Lots of Poaching going on in Cass County?

[Scott M]

Saw this in the Star Tribune:

Thirteen anglers from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, and Florida face a total of $14,000 in fines and restitution for keeping more than the legal limit of fish in Minnesota.

The violations occurred since mid-September, and most were on Woman Lake near Longville.

"We love to have people visit Minnesota and fish in our lakes, but they must obey the rules and regulations like everyone else," said Col. Mike Hamm, Department of Natural Resources chief conservation officer.

A Sept. 20 call to the Turn In Poacher (TIP) hotline led DNR conservation officers to four fisherman in possession of 240 perch over the legal limit at a resort on Woman Lake. The legal limit for perch in Minnesota is 20 per day and 40 in possession.

Peter Vandernoord, 90, Dyer, Ind.; Clarence D. Landhuis, 79, Orlando, Fla.; and Herbert V. Weele, 78 and John Templeman, 76, both of Lansing, Ill., are each charged with possessing 60 perch over the legal limit, a gross overlimit of fish. Fine and restitution could total nearly $2,000 for each man. If convicted they could lose their fishing licenses for three years. No trial date has been set.

In other incidents on Woman Lake:

• George Brinker of Roanoke, Ind., and Marc Lothamer of Fort Wayne, Ind., received a citation for fines and restitution totaling $1,600 for being 56 sunfish over the legal limit and three perch over the legal limit. The possession limit for sunfish in Minnesota is 20.

• Loren Hackman and Mark Worman, both of Elkhart, Ind., and Richard Elliot of Goshen, Ind., face fines and restitution totaling $1,200 for being 32 perch over the legal limit.

•Francis J. Britton, 73, Estero, Fla.; Ron A. Hanson, 68, and Ernest H. Post, 80, both of Schererville, Ind., were charged with an overlimit of perch. They face fines and restitution totaling nearly $1,700.

At Thirteen Lake near Cass Lake, a Colorado angler has been charged with a gross overlimit of sunfish. James B. Jahnz, 57, of Boulder, Colo., has been cited for having 106 sunfish over the limit. Jahnz faces a fine and restitution up to $1,600.

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That's too bad. No excuse but I suspect that a lot of people are used to getting away with it and not to generalize, some of the older crowd were taught to keep everything they caught.

It's a shame because Woman has some really nice perch on it and Thirteen has some tremendous bluegill and pumpkinseed.

[Corey Bechtold]

Frustrating!

Are the fines like a slap on the wrist? Maybe stiffer penalties would deter poaching?

At least some are getting caught.

Later,

Corey Bechtold

[Stratosman]

Every single one is an out of stater, why is that seemingly always the case?

[MOBY RICHARD*]

Don't kid yourself, there are plenty of regular, Resident Poachers in Cass County...

The thing I noticed as most unusual, is the ages of these guys, if they have been poaching over the years, think how many fish have gone out...

Some of these guys had more fish than they could eat in the time they have left...

I wonder if any of them were guests of cabin owners, or have cabins of their own in the area...

Back when, there were a lot of Family lakeshore owners from Illinois and Indiana, with teensy little cabins, that would come up for a month or three every year, and fish like mad men, women, and children...

[Big Tom]

Got to agree with Corey. These gross over limit situations should come with equipment forfeitures and a lifetime ban. I can see some oldster getting confused on daily limit vs. possession, but this stuff is willfull and wanton.

[Shack]

Maybe out of state, but that does not mean they do not own cabins here!

[Bad Moon]

Those are some big fines but will they have to pay? I thought I heard once that MN does not pursue misdemeanor fines from out of state people. They just leave and dont pay. Anybody have any better info about this?

[harvey lee]

I dont know how you stop this as the fines keep getting handed out and the crimes continue.

Stiffer fines and taking equipment might be the answer. What we are doing now just doesnt seem to stop them but I also dont have those facts in front of me either.

[iaboy]

maybe in addition to the fines a revocation of fishing and hunting priviledges for a period of time---it is a priviledge and not an entitlement---probably a database that could even be shared between the states for gross violators

[BARNEZ]

U kidding me, we cant even keep illegal immigrants out of the country. I see people all the time at boat launches with something over, alot of people just dont know or care. Greed it kills nature.

[Tom Linderholm]

Only thing you can do in an instance as seeing people over the limit is program the TIP line into your phone. Make the call and make a difference.

[Shack]

My boss's own a very large cabin on Women Lake and I passed this one to them! They are on lake almost every weekend! I have not benn up there, but they have like 6 or 7 boat lifts and know a lot of people on lake!

Word of mouth and knowledge of this going on is a good start!

[Rainydaze]

Start pulling off fingernails and toenails! That will hurt a bit more than the fines! License revocation should be for life! They obviously were knowingly were breaking the law. No tolerance is the only answer. The word will get out on that quickly!

