The Poacher - Don't be that guy

[Wapiti]

We have had dramas with poachers forever, it's just part of the fact that some humans are retarded and selfish and no matter what sport, interest or field you are involved in, there will be a percentage of these pointless life forms.
People who take from others, don't appreciate others work and just have no personal worth.
15 years or so ago, a young fella wanted to learn chainsaw sculpting so together we made an effigy of a poacher hanging from a tree from the stuff left over from paddock sawmill piles around the place on here. Came out pretty well, we even hung his arms and legs from lengths or 16mm booker rod and they swung in the breeze. We wanted to both have a comical shot at the poachers as well as make the d*ckheads think a little and consider themselves lucky we have a rule of law still operating and we wren't the law.
We clothed the dude in old hi-vis clothes, because most poachers we strike are working class men with gun licenses and legal firearms. People who normally call themselves "Law abiding gun owners" until temptation or frustration or as I call it, selfishness takes control and their real character shows through.

Eventually the clothes rotted off, and the dark grey timber faded and the effigy looked very scary. The spot it was hanging was just off the road, and the start of the property on an S bend causeway, where as you climb out of if you looked directly at the hanging dude. Underneath, on the tree, a piece of rusty corrugated iron had "Poacher" scrawled on it, deliberately rough for effect.
Eventually the whole thing rotted in the tree, legs first and feet fell off, adding to the frightening look.
A few people complained to the police, who came out and asked what it was all about. The stock squad blokes also reminded me that poachers are not to be hanged.
The people who complained where the city types who bought a thousand acres of rocks out here to move somewhere to starve their horses and generally whinge about everyone else, so nobody listened to them. The whole thing became a bit of a joke and the site ended up being called "hangman's corner" and this name has stuck when describing the area there.

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For a few years there was nothing and people lamented the hangman was in the past. One Halloween a few years ago in Bunnings there was this full-size skeleton with solar powered glowing red eyes, so through the checkout it went, out came some old thick rope and a new noose hauled him up. An old crappy sling and old junk 223 Weatherby Vanguard with a bent barrel went around his neck. Finally put to good use!
No "poacher" sign is needed now.

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The barrel wasn't long enough to wrap it around his neck, but oh well.

Now for all those who may go whacky-ape over this, remember the feelings of those who have to cop poachers frequently and how we feel about this, and also to remain the ability to have a sense of humout too.

[bigrich]

good story , i like it . i don't have a high opinion of poachers , and cutting fences is one of the worst sins IMHO

poachers bring hunters into poor repute with people who live and work bush , especially ones like me from the coast . poachers are selfish pr!cks with no morals or respect

[perentie]

What a great idea. We have them here too , not only poaching but stealing water pumps and anything else they can get their grubby mits on
Must look out for a skeleton (smiley)

Keith

[bigrich]

i like the signs that say "trespassers will be shot , survivors will be prosecuted" . not that i'm advocating for violence mind , just think it's dark humour that may make a grub think before they act

[Wapiti]

I can't remember which copper said it, it was said with a snide remark when others had called them over some roadrunning event and I was at the front gate with my dad who'd grown some trees from seed and wanted to plant them at the gate.
Two coppers pulled up in the typical Prado, the sergeant introduced some detective who was sitting next to him who just sat and stared us up and down with this disparaging look of superiority. My assumption.

On their way in on a visit, Dad (and mum, in their '80's) had just been told by this poacher and his offsider that they would knock him out if he didn't drive on, so he wasn't in a good mood to be brushed off. They'd stopped at this road creek crossing because a "pro" shooting Landcruiser ute was there. And those two were dressing a load of deer on the side of the road. The crossing is hidden quite well unless you are on the causeway, and it's where we hung the "hangman".
Dad challenged them and they had their knives and said to Dad that if he didn't put the phone away (to take a pic of them and the number plate) they'd hurt him. He did it anyway, said "I'm going to get my son and he will put you under the ground" and drove on here.
Unfortunately I was away from the house, by the time I got there the only sign was a pile of legs, heads and guts.
But I had the pics.

The sergeants saying to us, blah blah we waste our time coming here, takes 45 minutes to race down here for nothing each time we have other expectations on us from the town community, you guys are your own worst enemy as you have these animals they can see from the road so expect people to shoot them.
I said, you do your job maybe, that overtime you send everyone out to do in the speed cameras could be spent coming out here instead and making a presence and be a deterrent like police used to be before overtime had to bring in fine revenue more than it costs the overtime. (revenue raising)
The detective finally showed he could actually talk and he said
That figure in the tree isn't going to help your cause when you've taken the law into your own hands and are in court. It shows "intent".
Well aware of being recorded I said, It's a halloween spirit thing, I just haven't taken it down yet.

[Wapiti]

What a great idea. We have them here too , not only poaching but stealing water pumps and anything else they can get their grubby mits on
Must look out for a skeleton (smiley)

Keith

Mate this one went up October 2024, so near on 2 years ago now.
I didn't expect the May-in-Chyna Bunnings rubbish to last that long but wow, there you go.

Please note though, this is just a joke, and not at all meant to threaten as to what would happen to poachers. The law must be respected, as hopeless and anti-farmer as it is, we just have to realise that is our future as the country is allowed to be run by bureaucrats not decent people.
Any passers-by that see it as anything else must have some sense of guilt, or a lack of understanding.

[mchughcb]

I can never understand why you post about poachers , then it dawns on me, people can see your farm deer from the road.

I didn't think there was much money in deer farming compared to sheep or cows but what would I know.

I personally dont like hangings as a warning. Crucifixion will resonate better or gibletting.

[Fester]

A big pet stag was shot from the road the other year.
They took the head, and nothing else, must have considered it as some sort of trophy.

I asked a bloke what he did with the poachers on his small block. He was a very keen bow hunter who travelled the world hunting.
He replied that they leave with haste after he stalks in with the shotty.

I have met forest poachers leaving as I drive in before first light.
One time, they were still spotlighting from a forest road or track running parallel to me at about 200m away.
More often than not they are young locals from the area.
An old Sarge-type cop once said it's better they are out in the forests than on the farms.

They got off their ass and blitzed one area that must have got out of control a while back: the stock squad, or whatever they call themselves here. Mid North, NSW or Liverpool Valley, maybe.

How brazen would licenced shooters have to be to do it? A normal bloke would be s**ting his pants after taking a shot.
Next they will be using suppressors.