Missouri Turkey unscathed

Well, it's over for this year and no gobbler for me. The only one that scored on this farm was my 7 year old grandson. Even though I didn't get a bird, him getting his made the season for me. I didn't get to hunt much, and had and idiot road shoot at a bird I working. Wish I could have caught up with him, but guess I'm slowing down in my old age.Besides, he didn't get the bird ( I would have given him the bird if I could have got out in the open though, maybe even two of them). Had an opportunity at a jake on two occassions, but I know there are mature birds around and don't like to take the young dumb ones. Anyway, any time I get in the woods is a bonus to me, shooting is just icing on the cake. Maybe I'll get a chance with my bow during the fall.
Steve Albers 

Steve:
 
Sorry to hear that you didn't get your bird -- and that you had to deal with the moron (I won't refer to him or her as a hunter) shooting from the road -- but like I have said before in previous posts; the challenge of the hunt is what keeps us coming back for more year after year.  If hunting and killing big game animals were easy, the challenge would loose all of its appeal.  Besides, you said it yourself: "...any time I get in the woods is a bonus to me, shooting is just icing on the cake." 
 
I am happy for your grandson and I am happy that you got to be a part of his success!  Better luck this fall and next spring!
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve   

Congratulations to your Grandson. It's more important that he got that bird anyway. Just being out there experiencing it with him is satisfaction.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

Way to go Steve. I like your attitude! Congrats to your grandson, I know that made your day.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

I know that conservation officers in many states use electronic decoy deer to catch poachers shooting from their vehicles on the road. Does anybody know if they do the same thing with decoy turkey's? It does not matter what a person is shooting at, it is illegal to fire a weapon on or near a roadway. It should be an instant arrest, seizure of the weapon & vehicle and lifetime revocation of hunting privledges. Of course in the absence of law enforcement, a twelve gauge shell loaded with rock salt and fired at the offenders Gluteus Maximus would go a long way to stopping that behavior too!!

just my .02

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

The DNR needs to crack DOWN on poachers!!! We have lost bucks that scored around  150 [ cam. trac. pics] only to find the deer shot with no horns left to rot. Last year one of our hunters had someone shoot way to close to the stand he was hunting out of. We know who the poacher is , but getting the DNR to get their buts in gear is a different story. Let one of the hunters [ on private land]  get shoot and maybe, just maybe, they will arrest someone!!!!!

Tina,
 
good to hear your input. My advice to you is to keep complaining to the DNR down there. I believe they want to do the right thing, probably don't have the funding, manpower, blah, blah, blah. I do know this, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you don't give up, they will eventually do something to catch the guy. You having someone in mind makes it that much easier, just hope it is the right guy!

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

Not sayin' I'm the type who normally "shoots from the road" ... and NOT commenting in any direction as to the sportsmanship of the concept ... but, merely FYI ... that sort of "hunting" is NOT necessarily illegal, at least here in Nodak ... under the "appropriately legal" conditions ...

Yes, it IS illegal in several specific circumstances ... but not always ...

Merely sayin' ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

I just keep praying that our poacher shots one, and one of my cam. tracs. gets it on film, then the fun will begin I feel for the DNR in our area, We have a couple of buddies who work for the DNR, and they have used their decoy in the past and caught some poachers. The laws need to be harsher!!!! 

ORIGINAL: tinawar6@aol.com

I just keep praying that our poacher shots one, and one of my cam. tracs. gets it on film, then the fun will begin I feel for the DNR in our area, We have a couple of buddies who work for the DNR, and they have used their decoy in the past and caught some poachers. The laws need to be harsher!!!! 

Yup, I think an appropriate penalty for poaching is the seizure of weapon and vehicle, (sold at auction with proceeds going to DNR), six months jail time and three years probation, (first time offense...gets harsher if repeat offender), and lastly lifetime revocation of hunting priledges. With laws like that, I think you would see poaching offenses go down.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."