08-14-2003, 03:12 PM
Would you become a CO for minimum wage? CO's can't be everywhere all the time. They are not Santa Claus. Hiring spies is not a good idea. Can you imagine the hell that person would go through as soon as someone breaking the law found out he was watching? CO's have a hard time dealing with lawbreakers, I don't think someone with limited traing, making minimum wage would think it was worth it.
This is a big problem. It's good to see that people like hedges aren't afraid to turn people in, although it does distract from his fishing. I walked away with a new spinning outfit at Manning one spring. We went up to do some work on the spawning channel and there was a vehicle parked down at the dam. as soon as another vehicle showed up (us) a guy started running around on the shore in a panick. He soon jumped in his pickup and drove towards us. He pulled over to talk to us and show us that he didn't have any fishing gear with him, and he was just checking things out. We then drove down to the dam, where I saw a nice spinning out fit stashed in the rocks, near where this guy had been. I took it, because he had already claimed to not have any fishing gear with him. He showed up at the dam a few hours later, and looked for a good half hour for something near where I found his pole. His license plat number was then phoned in to poaching hotline. I don't know if anything else happened or not, but at least he lost his pole!
Hiring more CO's may be a solution to the problem, but then we create more complaints from sportsmen for increased license prices. People are still upset with the last increase. Heck, where else can you get a years worth of entertainment for $26. I would gladly pay more, but many do not feel the same as I do.
Anyone else have any suggestions on how to stop illegal harvesting, fishing, etc.?
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This is a big problem. It's good to see that people like hedges aren't afraid to turn people in, although it does distract from his fishing. I walked away with a new spinning outfit at Manning one spring. We went up to do some work on the spawning channel and there was a vehicle parked down at the dam. as soon as another vehicle showed up (us) a guy started running around on the shore in a panick. He soon jumped in his pickup and drove towards us. He pulled over to talk to us and show us that he didn't have any fishing gear with him, and he was just checking things out. We then drove down to the dam, where I saw a nice spinning out fit stashed in the rocks, near where this guy had been. I took it, because he had already claimed to not have any fishing gear with him. He showed up at the dam a few hours later, and looked for a good half hour for something near where I found his pole. His license plat number was then phoned in to poaching hotline. I don't know if anything else happened or not, but at least he lost his pole!
Hiring more CO's may be a solution to the problem, but then we create more complaints from sportsmen for increased license prices. People are still upset with the last increase. Heck, where else can you get a years worth of entertainment for $26. I would gladly pay more, but many do not feel the same as I do.
Anyone else have any suggestions on how to stop illegal harvesting, fishing, etc.?
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