More Poachers Nabbed

Hello all, this is Warden Stone. I just wanted to give a heads-up before the rumors fly. On Nov. 3 around 4:30am near Hager City,WI, myself, Wardens Brad Peterson and Dave Hausman arrested three persons from Illinois with approximately 150 walleye/sauger in their possession. Two Lund boats were seized, along with fishing poles. The fish were all caught below Lock #3, and only in a few days. This was based on a tip given to us from MN Warden Tyler Quandt, and I want to thank that anonymous person who maybe reading this. Only with YOUR help, can we make a difference! Your call really does help, but only if you call. Thanks and have a great day.

Thank you sir. Keep up the good work!

J.

That is great news! Good Job Warden Stone! Keep us posted. It is nice to see some one patrolling the boundry waters this time of year and hopefully through out the winter months.

See ya on the river!

Dustin

GOOD WORK!

Hard to believe what some people will try to get away with.

IT’s sad to realize that what some try so hard to preserve, others just have no respect for. …… B

Good job and keep up the good work. Thats the second big bust this year is’nt it? Thanks

Way to go Warden Stone and those that contributed. A huge thanks for keeping us all in the loop here at FTR!

Steve Hougom – FTR Webstaff

FANTASTIC JOB! Thanks to all who had a part in catching people who are trying to ruin our great fishery. A body of water, no matter how good, can withstand this kind of damage to it for only so long and then the fishery could be destroyed. Again Thanks. Bill and Nate

Warden STone, thanks for the continued day in day out work that you and your office put in, in protecting our valuable resources. It is greatly appreciated. If you’d like to spend a day on the river sometime this fall/winter/spring send me an email. my treat.

and thanks again, Jack. [email protected]

Great, job warden stone!!! It’s great to see that you are preserving our resources for the next generation…. I know I see you out on the river often….I am the one in the (over sized jon boat and chocolate lab) again…. super job……

High fives to our conservation crew. More power to them, We are backing you all the way.

ecnook

that is such a nice jesture on your part. I know a warden in my parts and he doesn’t get out enough , out enough in the recreational aspect. it’s people like us who can make the difference. Thanks again !!

ecnook

Great job and a big thank you to all involved! I appreciate the fact that somebody took the time to call you guys. Thanks again.

Hey Marty, Check your private messages. Thanks.

Steve Vick Everts Resort Manager.

BEAUTY!!! Way to go! Keep up the good work Warden and thanks to the tipper!!!!

Jim W

Once again, Warden Stone, Great job! People will get the idea here that you WILL be turned in for doing this here! FTR boats, and other conservation minded people are everywhere, and you never know who is watching! As Warden Stone said, CALL if you see something like this. Innocent people have nothing to fear if they get approached! The guilty people will pay dearly, as did these poachers. Great job all! Keep vigilant!

Tuck

Great job again Warden Stone and to the person with the tip. If we all keep at this maybe we can bring this sort of thing to a stop. Let’s hope so!!!!

Another nice job from the Baldwin office.

I fish from the bank quite frequently in Hudson. In Spring the fishing can be quite good. I noticed that some people were harvesting smallmouth before the season opened. I called the Baldwin office after almost coming to blows with someone who wanted to kill a big smallie before it was legal.

I don’t know if it was Warden Stone or not, but someone left me a nice message saying that they were beefing up patrols down in the area I fish. Funny, that problem went away quickly.

Thanks again.

Ive said it before… law enforcement starts with us… at this time of year the wardens are spread thinner than ever with hunting going on…. so you could say that my handle of rivereyes means more than one thing!!… Im watching for sure…. looking for double dippers, over limits and culling… these things are easy to see……

if we all do our part.. the word will go out and these guys will stop this sort of thing

I like to share in commending all those involved with nailing these lawbreakers and a part of me grins largely at the fact they’re toys get confiscated! Play with fire and it will eventually burn you.

I’m by no means pointing the finger or trying to stereotype, but am I the only one who hears a lot of stuff about Illinois “sportsman”? If I was from that fine state and kept reading about other Illini, I would be up in arms.

Yes, there are probably a ton of POACHERS from the Gopher state as well, but….?

Jim W

I wanted to chime in with a loud “great job” to the warden’s involved and to the tipster that made the initial phone call with the info that led to the arrest.

I’d also like to make a point about the poachers that tried stealing 150 walleye and sauger from the fishery…. these individuals, these poachers, are criminals guilty of a significant theft. Sometimes I think when the phrase “poacher” is used to label someone guilty of such a gross violation some of the severity of their crime is lost in that label. These guys are thieves in the purest sense of the word. They tried to steal from all of us and they got caught. We’re not talking about some noble act here where some peasant shot one of the king’s deer to feed their families! That is after all where the term poacher originates. Instead, these guys were on a vacation so if they can drive from out of state, surely they’re not fishing for food! What they did they did out of greed and disregard for the resource and the laws designed to protect the resource. Greedy, rotten, thieves!

I hope their tools used to perpetrate this crime…. in this case their boats, and ALL equipment present that has been confiscated, ends up being RETAINED by the judge in the final judgement in much the same way a burglar’s tools would be confiscated after an arrest for breaking and entering.

I’d like to see that label “poacher” go by the wayside and let’s just call these guys what they really are….. lowly, common, thieves!

James Holst

Moving Waters Guide Service

http://www.movingwaters.net

well said James……

we have had many discussions on the board about the ethics of keeping limits of fish, or keeping big fish…. and on if we need new regulations to further protect this precious resource….. but one thing for sure.. without enforcement it dont matter how good the laws are…… so Im willing to do my part to report violations and I know many others are too…. I will be down there fishing and watching tommorrow….. and I truly hope I dont see anything bad going on… but if I do… I know who to call…… and Im motivated to do it…..

~ H20~ Thank You for that response to the poachers, I wish I had the vocabulary to exspress myself the way you just did. I feel exactly the same way, but can’t put it to words sometimes.

If us law abiding sportsmen “shoot” a poacher, is that still a crime, or a citizens arrest………J/K, sometimes I would like to do that, but understand the ramifications. Congrats to the helpers and Warden Stone for a job really well done. I get p/o’ed sometimes when I get stopped for a license and pfd check, but understand its the rules and their job…..keep on getting on…….

Thank you to all.

Any chance we could get their rigs and gear for door prizes at next years get-together?

Beav

I like the sound of that! Good idea Beav.

Dustin

I think they’re up for auction. I read it in the Hudson paper.

It is always a great thing when slob sportsmen get busted like this. I hope everyone keeps there eyes peeled for these pigs and turn their butts in. On another note, how many of these thieves are slipping through. There is no possible way our tremendous enforcement officials can be everywhere.

Like rivereyes said enforcement starts with us. I know on friday when I hit the river I will keep my eyes even more open.

Hoping to see you ALL on the river this weekend!!!

~~~~~~Alkfish

Nice work!!!

Been checked quite a few times in Canada here. Been on the water 99% of the time when I was checked. The C.O.’s (our D.N.R.) always had a few confiscated rods in the boat!!!

These guys were very polite and had no problem with me. I asked if they were selling the rods and they laughed and said I’d have to wait till auction time.

Here they have the right to sieze everything that you have at the time of being caught. Including vehicles, boat, fishing gear, and camping gear. If I understand right, and I may be wrong here, is the person gets their equipment back once all fines are paid.

Well great work and for once I’d love to see a warden nail someone just to see the expression on the person’s face!!!

Roger

http://www.baynet.net/~mayerrc