localbuoy haha?

Nice work Addicted!
That takes guts to shake things up in your own backyard like that.
Hope it all works out and these guys learn something.
Cheers

Addicted

Thanks.

Wildlife enforcement officer ranks are strecthed pretty thin. There are 31 less officers today than when Game and Fisheries merged. Work is underway to try to get the numbers up, but it will take support from the public to convince legislators to make sure the funding is there. Getting back up to the mid-1990s level is just a start.

Officer time is limited. FLSA rules restrict the total hours worked and overtime is usually not funded. When you look at district sizes and realize that the clock starts when the officer goes out the front door, a 40 hour work week doesn't work well with field patrol. A case, such as this one, probably used up most of the day with travel, investigation, and then related paperwork not to mention the probability of court time in the future.

The plus side is that it was a directed opportunity for a contact with a suspect. The officer was apparently in the area and could get to the scene in time to make the contact before the suspect left. If he had been some distance away, it would have been a more dificult case to make.

When you make a call, it is helpful to provide as much information as possible - who, what, when, where, and how. Pictures help if you have a camera. How much personal involvement is an individual call at the time. Being available as a witness, if needed, is also important.

I take my "Eyes in the woods" class on the 5th of March. Might be a good thing for other folks here to consider. This is a class offered by the WDFW and it teaches you how to be a good witness. The emphasis is not to confront, but to observe.

Super interesting dogfish.... Please report back when you're done, I'd be interested in possibly doing it if your report is good.

Just finished "Freakanomics" (interesting read) and it makes the obvious, but compelling arguement, that crime rates are massively correlated to the numbers of enforcement officers/police. You double that, you dramatically reduce crime rates.

Bushbear, how can we support the efforts here?

IrishRogue

I"ll keep folks advised as the process moves forward. In the interim, a call to your legislators asking them to start thinking about adding more field officers to the WDFW Enforcement section would be a start. Nothing will happen this year, but we're hopeful things can get rolling next year.

That must have been on the front page of the S. Whidbey Tribune today huh Rico?

Local Calls Authorities on Local

Seriously dude, you did the right thing. Has this guy always kept wild steelhead from the beach? Probably. Will he continue to keep wild steelhead from the beach? Probably not.

Kinda shocked that they have that kind of reaction time to the beaches though...pretty impressive. Was that from calling the Poaching Hotline (which is located on the back of our license, btw), or the State Patrol?

Ike

From the poaching hotline Ike.

The officer called me back fast and said he was 10 minutes south of Freeland (Lone Lake?). He wanted all available info. Called back when he was "in contact". I probably shouldn't put all the details on here, but I can assure you he is currently absolutely unable to fish the beach right now. What all transpired in that situation is not of my knowledge.

I'm not currently the favorite person on the beach with a few individuals.

Well looks like there is a new sheriff in town. I tell you what ,it takes balls to make that call. Richard will be on that beach all the time. You can be sure the other local yokel will too. I appreciate your efforts, it will provide an increased awareness for everyone on the Island who fishes the beaches. I have seen my share of BS in my short time up there as well, and did nothing. During pink season last year a couple yokels brought multiple limits of fish to their truck put them in the cooler, returned again and again. I did nothing, that wont be happening again. Thanks for the inspiration. I need to program that hotline on my cell what is the number?

By the way addicted your avatar is disturbing to say the least..

