Poaching, Illegal Fishing Does Not Make Sense In This Era

Published 6:00 pm Saturday, February 22, 2020

Sometimes I forget this is the 21st century. You would think people would have evolved, gotten smarter, but that just is not always the case.

I am referring to the myriad of game and fish violations that continue in Texas and across the world. Whether it is poaching deer, killing rhinos for their horns or taking fish for restaurant use, it just does not make sense to me.

One of the most recent examples are cases filed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens on 10 restaurants and markets in Dallas and Houston for selling shark fins and shark fin products. The businesses are being charged with selling fins from protected shark species.

That case was for financial gain. Similar actions happen on fresh water where fish are being taken illegally for sale in restaurants and in salt water with everything from oysters to shrimp to fish.

It was done for greed and is the worst time of game theft imaginable.

Last year, game wardens in Smith and Wood counties wrapped up an almost yearlong investigation by arresting 12 for poaching deer and wild pigs while road hunting. During the course of the investigation, wardens believed there were as many as 600 violations during a two-year period. Making the situation even worse is that the animals were just shot for the fun of it and left where they were shot.

That was done in ignorance and is completely frustrating to those who care about wildlife and fisheries.

Game wardens do not keep statistics on ages involved in illegal activities, but it is not always kids acting immature. They have heard excuses ranging from it is just something to do to that is the way they were raised. And often alcohol or other substances are involved.

When it comes to deer, not using the harvest log on the back of a hunting license has been the top violation the last five years. That can be an accidental mistake if the hunter has legally filled out the tag that is attached to the deer, but forgot the log on the license. Number 2 on the list is improperly tagged animal, which can cover a lot of things from not knowing how to do it right to trying to get an extra tag by not using one.

The next three most common violations, hunting without a license, hunting in a closed season and hunting from a public road are all clearly outlaw actions.

I understand youth unable to bridle their enthusiasm and on some occasion take more than their limit, but hopefully they grow out of it. I did it. I was in high school and a friend and I went on an afternoon dove hunt. It seemed like the sky turned black with doves that day and we shot and we shot.

We took home all of the birds, but thought about the consequences if we were to get caught. It must have had an impact because that was the first and last time I took home more than a limit.

Every hunter or fisherman has had one of those special days where getting a limit is just too easy and getting a second one would be no effort as well. However, being a mature sportsman, you know it is time to walk away and hope it happens again.

I also, to a degree, get why poaching is such an issue in Africa. People are poor and starving, and the elimination of hunting has in some cases taken away jobs and food, not to mention the only protection offered the animals. What I do not understand, in the case of rhino horns and elephant ivory, is the demand outside the continent.

But to simply pack up one evening and drive down a road shooting whatever moves makes no sense at all. It may seem like an uncommon occurrence, but wardens have told me how hard it is to keep deer decoys in commission because they are shot so regularly. The problem is so acute in some locations that well-meaning neighbors driving by often attempt to scare away the decoy thinking it is a real deer and knowing it will be shot eventually if it doesn’t get away from the road.

Taking fish for a restaurant does not make sense, either. There are other options, and I would suspect factoring in the cost of fines that buying it legally would be cheaper.

Fortunately, when someone witnesses illegal fishing or hunting, it is a lot easier to report these days with cellphones and wardens located in every county. Unfortunately, by the time the wardens arrive, something has probably been killed, lost to all Texans.

Maybe even worse is that too often the non-fishing and non-hunting public lumps the outlaws in with the good guys, sometimes through a lack of not understanding and sometimes through vindictiveness.

Illegal activity can be reported by calling TPWD’s Operation Game Thief at 800-792-GAME. Local wardens can usually also be reached through the local sheriff’s office or by using a directory of local wardens at https://tpwd.texas.gov/warden/index.phtml?county.