By Tom Watts
No matter how you dance around it, poaching hurts everyone.
Lt. Creig Grey of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources office in Lansing said Friday the culprits are relentless as deer season for firearms is still three weeks away.
“It’s always going to go on,” Grey said Friday. “The majority follow the rules; a small number of people who don’t always do it the right way.
“What is important is no matter if it is a deer or some other game species, poachers are stealing from you,” he said. “If you see a TV being carried out you’re probably going to call the law. For poachers, call RAP (Report All Poachers).”
Grey said with deer into their natural rut period and consequently more active, those same deer are more vulnerable to the overzealous hunter.
“That big buck may not be so nocturnal and not so cautious,” Grey said. “I saw a nice buck large enough that shocked me.”
While there are a limited of number of officers in the field to combat all poachers, it is likely you will encounter a kind and easy Grey if arrested for poaching.
“The people I’ve encountered trust me, they know I am fair and tell them to call that RAP hotline,” he said. “I got hundreds of eyes out there if they see something unusual or unlawful. I become much more effective.”
Grey said poaching picks up in the fall. More....