MuleyMadness Hunting Forums

are they poachers or just law breakers and do they deserve the rulling...??????

2 S. Oregon poachers receive lifetime hunting ban


May 20, 2010
Associated Press

May 20, 2010

MEDFORD, Ore. -- Two southern Oregon men have received lifetime suspensions of their hunting privileges after pleading guilty to hunting bears with dogs or bait.

State police say 42-year-old Terry Clearwater of Butte Falls and 37-year-old Brian Gerke of Shady Cove were targets of a 2008 undercover investigation by troopers.

Oregon is one of 30 states in the Wildlife Violator Compact, in which they honor each other's hunting and angling suspensions.

That means Clearwater and Gerke's lifetime bans also will keep them from hunting in much of the West, Midwest and South.

I'd like to know all the facts surrounding the case first.

dogs or bait... "or" Hmmm

not clear yet, waiting for the nightly news...

I know that there is a distinct difference between a "poacher" and a "law-breaker." (i.e. Shooting from your truck would be breaking the law while shooting a buck out of season would be poaching)

This....law-breakers IMO. After all, it was bear season...they were just using improper/illegal hunting methods. However, I really could care less. They didn't follow the rules and regulations and therefore must pay the piper for their actions.

BOHNTER will be able to break this down properly. He used to work in the game management field.

Here's my take on the whole thing. First off, I think that Oregons liberal, anti-hunting law banning use of dogs to take bears is rediculous and poor management to say the least......that being said, I also believe that laws have to be obeyed no matter how stupid we think they are. We simply all must play be the SAME rules for it to be fair and right. I personally think that without hearing more details that these guys got screwed on their sentence, but who knows. Not to offend any Oregonians on here, but I have seen that state go to absolute crap when it comes to game management. I personally will not waste a dime of my application money there again until they pull their heads out.This comes from a guy who has had ten out-of-state tags in Oregon over the last two decades. ---------SS

Springville Shooter;

I gotta say i agree with you, i still can't find any indepth info on these guys yet...

it doesn't help having these guys break that perticular law it just give's the anti's more ammo...

Without all the facts, who knows, but on the outset, did the punishment fit the crime, probably not. The crime is all the Liberals in my fair state making-up the rules when they know nothing about game. I have to agree with Mossbak. When you don't even want to hunt your own state, something needs fixed.

Seriously; in the first place, why would a state leave a judgment, like hunting for bears & cougars, (not old ladies) with dogs to an open public vote, what does Joe public know about the matter, it should have been up to a group of biologist and how did it get on the ballot anyways.

I tell you tree huggers are infiltrating these depts. Like Dept of Fish n Wildlife also BLM they have a strategy to take it all away a little at a time, kinda like the frog experiment…