It's all about choices ain't it? To call or not call. To stick your neck out there for a junior deputy badge the price can, and is, high. Not saying it's a bad program, just saying it ain't for everybody. Once your in your in, done. To crap in your back yard is a judgement call I'll choose to skirt. So the perp smacks a native, yah that's a big deal. Now talk to the judge how bigga deal it is, THEY DON'T CARE. Slap on the wrist and a little fine and he's not suppose to hold a fishing rod for a year. You really think that's gonna stop him? He's a frigging poacher! You don't stop poachers and the judicial system still hasn't recognized the true severity of their acts. Some states are getting on board with big fines and incarceration periods, but not yet to the poinst where the risk / reward factor comes into play so as to cause a meaningful deterent. Don't be surprised if someone with their camera trying to play Maxwell Smart ends up with 36 pictures of his own colon, or worse. I've been dealing with a guy involved in the biggest poaching operation in recent history between Alaska and Washington with convictions in I believe 5 other states. And he's out there right now on $16,000 "CASH" Bail. He's a poacher. Dall Sheep, Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, FIsh, Crab, Clams, yada yada. He's a poacher. Two things will happen. He'll either finally pull a stretch with DOC or he'll decide he's getting too old to continue the game. Bottom line is he'll stop on his own, or we'll stop him by not affording him the opportunity during yard period. Do what ya gotta do, it is choices, but I'd advise you to be very careful. You're talking about outlaws that are probably will to do more than you think and are willing to bargain for. Sometimes less is more. Seperate yourself from the activity, make the call and let the folks with the tools take care of it. You did what you felt you were compelled to do.

If those aholes give you too much grief Richard i'm certainly up for a little beach time.

Not sure what you are saying here. Yes there are some risks of retaliation if you know the person or they know you. But if we all choose to turn blind eye then the problem will only get worse. The idea they will stop on thier own is not a good reason not to report a crime, by reporting we up the ante, make it more of a risk and the poacher will either be cited and face the legal system or quit the illegal practice. If we ignore and don't report, then there is no risk to the poacher. I do not think you need to confront the offender, leave that to the guys with the training and authority, but to ignore the problem is not the answer.
Taking heat from the other locals is sad. Too bad they don't have the same point of view that you do, Richard. Imagine if everyone on the beach picked up thier phone and made the same call as you did, do you think this guy would be out there doing the same thing very soon.

Bonking a native steelhead on the beach is not just violating WDFW rules, but is a federal crime...one that potentially could come with jail time, and a $10,000.00 fine...remember, that fish is listed as 'threatened' under the ESA now.

Anyone remember that dude on the Skagit who got busted a couple of years ago with an 40 pound ESA Chinook?

Fish on...

Todd

Good point Todd. While the risk is fairly low, if WDFW/NMFS decide to make an example of someone with a dead ESA steelhead, that someone is gonna' wish he hadn't gone fishing that day. The Skagit chinook example lost his truck, boat, trailer, and fishing gear, plus the fine, which I think was $5,000.

You can either live in fear of bullies, or refuse to let them get to you. Addicted owns it. Nice move, seriously. If you ever need a partner on the beach, let me know.

Damn - Addicted's certainly got the stones to match the tool SOL's so fond of describing.

If the beach gets too hot and a Skagit trip sounds good, shoot me a PM. You've got a reserved seat.

Bravo!

I agree with Dogfish and others. Good work, wildman addicted! Always a pleasure finding guts!

It seems that I run into at least one incident every season where I'm put in a position where I have to make a choice. I have called enforcement, but never prior to confronting the perp. Wise? Probably not, but then I'm the one who has to live with me, and I'm OK with my choices.

This season's boondoggle was a recent happening where I observed a Nate get bonked. I was aways upriver, but knew who I was watching. I'm cutting some of the story out, but I ran into this fella later in the day and said to him, "Let me see your fish." He showed me a fat hen which was obviously a wild fish. I looked him straight in the eye and got up real close and said, "You know that is a wild fish and I know that is a wild fish. So don't F#ck with me on this. You are killing the fish I turn loose and that ain't cool." I then bent over and took a good look at his license plate which he pretended to try to cover up, then he said to me, "I won't do it again." I replied, "That's what I wanted to hear." and the issue is now dead with me.
But he's now on notice and knows it. Again, wise? Shiat, I don't know. I do what I do, and I'm OK with it. One of my co-workers said to me, "You know, some day someone's gonna knock your Dick in the dirt." Could be, but I'll deal with that when it's time. For right now, I know who I am.

Hat's off, Richard!

This is true. PROUD OF MY MAN, though!!!
Just hope my house dosen't "catch on fire" or something over this!

Jerry & Dogfish--thanks for the offer. I think Richard should take you guys up on that soon. He may need a posse to back him up!

Next time when I toss you a vodka bottle, it will be the good stuff.