“A young bull elk decoy in a closed hunting area off Union Pass Road looked too good to resist for a number of hunters whom Wyoming Game and Fish cited Oct. 1.
Of 29 people who slowed down their vehicles to look at the decoy, nine, or 31 percent, fired weapons at it, resulting in 19 citations and four warnings from officers
Read all of the story in the Jackson Hole Daily. By Cory Hatch.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
Essentially, these people were poaching animals. The percentage of “hunters” who took a shot at this decoy is impressive but not surprising. Poaching is common and seemingly uncontrollable.
How can hunters wonder why public opinion turns against them when there is such undisputable proof of the lack of ethics of many in their ranks???
My guess it’s these same “hunters” who complain the loudest about predators killing all the elk.
I’m curious as to how many of those hunters were actually prepared to remove their “kill” to the home freezer? OR did they shoot just for entertainment.
These weren’t hunters they were outlaws. True hunters have ethics.
Ah yes, road hunters and slob hunters. We have them here in Pennsylvania. They’re easy to spot. Look for them within 50 or so yards of any old road going through forest habitat. Real hunters, on the other hand, actually hike into the forest.
More poachers nabbed here this month. See http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?Q=170187&A=11
I bet that elk decoy would attract just as many bullets in any white-tailed deer state.
As a hunter I applaud this kind of enforcement. More of it should be done. The penalties even seem a bit low.
Every demographic has its infamous “10%” that paints the whole group with the same ugly color. Whether it is so-called hunters poaching wildlife, activists illegally releasing farmed animals like mink into the wild to starve to death, or gun owning public figures shooting their friends, all interest groups have crosses to bear. Supporting strong enforcement and setting personal examples are the way to go.