charged with multiple offences at Middlemount following a trespassing incident.
Around 7am yesterday, a resident of a large rural property on May Downs Road identified a person allegedly unlawfully on his property and rang police due to suspicions that the person may have possessed a firearm.
On the arrival, police spoke with the man and allegedly found in his possession two rifles and a silencer.
The man was charged with trespassing, unlawful possession of weapons and carrying a weapon on private land without the owner's consent while the weapon is loaded or capable of being discharged.
He was given a Notice to Appear at the Mackay Magistrates Court on June 25.

Obviously innocent until proven guilty, just wondering how seriously other parts of the globe take this sort of thing.
 
In Indiana, he would probably loose his gun, maybe his vehicle, probably loose hunting privileges for a couple years, plus a fine. This would be on the state level.

The illegal suppressor is Federal charges and that would probably be another fine plus maybe a some jail time.
 
If I saw a threat on my property with a gun he would be dealt with with appropriate force. Interpret that how you may.

In America we have castle doctrine which is pretty solid.
 
Kinda funny you say that. Opening morning last rifle deer season I approached a trespasser on the small piece of property I get to hunt (dressed in black and white???-no orange, AR15, vaping like a freight train???). When he seen me around 40 yards away he grabbed his rifle (that was leaned against a tree next to him) and postured up on me. Changed his mind quickly when I took an even more aggressive posture. Ran that guy off again about two weeks later, this time he was wearing orange and seen me further out. You never know about folks.
 
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Saw this on an Australian hunting forum.They will probably only get a slap on the wrist. How would this be dealt with in your part of the world?

"Again just letting the hunting fraternity know that I caught Vince Ashe trespassing on my property yesterday with a hunting client. He has been poaching deer on my place for years with paying clients and yesterday he and his client were caught red handed. He has been charged with trespass while armed as well as unlicensed possession of a silencer as has Zac Hepburn but Zac did a runner as the police arrived but the police know who he is and have taken over the search for him. More charges hopefully to come but unfortunately a stag was killed before I could catch them."

and

Senior Constable xxxx xxxxx on May 9, 2018 @ 3:26pm
A 57-year-old man from Crows Nest has been charged with multiple offences at Middlemount following a trespassing incident.
Around 7am yesterday, a resident of a large rural property on May Downs Road identified a person allegedly unlawfully on his property and rang police due to suspicions that the person may have possessed a firearm.
On the arrival, police spoke with the man and allegedly found in his possession two rifles and a silencer.
The man was charged with trespassing, unlawful possession of weapons and carrying a weapon on private land without the owner's consent while the weapon is loaded or capable of being discharged.
He was given a Notice to Appear at the Mackay Magistrates Court on June 25.

Obviously innocent until proven guilty, just wondering how seriously other parts of the globe take this sort of thing.
I would imagine in Australia he could be looking at several years in prison on the weapons charges alone.
 
In the past an offence such as this would have resulted in a slap over the wrist with a wet bus ticket here in New Zealand. In the last two or three years things have changed, all for the better IMO. It is not uncommon to see official Police flyers pinned up in sporting goods stores stating fines of up to NZ$100,000 and or a prison sentence. All firearms owned by the offender would be confiscated, not just the one used, and if found guilty they would probably be forfeited to the Crown and the offenders firearms licence would be revoked. The chances of ever getting another firearms licence would be very slim indeed. We have an odd law here that states that any weapon that the courts order to be forfeited to the Crown must be destroyed rather than putting them up for auction.
 
In the past an offence such as this would have resulted in a slap over the wrist with a wet bus ticket here in New Zealand. In the last two or three years things have changed, all for the better IMO. It is not uncommon to see official Police flyers pinned up in sporting goods stores stating fines of up to NZ$100,000 and or a prison sentence. All firearms owned by the offender would be confiscated, not just the one used, and if found guilty they would probably be forfeited to the Crown and the offenders firearms licence would be revoked. The chances of ever getting another firearms licence would be very slim indeed. We have an odd law here that states that any weapon that the courts order to be forfeited to the Crown must be destroyed rather than putting them up for auction.
Sounds like they are looking for a way to get rid of guns rather than punishing the offender.

MT you are looking at 7 years lost hunting privileges and plus fines and potential prosecution for trespassing. Then the feds on the suppressor. Then they will go though your freezers and make sure there is tags present for any game meat present. Suddenly you will be in the paper as a long time poaching ring broken.

Steve
 
Convicted of poaching, could lead to loss of hunting privileges in several states. No just the one the crime occurred in.
 
Convicted of poaching, could lead to loss of hunting privileges in several states. No just the one the crime occurred in.
Yep the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, based on the same principle as drivers license and almost all states are in it. Do I agree with it, not in every case. Why...because I almost got screwed out of hunting for a few years in my home state and had an elk hunt planned the next year.
I was on a 2 week R&R from Iraq and was taking my son deer hunting on a small piece of private land. On the way out I spotted a game warden drive by and turn around when he spotted us in orange. When he got to us he asked for my license and since I didn't have it immediately available he started writing me a ticket. Here's the kicker, in my home state of Arkansas (at the time) if you were currently deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan you didn't have to have a license. I told him that I was deployed (and proved it) and that I had a license anyways, but he said I should have had it ready for him. Add to that this "offense" was in the presence of a minor (my boy) and it would have doubled the points against my license. This could have effected me for several years.
I fought it tooth and nail and still ended up paying a $175 fine.
 
There is no amount of appropriate force you could use if a trespasser is just trespassing. The second you touch him you're in violation of the law. All you can really do if he is not threatening bodily harm to you or others is call the police.
 
There is a big difference between trespassing on your property and breaking into a home. They are held to completely different standards.
 
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