Illegal Night Fishing

[Bill Anderson]

Things like this make my blood boil. I have never told this story, but I guess it's safe to now. About 40 years ago, I was flyfishing below Narrows Dam on the Little Missouri in Arkansas when I saw a guy about 40 years old or so catching a keeping trout after trout. He must have had 50 in a burlap sack he was dragging behind him. I asked him if he knew what the laws were, and he told me to mind my own business. Well, I got the vigilante urge, and left the river. I had seen him at his car earlier, so I knew which one was his. Out of his sight, I let the air out of two of his tires and then found a phone and called the game and fish folks who said they would dispatch a warden. I then drove to another spot and observed the warden ticketing this idiot on the river and releasing all his fish. You could tell the clown was furious. Well, I saw him stomp back to his car and then realizing he had two flats, he proceeded to pound on the car with anger. Needless to say, I quietly left and made a beeline away from there. I never saw that idiot again, thankfully. But after 40 years, I guess I'm safe in telling this story. I was in my early 20s then, and maybe I have mellowed a bit since, but I will still call the game warden in a heartbeat if I see some clown abusing the rules. With a cell phone, you don't have to hunt for a payphone. Justice is sweet.

[Greasy B]

Great story, I needed to hear that one. Good for you!

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Just a short note that as of the last 2 days... I have seen an agent in Taney both days.

They are out there.

by the way Bill - I used to use the payphone out in front of the SOH hatchery to call on idiots trying to bend the rules. It has been long since removed.

[Stephen Lewis]

I'm guessing the agents are available basically 24/7, so if I do need to call at 2 in the morning they will answer?

[Sam]

So you guys would call the law, the government, on somebody for that? I've got a big problem with fish and game hogs and if I saw that happening I wouldn't stand for it. I've got a bigger problem with calling the government in to make "revenues" and fund their bureaucracy every time such a deal happens. That's an old-fashioned attitude I guess, but it's the same one my grandpa had and it's the way folks used to think in the Ozarks. I still do - just sayin'.

[Phil Lilley]

Revenues from any game violations in the state goes to local school districts.

MDC agents work regular schedules just like any of us. They have days off, vacations, off hours, training days, attend meetings out of town -- they aren't available 24/7 like, say, police or sheriff deputies. There's not enough on staff to be 24/7 game enforcers. There's 2 per county with some counties with only one agent. Taney has 2. They cover all of Taneycomo and Bull Shoals in Missouri as well as Mark Twain Forrest and all other Taney territories. I think upper Taneycomo gets more than it's share of attention, although it may not seem like it.

[Feathers and Fins]

I see poaching violations as steeling from my grandkids and will gladly make the call. Some may look at game violations as trivial or no big deal, but to me they are no diffrent than any other crime and need to be dealt with.

[Bill Anderson]

The total lack of game laws and enforcement almost led to the complete depletion of deer and turkey and other species all over the U.S. in the early 1900s. Market hunting and game hogs just about destroyed the wildlife resources in this country. We owe it to strict enforcement of laws and the education of of the public, plus efforts by private, state, and federal wildlife agencies for what we enjoy today. I think protecting those resources by being watchdogs and notifying the law when we see flagrant violations is our sacred duty to protect our game and fisheries resources.

[Jeff Olson]

I totally agree Bill.I think as sportsmen, we owe it to each other, and the future generation,to do our part in reporting this kind of activity.the people doing this are not sportsmen,and are not respecting the rest of us!I am not to familiar with the size of this problem in MO. as I have just moved here,but back in WI the fines are expensive and licenses revolked for 1 to 3 years. I know in south dakota they have a tipster hotline # and it is terrible how much violating is going on ! at least alot of them are getting caught! also, I dont agree with what happened on this post about the fish just being released.how is that going to teach these guys a lesson? I hope this is not a big problem here in MO. and thanks Phil for the operation game theft #. it is in my cell phone now !!!