[frogtosser]

these old people dont think its a big deal to take a few extra and you cant tell them any different cause the wont listen, I have tried.

[outdoor1]

To me this is not a resident/nonresident issue. These are the same type of clowns that come home and rape their local lakes as well.

[Cobra]

It's not just fish.....

I heard there is a lot of deer poaching going on in Cass County. As many know, a lot of the deer in remote areas don't have a lot of fear of humans. There have been incidents of road hunting with bow and arrow or crossbows.

[fishroger]

Know plenty of locals that abuse the resource. There probably a little smarter about hiding it. Got to turn them in when you get a chance. Worked at a sporting goods store where a local registered 2 bucks, couldnt believe he could be so stupid. Found out he was a known poacher. Did call DNR, last I heard of it. Im sure the DNR is swamped with things like that.

[VMS]

Opening day of gun in zone 172 there was a shot taken roughly 1/2 hour before the start of shooting. It was almost pitch black out. I couldn't believe it. It was a long way away from me, but I guess stupidity and greed carry more weight than dignity and ethics. Sad we have some people out there who could give a rip about the resource or the sport of it all.

Steve

[barebackjack]

Quote:

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Opening day of gun in zone 172 there was a shot taken roughly 1/2 hour before the start of shooting. It was almost pitch black out. I couldn't believe it. It was a long way away from me, but I guess stupidity and greed carry more weight than dignity and ethics. Sad we have some people out there who could give a rip about the resource or the sport of it all.

Steve

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Could have been the guy I was with, he was on his way to his deer stand and his gun went off by accident We were back on the woodtick trail. By the way if anyone knows of someone who lost some keys out there I have them.

[JIMBO55428]

I also hunt off the Woodtick trail, did you notice that there was a ton more hunters in that area this year since the Star & Tribune did an article about all the deer in that area, wow we had hunters setting up right on top of us.

[Mudcutter]

All I can say is that if you poach in Canada, your done. Goodbye boat or gun or truck.-- or all three. They don't mess around with anyone who cheats the law, especially a someone from out of country. To me, if you get caught breaking the law with over the limit or outta season etc,,, should be treated like a DWI is getting into Canada,,,, keep these people from coming back. Anyone who has been involved or known someone who has been caught in Canada breaking the law as far as fish/game-- knows what I mean. They throw the book at you and then some.

[barebackjack]

Honestly........... Not at all, the hunters seemed to be thinner to me but I havent hunted there in 3 years, the last year I hunted in there it seemed to be filling in quite a bit. The thing of them woods I have figured out is that if you dont know the woods dont bother hunting them, might be alot of deer but there not in them woods.

[VMS]

East or west end of the Woodtick?

In the area I hunt (East end just south of the chippewa National forest area) the forest was logged off.... So..I could see how more hunters in that section maybe headed up along the woodtick trail more. We had 12 new guys in our neck of the woods this year too...figured this might be my last year gun-hunting up there, but we'll see...

What happened that your friend's gun went off early? Sounds kind of scary...

Steve

[BARNEZ]

I had a 15 person deer drive come by me when sitting in my stand on opener evening "prime time" what the hell is that. NO RESPECT

[JIMBO55428]

I hunt just off hwy 5 and the woodtick, lots of logging all over this country and lots of new hunters, many are rude and tried to take over our spots that we have hunted for over 20 years, but what do you do just stay in your stand and be patient and they go away after awhile, sure screws up the hunt though.

[barebackjack]

We hun the east end down by Tee Pee lake, there is a gravel pit down there, normally great hunting but it didnt seem to be as productive as it used to be when I was last there, one of our guys who gets at least 2 deer a year and ussually a good buck produced nothing this year. They are some big woods and I guess if you cant peek under every nook n cranny (and thers alot of em) you just may not get the opportunity. The first year hunted there was great, the first year of the automatic doe tags was great, plenty of deer around and also plenty of hunters, now it seems to me in our neck of the woods both have decreased in numbers, or sightings????? All the same it is some great woods to hunt and country next to none, I love it up there!

[Scott M]

Teepee is a nice little trout lake too! I always saw more grouse on the woodtick than deer but that was in summer too.

[BARNEZ]

Thanks jimbo hurts to have to say were not the only ones ,after i posted that it happened again i think ill just stop hunting weekends cause it seems the real hunters are there during the weekday! ITS PROBALLY THE SAME PEOPLE WITH THERE JET SKIS AND WATERSKIING BOATS WHEN IM ON A NICE DRIFT LIKE I CARE TO WATCH THEM GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!!!!!!!

[JIMBO55428]

Well 3 more weekends of muzzle load hunting, should be nice and quiet, I never see any one during this season, cant wait.

[BARNEZ]

yes, im going to get a muzzeloader and pratice with it for next year! good luck to ya jimbo