I don't remember exactly when it was but I remember the incident very well since it was so unusual. I was on my way back from target shooting (with a truck full of gun stuff) and stopped by a local hardware store. As I was leaving, a man came up to me and started talking to me about hunting; asking me what I hunted, where. Asking if I knew of other places to hunt, other people who hunt. The topic wasn't necessarily too odd, as I've had brief passing conversations about hunting while getting gas or the like after a day in the field. But, the depth and direction of the conversation was very unusual.
I think I originally heard about the book Poachers Were My Prey by RT Stewart from the local electric company newsletter. With the end of the local hunting season and cold weather, this is a good time to catch up on my reading.
The book chronicles several undercover investigations of RT Stewart as he worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. It is coauthored by Chip Gross, who has also worked for the Ohio DNR and who has written many other things I have read (mostly in periodicals). The book is a fascinating read about many of the cases Mr. Stewart worked and his progression as a career wildlife officer. The first chapter is an attention grabber but it did make me angry. It tells the tale of a group of poachers who were routinely killing many deer anytime they felt like it by spotlighting at night. Thinking to the years when my personal hunting hasn't panned out well, it is hard to know if similar criminal activity could have played a role. Some years, just getting a doe within shooting distance has been a challenge.
From there, the stories continue to antler-chaser poachers, to profiteering from wildlife to any manner of wildlife violations and beyond. At the same time, Mr. Stewart talks of the toll that working under cover takes in his personal life, while still loving what his career is.
It was hard to read the book and not think to the close encounters I have had with poachers. In the most flagrant example, I was helping a friend move a motorcycle in my truck and picked it up at a friend of his. This man had apparently just been hunting at a local large land owner's property (well known in the area - I'll call them the Fountain's) and bragged how he had a doe right in front of him and he should have "blasted it" - all told while mishandling his 20-gauge shotgun in his kitchen. When I commented on the fact that it was well before the Ohio gun season this friend of a friend got aggressive (still holding the shotgun) and his wife said something to the effect of, "Oh, those hunters are the worst, they just seem to do what they want." To this day I regret not calling the the Ohio poacher phone line (1-800-POACHER).
It is easy to interact with people (criminals) who flagrantly ignore hunting laws and treat wildlife violations as degrees of bad - If I only do xx, I'm not near as bad as that guy who is killing deer every night by spotlighting from the road. But that is a race to the bottom, humans can rationalize all sorts of illegal, unethical and disgusting behavior.
And that was my major frustration with the book - and having read other work by Chip Gross I was disappointed. There was no mention of the fact that while the criminal taking of animals gets a lot of attention, the vast majority of us hunters are enjoying being in the field and following the rules, even when they might be a little frustrating. Since shooting an animal or catching a fish isn't really all that hard, but doing it within the rules and confines of fair chase brings satisfaction that no poacher will ever have.
Anybody who shoots wild game might be a hunter, but the difference between a Sportsman and a Poacher is a very clear, bright line. There is no grey area.
After reading the book, I appreciate that it was written. In the real world of limited resources, the fact that states like Ohio put effort into enforcing wildlife laws and deterring the illegal taking of game is good to know. And, the book was an interesting and exciting read.
One of the stories in the book talks about an operation very close to where I live, and the hardware store where I had the odd hunting conversation. It happened around the time that there was obviously undercover operations in my area. The information gathering tactics mentioned in the book sounded very similar to what I remember about the conversation. Mr. Stewart sounds like he mostly dressed as a Western Dandy which is not what I remember about the gentleman from that conversation, but I can't help bunt wonder if it was an ice-breaker looking for information. More likely, it was just some oddball hunter or something...probably.
I'm headed south in a short time to go hunt wild boar in South Carolina. It will be a good break from work to act as a Sportsman for a few days.
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